Latest news with #Willmar
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Willmar councilors raise concerns about city's contracted engineering firm
Jul. 11---- on Monday were not pleased to have a change order in front of them for the construction of the covered outdoor ice rink before ground has even been broken for the project. They did, however, approve the change order in the amount of $35,918 — in a split 6-2 vote. The change order is to increase the size of the foundation needed for the structure and reinforce it with additional rebar. The plans and specifications, with different options for the rink and perimeter surface, had been approved in February. Councilor Carl Shuldes made the motion Monday to approve the change order, which was seconded by Councilor Tom Butterfield. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with councilors Vicki Davis, Stephen Gardner, Tom Gilbertson and Rick Fagerlie. Voting against the motion were councilors Justin Ask and Audrey Nelsen. This issue is the second time in as many meetings that councilors have raised concerns relating to the city's contracted engineering firm , which developed the plans and specifications for the rink's foundation. During its June 16 meeting, a professional services agreement with Bolton & Menk for a runway lighting project at the Willmar Municipal Airport was approved in a split 4-3 vote after councilors questioned some of the terms of the agreement. The Willmar City Council previously approved an overall budget for the covered outdoor rink of nearly $1.6 million. The current total costs for the structure, including the contingency, is approximately $1.52 million. During Monday's meeting, Willmar Parks and Recreation Director Rob Baumgarn did his best to explain to the council how the bid for the project was so far off, noting that he thought the process was a little backwards. He explained that Bolton & Menk developed more generic plans and specifications for the foundation of the rink to allow more contractors to bid on the project due to the variety of vendors — each with their own specifications for the foundations of their particular structures — that can supply the prefabricated steel frame and fabric roof for the rink. Once the bids are awarded, the design goes back to the vendor of the prefabricated building — in this case Tradesmen Construction chose the vendor ClearSpan — for refinement of the specifications needed for the foundation of the building, Baumgarn said, adding that he thinks the city should have been informed of this process ahead of time. ClearSpan informed Tradesmen Construction that the foundation, for its building to be structurally sound, needed 60 more yards of concrete and 4,000 more pounds of rebar than the specifications Bolton & Menk had developed, according to Baumgarn. Acknowledging that Bolton & Menk created a fair bid process for the concrete work needed for the project, Gardner said it seemed like it may have created an unfair process or uneven playing field in other ways. He questioned what would have happened if the city bid the whole structure as design-build, but noted that will never be known. Design-build is when an entity chooses one contractor for both the design and construction of projects. "But we wouldn't be having this conversation, because in a true design-build, you give somebody a narrative, they bid to it, and they own it," Gardner added. "There's none of this. 'Hey, we bid this. It's wrong, therefore you owe more money.'" He also asked if a building could be provided that would instead fit the original specifications for the foundation. City engineer Jared Voge of Bolton & Menk told him the only way that could be done would be to decrease the size of the building, which in turn would decrease the size of the ice rink. The contingency fund for the construction of the rink is $81,400. It will have a total of $45,482 remaining after this change order. "If we already have a change order for this, are there going to be more?" Davis asked Voge, who said that the shop drawing process is nearly complete and he is not anticipating more change orders for the project. Ask noted that contingencies are set aside for various things that might arise during construction and he also has concerns about spending such a large amount of the contingency before construction begins. "What happens if we have other needs in the future?" he asked. "Again, we're not anticipating any, but if that comes up, we'll have to be back before you asking about them," Voge responded. The professional services agreement with Bolton & Menk for an airport runway lighting project is $175,000 and includes planning for the project and supervision of the project through construction. Construction is expected to begin in April 2026 and be completed by August. The cost of the agreement is 95% funded through federal and state grants and the city is expected to contribute $4,375. The airport runway lights will be upgraded to LED at a cost of approximately $1.5 million, according to Willmar Municipal Airport Manager Eric Rudningen. The project overall will be 95% funded through federal and state grants. During the June 16 meeting of the Willmar City Council, Fagerlie made the motion to approve the agreement and Shuldes seconded it. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with Davis and Nelsen. Voting against the motion were Gardner, Ask and Gilbertson. Butterfield was absent from that meeting. During discussion, Ask questioned if any other engineering firms submitted a proposal for the project. Rudningen explained that the Federal Aviation Administration requires municipal airports to bid every five years for engineering consulting services and Bolton & Menk is currently the contracted engineering consultant. A competitive bid process is thus not required. Gardner pointed out the agreement has roughly eight months of full-time labor built into it for a four-month project. "So, in theory, Bolton & Menk is giving us a person for eight months. ... Just so you're aware, and everybody's aware, we, in theory, get a guy for eight months full-time from Bolton & Menk — that seems like a lot to me for a project that's going to last for four months," he said. He also questioned why Bolton & Menk had an overhead labor rate of 2.257% built into the agreement over the direct labor costs, as well as a fixed fee of 15% of the subtotal labor costs. Rudningen said he could not answer that question, but noted it is a pretty standard number that he sees in airport contracts. Voge, who was present at the meeting, did not offer an explanation. "I also see a 15% markup," Gardner continued. " ... I work in construction, all right, we get told routinely 10% overhead and profit combined. So, when I get routinely told 10% — no matter what my overhead is — I get told 10%. When I see (this), that raises all kinds of alarm bells."
