Details being finalized, services needed to begin prep work
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
During a brief meeting Dec. 4, the City of Elkhorn Common Council voted in favor of approving two task orders for Kapur and Associates to provide civil engineering services for the final design, permitting, specifications preparation and bidding for both the TID 4 north and south areas.
City Administrator Sam Tapson said of the two, Task Order No. 9 is in most current need of attention. While the associated project is not fully developed at this time, Tapson said City Engineer Greg Calhoun needed approval of the task order to begin preparation work.
“Greg has to get started if we have any chance of getting this thing,” Tapson said, noting things should start to come together with the unspecified project early next year. “To be timely, it’s necessary that at least that one, Task Order No. 9, be approved.”
As for Task Order No. 8, Tapson said it could be approved, though after discussions, city administration wouldn’t “pull the trigger” on spending those funds until there was an actual need for engineering services from Kapur in that northern section of TID 4.
Both task orders were approved by councilmembers Dec. 4. Task Order No. 8 – funds of which will not be spent until needed – was a total of $77,534, and Task Order No. 9 carried a cost of $90,960.
In other business
In other business, Alderman Tom Myrin shared with fellow councilmembers that during the Finance and Judicial Committee’s most recent meeting, members of the committee opted in favor of allowing Library Director Lisa Selje to determine what community groups could be waived of fees to rent the Community Center at Matheson Memorial Library.
Myrin said there are several groups that fees are currently waived for, such as city and county government groups, school groups, and community groups including Kiwanis and the Rotary Club.
However, Myrin said, Selje’s concerns arose when a local church group that provides a free community meal to people in need was going to be charged a fee that would create a hardship for that group, and in turn make it difficult for them to provide the meal free of cost.
Myrin said it was suggested when it comes to waiving fees for the library, it should be more purpose-based, a policy under which the church group’s community meal would more than qualify for the fees to be waived.
After some discussion, Myrin said Selje told committee members she would be comfortable making decisions on the fee waiver based on purpose and service to the community.
The council also voted in favor of approving new Department of Public Works Manager Matthew Lindstrom to advertise for a new crewman for the department.
The cost of wages and benefits for a new crewman for the department was included in the approved 2018 budget by councilmembers, and the motion to approve was approved unanimously at the Dec. 4.
