by April Scheinoha
Reporter

Mayor Brian Holmer described it as a trigger-pulling moment. What, if any, of Thief River Falls City Hall did City Council members want to remodel? In the end, the Thief River Falls Committee of the Whole moved forward with moving the utilities billing office and remodeling the bathrooms.

Committee of the Whole came to that decision at its meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5. The council may consider a contract related to the project at its meeting in two weeks.

In July, the city opened bids for the project with Schmitz Builders as the apparent low bidder. The Red Lake Falls firm had provided a base bid as well as alternatives. Since that time, the project has been finetuned to only include the redirected utilities billing office and the bathrooms. In particular, utilities billing would move closer to the lobby with a counter there so that customers wouldn’t need to walk through the majority of the first floor to get to billing. Currently, someone may enter the building unnoticed since no offices overlook the main door.

“I’d really like to make our building a little safer,” said council member Steve Narverud.
Council member Mike Lorenson noted that the bathrooms aren’t up to code while Narverud indicated that bathroom tiles are coming up off the floor. Narverud noted that city leaders would also like the bathroom fixtures to be hands-free.

The entire project is estimated to cost $392,000. American Rescue Plan Act funds will be used to cover the cost of the project. It is anticipated that, once the council formally approves the bid, work would start this winter.

Architect Mike Johnston is working on that project as well as the remodeling of bathrooms at the Thief River Falls Public Library. The city owns the library building.

Currently, the bathrooms are located down a narrow hallway on the east side of the building. As part of this estimated $200,000 project, the bathrooms would be relocated near the children’s area of the library. ARPA funds would be used for that project as well.

Plumbing issues have plagued the bathrooms. Holmer said, “We’ve been talking about [the bathrooms] for six years.”

Johnston anticipated the project would be let for bidding in mid- or late January with expected construction in the spring.