Grand Sky developer wins county approval to accept $2.825 million in state funds for utilities and apron repairs
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Summary
Grand Sky Development Company asked the county to allow additional state-allocated funds — $2,825,000 — to be applied to existing, publicly bid utility and apron-pavement contracts; the commission approved the request unanimously, with one commissioner later recusing on invoice approval.
Brad Gerken, representing Grand Sky Development Company, asked the Grand Forks County Commission for approval to use $2,825,000 in additional state funding for further utility work and apron pavement repairs at the Grand Sky project.
Gerken said the funds would be used to modify existing, publicly bid contracts from an earlier $11 million scope of work of which about $6 million was awarded in the prior funding cycle. “We only awarded 6 out of that total of $11,000,000 of work that we needed to do, waiting for additional funds,” Gerken said, and added the new state funds would be allocated to extend utilities and carry out pavement repairs.
Commissioners moved and voted to approve the allocation and contract modifications. The initial motion to approve the funding request passed unanimously. Later in the meeting, the commission approved a related Grand Sky invoice with the record noting that Commissioner Rested recused himself for that vote.
Why it matters: the funds support infrastructure work at Grand Sky, including repairs to apron pavement that Gerken said is roughly 60 years old and requires ongoing repair. The county’s approval allows modification of previously awarded, publicly bid contracts only after state funds are formally accepted and allocated.
No ordinance or new procurement was presented; Gerken said the additional dollars would be applied as changes to existing contracts and would not be spent until state allocations for 2025 are finalized.