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10.e Public Works Staff Report Staff Report Date of Meeting: 2/17/2026 For: Mayor and City Council From: Charles Fischer – Director of Public Works Subject: PW - Staff Report Roads/ ROW The reprieve of snow through January allowed staff time to perform maintenance on our snow removal equipment and focus on other areas of maintenance as well. The gravel roads remained on constant watch for icy conditions and grit was applied multiple times throughout January. We are now shifting into freeze thaw cycles which adds additional need to monitor gravel road conditions until Spring Parks Staff completed set up, maintenance of the ice, and clean up for the Vinterfest event. The extreme cold caused concern over the resurfacing throughout the tournament. Temperatures reached at or below -25 degrees when resurfacing was necessary to prepare the ice. The Zamboni experienced an overheating problem and is believed to be because the temperatures were so low and that the cycling of the fan on the radiator was so rapid that consistent temperature control was not achievable. Since the tournament we have not experienced this problem resurfacing the ice in during normal winter temperatures. Public Works informed the Parks Committee at is last meeting about complaints over the The Minnesota Cup tournament and the non-family friendly atmosphere it creates. Items below were discussed: • Fights on and off the ice • Adult beverage sales creating a non-family friendly atmosphere • The cost to the City to support the tournament and if it is benefitting the City ’s residents and businesses • The Minnesota Cup claim that the net proceeds are donated to the City for rink maintenance and improvement. The City has only received $500 over the years the tournament has been held. • Public Works offered suggested options for future events such as: Youth Hockey Tournament or a Pleasure Skate evening with additional food trucks and family friendly entertainment. Sewer Public Works has been discussing the Nitrogen Project with multiple contractors interested in bidding on the project which is set for bid opening on February 18th Public Works staff continue to work towards attaining Class C operator licenses prior to the start-up of the new nitrogen treatment plant. Staff Report Date of Meeting: 2/17/2026 For: Mayor and City Council From: Charles Fischer – Director of Public Works Subject: PW - Staff Report Buildings The vehicle wash pressure washer in the Public Works building has been replaced and is working better than anticipated. The new unit has shown how worn out the old equipment truly became before complete failure at the end of December. The Heritage Room improvements are complete including; wallpaper removal, wall patching, painting, new vinyl baseboard, and new ceiling tiles. Future improvement to the Room should include a flooring upgrade likely during the time a decision on upgrading the Hall floor is made. We do have an issue in the men’s main bathroom floor; It has been discovered that there is a hollow cavity under the cement floor. We will soon need to cut out the floor the explore the problem. The bathroom at some time this year will need to be closed for repairs. At this time, we have no information on what has caused the problem. Equipment Public Works has been informed that the new tandem plow truck will be ready for delivery in February. Once delivered, the truck with go through inspection prior to placing it in service.