Bridge replacement tabled by City Council

The Clear Lake City Council has tabled a motion to proceed with replacement of a bridge near the new McKesson Corporation development on 12th Avenue South.

Bids to replace the bridge and culvert over Outlet Creek came in more than $95,000 over the engineer’s estimate of $320,000.  Peterson Contractors, of Reinbeck, Iowa, had the low bid of $415,609.

City Administrator Scott Flory told the Council the bids most likely reflect the current market rate, but was higher than was anticipated when the original opinion on the probable cost was developed.  Flory suggested one option the Council could consider is eliminating a $40,000 portion of the project that would replace cracked concrete on the road east of the bridge because the crack is not worsening. The Council could ask for that portion of the work to be bid separately.

City staff will present possible cost-saving measures to the council at its Sept. 8 meeting.

In other business Aug. 17, the Council approved the preliminary plat for a new 21-acre subdivision in north Clear Lake to be known as Sunset Ridge First Addition.  The 21-acre subdivision is planned for an area west of Buddy Holly Place and north of Pine Brooke Drive.  It will be built on West 12th Avenue North, which will be extended from North 7th Street West to Buddy Holly Place.

The first phase calls for nine to 15 lots; when complete, it will include 40 lots featuring 1,400 to 3,000-square-foot homes, according to developer Tim Stenberg, of Joshua Homes.  Joshua Homes also built the nearby Pine Brooke subdivision.  Stenberg said lots will be available next spring.

Brandon Heinz was also sworn in as Clear Lake’s newest police officer at the meeting.  Heinz, 31, is a Clear Lake High School graduate.  Heinz recently graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnson.

He and his wife, Kasey, have two children, Hadley, five years old and Briar, two.