Repair on hold awaiting second bid Monday

Screengrab/Zoom Vergas City Council
Clockwise from left, Paul Pinke, Dean Haarstick, James Stenger, Mike DuFrane and Julie Lammers discuss a pump purchase for the lift station in an emergency council meeting Thursday, July 17, at the Government Services Center in Vergas.

By Robert Williams

Editor

The Vergas City Council called an emergency meeting on Thursday, July 17, to address a pump issue at the lift station at County Roads 4 and 60.

The council had a quorum of three council members Paul Pinke, Dean Haarstick and Acting Mayor James Stenger, along with Clerk/Treasurer Julie Lammers and Utilities Superintendent Mike DuFrane. Julie Bruhn and Bruce Albright were absent.

In July, DuFrane presented three estimates to repair the sewer lift station. He recommended North Dakota Sewage Pump Company’s bid of $3,695 to fix the lift station and to pull the pump to see if it can be rebuilt rather than be replaced. Former Mayor Dwight Lundgren advised the council to go with North Dakota Sewage Pump Company based on his 25 years of working with them and the bid was approved.

During the repair, the pump was pulled and it was discovered that another dealer in the area has exclusive rights to the pumps, according to DuFrane. A further delay was created when the person in charge of cross-referencing the pumps to the accurate dealer was out of the office with a medical issue. Other than the pump, the rest of the repair has already been completed.

A 20 percent charge would need to be paid to continue the repair with North Dakota Sewage Pump Company to cover Minnesota Pump Works portion of the fees associated with subcontracting against the exclusivity agreement.

“This is unfamiliar territory for me because I’ve never run into this problem,” said DuFrane.

After a discussion with Acting Mayor James Stenger, the emergency meeting was called due to the costs being more than $1,000.

One bid has been submitted totaling $6,257.09 from Minnesota Pump Works, while the council is awaiting a bid from North Dakota Sewage Pump Company which is expected on Monday, July 21.

The council approved a maximum bid acceptance of the Minnesota Pump Works bid to allow acceptance of either bid, whichever is lower, and DuFrane can move forward with the repair Monday morning.