09.e PW - Staff Report
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: 4/16/2024
For: Honorable Mayor and Council
From: Charles Fischer – Director of Public Works
Subject: PW - Staff Report
Roads/ROW
Rain and snow over the last month have delayed some progress in the continued brush mowing
of ROW in the City. As we are now in April full pass brush mowing will be postponed until
September, but small areas where larger brush remains cut and laying in the ROW will be
mulched with the new attachment set to be delivered by the end of the month. The mulching
of existing material will not be full scale ROW mowing but beneficial to complete as soon as
possible before the grass grows tall enough to hid the material.
The 192nd St retaining wall project has been schedule for the first week of May. We plan to
complete this project prior to the beginning of the Watershed Stormwater project set to be
completed this year. City staff and the Watershed are discussing options for a start date for the
Stormwater Project which may overlap some with the construction of the boulder wall.
Shoulder repair and pothole patching have began focusing on the older sections of roadway
first. Public Works will still monitor the roads planned for reconstruction this year and fill any
holes which may affect traffic.
Larger sections of road patching are being assessed for necessary repairs this year. A list will be
provided as soon as locations are selected and will be posted on the City webpage.
With the flurry of activity from the Midco fiber installation, damage to private property and
areas of ROW outside of the construction limits have been verified by City staff. Communication
with Midco began Thursday April 11th around 9:00am and is ongoing to resolve the situation
and repair any damaged area as soon as possible which has taken place outside of the
construction limits. As of Thursday evening the contractor had moved vehicles and equipment
out of the Tii Gavo neighborhood.
Emerald Ash Borer
A large section of infested ash trees has been removed in the southeast section of the City. The
southeast and eastern area of the City has shown more severe infestation of EAB due to the
higher population of Ash trees in the area.
Tree Removal
Public Works staff have identified and marked 50 trees , along the roads listed below, for
removal due to disease, infestation, or considered hazards to the road and ROW. Letters were
sent out to the residents on April 5th, 2024 to notify them trees have been marked in the ROW
adjacent to their property. As of April 11th, 2024 Public Works had not received correspondence
from property owners whom received a letter. Removals will begin April 16th, 2024 estimating
that the residents have had a seven-day window to respond to the letter which was sent out.
Trees within the construction limits for this years road construction project will be removed
first.
Streets impacted by removals:
• Mayberry Trail North
• Lofton Avenue North
• Maxwill Avenue North
• 205th Street North
Parks
Public Works has continued to work with Bolton & Menk to finalize plans for the
tennis/pickleball court project. Soil boring data was collected Monday, March 11th and has been
used to develop the Engineering estimate.
Wetland delineation was necessary due to the existing proximity of the tennis court to the
wetland located to the south. Although the tennis court is existing the fact we are technically
reconstructing the courts places us under new construction regulations by the Watershed and
local ordinances. A meeting to discuss the findings from the delineation is scheduled for April
18th, 2024.
Depending on those findings existing plans and specifications may need to be altered delaying
the project going out for bid.
Public Works has been working with the Bone Lake Association on cleanup efforts in
Tomteskogen Park (formerly Bone Lake Park). Members of the association found old tires and
dilapidated permanent deer stands. The group is proposing to volunteer time to remove these
items. Public Works has agreed to dispose of the material which will be brought out to the ROW
on 238th St N. Currently one deer stand is very near the north property line and further
investigation and correspondence with the neighbor to the north is necessary to be sure
volunteers are not trespassing on private property.
Sewer
Public Works has continued working with contractors to provide costs in regards to inspecting
for I/I within the Bliss and A/E systems. Due to the scale and scope of work City staff would not
be able to complete this task and continue serving all other areas of the City. The potential
project will consist of inspecting all of the lines coming out of the home to the septic tank for
cracks or breaks which allow I/I. Recent discussions have indicated a cost between $40,000 and
$60,000 depending on difficulty televising the line at each residence. Secondary to the line
inspection, Public Works has added tank inspections for all tanks in the system located in
resident’s properties to this potential project. The total cost for the tank inspections is yet to be
determined and dependent on the amount of septage required to be pumped and hauled to a
receiving facility.
Additional information will be shared with the Wastewater Advisory Committee once costs are
better estimated and how a project of this scale can be implemented into a future budget.
Equipment
The 2017 Western Star single axle plow truck developed transmission control issues during the
recent snow event. The transmission issues are the same problem experienced last year which
cost the department roughly $10,000 to repair. Public Works is waiting for the results of
diagnostic testing before completing what may be more expensive repairs. Moving forward City
staff have discussed proposing this truck be moved up in replacement schedule taking the place
of the 2014 Mack single axle, due to be replaced in 2026. The Capital Improvement Committee
will be briefed on this alteration during this year’s budget discussions.