At the Wednesday, February 13 Peterson meeting, the Peterson Council voted to approve a standing contract with WHKS & Co., a full-service engineering firm in Rochester. Present to address the council were Tim Hruska and Scott Huneke.
“We spent a lot of time, as a company, talking about what our passion is; what makes us all get up and come to work everyday,” said Hruska. “Our passion statement is that we listen, learn, and collaborate with our clients to provide solutions in their communities. That’s personally something I eat, sleep, and breathe. As a company, it’s about what can we do for you guys.” Hruska went on to note the desire to meet the specific needs of Peterson to make sound engineering judgements.
Mayor Tim Hallum noted the city has spent the last three years working to improve city streets. The most recent area of proposed work is Park Street and River Street, which form a loop from one side of Peterson’s County 25 thoroughfare to the other. Water and sewer location was conducted on the area, but to do both street and possibly utility improvements in the area is costly to the small city.
“It’s a big project to take on,” stressed Hallum. “It’s reasonable, since we’ve done the locate, to keep tackling things like that.” Other potential future projects for the city may be a water main loop and further addressing drainage concerns, as the majority of the city is without curb and gutter.
“Ultimately is comes down to stretching your dollar, too. What we try to do, is when you’re in doing a street project, piggy backing on stuff like Inflow & Infiltration. If you’re already tearing up the street, that’s the time to do it, because you’re going to get more bang for your buck,” added Hruska. “But that’s what it’s about, you guys have the knowledge of where those things are at. You tell us where are the problems and we can determine the most economical solutions.”
The discussion included current ratings of city roads and Hallum suggested the majority of streets, other than the recently resurfaced portion of Fillmore Street and County 25, are in poor condition.
“If it’s past the point of maintenance, you can’t throw money at something that’s not a long term solution,” noted Huneke.
Talk then turned to unconventional, but feasible municipal options such as tearing up the surface and putting down just chip seal, with additional paving on select corners and heavy use areas. It may be an option for the city, which since the school has vacated its former site, sees only large vehicles by way of garbage cleanup and trucks around Chuck’s Feed & Grain.
Hruska maintained it was critical to look for a reasonable solution with time and resources available. “You find a solution that makes sense for the particular aspect; that gets you from point A to point B, using your own resources.”
With the contract, WHKS will essentially work for the city when needed, being only as involved as the city wants. Smaller projects will be charged at an hourly rate, while bigger projects will see proposals including detailed scope and related fees. In instances where WHKS does not have someone on staff for a particular issue, it will partner with other firms with expertise in the area. This is typically in the area of in-depth comprehensive planning.
“The key to our success is communication. We communicate early and often. It’s something we do strive for,” added Hruska. “That’s what it’s about; we realize you’ve got a problem you need solved, in a timely manner, and you need our technical expertise. We want to be your trusted partner, conscientious of where your dollars are going.”
“Oh, we’ve got plenty of little projects,” chuckled Hallum.
In other news, the city has found a resolution to its lawsuit with residents Gary Quarve and Shirley McCormick. The case was scheduled to go to trial. After discussion between attorneys for the two parties and the judge, Quarve/McCormick accepted that the shed building in contention was atop a city sewer easement. It can remain on the site until a point in which the city needs to access the sewer. At that time, the building will be removed at the owners’ expense, provided that 90 days notice is given by the city.
As spring draws nearer, the city is making plans to continue improvements at the city campground park. New restroom signs will be placed along the Root River Bike Trail, from both directions. The cost to the city may be little to zero, depending on whether or not the city is approved for a free paint grant. Other proposed improvements may include interior upgrades. Public Works Director Rick Lee, worker Pete Erickson, and City Clerk Chris Grindland will discuss the possible needs.
The council approved the purchase of 10 new light pole banners, at $80 a piece. While they have a different color than the previous banners, the themes will highlight different activities within the city. The former banners served the city for 10 years. The new banners will go up April 1.
Lastly, the council approved an ordinance change for discontinuance of utility services. This relates to an ongoing past-due payment issue and has been discussed for months. It was approved unanimously, however Councilor Gail Boyum was absent from the meeting.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Wednesday, March 13, at 6 p.m., at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
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