FAIRMONT– The Fairmont City Council on Monday heard a fairly detailed report on the 2025 Street Improvement Plan. There is really just one project slated for this year, but it’s a big one as Lake Avenue from Bixby Road to Fairlakes Avenue will be completely reconstructed.

Tyler Cowing, an engineer with the city, said that the purpose of the improvement plan is to improve the street condition, extend the life of the streets and utilities, improve the corridor aesthetics coming in and out of town and to reduce maintenance for staff.

Speaking to the Lake Avenue project, Cowing said there will be all new street surface conditions, new water, sewer and storm sewer lines and all new utilities.

“Currently the project consists of 37 abutting property owners. The street has a 100 foot right-of-way. The current PCI, or street rating condition, is an 18 out of 100 which means the street is in rather poor condition,” Cowing said.

He said the proposed street section is 44 feet with two travel lanes and a center turn lane and that no sidewalks are being proposed at this time but that an alternate trail is on the table.

Cowing spoke a little about the history of the street and said that the water main and sewer main were installed in the 1960s and that the street itself was built in the 1970s and the storm sewer was added a little later.

“We’re proposing to put in some 12 inch PVC water main, 10 inch and 8 inch sewer main… we’re looking to install a combination of 18 to 36 inch storm sewer to reduce flooding and improve drainage in that area,” Cowing said.

He said that part of the project involves working with the county on the northern half of the street as it has a tile system that leads into George Lake.

“This project is looking to combine those two systems,” Cowing explained.

As for how the project will be funded, Cowing said the city plans to assess it as it has for other street projects. However, it will do so using the city’s new street assessment policy based on the city’s average projects for the last three years and it will come to an average of $100.68 per front footage as assessed. The new policy also calls for water and sewer services to be assessed.

“The estimated assessments at this point in time are $934,000,” Cowing said. “We have also received $1.5 million in Local Road Improvement Program grants from the state of Minnesota for this project,” Cowing said.

He said the city is also looking to use Municipal State Aid Street Funds in advance.

All in all, the project is estimated to be $6.25 million which includes construction, engineering and all administrative costs.

Toward the end of the presentation, Cowing said that the assessments at this point are just preliminary and that the city will be going out to residents to give notice in the next week or two, ahead of the hearing.

The council set the public hearing on the improvements for 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 24.

“It’s great to have this project scheduled and ready to go, finally,” said Council Member Randy Lubenow.

Moving to other matters, the city’s Finance Director, Paul Hoye, presented on the 2024 investment report. He said that the city’s portfolio is doing well and that it will have a little more than $1.1 million in interest earnings in 2024, which is up $370,000 from 2023.

“It will be somewhere about $200,000 additional revenue to our general fund over what was included in the budget for 2024,” Hoye said.

In other news:

— Mayor Lee Baarts proclaimed the week of Jan. 26- Feb. 1 as Catholic Schools Week in the city of Fairmont.

— Mayor Lee Baarts proclaimed Saturday, Feb. 8 as Kids Against Hunger Day in the city of Fairmont.

— The following employees were recognized for their years of service: Shawn Schaefer, Water Department, 20 years; Todd Steuber, Public Works Department, 20 years; Teagan Quade, Police Department, 15 years.

— The council made the following appointment to city boards and commissions: John Korsmo to Police Commission; Jane Kollofski and Craig Nelson to Park Board; E. Hubble Werre to Public Utilities Commission; Rin Porter to Planning Commission; Adam Smith to Board of Zoning Appeals; Ron Lindberg to Airport Board and Michele Miller to the Economic Development Authority. Baarts clarified that the last appointment would just be for six months to finish the remainder of a past member’s term.

— The council assigned Councilor Wayne Hasek to serve as an alternate city council liaison to the One Watershed One Plan committee.