(Undated)– Three of the five lakes area communities looking into the feasibility of starting up a municipal telecommunications utility have approved a committee recommendation to hire an engineering firm to conduct the study.
The Wahpeton and Arnolds Park city councils both voted unanimously Wednesday to accept the Opportunity is Calling Committee’s recommendation to hire Black and Veatch at a cost of 59,940-dollars…below the original estimate at 75-thousand dollars. The amount each city will have to pay is based on population. Arnolds Park’s share will be 9,500-dollars while Wahpeton’s is nearly 3,800-dollars.
The Okoboji city council approved the OCC’s recommendation last week.
The Orleans city council has yet to act on the matter as Mayor Carlton Mitchell is out of town.
The Spirit Lake city council Tuesday defeated a motion to accept the OCC’s recommendation on a vote of one-to-three with one abstention. Council members Barb Ricke, Jerry Harbst and Duane Yager voted no; Jeff Thee abstained. The lone yes vote was by Kevin Bice. In voting no, Harbst said the council should be able to appoint its own representative to the committee. Mayor Eric Nielsen again voiced his support for Pat McNorton, who he appointed as the city’s representative on the OCC.
Arnolds Park and Wahpeton have both expressed their disappointment and concern over Spirit Lake’s action.
