Council OKs Cherry Point bid that's well under engineer's estimate

The Worthington City Council on Monday night approved the lowest bid for a planned pavement restoration project in the Cherry Point neighborhood. It's a bid that came in about 29% lower than the engineer's estimate.

Duininick Inc. was awarded the project's contract with its bid amount of $740,865.15. As a result of the low bid, city staff is now considering adding First Avenue Southwest from Knollwood Drive to Crailsheim Road to the project as a change order if the total price remains under budget.

Monday evening's council meeting clocked in at just about 30 minutes in length. In another matter, council members set this year's annual permit fee for having private docks on public properties at $200. The number of permits to be allowed is unset.

The city issued a total of eight permits for docks on public property in 2024, a number that gone down by more than half in the last eight years. The council also allowed all applicants' permits in 2024 on the condition they met the city's dock policy. Among the criteria is the applicants have to have their own property across from the public property -- and it's usually only right-of-way or public property next to the lakeshore. Another rule is that private docks aren't allowed in parks. 

Also approved Monday night was a residential property tax abatement application following a comment-free public hearing. Lonny and Nancy Johnson plan to construct a single-family home on Sterling Avenue.

Additionally, the council approved the second reading of a cannabis zoning ordinance. Three readings of the ordinance are required for its final approval. Worthington City Administrator Steve Robinson said Monday night that city staff had received no feedback on the proposed ordinance as of yet.

The ordinance specifies that all cannabis businesses in any zoning district would require a conditional use permit. The cannabis zoning ordinance also limits manufacturing-type uses to industrial districts, retail-related uses to commercial districts and prohibits cannabis businesses in residential districts. The proposed ordinance also establishes a 200-foot buffer from schools and attractions within public parks regularly used by minors including playgrounds and athletic fields.

Also Monday, council members approved a resolution authorizing a Minnesota Department of Transportation grant agreement pertaining to the purchase of a 2024 AMI Snow Pusher at the Worthington Municipal Airport. The quoted price of a new 2024 Snow Pusher is $26,940.00. The proposed state grant will pay 70% of this cost, which equals $18,858, and the City of Worthington will use airport reserve funds to pay the remaining 30%, or $8,082.

The council declared a 2016 F-250 ¾-ton pickup truck with 50,386 miles as surplus property to be sold by sealed bid. City staff will advertise its sale and also place for sale signs in the surplus vehicle with information on how it can be purchased. The proposed surplus vehicle was replaced in the 2025 budget.

Also approved Monday night were the YMCA 2025 summer fees, which include the WaterWorld Aquatic Center, YMCA's Day Camp and city summer sports programs, as well as a new maintenance agreement for the Worthington Middle School baseball complex.