Timber! Washburn's lumberyard is scheduled for demo
By Cheryl McCormack
Editor
Eight bids were received and one was approved to demolish Washburn's dilapidated lumberyard. On April 14, city commissioners approved Flying T Construction's bid of just under $40,000 to clean out and demolish the structure.
Mayor Duane Bauer was the one to make the recommendation and said, "They're doing the full demo and total removal for that price. We don't have to worry about burning it down or anything. They (Flying T) brought in proof of insurance and proof of license...everything was in order."
Before the board approved the bid, Commissioner Larry Thomas said, "My thought is the same as before, we're putting good money after bad. So now we're going to have 60 grand stuck into it?"
Bauer replied, "Something needs to be done. It's ours and we have to take care of it."
Thomas brought up a discussion from a previous meeting about allowing a contractor do the work in exchange for the land. Bauer said, "We can't do it. It's not legal."
Upon researching the matter, the city learned that a land purchase of $2,500 or higher must be put up for bids. Auditor Joan Zimmerman said Attorney David Lindell advised the city to follow a two-step process: first, demolish the lumberyard; second, hold an auction to sell the land on bids.
