The Corcoran City Council awarded the sewer/water utility project.
The council also split a vote regarding potential development of the city-owned site south of city hall, and approved a home occupation license for an auto repair business.
City engineer Vince VanderTop recommended the council award the sewer and water utility project to S.R. Wiedema of Dayton.
This will be for the city’s first-ever utility construction project, and will begin at the Maple Grove border this year and move west to County Rd. 19 just north of the downtown area.
Bids were opened June 1. VanderTop said his firm has worked with S.R. Wiedema on previous projects. "They specialize in trunk utility construction and have completed numerous projects in Maple Grove, surrounding communities and the greater region," VanderTop wrote in his project memo.
Councilors Rich Asleson, Tom Cossette, George Gmach and Roz Milbrandt (Mayor Ken Guenthner was absent) approved the motion entering into a contract with S.R. Wiedema for a base bid total of $1.065 million.
In other news, the council worked with motions related to an infrastructure grant the state is considering for bonding.
The council voted 4-0 to approve a resolution authorizing the state of Minnesota grant application for public works facility water access, turn lanes and trail head restrooms.
The council also voted 4-0 authorizing the state of Minnesota grant application for construction of a water tower.
The council then split its vote 2-2 for a resolution authorizing the state of Minnesota grant application to construct a fire hall, public works facility and water tower south of city hall. Councilors Asleson and Gmach voted for approval, and councilors Cossette and Milbrandt were opposed.
Approval doesn’t mean the projects would happen, just that the city is approving a resolution authorizing the grant application.
In further matters, the council considered a conditional home occupation license for Steve Schmid, 6334 Rolling Hills Rd., to operate an auto repair business in a detached accessory building.
The business has been operating on this site without the required permit for two to three years.
Staff recommended approval. "Staff finds that the standards for a Conditional Home Occupation License have been met," city planner Kendra Lindahl wrote in her memo. "The proposed auto repair business has a limited impact on the neighborhood provided it continues to operate in the detached accessory building without outside storage."
But one question the planning commission and city council dealt with whether Schmid should be required to construct an Americans With Disabilities (ADA) standard bathroom.
The council ultimately voted that Schmid couldn’t have customers on location, to avoid the ADA bathroom requirement.
In other action, the council:
TABLED the public works facility report. Oertel Architects, the project architect, submitted a site plan report. The council wished to discuss it further when the full council is present.
-Compiled by Aaron Brom