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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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| | Email this article • Print this article | City officials getting back on track towards Highway 8 reconstruction project; Small Cities Program funding to be sought
BY DENISE MARTIN
Lindstrom City Council has started gearing up for the Highway 8 reconstruction project that is still on track for bid-letting in summer 2011. The highway committee that meets with MnDOT will start holding sessions again in September, City Administrator John Olinger explained at last week's council meeting. Mayor Keith Carlson and Council member Jim Singer are council liaisons to this committee.
State engineers are still working on the highway design, cross sections, rights-of-way needs and water resource issues related to the highway layout.
Council member Joe Wishy, who sits on a downtown design committee, told the council the group is "in good shape" on its review of the in-town aspects of the rebuild.
Olinger asked if the council would think about okaying use of $3,000 out of the city's budget line item for engineering services, to pay for as-needed services of a professional planner. Council will take action later, as it wasn't an agenda item.
Olinger also said the September city council session should include some early sewer and water line replacement information for council to consider as part of the upcoming highway project.
The state department of transportation and Lindstrom have agreed to rebuild Highway 8 into a one way pairs configuration. At the same time the County Road 14 intersection and intersections in downtown will be improved (turn lanes, etc.) and the bridge/channel between North and South Lindstrom Lakes is being redone.
According to information given to council the project is short by an estimated $2 million. The true costs will only be known after bidding. The funding package as it stands only covers work from the west edge of the project to the Olinda Trail intersection (Dairy Queen). Construction items in the Highway design plan east of this, are not funded at this time.
In other action council adopted a preliminary 2010 levy, with an increase of one percent. The final 2010 levy must be adopted in early December. The hearing to present the levy to the taxpayers is December 8 at 7 p.m.
Fixer-upper program
Chisago County's Housing and Redevelopment Authority-Economic Development Authority plans to apply for Small Cities program funding for Lindstrom. Chris Eng, Executive Director for the HRA/EDA, asked council to approve a resolution backing the application to the state, which council did enthusiastically.
Eng said this program is an annual appropriation, so if Lindstrom utilizes the funding in a timely fashion, the HRA/EDA can apply for additional monies next fiscal year.
The city hopes to get $213,725. The Small Cities program relays the money to the local authority, which takes applications and makes loans to improve, repair, remodel commercial and residential properties.
If the properties stay in the same applicants' ownership for 10 years the loan is forgiven.
Owners of commercial structures can get 60 percent of their project funded. Residential (rental) sites may qualify for 70 percent funding and there are income restrictions on tenants, at least 51 percent of the units must be rented to low/moderate income households. (The city hall has a chart for the family size and income levels.)
Owners take out a bank loan or self-finance the remainder of their own projects.
Should the property change ownership within five years of receiving funding the applicant pays back all of what he received through the program. In years six through 10 the recipient reimburses the program upon change of ownership, at a formula of 20 percent forgiven for each year. (Six years payback is 80 percent, seven years it's 60 percent, etc.)
Lindstrom will be notified when the county hears it has been approved to receive the funds. The application and inspection process takes some time, but Eng said if all goes to plan, by late summer next year Small Cities projects will be underway.
Monies repaid go into a redevelopment revolving loan fund the city will later administer, Eng added.
In other business: council unanimously appointed Kevin Backer to the planning commission vacancy.
The vote was unanimous to send a representative to the International Bio-Energy Conference in Sweden in late Sept. A max of $3,000 is being contributed, plus the conference fee. Lindstrom City Council member Roger Lindgren went to Sweden several months ago to participate in a Minnesota bio-energy delegation. Lindstrom is pursuing a carbon-neutral business park project with Chisago City. Council wishes to keep the momentum going building relationships with international eco-friendly enterprises.
Council approved splitting the cost 50-50 with Chisago Lake Township on a covered winter sand-salt storage structure. Lindstrom's share is $4,000. Council was advised the two entities can buy in bulk and save about half the cost of winter salt previously purchased from Chisago County Public Works.
A few properties still need to get the new remote-read water meters installed, but otherwise the switchover has gone well, council heard. Staff reported the city scrapped-out the old meters and got $6,000.
Council processed a number of orderly annexation petitions passing a resolution starting the legal annexing of parcels out of Chisago Lake Township. The lots are on Glader and Lakelawn and are within the sewer extension project area. Of 54 units in total involved in the municipal service extension 32 parcels have voluntarily annexed into Lindstrom, it was reported. Council is hopeful the remainder come in voluntarily to make this project feasible and so the city can avoid contested annexation.
Wording defining a "commercial marina" and related conditions was adopted into the zoning code. The city will continue to work on dock, boat lift and mooring restrictions related to residential lots on the lakes and also expects some new statewide regulations coming out of the next legislative session.
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