Construction set to begin May 1

By Scott Bellile

The New London City Council approved $2 million in bids on the construction of a new city garage on March 8.

Eighteen regional companies will handle 19 construction tasks on the 5,000-square foot project, scheduled to break ground May 1. It could total up to $3.3 million when factoring in design, furniture, fixtures, equipment, contingency and other expenses.

Major portions of the bid include pre-engineered metal building ($484,800, Millennium Construction); heating, ventilation and air conditioning ($289,750, Best Mechanical); cast-in-place concrete ($259,081, Precision Flatwork) and electrical work ($196,369, Krueger’s Sign & Electric).

Included is a contingency fund just shy of $400,000 that would be refunded to the city if no problems arise. Public Works Director Jeff Bodoh told the New London/Hortonville Press Star on Monday, March 14, he predicts the city will dip into it.

Bodoh said the foundation where the new garage will go is primarily composed of soft clay that was filled atop wetland soil 50 to 100 years ago. He said contractors might need to dig this out and replace it with a rock or sand fill to stabilize the site.

Kelly Claflin, construction project manager at Keller Structures, had presented the bids to the Public Works and Parks and Recreation committees on Feb. 29. There Claflin said city department heads Chad Hoerth, Paul Hanlon and Bodoh budgeted for the project wisely.

“They were very conscientious and frugal with the taxpayers’ money. There’s no frills in this building,” Claflin said. “It’s going to be a nice building, it’s going to be big, it’s going to be efficient, it’s going to cover all the equipment. But I just want you to know that they made it very clear they didn’t want this to be a Taj Mahal.”

The council approved the project 9-1 with Tom O’Connell voting against.

The current garage is located on County Trunk X across from the city school bus garage and was built in 1946. The new garage will be built about a block west, between the wastewater treatment plant and public sledding hill on County X.

Other items approved
• A resolution in favor of working with Outagamie County Recycling and Solid Waste Department on a grant opportunity for a discount on fully automated single-stream recycling carts. The grant would save New London $7 per cart, for a total cost of $43 per 90-gallon cart. (Tom O’Connell, Mike Barrington and Dennis Herter against)

• An amendment to the municipal code that will allow people in New London to carry switchblades, in compliance with 2015 Wisconsin Act 149. (Mary Tate against)

• A $17,762 contract with Fischer-Ulman Construction to perform sidewalk rehabilitation throughout the city in 2016. Jim Fischer Inc. had also returned a bid of bid $25,082.

• A $48,494 bid for a dual rail crane from Superior Crane Company. The crane would be installed in the maintenance bay of the new city garage and lift objects such as wing plows and dump truck boxes.

• $5.5 million in bonding projects for 2016. The initial $7 million bonding was reduced because roadwork on Division Street was removed due to timing issues with Waupaca County. (O’Connell against)