Friday, March 23, 2012

Hailey inks Woodside project contract

Knife River Corp. set to start work this spring


By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

The Hailey City Council on Monday voted to sign a construction contract that paves the way for Knife River Corp. to begin the $5.26 million Woodside Boulevard reconstruction project.

The budget for the project includes a $3.5 million federal grant.

Pre-construction preparation for the project could begin as early as April 15, and it is scheduled to be completed this year, sooner than was previously proposed.

Construction crews will develop new road surfaces, sidewalks, bike lanes, pocket parking areas and other improvements. The project will also add a traffic signal at the corner of Woodside Boulevard and state Highway 75, and a roundabout traffic feature at the intersection with Fox Acres Road.

The decision Monday included a conference call with Councilman Don Keirn to achieve a quorum. All three council members present—Pat Cooley, Martha Burke and Keirn—voted in favor of signing the contract.

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"Let's get 'er done," Keirn said, as he ended his speakerphone participation in the meeting. "Good job, Fritz. That's a great project. I'll be in touch."

The meeting also included several heated exchanges between Mayor Fritz Haemmerle and Hailey resident Bill Hughes, who questioned the wisdom of spending taxpayer funds on the project at a time when the city is having to watch its pocketbook. Haemmerle threatened to have Hughes ejected from the meeting unless he agreed to comport himself properly and constrain his public comments to the Woodside project under consideration.

"We come in here and you bully and intimidate, Fritz," Hughes said. "I'm almost pathologically frugal and I'm OK. I just watch money. That's all I can say."

Haemmerle said he had closely studied the project with Hailey city staff and was convinced it is a good one and will be completed within budget.

"If we go over budget, then shame on me," the mayor said.




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