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Estimated 500 people take part in No Kings rally Saturday in Willmar, Minnesota
Jun. 14---- Despite warnings to not hold No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance rallies after the assassination of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning, the rally in Willmar went forward as planned. An estimated 500 people showed up at the Willmar Middle School parking lot Saturday to protest the actions of administration. Rally attendees shared in singing patriotic songs led by Bob and Jean Whitney and Berge Johnson, as well as listening to speakers — including Indivisible Kandiyohi County organizer and former Minnesota Rep. Mary Sawatzky, Sherman Schueler, Congressional District 7 DFL Chair Jennifer Cronin and retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson. Sawatzky broke the news to the crowd that Hortman and her husband had been killed. Minnesota State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, both of whom were also shot at their Champlin home by the same suspect, underwent surgery for their injuries and are recovering. "We've had some tragedy," Sawatzky said. "This is not how I want to start this out. ... Our speaker of the house, Melissa Hortman, emeritus, she and her husband at 2 a.m. were confronted with a shooter, and they have passed. So if any of you are not comfortable staying here today, right now, you may leave. It's your free will." She informed the crowd that law enforcement was circling the rally to ensure safety. She also said they had decided not to march down Willmar Avenue to First Street. "We are here today, uniting," Sawatzky added. "We are going to carry on, because nobody is going to intimidate our unity, who we are, and speaking out for what we believe. ... I just want you to know what has happened at my friend's home." Cronin, who told the crowd she had not planned on attending the rally until she heard the news about Hortman, asked the crowd to participate in a moment of silence and vowed to remove Minnesota Rep. Michelle Fischbach from office in 2026. "I wasn't planning on coming to this today, but at 7 a.m. this morning, I received a call that was my worst nightmare and that two of our beloved friends had been murdered," she said. " ... I thought it was important to come here today, because what they want to do is have us be scared and to not stand up for democracy." " ... Keep coming out, keep fighting back, because what happened today will not stand," she continued. "We are going to find the people who did this, and we're going to prove to them that this country is better than that violence. ... Join us. We are going to remove Michelle Fischbach from office. We are going to win next year." Sawatzky also spoke about Saturday being Flag Day, a day to celebrate the birth of the nation's flag, "a symbol of shared values, our history and our aspirations." She stated that the independence of United States citizens is about rejecting the very idea of a monarch. The founding fathers declared that no one is above the law, and those rules apply equally to everyone. "The law is not a tool for the powerful to wield over the weak. It is the framework that protects our liberties and ensures justice," Sawatzky said, pointing out the 13 stripes and 50 stars on the United States flag showing each state is an equal partner. " ... There's no crown on our flag, no symbol of power, no indication that one person or one group is superior to another. The strength of our nation does not lie within an individual, but in our collective voices." Anderson spoke briefly about how isolating it can to be a judge when tough decisions have to be made. "We have some judges that are making tough decisions, but their support does not come from the army, (does) not come from the police, it comes from the people," he said. "So stand up for the justices and back them, because they're defending your democracy." Schueler shared his journey in politics, noting that he and his wife were "bumpkins" for the Republican Party in the early 1980s, but he could see the Republican Party was "kind of going off the rails" in the 1990s with Republicans refusing to compromise. "How do you have a democracy with no compromise?" he asked. He stayed with the Republicans, but the way Republicans treated former President Barrack Obama taught him that the party had become more important than the country. "For someone who willingly answered the call to my country and flew into combat in Vietnam, that was the last straw, and I haven't looked back," Schueler said. He spoke about the Trump administration being a fascist regime — and that these plans have been in the works for a long time through the Heritage Foundation and now Project 2025. "When I looked up fascism, the one thing I noticed is, unlike communism, where they take over the businesses, fascism leaves the economics in the hands of the private sector, (but) they control it," Schueler said. "I haven't seen a better way to control businesses than to unilaterally use your pen and tariffs — you can decide who the winners and losers are by one person." Schueler also spoke about South Korea, where a "dictator wannabe" was elected and had a fair amount of immunity. The people of South Korea fought back, even after the leader declared martial law last fall. Legislators and people in the streets were able to take power back. He noted that Democratic attorneys general in the United States are doing their best to protect