Storm Lake’s push for a new water treatment plant hit a turning point last night, as the city council chose the engineering team that will shape one of the largest public projects in city history.
The council voted 4-0 to move forward with Bolton & Menk following a work session comparing the two firms that responded to the city’s Request for Qualifications. AE2S, partnering with ISG, also submitted a proposal.
Mayor Meg McKeon opened the discussion by reminding council members the work session was their chance to weigh the presentations and their scoring.
Council members reviewed their individual scoring matrices, which collectively favored Bolton & Menk as the design engineer by 29 points.
Councilperson Maggie Martinez said the firm demonstrated clearer accountability and a stronger grasp of how they would handle problems during design and construction.
Other councilmembers noted differences in how the firms answered questions about potential errors and liability. Councilperson Matt Ricklefs said one firm’s response stood out.
Councilperson Maria Ramos said she was struck by the cohesion of the Bolton & Menk team during last month’s presentations.
The decision comes as Storm Lake continues advancing the largest infrastructure project in its history. A preliminary engineering report recommends an 8.8‑million‑gallon‑per‑day plant to replace the city’s 1978 facility, which now operates near capacity. The city recently purchased nearly 90 acres on 90th Avenue for the future plant site, and in March approved a financial services agreement with Piper Sandler to model utility revenues and structure long‑term borrowing. Early estimates place the full project cost near $200 million.
After closing the work session, the council moved to action. Ricklifs made the motion to select Bolton & Menk, saying the city needed a single, clearly accountable lead. The motion passed unanimously.
McKeon thanked both firms for their interest, noting the seriousness of the council’s deliberations.
City Manager Keri Navratil will now begin negotiating a contract, which will return to the council for final approval.
