Village votes to retain Phalen Steel as design firm

Tonja Greenfield
Posted 4/26/18

fter a lengthy discussion, and a tie vote resulting in the village president casting the deciding vote, the Village of Sublette Board voted to approve retaining Phalen Steel of Mendota, as a design firm to help with the new maintenance building project.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Village votes to retain Phalen Steel as design firm

Posted

SUBLETTE — After a lengthy discussion, and a tie vote resulting in the village president casting the deciding vote, the Village of Sublette Board voted to approve retaining Phalen Steel of Mendota, as a design firm to help with the new maintenance building project.

The village board met on April 9 for its regular monthly meeting in the Ellice Dinges Center in Sublette.

Once the motion made by Village trustee Richard Klaser to retain Phalen Steel as a design firm, was seconded, discussion followed.

Sublette Village Trustee Julie Kessel said she felt this project needed to be engineered out.

“We need to bid it out,” Kessel said, adding that she never saw a price from Phalen Steel.

Sublette Village President Michael Vaessen explained that the board wasn’t voting to build to the building tonight, adding that the board was voting on Phalen Steel to do the design of the proposed new maintenance building and give the village a cost. He continued that if the motion was approved, the village would be hiring Phalen Steel in place of an engineering firm to do the design.

Vaessen added that the board could hire an architectural firm to do the design, but with Phalen, if they design it, Vaessen said, the cost of the design goes into the cost of the building.

Village Trustee Laura Jackson said she was under the impression if the board used Phalen Steel for the design then they had to go with the company to build the building.

Vaessen said if Phalen Steel does the design, but does not build the building, there would be a cost for the design from Phalen Steel, but he did not know that cost.

Sublette Village Trustee Scott Hanson asked what alternatives did the village have.

Vaessen said if the motion does not pass, then the village could get ahold of another engineering firm to the design the building and then it would go out for bid for completion. He said if the board went that route, then the bidding process might be ready in 60-90 days.

A voice vote was taken with trustees Klaser, Brian Wilson and Hanson voting yes, and trustees Kessel, Jackson and Jerry Leffelman voting no. With a tie vote, Vaessen broke the tie and voted yes.

Jackson said the reason she voted against it is because she feels the village needs to use people in town before the village leaves town to hire out a job.

In other board news:

• The board approved purchasing three new trees for the Mini Park.

• Vaessen said the Sublette Indians 4-H Club is looking to take the gravel out of the memorial in front of the Ellice Dinges Center and replace it with concrete. The group is hoping to have it done by Memorial Day. If it looks like it won’t be done by Memorial Day, then the group will complete it after Memorial Day.

• Klaser told the board he has gotten calls from residents asking about the Sublette clean-up day. Vaessen said he would talk to the park board and Republic and see if something can get scheduled.

The next Sublette Village Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m., on Monday, May 14, in the Ellice Dinges Center.