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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SECOND YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, MARCH 6, 2013 2013
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 10
Bid for Street Improvement Project is Almost $200,000 Less Than City Engineer’s Estimate by Dan Ruud Last May 21, the Belle Plaine City Council grudgingly awarded the bid for the city’s 2012 street and utility improvement project to lone bidder Chard Tiling and Excavating of Belle Plaine at a bid of $1,599,900, which was some $150,000 over the city engineer’s estimate of $1,450,000. The council eventually had to remove some of the work from the project to lower the cost. City Engineer Joe Duncan told the council then that one of the factors to the higher estimate (and the fact that Card Tiling Cameron Tousignant wasn’t about to let the new snow keep him off his bike Tuesday morning. was the only bidder) was that a He and Cole Tousignant, Keyna Williams and Kamau Williams headed out to play after school number of area contractors already had full workloads when in Belle Plaine was cancelled for the day. the bidding process began. This year, the council decided
It’s Been About Three Years . . . The winter of 2010 was the last time Belle Plaine got this much snow in a day. The area received just less than 9 inches of new snow Monday into Tuesday morning.
Forecasters had predicted the snowfall during the week. In Belle Plaine, public works crews were plowing Monday’s snowfall in preparation for Tuesday’s arrival. Locally, the snowfall closed
school districts throughout the Minnesota River Valley and into the north metro area. It allowed school children to head for sliding hills and play in the streets once plows passed by.
to bump up the entire planning timeline, and rather than award the bid in late May, do so on March 4. Not surprisingly, Chard Tiling was again the low bidder this year but this time there were eight other bidders. Chard’s bid of $1,304,218 was $196,000 (13 percent) below the city engineer’s estimate of $1,500,000 for construction costs. “The 2013 street and utility improvement project was let on Feb. 21 at city hall. Nine bids were received, which I believe is definitely related to getting the project out earlier than in year’s past,” Duncan reported Monday. The other bidders and their bids were S.M. Hentges and Sons
($1,430,420), BCM Construction ($1,486,616), Heselton Construction ($1,493,398), LaTour Construction ($1,573,930), Wm. Mueller and Sons ($1,539251), Ryan Contracting Company ($1,676,811), Northdale Construction Company ($1,728,768) and R.L. Larson Excavating ($1,731,884). This year’s project includes street reconstruction and utility improvements at: – West Main Street between Willow Street and Buffalo Street. – Eagle Street between Park Street and Main Street. – 100 block of North Buffalo
City Council
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Traxler Resigns as Chamber Director Volunteer Sought to Chair Bar-B-Q Days Carrie Traxler has resigned as executive director of the Belle Plaine Chamber of Commerce, a position she had held for the past three years. Her last day was Friday. She said she has accepted a job with North American Safety, working in sales and marketing. One of Traxler’s main duties the past couple of years was being chair of Bar-B-Q Days, a position that prior to her had always been held by a volunteer from the community. Prior
to Traxler taking over the job of Bar-BQ Days chair, Karl Kolden did so as a volunteer for six years. Kolden, who recently became president of the chamber of commerce for 2013 and operates Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine, said he does not have the time to return to the
job of Bar-B-Q Days chair, but said he will assist a new chair as much as he can. Anyone interested in volunteering for the job can call Kolden at 8736227 or the chamber office at 873-4295. Donna Woodard, who assisted Traxler at times, is currently taking on some of the duties as chamber executive director on a part-time basis. Kolden said Woodard has agreed to continue in that capacity until the chamber of commerce board decides how or if it wants to proceed with hiring a full-time replacement. The board is not yet advertising for a replacement.
Belle Plaine Man, Daughter Return From Missionary Work in Haiti The Shannon Circle gang took advantage of almost 9 inches of new snow to build a snow fort Tuesday morning.
Shakopee, Savage Want County to Support Tax Hike for Transit Scott County’s two largest cities are asking the county board to support a tax hike to support Gov. Mark Dayton’s call for enhanced funding for various forms of transit in the metro area. The Shakopee City Council recently voted 4-1 to ask the Scott County commissioners for its support of the governor’s plan for a ¼-cent sales tax increase, a hike that would raise about $200 million for transit. Shakopee Mayor Brad Tabke recently wrote to Gov. Mark Dayton noting the $200 million the tax hike would help fund the completion of lightrail transit, BRT and local and express bus services that will help utilize the investments in regional roadway. Shakopee and Prior Lake have collaborated on bus transit service for county residents since 2007. The service saw a 9 percent increase in ridership in 2012. “We share your belief that the development of a complete and competitive transit system in the region is key to its longterm economic competitiveness and vitality. The development
of a complete and multi-model transit system in the Twin Cities region will also be of great benefit to the region’s workers and residents,” Tabke wrote to the county board on the city’s behalf. Savage likewise supported the call for the tax hike to support transit – buses and rail transit – to the area. “Sound transportation and transit systems are critical factors that impact the quality of life for our residents each and every day,” Savage Mayor Janet Williams wrote on the city’s
behalf to Rep. Pam Myhra, RBurnsville. The city sent a copy of the letter to the county board. “Furthermore, the enhancement of economic development opportunities and the growth of our region are dependent upon these systems to facilitate commerce and trade.”
Not Expected Soon
But don’t look for the requests on the county board’s agenda
Tax Hike
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Woman Found Dead Outside Her Home
A rural Belle Plaine woman was found dead at her Faxon Township home Wednesday morning (Feb. 27). Sibley County Sheriff Bruce Ponath said Patricia Brooks, 40, was found dead outside her residence at 20750 Hillcrest Lane in Faxon Township around 7 a.m. Ponath said there were no obvious signs of foul play. He would not say who found Brooks or where she was found. The Anoka County Medical Examiner completed a prelimi-
nary autopsy late last week. Investigators are looking at the role exposure to the elements may have played in Brooks’ death. The case remains under investigation. When it is completed, information will be sent to the Sibley County Attorney’s Office for review, Ponath said. A memorial service for Brooks is today (March 6, noon) at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church’s West Campus, 7150 Rolling Acres Road in Victoria.
Dave Mecredy and his daughter Felicity of Belle Plaine recently returned home from a one-week missionary trip to earthquake- and hurricane-ravaged Haiti, which is still experiencing the aftermath of a massive earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Sandy last fall. “My daughter and I decided to go to Haiti after hearing the testimonies of those who went there last year,” Dave said. Dave and Felicity, who were also joined on the trip by Randy Nelson of Belle Plaine and members of NewDay Church in New Prague, arrived in Haiti on Feb. 11 and spent the first night in Port-au-Prince before making the three-hour bus ride into the mountains to the city of Hinche. They stayed in an agricultural school, sleeping in dorms and eating in the dining facility. “When we arrived in Port-auPrince, the conditions reminded me of a city that had been bombed. There was rubble and trash everywhere. Yet, four million people call this city their home and go about the business of earning a living the best they can,” Dave said. “I found the people to be warm and very responsive to a smile,” Dave continued. “When they learned that we were mis-
sionaries, they were eager for Dave said that Wednesday us to pray for them. I especially through Friday (Feb. 13-15) treasured the relationships with was filled with ministry events. our translators. We worked Haiti side-by-side ministering to the (continued on page 18) people and to one another.”
Spring Forward Saturday Night Daylight Savings Time begins early this Sunday morning, meaning you should set your Dave Mecredy and daughter Felicity took time out during clocks ahead one hour before their missionary trip to Haiti to have their photo taken in going to bed Saturday night. front of Zin Falls.