Alternate bids for two additional items on the Old Highway 10 Turnback project were accepted by the Staples City Council at their June 8 city council meeting.

The low bids were $26,670 for concrete pavers for the project and $11,450 for precast concrete wall caps on the retaining walls for the project. This extra cost, which will be borne solely by the city, seemed acceptable to three of the four members of the council attending the noon session.

Stan Carlson stated he felt the two extra items are worthwhile for the overall project. JoEllen Einerwold- Reeck and Roy Miles had similar comments.

Joel Quance voiced the differing opinion, saying he has heard from people not happy about any added city expenses and taxes. “I’m just not in favor of this,” he said.

Consequently, the city council vote was 3-1 in favor of accepting the bids for the two added parts of the $4 million-plus project. Absent from the session were Mayor Chris Etzler and council members Don Flaten and Rob Schmieg.

The decorative pavers will be installed on parts of the project between Third Street and Sixth Street. The retaining walls are along several properties on the east half of the project.

City administrator Nate Mathews pointed out the city’s share of the total project is pegged at about $2.8 million. That figure will be paid by a combination of a $35 per front foot assessment for all property owners along the route with the city picking up the remaining cost of the project and paying for it with both general funds and utility funds.

The state and Todd County are contributing roughly $2 million through state turnback funds and state aid funds. In addition to the $4,090,729 construction bid from Tom’s Backhoe Service of Brainerd, the turnback project also includes about $1 million in engineering fees, legal fees and a contingency amount, the latter including possible costs for cleaning up contaminated soil found during the project.

In another matter, city resident Katie Leslie of 616 7th Street appeared before the council to request the city to improve sidewalks along several streets. She noted some property owners have well maintained sidewalks while others are broken or sunken into the ground. She also requested the city look at trimming shrubs and trees that are overhanging sidewalks innumerous locations.

Roy Miles, president pro-tem of the council who was conducting the meeting, said her requests would be sent immediately to the city’s public works department.

The council also noted that Doug Bendorf, the new public works director, was present for his first city council meeting.

In another matter, the council voted 3-1 to take the first steps in establishing a new city charter commission. The motion was to have a resolution at the next council meeting requesting the district court chief judge be asked to appoint members of a charter commission.

Stan Carlson, who voted against the motion, questioned if a 3-1 vote represents a majority of the council. City Clerk Phil Lindaman, in the capacity of a parliamentarian, replied that four members make up a quorum of the seven member council and a vote by three of those members is an affirmation of the majority of the quorum, so it constitutes a majority vote.

In other matters, the Staples City Council:

o APPROVED a second reading and adopted an ordinance amending the

city’s tobacco regulations

to define the words ‘Tobacco Shop’ and incorporate

those regulations into the ordinance.

o APPROVED a Sunday on-sale intoxicating liquor license for the Twisted Sisters of Staples, Inc.

o APPROVED a first reading of an ordinance extending the city’s gas franchise for another six months. The current 20 year franchise expires the end of June, with the extension giving the city staff and consultants time to prepare a new franchise.

o APPROVED a request from the Wahoo Valley Chapter of Minnesota Deer Hunters to conduct a raffle Oct. 9 in Staples.

o HEARD a report of the city’s Airport Board meeting May 27, including plans for construction this summer of a Snow Removal Equipment building and progress of future plans for a major runway and full length parallel taxiway improvement project.