City of Decorah officials are getting ready for the Highway 9 Utility Project

The Highway 9 Utility Improvement Project this summer in Decorah is expected to be long and somewhat complicated.  The project calls for 200 days of construction work.  It carries a price tag of around $3 million for the Highway 9 utility project itself, with another $526,000 in engineering costs and $530,000 in reimbursements and contingencies.

Monday night the Decorah City Council took several steps to prepare for the project.  It approved a $24,860 change order made necessary by moving the location of a booster station.  It also approved a scope of work agreement with Erdman Engineering for management of the project.

Most significantly, it gave City Administrator Chad Bird the power to approve changes costing up to $5,000 without the formal approval of the city council, although Bird promised Monday, "We'll keep communication open."  The approval is seen as a way to keep the project moving forward without having to wait until a city council meeting is scheduled.