10.g City Administrator Report1
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: April 21, 2026, City Council Meeting
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kyle Morell, City Administrator
Re: City Administrator Report
2026 Scandia 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. Council approved the design and engineering of the trail
network at the September meeting.
Bids were opened on Wednesday, March 11. The bids came in under the engineer's estimate, which
bodes well for the City’s plans to install a parking lot at the tee ball field. The project is scheduled for
construction in 2026. The preconstruction meeting is scheduled for the week of April 20, with work
beginning the last week of April or the first week of May.
Bliss Sewer Project
The City has been awarded 80% grant funding for the project. The remaining 20% will be a low-interest
loan from the Clean Water Revolving Fund. The project was put out for bid in January. Bid opening
was pushed back to February 18. The low came in under the engineer’s estimates. The City has held the
preconstruction meeting. Work will begin in May, with infrastructure installation. The project will be
finished in the fall when the new building arrives.
Gateway Trail Project
Contracts have been signed. Utilities are being relocated. Notice of this work was sent to the property
owners on Friday, unfortunately, not before markings began. The trees within the easement were cut the
last week of March. The preconstruction meeting was held on April 15. Work on clearing the easement
will begin in May. Country Road 52 will be closed down on June 8 for the road realignment and tunnel
installation. It will remain closed all summer and reopen in September.
The City will seek to secure short-term financing to fund the project at its June Council meeting. The
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LCCMR funds are reimbursable, and the City does not have sufficient funds to make timely payments to
the contractors while awaiting reimbursement from the State. A short-term loan will be needed to
bridge the financial gap. I will have more information on this in May.