Thursday, June 27, 2013

National Joint Powers Alliance



The city under law must accomplish competitive bids when the expense exceeds $50,000.  That being said we also have an obligation to receive the best price possible by shopping around. This is done on most purchases.   There are units of government and organizations that assist in this effort realizing that volume sales help us get better pricing.  Governments in general, have tried to cooperate in this manner with joint purchasing, state bidding and with the use of Cooperatives. 

The State of Minnesota does state bidding on all types of products and items to secure the best price.  They also need to meet competitive bid requirements but they to want to achieve the best price possible.  They allow other governmental units to benefit from state bidding.  Through the state’s bidding effort cities and counties can purchase things like police cars at a substantial discount.  There are other organizations called Cooperatives that group entities together to achieve discounted prices for items that are competitively bid to meet statutory requirements.  The city uses a cooperative to acquire health insurance for its employees as an example.  This saves governmental units money not only with the price but also saves time in the soliciting of bids or quotes for various products or services. 

Recently the city was approached by the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA).  This organization is a Cooperative that does competitive bidding on some supplies and services.  They primarily provide competitive bidding on equipment.  They work with 17 states, providing their competitive bid requirements for them, and have a host of members who use their services. 

The city has approved the membership with the NJPA as another option for purchasing.  This membership is free so there is no financial obligation.  They are located in Staples, MN and provide additional benefits to those jurisdictions located in the Region 5 development area, of which the city is part of.  They additionally provide a 1% rebate credit to be used on future purchases from previous purchases made.  This also adds to the possible savings that can be achieved with this type of arrangement. 

Whether we purchase through them or not, they are another competitive vehicle to compare pricing, helping the city get the best price available.  Hopefully this arrangement will reap some savings for the city in the future.      

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Replacement Equipment in WWTF Building



The wastewater treatment plant for the City of Breezy Point has been in action for a little over 30 years.  During this time the plant and ponds have been expanded to provide for additional capacity and some small changes made. As time progresses we see the need to fix, replace, or retrofit equipment as it wears out.  This is primarily seen in the irrigation fields with sprinkler heads failing or irrigation lines generating leaks.  The issues don’t end there as time takes its toll on all sorts of items.  

This year the sewer department budgeted for replacement of the ventilation system in the plant building.  The system has had some of its components replaced in the past but having poor ventilation has increased the decline of this system as well as portions of the electrical system within the building.  The damp and corrosive environment has done its work on electrical fixture where bulbs can’t be replaced as the fixtures are corroded shut.  Conduit lines have also been showing wear with rust and corrosion to the extent that they have worn through in a few areas.  These systems don’t provide the utility they were designed for and need to be replaced. 

Quotes were received for electrical and the ventilation work.  The low quote was from Evergreen Electric in the amount of $3,243.  The low quote for the ventilation work was received from Gilman Heating and Air in the amount of $2,570.  The quotes were approved for the replacement of these components at the June Council meeting.  Replacement of these items will occur as soon as possible. 

Friday, June 7, 2013

Safety a Concern on Co. Rd. 11



For those who drive between Pequot Lakes and Breezy Point, we all know and appreciate the improvements that were made by Crow Wing County Highway Department to Co. Rd. 11 this past summer.  Several areas were improved to provide better traffic flow and safety in use of this roadway.  One area that saw particular changes and improvements was the area near Eagleview Elementary School.  They created left turn lanes to access the school from the east.  Right turn lanes were installed for most turns and the right turn lane entering the school property from the west was lengthened and somewhat detached from the driving lanes for better visibility and additional stacking of vehicles making this turn. 

Finding room for all of this was accomplished within the right-of-way of the highway and the design reflected community concerns with safety for school traffic.  With the expansion of turn lanes and the widening of the roadway also comes the down side of not enough right-of-way to handle all concerns.  Working with what was available and making the best of it became the goal however not all wants were met.
 
Recently, with increased summer traffic it became more apparent that the lack of a left turn lane for east bound traffic was problematic.  Those going eastbound wanting to turn left to access the Pine River State Bank, Breezy Point Storage Park and Narveson Management Incorporated were feeling like the change created problems for them.  The issue is, if a left turn is needed to be made to access these properties, traffic in the eastbound driving lane comes to a halt, if waiting for westbound traffic to clear.  This is the same situation that existed prior to the improvements.  The perception however was all needs were met and some drivers don’t understand or anticipate there is still a bottleneck in the design.  What happens then with some drivers is an illegal pass on the right around this stopped vehicle.  The other thing that happens is some left turning drivers compound the situation by moving into the taper or turning lane for the other direction to get out of the way.  This really encourages the passing on the right as eastbound drivers see a half lane or more to do it.  Passing on the right is not only illegal it can be very dangerous.  

With these concerns the council was approached about the situation asking if something could be done.  A meeting was held with a county highway department representative to discuss possibilities.  Building a bypass lane seems to be about the best option however other options may be available.  A bypass lane in this area will cost about $16,000 and will only address the area for access to the bank and storage park.  It doesn’t address the private access for Narveson Management as there are concerns with a day care facility and the next bypass lane at Wildwood Lane. 

This is a safety concern but it is a management issue when it comes to priorities.  The expense needs to be dealt with if it is to occur.  Neither the county nor the city has budgeted for this expense and the best solution may not have been found yet to solve the problem.  The discussion will continue at the July Council meeting.