BEMIDJI — The Bemidji City Council declared April 5 to April 11 the "Week of the Young Child" during Monday's meeting. board members attended the meeting to witness the proclamation, which was read by Mayor Jorge Prince.
“Be it resolved that the city of Bemidji does hereby proclaim April 5 through 11 as the Week of the Young Child,†Prince said while reading the proclamation, “and commits to investments that stabilize, sustain and support child care and early learning so this essential workforce can continue to support children, families and our economy.â€
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The proclamation mentions the importance of child care and learning programs to help bolster future generations. This states that early childhood educators are important in guiding children in the right direction and that these educators need to be able to earn a professional wage as essential employees.
Light pole replacement project
The council also approved the first step in a light pole replacement project for the decorative light poles located at the Mississippi River bridge and the adjacent area. The project is necessary as the original light poles, installed in the early 2000s, were made of carbon steel and have deteriorated at the base due to Minnesota Department of Transportation snow maintenance and chlorides. They are now at risk of falling over.
The city has already replaced 17 poles and removed six last year due to fears that they would topple over.
Now, the engineering department estimates there is around $500,000 worth of grant funding available through MnDOT State Aid to replace each with a standard cobra-style light pole as the funding will not cover the city's current decorative style.
This includes 63 decorative light poles within the MnDOT Highway 197 corridor between Second Street NW and First Street E. Funding may only cover light poles within the MnDOT right of way, meaning the city may need to pay for seven to eight poles.
Funding is not available until July. This gives the city time to scout and plan the project before it receives bids. If replacement poles are received quickly, the project could commence in early fall. But if there is a delay, the project will likely wait until next spring, doing all the work in one go. The engineering department will scout the remaining light poles and remove any that are at risk of falling if the project waits until 2026.
Replacement light poles can include banner brackets and electrical outlets to allow the city to continue the usage of banners and decorative lights.
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The council approved a professional services agreement with EAPC for $11,500 to provide project drawings and additional details with bidding assistance when the time comes.
Council action
Also during the meeting, the council approved a consultant service contract with the Baker Tilly Advisory Group LP to conduct a compensation study. City Manager Rich Spiczka explained that cities typically do this type of study every five to seven years; Bemidji's last was in 2018.
A job classification/compensation study aims to help develop a pay scale as an effective recruitment and retention tool, address position duties and responsibility changes, address changes in city issues and service level complexities, present pay comparisons, provide union contract negotiation supporting documentation, address organizational structure changes and determine pay equity compliance.
The study can also highlight unique challenges Bemidji faces, including tax-exempt property and related funding challenges, lower valued homes and water well field issues, among others.
Contracted services will cost the city $49,600.
The council also approved a downtown tree removal and replacement project. This continues Bemidji Parks and Recreation's work from 2023 to remove certain trees that have grown too large downtown.
It will be done in two phases. Phase one will remove two trees along Beltrami Avenue NW. The first is located in front of the Cool Threads and 218 Real Estate building and the second is in front of Hard Times. Phase two will also take place along Beltrami Avenue NW, extending to Minnesota Avenue.
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The tree project will begin mid to late April, depending on the weather. Work includes concrete flat work, curbing, paver installation and stump grinding. The total estimated cost is $46,546.54.
The council also amended the professional service agreement to the Middle حلحلآ» Drive NW and Hannah Avenue NW road construction projects. These projects will begin later this year and conclude next year as part of the large-scale State Highway 197 road construction project that was slowed due to a federal funding freeze.
This amendment will cost $97,150 as additional consultant costs accrued due to a few different factors listed by the city engineering department via the The amendment is financially covered by the state aid construction account.
The council will next meet for a planning board meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 14, at City Hall. All meetings can be viewed on the
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