Committee tables payment for added Kandiyohi Avenue work

WILLMAR - A city committee is recommending recently appointed Public Works Director Sean Christensen be given time to review minor grade and drainage corrections made on a portion of reconstructed Kandiyohi Avenue Southwest before payment for the work is made.
The City Council’s Public Works/Safety Committee tabled a payment by design engineer Bollig Inc. of Willmar to street contractor Duininck Inc. of Prinsburg.
The committee tabled the payment to give Christensen time to determine if removal and replacement last year of curb, gutter, sidewalk and other items on Kandiyohi Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets Southwest is satisfactory to the city.
Bollig was contracted by the council in 2012 to provide engineering and surveying services for 2013 street improvement projects. The council contracted with the firm during an 18-month period when the public works director position and a city technician-surveyor position were vacant.
A design error was caught by a city inspector who found that the elevation of a portion of curbing poured in early August last year for the Kandiyohi Avenue reconstruction project between 12th Street and 13th Street was too high.
City officials said work was halted while Bollig was contacted to review the problem. Officials said the curb was incorrectly poured. Officials settled for a solution designed by Bollig that would not negatively impact drainage.
Christensen, who joined the city in March, said Bollig has agreed to pay Duininck $10,875 to cover the cost of the corrections, which would increase Duininck’s contract to $1,332,049.
The committee’s action will be reviewed by the council May 19.
Street improvements
In other business, the committee voted to recommend the council declare costs to be assessed, order the assessment rolls to be prepared and to hold public hearings June 16 on the following street improvement projects:
- Reconstruction of Gorton Avenue Northwest and Ninth Street Northwest.
- Construction of 12th Street Southeast between Willmar Avenue Southeast and 11th Avenue Southeast.
- Overlays on 23rd Street Southwest, 10th Street Southwest, Ninth Street Southeast, Seventh Street Southeast and 25th Street Southeast.