Council approves sign project
The Montgomery City Council gave its Economic Development Authority the thumbs up for the city’s entrance stone sign project and garden on Monday.
EDA representatives Pam Edel, Tim Rosival and Gothan Krocak explained that the sign will be located in the right-of-way on the south end of John Grimm’s property on Highway 13, north of Montgomery.
The EDA did its homework before bringing the information to the council. They sought advice from Ann Meillier of Brushworks in Faribault who has sign experience and who did the entrance and park signs for Lonsdale, Dundas, New Prague, Faribault Woolen Mills, and South Central College, among others.
The winning bid for the entire project, including installing the foundation, ordering the stone slab and picking the stone went to LA Kodada and Sons Masonry of Lonsdale in the amount of $19205.
“We feel that Kodada’s were very capable of doing this project, since they were involved with the two Lonsdale signs,” said Edel.
The landscape bid of $3,155 was awarded to Scott Simon’s Yard and Pond of Montgomery. The electrical bid went to Kevin Kriha Electrical in the amount of $1,452.
The project’s cost totals $23,812, but Edel pointed out that the EDA has received many donations toward the project.
• $750 Scott Simon labor costs
• $10,000 from the Montgomery Area Community Club
• $3,500 leftover from a previous grant
• $667 raised from the sign at CornerStone State Bank
• $10,000 from the City of Montgomery budget
Edel also asked the council to authorize the EDA to apply for a grant from MnDOT to help defray some of the costs of the landscaping project. Edel said they will work with Jed Falgren, Maintenance Operations Manager for MnDOT, on writing the grant and obtaining the necessary permits.
The council unanimously approved the bids and authorized the grant request. Mayor Jean Keogh recognized that the sign project is one that many in the community have asked about for many years.
“I know the community has been wanting this and we’ve been hearing this for many, many years,” she said.
Edel said Kodadas are able to start on the project this fall, with the landscaping part to be finished in the spring, unless weather allows for that this fall too.
