Members of the City of Rugby Public Works Committee discussed ways to move along a much-delayed project on sections of North Dakota Highway 3 at their regular meeting on March 16 at city hall.

The roadwork is scheduled to begin in phases on sections of the highway this year. According to past agreements reached between the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the city, some projects would be cost-shared between the city and NDDOT, while the City of Rugby would bear the entire cost of other sections of work.

The city council first heard of the project from a representative of Stanley firm Brosz Engineering in fall of 2018. According to plans laid out before the council, NDDOT would replace and install a storm drain system on a section of highway from U.S. Highway 2 to the south, north to the highway’s intersection with First Street.

Work to replace crumbling water pipes in an area near the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway underpass and on a section west of the former Cenex gas station would be the city’s responsibility if Rugby chose to do it. The City of Rugby would foot the bill to replace pipes in those areas. City Engineer Jim Olson, Committee Chair Dave Bednarz, and Mayor Sue Steinke indicated they had been told the area near the underpass had pipes that were buried 15 feet underground – too deep for NDDOT to pay for, as the road and storm drain project would not affect that infrastructure.

Since 2018, NDDOT has moved start dates for the project back four times.

North Dakota District 14 Representative Jon Nelson attended the committee meeting said he had spoken with NDDOT officials Ron Henke and Bill Panos. Panos is the director of the NDDOT.

Nelson said he asked NDDOT officials about a timeline for the project. Nelson also suggested selecting a few city council members to meet with NDDOT representatives on the roadwork.

“I was told there were two issues and both of them are Burlington Northern-Santa Fe issues,” Nelson said of his meeting with NDDOT officials. “One is the lack of a construction and maintenance agreement and an easement at the (Highway 3 underpass beneath the railroad tracks).

“I called Minneapolis and visited with Amy McBeth from Burlington Northern, who I’ve worked with in the past and she really tried to have an answer for me in this meeting, but she contacted me at noon to say she didn’t have an answer,” Nelson said. “But she would get that very soon.”

City Public Works Manager Troy Munyer told the committee he had heard pieces of cement had fallen from the overpass, causing tire damage on cars driving under the structure.

“I picked two of them out at dinner time,” Munyer said. “They’re popping out everywhere.”

“That’s the point,” Nelson said to Munyer. “This project needs attention and the DOT’s comment was, ‘We’re going to miss the next bidding stage because we don’t have this agreement.’ It was my understanding the next bidding opportunity would be in October.”

Other projects on parts of the highway from Fourth Street south to U.S. Highway 2, and from the north end of the of the project west of the Highway 3’s intersection with First Street have been slated to begin this summer, according to Steinke.

Steinke noted the work could be done “anywhere from April to their completion date of October 8, I believe (the project manager) told me.”

Olson said the section of highway from Fourth Street to Highway 2 would be replaced “because they’re putting a storm drain in there.”

Olson added work under the highway done as part of the city’s 2 1/2 Avenue project would not involve NDDOT.

Olson told Nelson the highway project cost-shared with NDDOT saw the city’s portion rise from $427,000 to more than $700,000 because the cost of underground pipes had not been included.

“Now, we’re all dropping our jaws, going, ‘We don’t understand,’ because in writing, it says $427,000. In the last four years, they’ve been telling the city that’s their cost share,” Olson added. “Then, this (representative of Brosz Engineering) says, ‘No, you guys have to pay for the pipe and here’s our quote and we can do it for you.’ That’s what happened.”

The committee met with NDDOT officials to discuss the work scheduled for this summer and in 2023.

In other public works business, the committee approved a bid by Interstate Engineering for services for a city easement on the Healthy Heights Addition.

The committee approved a bid submitted by Rugby contractor Bartsch Electric to install alarms on two lift stations in the city.

Committee members also discussed ways to comply with water backflow requirements for all city-owned properties receiving water. They decided to investigate prices and types of systems that could be installed.

The committee also heard an update from Olson on construction scheduled to begin near 2 1/2 Avenue in Rugby.

Olson said public works employees and representatives from Wagner Construction of Minnesota would hold a pre-construction meeting they had scheduled for March 25 before the meeting scheduled with NDDOT.

In other committee business, the city ordinance committee reviewed subdivision improvement agreements from Watford City and Larimore to use as possible models to draft a similar ordinance for Rugby. Committee members also reviewed requirements to draft a mandatory water and sewer connection ordinance. The committee made no decisions on either matter.

The city finance committee approved financials including cash reports, expenditures, and revenues at its meeting. Committee members also approved true-up payments due from All Seasons Water Users District (ASWUD). A true-up is a payment to make up the difference between payments for services in a given period and the actual cost of the services. Financial statements from the City of Rugby indicated ASWUD owed $45,765.65 in 2020 and $60,854.63 in 2021.

The committee also voted to call for bids to audit the city’s finances for 2021.

Chief John Rose told the city public safety committee officers with his department had issued 12 citations in the month of February, nine of them for speeding violations, and three of them for other reasons. In the same month, officers made seven arrests, with two for criminal traffic violations or driving under the influence, and five arrests on warrants. Officers also responded to three traffic collisions and nine medical calls.