Minutes - Council Work Session - 10/26/2021

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Councilmember Riley answered the dollar amount. In year 2023 it’s $30,000, then up to $80,000, $200,000, then $400,000. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood answered he didn’t have notes on it but the trail connections were entitled priority trail connections and are intended to be opportunity driven or meet with the goals of connecting places. For example, in the downtown they are in the process of securing land at the Gardenview Villas to build a trail there. He noted there are hundreds of families that don’t have easy access to downtown but a trail would allow residents to access the retailers and splashpad. That is an easy first opportunity. Other trails are important but expensive. One they are looking at is by the Holiday gas station, to put a trail there to get people off the highway. That is an expensive project because of the Mn/DOT road, a ditch system, and other utilities. If someone wanted to develop the properties between Holiday and the commercial property to the south, it would be a perfect time, and the CIP would call attention to that opportunity. He explained that is why the numbers are all over. Councilmember Riley noticed in 2024 they plan to refurbish both water towers and asked if there is a savings in doing two in one year rather than spreading it out over time. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood answered he wasn’t sure but he would find out. He commented on options to do one water tower in the spring and then do the other, noting this would be for the exterior only as the City is keeping up with the interior, which is a different process that requires draining. Finance Director Lund added that has been pushed out a couple years. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood continued it’s possible with the water treatment going on line that they could take one tower down at a time and still have the capacity for water supply and fire suppression so that is probably why it was pushed out. Finance Director Lund answered they were scheduled for the same year, she didn’t know why either, but could find out. She asked Councilmember Riley, in regard to the park trail with the canoes, if he would propose pushing it out or removing the project. Councilmember Riley answered he would suggest removing the project. Finance Director Lund stated the project in question is project 18, park 004, Lake Itasca Park parking, trail, and canoe system. Councilmember Woestehoff also asked about the water towers. He noticed in 2022 it was listed to refurbish both the water towers for $20,000 and in 2023, it was $1.7 million. He wondered if one was a paint job and the other was mechanical. Finance Director Lund answered she believed part of it was a study. City Administrator Ulrich asked for Council consensus and direction on the Lake Itasca improvements to the parking lot and trail system. City Council Work Session / October 26, 2021 Page 7 of 15