Top Stories, August 17th

BD Hires MSA to Manage PD Construction

8/17/10 - Beaver Dam will not be using a general contractor in building a new police station. The Common Council last night approved plans to hire the architect who designed the facility to also serve as “project manager.” Marty Sell with MSA Professional Services says the city will save over $200,000 by not hiring a general contractor. He says with a “project manager” the city has the rare opportunity to have the designer oversee construction. Hiring a general contractor was projected to cost the city around $400,000, compared to $235,000 for MSA. The city is also expected to save around $85,000 in sales taxes by acting as a “direct-buyer” of building materials.

Alderman Call For Council Approval on Contract Changes

8/17/10 - Two Beaver Dam aldermen last night used the passage of a contract with MSA Professional Services to make a point about the types of project changes that should be coming to the full council for consideration. Council President Jon Litscher successfully introduced an amendment to the city’s contract with MSA in their acting as project manager in the construction of the new police station. The amendment stated that if the cost of the project were to exceed the $235,000 that MSA is being paid, it would require approval of both the Operations Committee and the full Common Council. It is an issue that Alderman Robert Ballweg has brought up several times in committee. Ballweg says if it’s a matter that was originally approved by the council as whole it should go back to the council as a whole. He cites the developer’s agreement with Weyco. When it was passed on the council floor, it included lake access for public fishing, but when the sale on the property closed it was not included in the documents. Earlier this month, Ballweg also questioned why the Operations Committee is the only entity that has to sign-off on a $40,000 increase in the costs of demolition of the former YMCA. City Attorney Many Ann Schacht has said that the committee of jurisdiction is tasked with making changes in the interest of keeping a project running on time. Ballweg says he is working with Schacht in drafting an ordinance that would spell out when certain items should come back to the full common council for consideration.

Milwaukee House Demolition Bid Approved

8/17/10 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a $53,000 bid for demolition of the Milwaukee House in downtown Beaver Dam. That’s roughly $14,000 higher than engineering estimates but the Operations Committee last month rejected bids that were twice that amount. The building located at the intersection of South Center Street and Ryan Cantafio’s Way has fallen into a state of disrepair and a raze order has been issued. The owner will be assessed the costs for the demolition and says he still plans on opening a custard stand.

Columbus Considers Borrowing For Developments

8/17/10 - The Columbus Council could approve the borrowing $5 million dollars for two developments through the issue of Midwest Disaster Area Bonds at tonight’s meeting. $1.5 million dollars will be used for the proposed Beaver Dam Hospital Columbus Clinic. The second developer – At Home Again Columbus - is seeking to borrow $3.5 million for the construction of an assisted living complex.

Corrections Officer Charged With Abuse

8/17/10 - A guard at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun is facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting an inmate. Driftten Kitzman is charged with Abuse of Residents of Penal Facilities for an incident last month. According to the criminal complaint, another guard punched the inmate in the mouth and Kitzman intervened as the two struggled. The 41-year-old correctional officer allegedly threw the inmate on the ground face first, kneeled on his head and punched him in the ribs while saying, “Stop resisting.” He told investigators he was using tactics intended to gain compliance. If convicted, Kitzman could spend up to three-and-a-half years in prison. A signature bond was set yesterday at $1000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 30.