09.g City Administrator - Staff Report1
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: May 21, 2024, City Council Meeting
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator
Re: City Administrator Report
______________________________________________________________________________
Gateway Trail Project
City Engineer Ryan Goodman and I met with Nathan Moe and Kent Skaar from the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Monday, July 10, 2023. We discussed the next steps in the
work plan, including the environmental review, soil borings, and topographical survey. Ryan and the
DNR are working to complete these items before the end of the year. This group plans to meet monthly
to ensure the project stays on schedule.
Kent explained that the LCCMR funding has a hard deadline of June 30, 2027. All spending must be
completed before that date. The City plans for 2026 construction to complete the project before the grant
funding disappears. Our DNR Grant Administrator has also contacted me. LCCMR administers the
project, and the funding comes from the DNR.
The Fiscal Agent Agreement has been approved and signed by all parties involved. The City has a grant
for funding through the DNR for this project. There is approximately $25,000 left on the grant, which
will cover the cost of upcoming soil borings. Our next update meeting is scheduled for April 16.
As I mentioned last week, I will be filing an amendment to the grant to move funds from construction to
engineering to help cover the design cost for the Oakhill Rd crossing.
Water Tower Barn Project
The Scandia Heritage Alliance is working to construct part of the old water tower barn to apply for
historic tax credits and a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, they will need
to create a for-profit entity to allow for qualification for historic tax credits. Council approved the
construction of the east side of the barn and the formation of a “for-profit” entity at their Work Session
on September 6. At our December meeting, the Alliance received Council approval to aid the City in
applying for an LCCMR grant to help fund their project's parks and trails plan. The plan includes
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connecting trails from the Water Tower Barn parcel to the Community Center along Olinda Trail and
through the City-owned wetland to connect to the Gateway Trail.
I have submitted our LCCMR application for this project. We now wait until June 10, when the LCCMR
Committee will announce which proposal makes it past the first cut. If we are selected to move forward,
the City will present before the Committee at the end of June.
Scandia City Center Study
The Consultant presented the Community Involvement Plan to the Council at their December Work
Session. Staff updated contact information for the local businesses listed in the Plan. The County and
the Consultant attended Vinterfest and had many positive interactions with the community. The
comments left on the project website have also been very insightful. These comments will be gathered,
analyzed, and used to determine areas that need further review in the coming months.
The consultant is looking to attend a Farmers Market in August to host another pop-up event to engage
the public on the study's findings. This event will be either August 14 or 21.
Bliss Stormwater Project
This project will begin this month and should be completed by the end of June.