Change order cuts cost of tennis court project

The Park Rapids City Council on Tuesday approved a change order with Apex Engineering and Gladen Construction, Inc., for the tennis court reconstruction project at Depot Park.

When the project was bid out, City Administrator Angel Weasner said, the bids were higher than the engineering estimate. At that time, the council approved Gladen’s bid but discussed removing the soil remediation from the project scope.

“It just reduces the soil subcontracting,” she said of the change order. “So that way, we’re not removing any soil, and everything will remain the same. It reduces the price of the contract down to the amount that is within our limits” – specifying a budget of $600,000.

Council member Liz Stone made a motion to approve the change order, and it passed unanimously.

A resolution to appoint Kristin Fake to the Park Rapids Housing and Redevelopment Authority was pulled from the consent agenda.

Weasner explained that a second candidate had applied for the position, and she asked that the matter be tabled for two weeks, pending an interview with the new applicant.

In consent items and general business, the council:

• Heard an appeal from Cindy Little with Hubbard First Response for financial support of the all-volunteer, donation-funded organization, now in its 35th year of service. She said HFR responded to 1,025 calls in 2022, including 617 within Park Rapids. Mayor Ryan Leckner noted that unlike townships, the city cannot make donations.
• Heard Weasner report that the city’s audit will run from June 26 through August 15.
• Heard council member Joe Christensen report that the city’s planning commission wants to meet with the city council to clarify terminology. 
• Approved three-year labor agreements with Teamsters Union Local 320 and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189, as well as non-union employees’ annual wage and insurance benefit adjustments for 2023-25.
• Approved fire contracts with the Hubbard County townships of Arago, Clay, Clover, Henrietta, Hubbard, Lake Emma, Straight River and Todd, and the Becker County townships of Savannah and Two Inlets, effective April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024.
• Paid Apex Engineering $17,162 for redesign of the Depot Park Tennis courts ($1,551) and engineering services on the Fair Avenue project (two invoices for $7,806 each).
• Paid CHS-Herman $1,686 for Superlube TMS 15W40 oil, divided between seven departments.
• Paid Gaslin Garage Door of Bemidji $9,400 to replace two garage doors at the public works garage, including antennae, transmitters and installation. According to the staff memo in the council’s agenda packet, the previous doors had been opening randomly.
• Paid Guardian Fleet Safety $1,709 to reconfigure in-car electronics and equipment for the K9 squad vehicle, including free installation of a used console, movement arm and printer mount. 
• Paid Steve’s Tire Service $2,650 for five Alliance irrigation tires.
• Approved a public facilities use permit for the Northern Knights Car Club for its Run to the Rapids event, Aug. 12 in the first three blocks of Main Avenue South.
• Acknowledged donations to the city between Feb. 23 and March, totaling $130.
• Approved payables totaling $54,318 and prepaids totaling $75,645.

The city council’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 at city hall, following a 5 p.m. work session regarding bonding for the Fair Avenue project.