U.S. democracy in the legal realm and how U.S. citizens need to support them, which is what he felt those attending the rallies Saturday were doing. He also pointed out the ways some law firms, Harvard University and the state of California are also fighting back against the Trump administration. "Since the election, what's bothered me is, and I'm watching the executive orders, seeing which one of those might harm a free and fair election," Schueler said. "All the economic issues we can overcome. If we can't hang on to our Article One freedoms — the free and fair election — then the economic issues become kind of mute. Remember, Trump loves martial law." During a recent interview, Heather Cox Richardson, an American historian and history professor at Boston College, was asked by former Democrat Senator Jon Tester what her thoughts were about the feud between Trump and Elon Musk, according to Schueler. "She said both of those are very unstable people. Underground, she's hearing the handlers are really struggling because they can't keep Trump on task. He's so unhinged," Schueler said. "Musk, The New York Times pointed out, in the last election cycle, he was a known drug abuser. Both of those people are very powerful." Schueler explained that U.S. citizens gave Trump his power when electing him to office and Musk got his power from a lot of very lucrative contracts from the government — the people. "If we the people gave them their power, we also can take it away from them," Schueler concluded. Although organizers made the decision not to march from the Willmar Middle School parking lot to First Street South, attendees chose to march regardless, and filled the sidewalk, lining the street from Willmar Avenue to Olena Avenue.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison says current executive overreach is new in country's history
Jun. 6---- Although state attorneys general and other agencies are currently prevailing in court rulings against what they argue is executive overreach by the administration, there is still a concern the targeted agencies and departments — created by — may be forever damaged by the administration's attempts to dismantle them. Minnesota Attorney General says he hopes that is not the case, but he does not know. "I don't think anybody really knows," Ellison told the West Central Tribune in an interview Thursday after a presentation he gave in Willmar. "Our country's never been through this. I mean, from (President George) Washington until now, we've never had a president who's decided, 'I'm going to wreck the administrative state. I'm going to persecute the press by suing them. I'm going to persecute law firms. I'm going to ignore the courts.' This is new." Since taking office on Jan. 20 through May 23, Trump signed 157 executive orders, compared to the 220 executive orders he signed during his entire first term in office, according to For further comparison, signed 162 executive orders during his four-year term, signed 277 executive orders in his eight years in office and signed 291 executive orders during his eight years in office. During Ellison's presentation Thursday at the League of Women Voter of the Willmar Area monthly "Hot Topics" event, he explained the constitutional way to accomplish what the Trump administration is trying to accomplish — by going through Congress. "It's true that you can change birthright citizenship if you change the 14th Amendment," Ellison said. Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, to end birthright citizenship for certain people born in the U.S., which is currently being challenged in the courts. "You can even abolish the Department of Education if you introduce a bill in the House and in the Senate, you go through the committee process and then the president signs that bill into law," Ellison continued. "But what you cannot do, and which it is absolutely not conservative to do, is to just get rid of the Department of Education through an edict or proclamation, also known as the executive orders. ... You've got to operate constitutionally." He said he is not aware of another time in American history when the head of state used unconstitutional action to dismantle every American institution, which he and 23 other attorneys general are working hard to prevent through lawsuits. Ellison gave numerous examples of the issues that have been caused by the Trump administration's executive orders, including chaos and confusion. One of the lawsuits brought forth by the attorneys general is against the Trump administration's tariffs. Ellison served in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2019, including 12 years on the Financial Services Committee. "I'm not 100% against tariffs," he said. "I think there are times to use tariffs, but you don't have them on again, off again, 50% today, 100% tomorrow, back down to zero, back up to 50%," Ellison said. "... That is the surest way to ruin the economy." The Trump administration has also been sued over placing conditions on federal funding if local law enforcement agencies do not enforce immigration laws. Ellison explained that local law enforcement has its own jobs to do and the federal government is responsible for enforcing immigration laws. "I will not interfere with (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) if you have a judicial warrant to arrest somebody and put them in removal proceedings," Ellison said. "I demand, as an American, that they have due process rights, but I'm not going to get in the