Flooding isn't the only problem involving water that East Grand Forks has been facing almost every spring.
Water also has been pouring down inside the Campbell Library because of a poorly ventilated roof. The water comes from melting condensation.
Just as 2012 didn't have a hint of flooding, this likely is the year that the melting condensation ends for the building opened in 2001. That's because City Council members appear ready to spend $282,000 to make the necessary repairs.
At Tuesday's work session, after some grumbling, city leaders informally agreed to hire Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. to do the work. Kraus-Anderson also was the original construction manager.
"The reason we put our faith in architects and construction companies is because we're amateurs," Mayor Lynn Stauss said. "Shouldn't this have been foreseen?"
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Mike Pokrzywinski, the council's representative on the library board, said Kraus-Anderson "built to the design, but the flaw was in the design. We looked at litigation, but we decided it's too late for that. So, let's put this behind us."
City Administrator Scott Huizenga said the city likely can use the remaining 1997 flood-recovery money from the federal government to pay for the roof repair.
"But we want to make sure it's done right this time," Stauss said.
Half-street issue
City leaders also reached consensus on another nagging problem -- how to solve the "half-street" issue. The paving of 14th Avenue Southeast -- widely known as Hartsville Road -- has been on their plate for more than a year.
The problem is that one lane of the road is in the city and the other is in Huntsville Township, whose residents don't share city residents' enthusiasm for a paved surface. Several similar scenarios in recent years have resulted in only one lane being paved.
This created several problems, including maintenance. So, the council appears headed toward a plan where the city will subsidize much the township's share. An agreement has the city contributing $151,000 while the township residents pay $11,600.
Council members also agreed to absorb the cost of using heavier concrete to absorb the farm truck traffic from south of the Point.
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Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send email to rbakken@gfherald.com .
