BEMIDJI-With Bemidji's growing population and more annexation coming in 2020, city officials are beginning to analyze what the impact will be on city utilities.
The latest move for city staff is reviewing the capabilities of the wastewater treatment system. During the Bemidji City Council meeting Monday, City Public Works Director Craig Gray brought up the subject and requested funding for an evaluation.
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"The City Council has had discussions about 2020 annexation, bringing sanitary sewer into places that have already been annexed, sewer in areas around Lake Bemidji and existing parcels in the city without sanitary sewer services," Gray said. "We're rapidly getting to the point where our wastewater plant superintendent is saying we're nearing capacity. Before we undertake any more expansion of our system, I think it would be beneficial for us to have a professional look at it."
After his presentation, the council approved a recommendation from Gray authorizing staff to enter into a professional services contract with SHE Engineers for an evaluation at a cost of $16,500. The study, expected to be completed by January 2019, will be funded with sanitary sewer utility funds and will provide staff with an idea of the current system's capacity.
"They can take a look at each design process we have out there and just see where we stand," Gray said. "That can give the City Council some good idea of what we may have left for capacity in the existing plan and some rough numbers of what it will be to provide any improvements to expand that capacity."
Another matter the council took action on Monday was approving an agreement with Widseth Smith Nolting for construction services during the renovation of the historic Carnegie Library. The estimated cost of the services is $151,000, coming to 8.6 percent of the overall construction price, and was included in the budget presented by the renovation project steering committee last month.
In July, the council selected a bid from Bradbury Stamm Construction in the amount of $1,749,897, with an alternate of $5,400, for a $1.7 million total. The project will include fixing the interior and exterior of the building, located along Bemidji Avenue North, as well as add new windows and improve the HVAC system.
A restoration project for the South Shore area of the city was also brought forward Monday. During the meeting the council was informed that because of storms, snowmobile traffic, vandalism and other factors, various trees and electric boxes along Lake Shore Drive have been damaged.
As a result, staff recommended that trees be replaced and new electric boxes be installed. In total, 75 trees would be replaced and 44 outlets updated, with the cost coming to $30,000 for the trees and $10,650 for electrical work. The recommendation was approved by the council. Half of the trees will be replaced in 2018 and the other half in 2019.
