The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Under contract! After months of discussion and several special meetings later, the Town of Haxtun is under contract to sell property to Haxtun Health. At a special meeting last week, council members reviewed bids from three companies for a new town shop, slated to go up on the west end of Haxtun where the Town’s quonset currently sits.

The Town of Haxtun is currently in the process of cleaning out the truck barn and lean-to located between the shop and Town Hall. Once those buildings are vacated, they in addition to property behind town hall and the library, will be sold to Haxtun Health for $200,000. Additionally, within a two-year time period, the Town plans to vacate the current shop and donate it, and the land it sits on, to Haxtun Health.

The contract for the sale has been reviewed by the Town’s attorney and since approved by Haxtun Health’s Board of Director and signed by Mayor Brandon Biesemeier.

Plans are for the Town of Haxtun to move all equipment, tools and belongings to the area west of Haxtun that now houses some storage containers and quonset, owned by the Town. This area will also be the location of a new town shop, which is in the beginning stages of construction.

During a special council meeting on Monday, March 22, Haxtun Superintendent Ron Carpenter presented three bids for the construction of a new Town shop including those from VAP Construction, Hardsteel Construction and Rockwell Construction. In conversations with the Council, Carpenter said he was able to visit local buildings in the area recently built by both Rockwell Construction and Hardsteel Construction, both of which he said were nicely built. Council Member Mike Ensminger agreed with Carpenter and said he has had several personal contacts with Rockwell Construction and is familiar and confident with their product.

The new shop will be 40 by 120 foot steel framed with 40’ by 80’ finished space and 40’ by 40’ cold storage. It will include six overhead doors, four in the shop and two in the cold storage, along with a service pit in one bay of the shop.

After much discussion on specifics, time frames and details, the Haxtun Town Council agreed to go with a bid from Rockwell Construction for $201,985. That, along with dirt work, plumbing, electric, septic, heating, gas line and the framing of an office and bathrooms, should bring the new shop total to an estimated $249,711.

“Not because it’s the cheapest, but because of the product they put out,” Ensminger said of choosing the bid from Rockwell Construction. Plans are to ensure the deal with Haxtun Health is final before signing a contract with the construction company to move forward with the build, which is expected to begin late this fall.

“We have to be super responsible about it,” said Council Member Ryan Horton. He said from a business standpoint, he would like to wait to sign a contract with a construction company until the deal with Haxtun Health is finalized and the Town of Haxtun has the $200,000 payment.

Once the truck barn and lean-to are cleaned out, the Town of Haxtun will need to pass a resolution to sell the property to finalize the deal. Once all necessary steps are taken, plans are to move forward with a contract with Rockwell Construction.

At the end of the special meeting, the Council passed a resolution in conjunction with Phillips County regarding domestic sludge.