Woodbury OK’s Sewer Bid, Will Donate Playground Equipment

The Woodbury City Council last week took another step toward new construction in the Phase 2 area of the city and approved a measure that will send used playground equipment to a third-world nation.

The city also at the meeting.

The council on Sept. 14 approved a bid of $2.5 million for a new sewer project that will open the door to development south and east of .

Eleven companies put in bids on the two-mile sewer line, City Engineer Klayton Eckles said. Northwest Asphalt came in with the low bid and was awarded the project; the engineer’s estimate was $2.7 million.

There has been about the area, he said. Without the , the “Phase 2 construction can not take place,” Eckles said.

The project will initially be paid for by the city, but those funds will be recouped from developers as new homes are built, Eckles said.

The project is expected to begin next month and will likely be completed next summer.

The city council unanimously voted to donate old playground equipment to Kids Around the World, a nonprofit that refurbishes the equipment and gives it to groups working in the developing world.

Councilman Christopher Burns asked that the measure be moved from the consent agenda for further discussion. He mostly had questions about usage and liability issues, and asked if a similar group existed.

Parks and Recreation Director Bob Klatt said the group comes in and removes the playground equipment at a “significant” cost savings to the city.

Kids Around the World did the same thing at last year, and it worked well, said Klatt, who hadn’t heard of similar groups.

Klatt said that the city can’t typically reuse the equipment as standards change; the city rotates its playground equipment every 15-20 years.

• Gave a report of the closed session regarding a performance report of City Administrator Clint Gridley. Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens called it a “positive” review and said Gridley has met his goals. He will receive a 1.5 percent annual raise starting Jan. 1, 2012.
• Heard from Up With People officials about their and . Stephens was also presented with a card signed by the group.
•  Went into a closed session to discuss two cases: the City of Woodbury vs. Preferred Sands of Minnesota (not yet filed) and Vier vs. City of Woodbury (District Court File 82-CV-10-7417).

Note: The roadwork project around Sherwood Road is nearing completion. David Jessup, the city’s director, told Patch that streets in the area should be paved and able to be driven on by the end of the month.