All commissioners present.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: Julie Runkel
- Recycling/HHW Forklift Replacement
- Approved the purchase of Hyundai Forklift from Herc-U-Lift with trade-in of the 2015 Mitsubishi FG20B forklift and an extended full machine warranty in the amount of $24,476.90. Currently a 2015 Mitsubishi forklift used for Recycling and HHW is in need of replacement. Quotes were obtained and staff is requesting to purchase Hyundai forklift from Herc-U-Lift with a trade of the 2015 Mitsubishi forklift and an extended warranty. Attached is the quote from Herc-U-Lift.
- Greater Minnesota Waste Reduction, Reuse, Recycling & Composting Grant Agreement
- Approved grant agreement for the MPCA offers a Greater MN Waste Reduction, Reuse, Recycling & Composting grant. Environmental Services staff developed a work plan for a Construction and Demolition Waste Reduction and Reuse Program in Rice County and have been notified that Rice County was selected to receive a grant of $167,414.90 with a 25% match of $41,855.00. The purpose of this grant and work plan is an overall reduction in construction and demolition material currently being landfilled in Rice County while also increasing the reuse of salvageable demolition material. This will be implemented through a targeted education and outreach effort including financial support through C&D Mini-Grants to incentivize deconstruction and alternate building practices. Another component of the proposal is to initiate a shingle recycling program to increase overall diversion rates and decrease the amount of C&D waste entering the demolition landfill. Attached is the grant agreement that also includes the overall work plan.
- Underdahl: Prevailing wage rate component: What does that mean for us?
- Julie: The mini grant will only cover a portion of their project, like the material vs labor. Underdhal and Julie share a concern about this impacting project, but will navigate it on a case by case basis.
- Hoisington: What is the mini grant for homeowners?
- Julie: If geared after Hennepin county program, if they do deconstruction so the materials are reusable, then they can apply for this grant, or if they are using deconstructed materials that are used from another project.
- Hoisington: DOes this impact your staff?
- Julie: The grant includes .5 FTE and we’ll include in-kind contribution through our staff time.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Megan Thomas
- A. Adult Services Contract
- Approved updated adult services contract for guardianship with Scott County to be a 2-year contract. We [Rice co] have been asked by Scott to serve a 2nd person under guardianship- where Scott County will pay Rice for those services at the contracted amount of $325.00 per month plus mileage at the federally approved rate. The Scott County contract is revenue generated towards guardianship costs. In 2024, we received $3900.00 for the current case at the rate of $325.00 per month. Mileage will vary.
- Underdahl: This is not taking away staff time from Rice County?
- Megan: No
HIGHWAY: Dennis Luebbe
- Award professional engineering design contract – Phase 1, County Road 20
- The Department solicited a request for proposals to 5 firms to provide professional civil engineering services for the design and plan preparation for the 2027 reconstruction of County Road 20, (Phase 1). Proposals will be received by February 27th, and will be reviewed by staff. A recommendation is based upon the thoroughness of the proposal, the firms experience with similar projects and the proposed cost. The Department has budgeted for these professional design costs. Awarded to Widseth for ~$427,000.
- Received four proposals for the work.
- Underdahl: Does this include all the appraisal and legal work?
- Dennis: Yes. It includes meeting with property owners, negotiating, documenting easements, etc. We’re estimating 35 parcels. This also includes plating the entire project. In the past we’ve been able to do some of it in house, but due to work loads internally, we’ve rolled it into this contract.
- Purfeerst: From the time this is designed, if we were to bid the second phase right away and have it shovel ready sooner, would we get a better bid?
- Dennis: We’d get a better bid with a larger project, but from a constructability perspective, they’d have to be done in different years. Right now we’re funding this with sales tax and state aid dollars. We have no federal or state bonding dollars. If we want to use our in house financing, then we have no limit on how we do it. But if we get a grant from the feds or state, they sometimes put a target date on it. We have time to think about that and whether we can get state or federal dollars. Phase 2 is what the internal staff was going to design to try to manage workload and avoid consultant services.
- Purfeerst: I just on
- Dennis: That’s a forward thinking idea, and I’ll give it more thought. The challenge is the right of way, so they have to have been approved before doing phase 2.
- Hoisington: Purfeerst has a good point. If we were to do that, then we would not approve that
- Peters: Aren’t there issues with the detours?
- Dennis: Not if we’re talking about design services, rather than carrying out the project itself. I would recommend awarding this contract now, and then we could negotiate with Witseth on Phase 2. But our mentality was that we were going to do Phase 2 in house. If we did it all through Witseth, we could potentially get the design done faster. The problem would be that if a year goes by, a changes to standards happen, and then we have to go back through it and make modifications. I need some time to process that and decide how aggressive we want to be. I’d guess it would be another $500,000 to farm it out to a consulting firm.
- Purfeerst: If your staff is willing to do Phase 2 in house, we should do that as it would save us a lot of money.
- Dennis: I would not want to table this, and then send it out to the same list for Phase 2 because of the time it would take.
- Hoisington: It would be prudent to get this done now. Have you worked with this engineering firm before?
- Dennis: Yes, we have them under contract for overhead lighting projects now.
- Hoisington: And you’ve had good experiences with them?
- Dennis: Yes.
- Hoisington: When we make an agreement with this contract, is this an open ended contract — are there chances for additional fees being charged?
- Dennis: Yes, there always is that risk. This is not a cap nor is it a minimum.
- Award roofing contract
- The Department’s main salt shed building has failing asphalt shingles. Bids to replace the shingles will be presented. The Department has levy funding within the current budget. To award the Highway Dept. salt shed roofing contract to Borglum ~$26k or Skluzacek ~$27k. Borglum was $451 less than Skluzacek.
- Purfeerst: Where’s Borglum located?
- Dennis: Waseca?
- Peters: So insurance is all good?
- Dennis: Yes.
- Underdahl: Was the 50 year shingle bid a lot more?
- Dennis: no.
- Underdahl: You may want to do a change order to a 50 year shingle.
- Mortenson: Do you want to seek a bid for a 50 year shingle? If so, you may want to do that from the outset, so both can bid on it.
- Hoisington: I agree with that, because then it’s fair play.
- Underdahl: But then the bids for 30 year are known and it’s not fair play. But I don’t want to get it all muddied up. Let’s just keep it at 30.
- Dennis: I’ll table it. I’ll present again later with a 50 year quote.
ADMINISTRATION: Sara Folsted
- Consent Agenda
- Extra Time/ Over Time Report
- Payment of Bills
- Personnel Appointments
ADJOURNMENT
