1996 CAFR - Laserfiche WebLink

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~I 0 Transportation MAJOR INITIATIVES (continued) Ramsey currently owns and maintains 130.58 miles of paved roadways after the addition of 4.89 miles of new street construction in 1996. This is up from 125.69 miles in 1995, 123.1 in 1994, 118.27 in 1993, 112.09 in 1992 and 106.01 in 1990. We-also maintain 6.82 miles of dirt and gravel roadways and Anoka County and the State control another 38.46 miles of paved arterial highway corridors. A major effort over the past few years has been toward the ongoing maintenance of these roadways. Annually, the City completes sealcoating or overlays on approximately 15 miles of existing City streets. In 1993, the Council created the Public Improvement Revolving Fund [PIR] to provide the dollars necessary to pay for half of the cost of this maintenance program. Without the PIR Fund, either the property owner would pay for all of the necessary costs, or a tax increase would be required for the City portion. The PIR is self-supporting through its interest earnings. During 1996, the City completed 1.47. miles of Sunwood Drive from Krypton Street west to Sunfish Lake Boulevard and the segment between County Road #116 and Ramsey Boulevard. The last segment of 153rd/155th between Variolite and Armstrong Boulevard is scheduled as a 1998 project. The extension of McKinley Street in the Ramsey Business Park was completed, as well as paving in new residential subdivisions and existing neighborhoods. The City, County, and State worked together to complete upgrades to the intersections of County Road #116 and Trunk Highway #47. This improvement, anticipated since 1989, will improve traffic flow dramatically. The City has also requested the State and County's participation in improving Trunk Highway #47 intersections with 142nd Avenue and County Road #5. The City has budgeted funds for the engineering of these important intersections in order to expedite the projects. While the City is in competition with other communities for funding, it is hoped that improvements can continue on this corridor in 1998 or 1999. Major improvements were also made to the utility system in 1996. A total of $2.2 million of water and sewer lines were installed in new subdivisions or to interconnect lines within the urban section of the community. The City constructed a third well and a second pump house west of Ramsey Boulevard, with a target date of May 1997 for the well improvements to be on-line. An additional well and a second water tower will be constructed by 1999 in order to service the industrial parks and the western part of the urban district. ' Parks Ramsey is fortunate in being the home to 522 acres of State and County park space, in addition to over 500 acres of City owned parks and trails. Included in the City inventory is almost nine miles of trails and over 125 acres of active park spaces. The balance of the system is either yet to be developed or dedicated as nature preserves. In a 1995 community survey, it was noted by citizens that parks and trails are a major priority of the community. Therefore, the City has provided for significant improvements in maintenance and development fiznds in order to address the concerns and desires that were raised. The year 1996 represented a year in which this effort was continued. Central Park, the City's most utilized and recognized park, had ball field lighting installed on an additional two fields. Another two ball fields (of the seven at Central) received safety fences and an enhanced players bench area-- both of which improve safety, maintenance, and aesthetics. The baseball field also received improvements to the ag-lime warning track and volunteers landscaped 600 feet behind the home-run fence. Volunteers also landscaped the large parking lot median and planters at the Park Center building. Two new basketball hoops that were added to the over-flow parking lot fulfilled a recreational facet not available there before. ' The City completed construction of the Lake Itasca Trail Head. This trail head provides parking for an existing 2.8 mile trail. In the summer of 1996, one 600-foot segment of this trail was completed which will connect to existing segments in 1997.