By Kelli Baxter
The beacon at the Rush City Regional Airport will continue its short, dim existence, at least until the city can find another way to pay for a new one.

City council members approved replacing the beacon at the Oct. 12 council meeting, after a bid came in from a St. Cloud electrical contractor that was low enough to enable the city to use money from a 2007 grant, when the project was first approved.

But city council members were told during their meeting Monday that while the grant money still was available, the amount had dropped from the original $50,000 to $40,000. A bid recently received from Bednark Electrical to complete the project is $49,997.80.

The 2007 grant carried a 95 percent federal match, with the city responsible for 5 percent of the cost. But the project’s price tag could not exceed $50,000.

City Administrator Amy Mell said that no bids had come in under that amount until Bednark’s offer was received this year. She said the city would be responsible for about $10,000, now that the grant money available has dropped.

“We would be paying more for the beacon than we should, if we go forward,” Mell said.

Conditions of the grant, issued through the Federal Aviation Administration and MnDOT, also say that bids need to be received within a certain time period. The city would need two new quotes from other contractors because previous bids are now two years old.

Mell said MnDOT recommended requesting another grant in the future.

In other business:
• Mell gave an update on the Rush Landing Townhomes litigation. The Rush Landing Townhome Assoc. filed a lawsuit in 2007 against the city to take over maintenance of roads in the area where homes have been built.
Mell has said when the development was platted, the streets were meant to be privately maintained.

She told councilors that a judge heard the case last week. The association has three weeks to complete written statements, then the city’s attorney has three weeks to file a rebuttal.
The judge will make a final ruling in the case hopefully by March, Mell said.

• Rush City Public Works superintendent Ray Benolken is requesting a new lawn mower. The current mower,  used primarily at the airport, is about 4 years old and frequently needs repairs.
Benolken said the mower runs about 8 hours a day, when in use, “and it’s just worn out.”
Mell said she checked with MnDOT to see if it would pay for a new mower, but its policy is to replace them every 10 years.

She said money is available in the city’s budget for the down payment on a new mower, then pay the balance in 2010.

Councilors approved purchasing a new Land Pride mower at a cost of $13,000.
 

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