09.g City Administrator Report1
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: July 15, 2025, City Council Meeting
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator
Re: City Administrator Report
______________________________________________________________________________
Gateway Trail Project
A public information meeting was held at the Community Center on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Representatives from the City, County, and DNR were present, along with between 30 and 40 residents.
The meeting went well; it was a little contentious at times, but all resident questions were answered.
Concern was raised about the fiscal responsibility of building a trail that does not connect to any existing
infrastructure. There was also frustration over the project's cost, related to the requirement for a tunnel
under Oakhill Road. Some of the residents present suggested that the grant money go unused and the
project be delayed until the trail from William O’Brien Park is completed. At this point, the only way to
delay the project would be for the City Council to vote to cancel the City’s participation. The Council
will receive an update on the Gateway Trail at its July 2 work session.
The Council discussed the Gateway Trail project at their July 2 work session. The City Engineer
provided an update on the project timeline and costs. The council discussed the June 11 public
information meeting, which featured many residents opposed to the trail and/or the construction of a
tunnel under CR 52, which has increased the project's cost. Since that meeting, public support for the
trail has poured into City Hall, led by the Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails, who have been working
on securing funding for the trail since 2018. The City has received 35 emails of support and has
received a copy of the original petition and letters of support collected when the project was first
discussed. 926 names signed the petition, and 62 letters of support were gathered.
Water Tower Barn Wetland Trail Project
The City’s LCCMR proposal was selected to move forward in the review process. I presented it to the
LCCMR committee on June 28. The Committee met on July 31 to determine funding amounts for all
projects. The City received $907,000 of the $998,000 it requested. The project was funded with the
passing of the LCCMR bill last month. The City will collaborate with the SHA to initiate the design and
engineering of the trail system.
2
Bliss Sewer Project
The Legislature met on Monday in a Special Session to approve all remaining budget bills. While a
bonding bill was approved, it included no local projects. The Legislature approved $200 million for the
MPCA Point Source Implementation Grant (PSIG) program to fund water and sewer infrastructure. The
City has been assured that this level of funding is sufficient to fund the Bliss project this year. However,
I have yet to verify this claim. The official PSIG projects that received funding will be released in
August.