Flooding study summary coming Oct. 28

During the regular New Richland City Council meeting on Oct. 14, council members were informed a full summary of the preliminary hydrology study recently completed by Twin Cities firm Houston Engineering will be provided during the Oct. 28 city council meeting. The study, meant to find ways to reduce flooding in the city during times of high precipitation, was authorized by the council in June of 2023; the city has so far paid $20,000 to have it carried out; at least another $30,000 in costs is anticipated.

 

Also during the Oct. 14 meeting, Cory Bienfang of the Mankato-based engineering firm Bolton and Menk shared a plan for a $2.5 million project to upgrade failing water and sewer lines under two-block lengths of Ash Avenue South and Broadway Avenue South between Highway 30 and Fourth Street SW. Scheduled for repair are segments of sanitary sewer, undersized water main lines, old storm sewer infrastructure, deficient pedestrian facilities, and failing roadway pavement. Some of the needed line replacements took place this past summer when the secondary school parking lot was resurfaced.

 

The proposed project includes full reconstruction with the replacement of all underground utilities, new roadway pavement, and continuous sidewalks along one side of the street. The improvements are planned to be completed as one project during the summer of 2025.

 

Among anticipated funding sources are utility enterprise funds, general tax funds, special assessments through the city’s “special assessment policy for abutting properties,” and general obligation bonds. 

 

Council members voted to officially receive the Bolton and Menk report, and to set a public hearing regarding the project for Nov. 25 during the regular council meeting. 

 

Seventy percent of the cost for the water lines, sanitary sewers, resurfacing the street and replacing the curbs and gutters will be covered by appropriate public funds, as will all costs for upgrades to the storm sewer system.

 

Property owners along the selected portions of Ash and Broadway will be assessed for roughly 30 percent of the cost for replacing the water and sewer lines, resurfacing the street and repairing curbs and gutters.

 

Council members arranged to hear public comment regarding cannabis zoning laws during a hearing set for 6:35 p.m. Nov. 12 during the regular council meeting at city hall. Council members speculated among themselves there may be considerable interest in this particular topic. The public hearing on Nov. 12 will also regard modifying the ordinance regarding storm sewer drainage.

 

In other business during the meeting, the New Richland Police Department reported it received 127 calls during September. Total calls so far this year are 1,780. Total calls for September 2023 were 748. Council members approved about $2,000 to purchase new tires and perform maintenance on police department vehicles. The Taser contract was signed, first payment to be January 1.

 

The City of New Richland is required to have and maintain a safety committee. They have normally done this in house. Through the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, LCMIT, contact and conversations, it was suggested that New Richland may benefit from a “regional safety group” which would have shared leadership and direction. The regional group would provide all required annual training for city employees. The LMCIT also subsidizes the group and provides access to additional benefits. The cost of the program is $21,840 of which $12,012 is subsidized by the LMCIT. This leaves a total cost of the program for the remaining cities of $9,828 or $1,965 per city. If the city were to divide this cost between the city departments, the cost to each department would be approximately $328 a year.

 

Jordan Allen celebrated three years on the ambulance and fire department.

 

The next regular city council meeting will be Monday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.