The Annandale City Council voted unanimously at its Monday, Oct. 2, meeting to approve conducting a feasibility study for utility work on portions of Park Street and Oak Avenue in 2020.
That stretch of Highway 24, from Poplar Avenue to Highway 55, is on the construction schedule for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Its plans call for making surface improvements and other improvements in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and limited storm sewer work, according to Jared Voge, the city engineer with Bolton & Menk of Willmar.
MnDOT often works with municipalities to coordinate any work it also has planned, enabling the construction to be completed at the same time and reducing the impact it will have on traffic, residents and business owners.
In this case, the project runs through the heart of downtown.
"A feasibility study is prudent to take a look at what’s under that street, as far as sewer and water. Some of our oldest infrastructure is there," Mayor Dwight Gunnarson said. "That’s a very sensitive issue since it is our downtown. Any work is going to require some major coordination and cooperation."
Annandale’s utilities, sanitary sewer and water that lies beneath Highway 24 in the state’s road project area were constructed in 1919, Voge said, with the utilities on Oak Avenue having been identified on Annandale’s capital improvement plan for a number of years.
Joe Haller, Annandale’s public works director, said that new manholes for sanitary sewer were added to the downtown area in 1999. Prior to that, during the 1960s, he said water services were replaced from the main to downtown buildings.
City crews have used cameras in the existing sewer main within the project area to determine its status.
"For as old as it is, it’s amazing how good a shape it’s in," he said.
But he said the valves are questionable from that era.
"We don’t operate them because they will break," Haller said.
He said the seals are lead-pack seals on the water main, which is not a good standard of practice.
Haller also noted that of the three legs of power that go to the street lights, only one leg currently works.
Based on observations made by the city, Voge said the staff continues to recommend that the utilities be improved in conjunction with the MnDOT work.
Doing any city road work at the same time as the state project will allow Annandale to reduce the amount it would pay for pavement replacement if it were undertaking utility work on its own.
The state wants notification of the city’s intentions by January, which is more than two years out from when the work would be done. It is also more than a year ahead of the schedule the city would normally follow.
City Administrator Kelly Hinnenkamp said that Annandale typically does not budget for these types of costs, but instead creates a project fund spread across the sewer, water and general funds. However with the decisions having to be made so early in the process, the city will have to have to carry that cost for a longer time frame.
Annandale is responsible for paying a portion of the cost of the MnDOT project, regardless if it decides to go ahead with utility work of its own. Voge said the state has not indicated which portion of the roadway, sidewalk or other improvements that would be paid by the city.
"During the next year, the specific project improvements and associated schedule will be defined," he said.
In order for the city to make any assessments to property owners, which it historically has done, the state requires a preliminary engineering report, public hearings and multiple city council approvals, Voge said.
Any assessments would only apply to Annandale’s portion of the construction costs and not the state’s, Hinnenkamp said.
The cost of the preliminary engineering report by Bolton & Menk is $32,840.
"We will take a close look at this, and shortly after the first of the year we’ll have a good idea," Voge said. "We know that it’s old, but we also understand the impact on the businesses, and want to have some idea on how to accommodate that during construction."
Due to the age and observed condition of the existing utilities, he recommended looking into potential funding sources. Possible financing sources include the Public Facilities Authority, the Drinking Water Revolving Fund and Clean Water Revolving Fund.
In addition to that, the preliminary engineering report will provide the council with information on the project’s cost and overall design.
Voge said there is also potential grant opportunity from the Local Road Improvement Program established by the Legislature, should the city wish to pursue improvements on Chestnut Street, Cedar Street, Birch Street and a portion of Oak Avenue north of Park Street. Those streets have been identified on Annandale’s capital improvement plan.
Land purchase
Annandale made a bid on nearly 94 acres of property in Corinna township in an online auction that closed Sept. 29. While the bid was unsuccessful, none of the handful of bids made for the property were accepted.
The City Council, which had gone into closed session at a special meeting Sept. 27 to discuss its interest in the land, did so again in its Oct. 2 meeting.
Following the discussion, Gunnarson motioned that the staff continue to work with all parties involved in exploring a sale. Oak Realty is representing the city.
Part of the attraction of the property is that it is positioned directly to the south of Highway 55 from Annandale’s business park.
Permit approved
A request for a conditional use permit and variance for the setback of a structure on the east side of 247 Myrtle Drive S. was granted to Mike Braun.
He is proposing to construct a 21-storage unit facility, plans that were approved by the planning commission but tabled Sept. 11 by the council to give him an opportunity to answer questions.
Braun appeared at the Oct. 2 meeting and said the two homeowners who live nearby had zero concerns about his plans.
The council’s primary concern was a screening requirement, for landscaping or another method of separation between commercial and residential properties. Plans are for pine trees to be removed for the expansion.
Braun suggested he was willing to do what he could to alleviate any concerns, whether that amounted to putting plastic slats in the existing chain-link fence, or approaching neighbors about the possibility of planting a row of pine trees on their land.
Council member Corey Czycalla did not have an issue with the proposal because of its location, and no one on the council objected.
Cooperative agreement
Annandale Police Chief Jeff Herr said that police departments around the state had been approached about assisting with security for the Super Bowl, which will be played in Minneapolis Sunday, Feb. 4.
It would be an opportunity for officers who are not on duty that day to serve in some capacity, he said.
The 2017 Super Bowl was in Houston, where that city’s police force is several times larger than the Minneapolis force. There will be need for many officers from outside the agency, Herr said, to aid in traffic control, and with security in many areas other than the stadium.
By signing the cooperative agreement, it would not mean that any officer would be required to go, or that it would come at the expense of Annandale.
"We would have final say. If there was an incident in Annandale (that day), we can pull them back," Herr said.
The council approved signing the cooperative agreement.