way of it if that's the legal process." Another lawsuit making its way through the courts is regarding the impoundment of federal education funding for K-12 schools that are teaching diversity, equity and inclusion. He pointed out that Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon was asked if teaching African American history would be a violation and she said that she did not know. "Well, of course, she doesn't know, because it's not defined in law anywhere," he said. "There is no working definition (of diversity, equity and inclusion) that you can apply across the board as to what they say you can't do." The Trump administration attempt to force voters to prove their citizenship before being allowed to cast a ballot will affect millions of eligible voters who may find it difficult to produce their birth certificate or or other needed documentation if they have changed their name. Ellison said he used to be an advocate for a nationwide voting system to ensure uniform voting throughout the country. "I now no longer think that's a good idea, because the saving grace of this moment is to have 50 different voting systems," he said. " ... In a way, this ended up being a strength, because he cannot just go to some federal voting agency and say, 'Do it my way.' It's state by state." The Trump administration is also being sued in relation to transgender rights, with which not everyone in the audience would agree, Ellison noted during his presentation Thursday. When U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to sue Minnesota over its law allowing transgender youth to play for the sports team with which they identify, Ellison sued first. He said he believes that youth sports is about hanging out with friends, learning sportsmanship and learning not to quit. "I believe sports are good for kids, and kids should get to play. That's where I'm coming from," he said. He is also suing the Trump administration over its threat to pull congressionally-approved federal funding for medical institutions that provide gender-affirming care.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- CBS News
Missing Willmar teen may have run away with man in his 20s, authorities say
Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Authorities say a teenage girl missing from central Minnesota for more than a month may have run away with a 23-year-old man. Fifteen-year-old Rebeca Sugey Reyes was last seen April 25 at home on the 1000 block of 30th Street Northwest in Willmar, according to an alert from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Surveillance footage showed Reyes leaving the home alone around 9:15 p.m. Rebeca Sugey Reyes Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension The BCA alert said Reyes "has a history of running away" and her family believes she is with "a man she was previously involved with in Nicaragua." Authorities describe Reyes as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 106 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white shirt with flowers on it, ripped blue pants, white shoes and a red bracelet when she disappeared. She was also carrying a black backpack with Minnie Mouse on it. Rebeca Sugey Reyes Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Anyone with information about Reyes is asked to call the Willmar Police Department at 320-235-2244.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Project to build bridge over railroad in southwest Willmar may start this fall
Jun. 3---- Kandiyohi County plans to seek bids this summer to construct a bridge over the railroad tracks on the southwest edge of Willmar — a project that had been on hold after a freeze on federal funding. A fall construction start is now expected, according to Kandiyohi County Public Works Director Mel Odens, for the $7.8 million project that will connect County Road 55 with County Road 5. A 300-foot spanned bridge will eliminate the at-grade crossing on County Road 55. Odens said Monday that the county expects to go out for bids in late July or early August, which should allow construction to start in the fall. A previously approved federal grant totaling around $4.8 million, which was caught up in the Trump administration's funding freeze implemented in January, has now been "obligated" by the Federal Railroad Administration, making the funds available for reimbursement of the county's eligible expenses under the grant agreement. The awarding of the was announced to the Kandiyohi County Board in June 2023, and the county made plans for construction in 2025. When the Trump administration undertook "a sweeping freeze on trillions of dollars in federal funding by pausing grants, loans and other financial support," the county put the project on hold. Odens said previously the county did not have "those kinds of funds available" and would delay the project while the federal funding was paused. The Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant funds for the were obligated on May 8, according to Warren Flatau, deputy director of public affairs with the an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The new bridge connecting County Road 55 with County Road 5 will be the final piece in a years-long, multi-phase reconfiguration of that intersection. The in 2023 completed the diamond exchange that connects County Road 5 to Highway 23. When the county project is complete, MnDOT plans surface work on Highway 23 starting around 15th Street Southwest and going west past the County Road 5 bridge.
