City Council plans negotiations City to schedule meeting with Rural Water Board on Titan project

Talk about it

The Jamestown City Council tabled action on bids for the water and sewer project for Titan Machinery. The action came during a special meeting Monday that included an executive session to determine negotiation strategies for dealing with claims by Stutsman Rural Water that Jamestown was expanding its water service into territory Stutsman Rural Water has rights to serve.

“At issue is who has authority to serve that area,” said Ken Dalsted, Jamestown city attorney.

Mayor Katie Andersen asked Dalsted to continue to examine the legal documents provided by Stutsman Rural Water and to schedule a meeting between the City Council and the Rural Water Board in the near future.

Dalsted said the City Council had 30 days to reach an agreement with Rural Water and act on the bids for the Titan Machinery water and sewer project.

Titan Machinery is constructing a new facility west of Jamestown Regional Medical Center. The project is further west than any current Jamestown water or sewer services and would require extensive new lines.

Ryan Contracting of Elko, Minn., was the apparent low bidder at $818,000, according to Travis Dillman, project manager for Interstate Engineering. Dillman said Ryan Contracting contacted him and said it had made errors on the bid and asked it be withdrawn.

The City Council would have the authority to keep the 5 percent bid bond included with the bid if Ryan Contracting follows through with a written letter of withdrawal.

The second low bidder was Kuechle Underground of Kimball, Minn., at $1 million.

Preliminary engineer’s estimates by Interstate Engineering placed the project cost at about $1 million.

Seven Minnesota companies bid on the project.

“There is a market difference between there and here,” Dillman said. “A lot of contractors from Minnesota are coming this way looking for work.”

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at 701-952-8452 or by email at knorman@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, water