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Contracts for facilities awarded
Staff Writer BAXTER - It was a difficult decision for city council members, but the city of Baxter will have a new water treatment and public works and maintenance facilities.
The Baxter City Council Tuesday unanimously approved awarding contracts of $7,474,000 for a municipal water treatment facility and $2,458,000 for the public works maintenance facility. Both contracts were awarded to Rice Lake Construction of Deerwood. Council member Gary Muehlhausen was absent from Tuesday's meeting.
After a lengthy presentations from Public Works Director Trevor Walter on the scope of the projects and from Finance Director Jeremy Vacinek on the financing of the projects, council members hesitated in making a motion to approve awarding the contracts when asked to do so by Mayor Darrel Olson.
"It seems like they are needed but when you stare at the dollars and cents it's a cold slap," council member Randy Hukriede said.
"For me, one of the hardest parts of this whole deal is answering to current residents who say, 'Stop,'" Olson said in reference to the high cost of maintaining city services and infrastructure that occurs with growth.
Staffers noted that with the current growth of Baxter and Brainerd, from which Baxter buys water during peak periods in the summer, the water treatment facility would be needed sooner than later.
"Brainerd won't be able to handle both cities at this growth rate," Walter said.
As for the public works and maintenance facility, Walter said there is no room to store the equipment the city currently owns.
Both projects would be paid for with bonds. Vacinek noted that if the city is allowed to collect a local option sales tax it could help lower future rate increases.
In February, the city council unanimously passed a resolution for preliminary approval to issue $4,940,000 in bonds to buy 98 acres of land for a city center government complex and the public works facility, both of which will be located near Forestview Middle School. The cost of the land for the city center government complex will be about $2.5 million.
MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.
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