Water treatment plant agreement approved

By TOM LAVENTURE

[email protected]

Ironwood — After nearly two years of preliminary work, the Ironwood City Commission on Monday approved an engineering service agreement to start the water treatment plant project.

The commission, 5-0, approved the design and project management services with HDR, Inc., of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The firm will start work on final engineering of the estimated $9.7 million concrete, gravity filtered water treatment plant and pump station to better address manganese and iron water quality issues and discoloration in the city’s water system.

“(This) next step is to retain an engineering firm for first design permit and project management,” said Scott Erickson, city manager.

The engineering study that led to a recommendation for a filtration treatment plant pump station as the feasible solution to remove iron and manganese from the municipal water supply and improve the aesthetic quality was performed by SEH (Short, Elliot & Hendrickson), he said. Chris Larson was the primary SEH water engineer who worked on the study and now works for HDR.

The city vetted HDR along with SEH as the two firms that bid for the project, Erickson said. The city recommended HDR in part to keep Larson as the project engineer who has been working with the city on the project for nearly two years, he said.

“He has been working on the project with the city and Coleman Engineering all along,” Erickson said.

Larson, who attended the meeting virtually, said the design process would take place over the summer and fall. A call for bids would occur in early 2022 to be ready for the spring construction season, he said.

“The building is significant and construction will likely take a little more of a year and a half to finish by the fall of 2023,” Larson said.

Jeff Sjoquist of Coleman Engineering, said the city approval was required for the grant process. The project recently completed the funding stage with approximately $4.2 million or 43.6% of the project funded in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development.

In addition the agency provided the remaining funds through loans at 1.25% interest, said Erickson. The less the city has to pay for its portion the projec, the less it will have to raise water rates.

In the COVID-19 response update, Andrew DiGiorgio, director of Ironwood Public Safety Department, said the vaccination process is now rolling out to adults of all ages.

The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department will be performing vaccination clinics every Tuesday for the next six weeks, he said. People age 18 and older can contact the health department at 906-667-0200 to schedule a vaccination.

The city commission awarded $1,668,324 for two summer water and sewer project bids.

A bid to Jake’s Excavation will be to conduct the city’s 2021 water and sewer project. The work will involve eight locations to include a major reconstruction on Lake Avenue between Curry and Lake streets, along with projects on Van Buskirk Road, East Ayer Street near Country Club Road, downtown relining of sewer mains, and Lake Street.

A second bid to Snow Country Contracting, Inc., of Bessemer, will be for a sewer and water project on Hemlock Street that was to be an alternate project.

In other business, the city commission approved:

—A $5,544 bid to Monroe Truck Equipment, Inc., to place a new box on a 2007 pickup the city public works department still finds to be in good operational condition.

—A $37,000 bid to Binz Brothers to conduct the final of six well rehabilitation projects.

—A $28,866 bid to JCS, Inc. to place fencing at three mine shaft safety locations and at the Jessieville elevated storage tank. Around $22,000 comes from easement fees from Xcel Energy, Inc.

A $37,400 bid to Vukovich Construction for patching and painting of the Memorial Building gymnasium and locker rooms.

—A $19,000 bid to RAM Construction Services for the Ironwood Memorial Building and Mausoleum tuck pointing project.