The Carroll City Council signaled its intent to move forward with plans to correct issues at the Carroll Municipal Golf Course pump house. Parks and Recreation Director Chad Tiemeyer says structural concerns at the 20-plus-year-old maintenance shed are putting the course’s water system at risk of failure. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
Available options are to repair the pumphouse foundation at an estimated cost of $178,000, replace existing electrical components for around $80,000, install an entirely new booster station and structure for $590,000, tap a new supply well for $335,000, or replace the sprinkler heads and controls for $197,000. Tiemeyer’s recommendation to the council is to replace the entire structure.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget includes $425,000 for this project, leaving the city with a $165,000 shortfall. Tiemeyer notes the Parks and Recreation Department’s FY24 preliminary budget includes an additional $125,000 to get the city part of the way to the full $590,000, but they could make cuts elsewhere to source the remaining $40,000. Ward 4 Councilwoman Carolyn Siemann questioned the accuracy of the cost estimate. Ethan Joy, the project engineer for JEO Consulting, says the market is remarkably challenging to predict.
Ward 3 Councilman Kyle Bauer and At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirkx preferred the high initial price tag over less costly, but still significant, repairs in the next five to ten years.
Officials directed JEO Consulting to proceed with full project designs to be presented at future meetings. The city council would still need to approve the plans, specifications, and form of contract and select a bid before breaking ground. Construction is tentatively scheduled for fall 2024 if the project moves forward.