Sidewalk Dispute Needs to be Laid to Rest!
- 20 minutes ago
- 2 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Verndale City Council held their regular meeting on February 9.
Payment Dispute Over Sidewalk Project Continues
Council Member Raye Ludovissie opened the meeting by saying Ideal should be paid what they are owed for the work already completed, while Moore Engineering should be “put on the back burner” until they come to a meeting in person and fully explain their position. He argued that Ideal followed Moore’s directions, performed quality work, and had been waiting months for payment, whereas Moore had mostly communicated by email and not shown up consistently.
City Clerk Melissa Current relayed the city has already paid Moore Engineering over their original lump‑sum design figure (about $58,000), and Ideal is asking for a total of $49,102.19. Moore Engineering has recommended paying only part of that (around $25,933.79), leaving a remaining amount Ideal says is still due. At a previous meeting, Moore offered the city $30,000 to help cover the overage, with the understanding that if the city accepts and cashes that check—along with signing an associated release—the city would be unable to pursue any further claims against Moore.
Council members were split. Ludovissie favored paying Ideal in full and then deducting that from whatever amount might ultimately be owed to Moore. Council Member Jim Runyan was cautious about paying Ideal beyond what Moore recommended. He worried that doing so might weaken the city’s legal position or its ability to recover money later, especially if litigation arose over who was responsible for the extra costs. He said he wanted to see clear “sign‑off” documentation from Moore Engineering showing they approved Ideal’s additional work before agreeing to pay the higher amount...
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