Former mayor and Seventh District Judge Johnathan Judd administered oaths of office to four newly elected city council members Monday: Nicole Mattson, Ward 1; Lisa Borgen, Ward 3; Sebastian McDougall, Ward 4; and (via Zoom) Emily Moore, Ward 1. (Photo/Nancy Hanson.)

Moorhead City Council

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Four members – three new and one returning – joined the rest of the Moorhead City Council to approve an amended contract with Gast Construction to construct new recreational amenities at Romkey Park at the board’s meeting Monday.
Judge Johnathan Judd, who formerly served as Moorhead mayor – opened the evening by swearing in the four councilors: Nicole Mattson, representing Ward 1; Emily Moore, Ward 2; Lisa Borgen, Ward 3; and Sebastian McDougall, who was first appointed to serve Ward 4 in 2023 before being elected to a full term last November. Moore attended the meeting online via Zoom.
The council went on to approve an amended resolution to guarantee the maximum price of the project, opening the door to completion of “Reimagining Romkey” this summer and fall.
The maximum price of Reimagining Romkey, the park reconstruction project, is about $11.3 million. About half Department of the Interior’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership.
The city contracted last fall with Gast Construction for CMAR services – “construction manager at risk” – for the full project. Originally its contract covered pre-construction tasks, including demolition of the old city pool, laying the footings for the new pool building, and earthwork on the site. All were completed before winter.
The amended agreement includes construction of the new pool and pool house, splash pad, playground, pickleball and basketball courts, skate park, soccer field, sledding hill, natural playground and other planned features.
According to public works director Paul Fiechtner, the contractor plans to resume work this spring, with completion scheduled for the 2026 pool season.