Hallock approves street bid, holds on assessment roll

By Anna Jauhola
While the Hallock City Council officially approved bids for the impending streets project, they did not approve the assessment roll during the regular meeting on Monday, April 7.
The lowest bid came from Spruce Valley Corporation for $5,115,662.10. The council awarded Spruce Valley the job.
The other bids were listed in resolution 2025-10, as approved by the council – Davidson Construction, $5,130,320.50; R.J. Zavoral and Sons, $5,182,086.19; and Sellin Brothers, Inc., $6,065,919.
“This indicates everybody is bidding competitively,” said Zach Thoma, an engineer with Moore Engineering.
After the meeting, Thoma sent the notice of award to Spruce Valley for signatures, who will send back the signed agreement, bonds, insurance and other needed materials for review. Once that’s done, and the city has also signed the agreement, then Moore Engineering can issue the notice to proceed with the project.
The council was supposed to consider resolution 2025-11 regarding the assessment roll, but Mayor Dave Treumer said that will have to happen at another meeting.
“We’re just waiting on a couple questions,” Treumer said.
The resolution adopting the assessment of properties directly benefiting from the street improvement project would also have included the interest percentage rate. However, that rate isn’t determined yet either, so the council will have to hold a special meeting this month to approve that resolution.
At the end of the meeting, Thoma and the council answered a few questions, such as how the payments and interest will be paid each year. For property owners who make payments each year, their payments are evenly split but the interest is charged according to the total amount due.
Treumer asked for an amortized schedule for an example assessment over 20 years to help explain to people who have questions.
Two property owners who are being fully assessed on a street that isn’t really a front street asked whether that assessment will change. There are few homes that face Fifth Street North, but have property lines going all the way back to the dead end on Douglas Avenue. Fifth Street North is on the list for future replacement as it is also in bad shape, which would lead to a second assessment on these properties.
Treumer said the city has consulted its attorney about changing the assessments, but likely the Fifth Street assessment will instead be like a side street assessment – half of a front street. That way, it’ll even out what those property owners are assessed for the current project.
“Will we have that in writing?” asked Cheri Bakken.
Treumer said the city is “too far into” the project to change the assessment process. Instead, they plan to make an agreement for these property owners along Fifth Street to be assessed like a side lot.
“We’ll leave it in writing. So, it’s very likely this council won’t be the council when we do that front street,” Treumer said. “So we want to leave a record so it doesn’t happen down the road.”
Also, all affected property owners have yet to receive a new letter reflecting the 50/50 split on the road construction and storm sewer costs. Then the city can have a special meeting to approve the assessment roll for the project after the letter goes out.