Becker City Council Chambers were filled with area high school students Tuesday as the city council conducted its second meeting of May.

 

The meeting, held at 5 p.m. saw nearly a dozen students attend from Becker High School perusing the meeting agenda, taking notes and asking questions at the conclusion.

 

Water/Wastewater Supervisor Dave Pesola asked council to approve to enter into contract for professional services for design work and bidding documents for the refurbishment of the industrial WWTF.

 

Pesola said the engineering design services would be contracted with Wenck Associates to provide a final design of improvements to complete project funding and obtain approval from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

 

Pesola said the scope of the improvements has changed from the original concept designed a few years ago because of the addition of LPI’s own effluent treatment facility and the change of strength and chemistry of LPI’s process water. Much of the original design can still be used, said Pesola, but some additional design work is necessary to reflect the proposed process changes.

 

The additional design work is expected to take approximately three months at a completion cost of $150,000 (not to be exceeded).

 

Pesola noted the contract with Wenck does not address engineering services to oversee the project once construction begins. Wenck will be offering a separate contract for those professional services when the time comes.

 

Pesola told council one of the industrial storage tanks has developed a leak in the steel tank wall, causing the tank to be taken out of service. Pesola said the tank manufacturer inspected both storage tanks and recommends the city repair and clean out the tanks.

 

The tank inspector said the other tank did not exhibit the deterioration found on the first tank but the old sealant material would need to be removed from the tank wall seams on both tanks and then resealed. An additional membrane coating would also be applied to the interior of both tanks. The costs do these tasks was quoted at $40,507.

 

In order for the tank manufacturer to do the repairs, Pesola said the tanks need to be thoroughly cleaned out before Engineering America arrives to fix them. The cleaning of the tanks will involve an outside contractor to perform the work since the city’s equipment is not capable of reaching into the tanks to remove the heavier material at the bottom of the tanks.

 

Pesola said the tanks will have to be worked on at different times since the city needs to have at least one of them operational to accept waste sludge from the WWTF process.

 

The tank cleaning and two separate mobilizations could cost the city up to $10,000.

 

Pesola asked for approval to have the tanks cleaned and repaired for a total not to exceed $50,000 and was approved.

 

Clerk Julie Blesi presented an ordinance revision to remove the discount benefits pertaining to the community center and golf course for merchandise offered for sale to council members and the mayor.

 

Mayor Lefty Kleis said he didn’t think it was appropriate for council members to get substantial discounts for merchandise from the community center and golf course (such as golf balls, golf clubs, etc.) unless the merchandise has a city logo on it to promote the city and not the enterprise.

 

Council approved the recommended ordinance update.

 

City Planner Therese Haffner asked council to approve the additional purchase of wetland banking credits for the County Rd. 24 trail project.

 

Haffner reminded council the city had approved the purchase of $19,166.40 of wetland banking credits along with the administrative fee of $905.52 back in March, but a further wetland delineation was conducted and an additional .03 acres of wetland was found to be in the project area. This new discovery will cost the city another $1,306.80 plus the administrative fee of $61.74.

 

The trail is a county-shared project for the reconstruction of the bridge at Co. Rd. 24 between Rolling Ridge and Lobelia Street.

 

• Mayor Kleis announced that Halle Lindsey from Public Works was given the April 2015 Safety Award for her safety-conscious behavior involving her wearing the proper gloves while pulling weeds, wearing the proper personal protection equipment and taking care of monthly walk-through inspections;

 

• The city accepted a donation of $230 from the Clear Lake Lions for the purchase of flags;

 

• The executive session following the council meeting was cancelled due to a lack of an agenda.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m.