TRUMAN– The Truman City Council on Monday heard an update from Troy Nemmers with Bolton and Menk on the campground project, which the council has been pursuing for over a year.

Nemmers said that bids for the project were open last week. He said this time around they went out for bid in a similar format with schedule A for 28 sites and schedule B for about 12 sites.

“We got 13 bids which I’m pretty sure is a record,” Nemmers said. “They were all pretty competitive.”

He said the low bid for both schedule A and B came from Holtmeier Construction Inc., which also put in the low bid when the city went out for bids on the project several months ago.

Nemmers asked the council if it would like to move forward with either project based on the bid results.

“I would like to see it,” said Mayor Jake Ebert.

The council spent some time talking about funds available. Some money that it plans to use came from the gift left by Roger Jones with the intent for the city to use the money in a way which it would benefit from. Some of the other money has been budgeted by the council for a campground project.

“There’s money out there that’s just going to disappear without getting the project done,” Ebert said. “Every year it’s going to get more expensive… and if we don’t do something it’s never going to happen.”

Utility Foreman Brent Brown and the council also spent some time talking about the needed utility hookups. Ultimately the council decided to go with the bid from Holtmeier for 12 sites.

The council also heard from Brown regarding the pickleball court project, which it has also been discussing for about a year. Brown said he received three bids for concrete and that one contractor also bid for asphalt. The low bid came from Grotte Construction at $17,529 though Brown said he was unsure if that was the current cost. All bids included site work.

Brown also said he had been advised that doing sport court on asphalt would have a cost savings over doing concrete.

Ebert asked for the council’s opinions on concrete or asphalt.

“Obviously concrete is going to last longer,” said Council Member Chad Truax.

The council accepted the bid from Grotte for concrete with sport court lines.

Next, the council heard from Deputy Matt Owens with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Owens was there to give an update as the sheriff’s office has recently taken over policing for the city of Truman.

“Our plan is to have one of us here… at the meetings to give updates and answer questions or concerns,” Owens said.

He said that the office has cleaned up the evidence room and that all laptops from the Truman Police Department have been wiped and are up for grabs. He also said that last month the office dealt with some ordinance violations in Truman and that a deputy is working with a local group on a bike rodeo for 3rd grade students this spring.

Owens asked whether the council had any questions or concerns.

“I don’t have any concerns whatsoever,” Ebert said, thanking the office for what it’s done so far.

Owens asked what kind of information the council wants to hear from the department and it was decided that having a presence from the sheriff’s office at the council’s bi-monthly meetings would be beneficial for both parties.

In other business:

— The council approved an agreement between Martin County and the state of Minnesota to receive LPP (Local Partnership Program) funding for the Highway 15 sidewalk project. Nemmers said he hopes that the project can start yet this year.

— The council again talked briefly about whether it wants to come up with its own cannabis ordinance or go with the county’s ordinance but tabled making a decision until it can talk to the city attorney.

— The council agreed to bump up wages for lifeguards at the swimming pool to $14 an hour in order to be competitive with what area jobs are offering.