With two public hearings on the agenda at last Monday’s Blue Earth City Council meeting, there was an unusually large crowd which filled the council meeting chambers. One hearing dealt with the 2023 Street Project and the other was the Truth in Taxation hearing.

A long night for the Blue Earth City Council began at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5.

Among several hefty items on the council’s agenda was a public hearing for the 2023 Street and Utility Improvement Project.

The City Council Chambers were packed to bursting with Blue Earth residents affected by the proposed improvements, which are slated to take place on Moore, Galbraith, Ramsey and Third Streets.

“The project is going to consist of reconstructing 15 city blocks,” Bolton & Menk engineer Ben Rosol informed the crowd. “It will be a continuation of this summer’s construction to finish up that area of town.” 

Rosol noted existing conditions include undersized and aging storm sewer and watermain and aging sanitary sewer. The clay pipe is broken down in many areas and several blocks are currently without sanitary sewer and watermains.

“As you can see, there is a lot of alligator cracking; a lot of pot holes,” Rosol added. “A lot of curb and gutter has broken down, and there’s also failing infrastructure underneath the streets.” 

Rosol summarized, “Our goal with these projects is to provide a nice, usable street for years to come for the residents of Blue Earth.” 

The project’s tentative schedule began with Monday night’s improvement hearing. Plans and specifications will be finalized and bids will be advertised next February.

After bids for the project are accepted in March, construction is expected to take place from May to October next year. The final assessment hearing will take place in July of 2024, with the assessment roll being certified the following December.

Besides assessments against property owners who will benefit from the project, the improvements will be funded via bonding, utility funds, and the Street Reconstruction Fund.

“This is typical with past projects that we’ve done with the city,” Rosol noted.

The total estimated project cost is $4,754,600.55, with assessments expected to total $1,018,971.25.

Rosol also addressed several common concerns spurred by the start of a street improvement project.

He first explained how to determine the project’s right of way.

“The typical width of a right of way within a city is 80 feet, with the road centered within that right of way,” Rosol said. He told residents to expect anything within that right of way, including private improvements by property owners, to be disturbed during the project.

Rosol also clarified it will be property owners’ responsibility to salvage and/or replace private improvements affected by the street projects.

Additionally, he addressed common questions about tree removal, periodic water shut-downs, driveway access, mail delivery and garbage collection.

Finally, Rosol told residents how they can remain informed about the project’s progress.

“We will be sending out a newsletter at the beginning of the project,” Rosol said.

He also encouraged residents to check the project’s website at www.blueearthconstructionprojects.com. The website is Bolton & Menk’s main means of communication with residents throughout street improvement projects.

A few residents present at the meeting inquired about sidewalk installation and assessment policies. Rosol noted that residents who received a permit to have concrete work done on their sidewalks or driveways within the past 15 years are eligible to receive a credit to their assessment.

After additional discussion, the council closed the public hearing to vote on Addendum No. 7 to the Professional Agreement for General Engineering Services between the city and Bolton & Menk. The addendum contracts Bolton & Menk to provide Blue Earth with professional engineering services in conjunction with the design and bidding phase services for the 2023 street improvement project.

The total cost of the project’s design phase is not to exceed $290,000, and the total cost of the bidding phase services is a fixed fee of $20,000.

The council approved the addendum unanimously.

The council held another public hearing at 6 p.m.: the annual Truth in Taxation hearing.

During the hearing, the council reviewed a draft of the proposed 2022 Certified Property Tax Levy, collectable in 2023. Currently, the proposed levy totals $1,858,885, representing a 3.6 percent increase over last year’s levy.

“We will not approve the final levy tonight – we will do that on Dec. 19,” city administrator Mary Kennedy clarified, adding it is still subject to change.

In other business, the Blue Earth City Council: 

• Discussed the 2023 budget during a 4:30 p.m. worksession. Mayor Rick Scholtes said the budget is currently within $289 of being balanced.

• Approved Resolution 22-29, which set the city’s 2023 Fee Schedule.

• Scheduled a second reading of an ordinance to rezone a portion of Grant Street for Dec. 19.

• Approved an annual General Engineering Services Agreement with Bolton & Menk for general engineering services and project provisions.

• Entered into closed session to discuss the findings from a wage study conducted by Flaherty and Hood. The council has not yet acted on the study’s results.

• Entered into closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union. The council directed Kennedy and Scholtes to move forward with negotiations, although no official action had been taken by the city as of Monday evening.