Repair work on Cardinal Lake Dam could begin this month.

During a special meeting on Tuesday, the Whispering Pines Council awarded Charlotte-based Hall Contracting Corp. a contract to repair the dam and its forebay area at a cost of $482,269.

The dam is located on Whispering Woods golf course, which is owned by Whispering Woods LLC.

The contract is for 150 days, which means if work begins this month it will be done by the end of the year.

A grant for $180,000 will cover part of the repair cost.

Also during the meeting a motion to initiate foreclosure action against Whispering Woods LLC failed, 3-2.

Mayor Bob Zschoche motioned to go forward with foreclosure. It was seconded by council member Skip Gebhardt, but the other three council members — Randy Saunders, Molly Boggis and Paul Sams — voted against it.

In December 2007, the village council and Whispering Woods LLC reached a deal to repair the dam. Whispering Woods LLC agreed to pay $84,000 in annual payments of $5,600. Residents living near the dam would pay $28,000 and the village would pay the remainder, an estimated $112,000.

If the club was ever sold, the owners would owe the remaining amount in full at the time of the sale.

Earlier this year owners reached a deal for the golf course to change hands. The Village and Whispering Lakes LLC have been negotiating a settlement since. The most recent sticking point between the two sides is when the work would begin. The club wants the work to begin Nov. 1 so it can be completed over the winter. The village wants the work to begin immediately because they say delaying the work will only increase the cost.

The plan to repair the dam has been reworked multiple times in an effort to cut repair estimate costs, which have varied greatly since the original repair design was agreed upon.