10.c Engineering Updates 10-20-2020
City of Scandia
Engineering Updates 10/20/2020
Engineering italics = old information
· Washington County’s first Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
TAC Meeting #3 was held virtually on March 25, 2020. The planning consultant used this time to
present draft materials, which included a revised Future Network map and a methodology for
prioritizing future projects.
Washington County is launching their last phase of the public engagement. The website up
to date with the final draft plan, videos summarizing each chapter and a questionnaire for
folks to provide feedback.
· https://www.co.washington.mn.us/bikepedplan
Project Manager, Emily Jorgensen, 651-430-4338
· emily.jorgensen@co.washington.mn.us
· Public Works/Fire Hall Parking Lot Improvements
Project was awarded to Bluhm Construction at April 21, 2020 City Council Meeting.
Original project work has been completed and as a separate agenda item, will include
Contractor’s Request for Payment No. 1. Bad spot that has surfaced will have to be
excavated to review what the cause is, working with Contractor on schedule.
· 2021 Street Improvement Project & Layton Ave
As a separate business item for the October 20th City Council agenda will be requesting
Authorization of Plans & Specifications.
· Bliss Drainfield System
Both the 2020 permit application for this system and the “final report” for nitrogen mitigation have
been completed and submitted to the MPCA. The memo which serves as a final report doesn’t
present final solutions for the nitrogen issue, but instead outlines the issues that have been found
and solved in this treatment system, as well as some additional testing that will now be
recommended to get a handle on the nitrogen, BOD, and TSS entering and leaving the facility. The
hope is to gain us a little more time from the MPCA before they mandate action. We’ll use this time
to perform the aforementioned testing and evaluate options for removing nitrogen at Bliss.
To date we still have not heard anything from the MPCA regarding the permit and this is very typical.
This means the City’s existing permit is still in effect until the new permit is issued.
· Sump Pump Inspection Program
3 homes/cabin remain to be inspected. City moving forward with issuing a citation to one property, a
final letter to the second property requesting an inspection, and third property doesn’t have their CO
issued yet and will be inspected during routine building inspections.
· Bliss Addition Stormwater Planning
Public Outreach meeting being held at City Hall with the adjacent property owners prior to the City
Council meeting, on April 16, 2019, from 5:30pm – 6:30pm.
Met with watershed district on 8/2 to discuss preliminary options for expanding regional water
storage, restoring infiltration capacity and improve water quality. The watershed made some great
recommendations for managing overall project costs and those options are currently being explored.
Second public meeting occurred on August 20th. Preliminary stormwater management practices
were presented to the residents and were well received. Some new recommendations were also
presented and considered in the plan revisions.
Final Draft will be presented to the City Council at the November 19, 2019 meeting.
Meeting with City Staff and Watershed District was held on January 16, 2020 to discuss prioritization
and implementation schedule for the items presented in the final stormwater study. Separate costs
estimates have been put together based on the prioritization which will be used for future funding
submittals.
Recent engagement with the Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District resulted in the two bullet
points below:
· Cost responsibility - Who would take on what costs and how? Ideally the District would like
to participate with a Clean Water Fund Grant.
· Timeline - The District is working to complete the Subwatershed analysis for Big Marine
Lake. It will be complete by June 2021. Clean Water Fund Grants are awarded based on
how the score. Without a completed Subwatershed analysis for the entire lake and
application would score low. We planned to apply for a CWF grant in the fall of 2021 (after
the completion of the analysis). If the City would like to dedicate funding and move up the
timeline, they could request the CMSCWD Board of Managers consider funding a phase of
the project without a CWF grant. I do know that next year’s budget is tight with the state
required 10-year management plan update.
Temporary drainage improvements that included two options were presented at the
August 5th City Council Workshop that were intended to relieve drainage concerns at the
property of 19123 Layton Ave. Upon the discussion there seems to be separate opinions
forming on both sides of the street of what temporary solutions are favored but why the
ultimate correction is not just completed in conjunction with the storm sewer
improvements identified in the neighborhood stormwater study.
Watershed District received a cost share for option 1 for a for a total estimated cost of
$47,175 on 9/23/2020. The Board of Managers is considering the request at their October
14, 2020 Board meeting.
· CLFLWD Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan
Watershed District staff reviewed the following topics with the City staff though a Zoom Meeting on May 12,
2020. Some of the topics included; Lakes (pollutants, recreational use, shoreline), Aquatic invasive species,
Stormwater management (Low Impact Development, rules), Floodplain (flood resiliency), Resiliency planning
(climate adaptation, development demands), Groundwater (quantity and quality)
View draft plan sections at www.clflwdplanupdate.org/documents
Below is a brief summary of immediate next steps and major checkpoints:
· May 2020
· Continue issues workshops, engaging TAC members in small groups
· Coordinate at the staff level with cities and townships
· Review EOR scope of work for next phase of plan update process
· Workload Analysis: Staff workshop with Houston Engineering (note that this is a separate,
parallel process from the plan update, but the information from the analysis will be useful in
planning the next ten years, so it is noted here)
· June 2020
· Hold the last of the issues workshops, engaging TAC members in small groups
· Begin holding joint board-council/town board workshops (workshop with Scandia City
Council occurred on June 22nd)
· June 25th regular board meeting: Board review and approve draft plan update outline
· July 2020
· Bring proposed plan section drafting schedule to Board.
https://www.clflwd.org/documents/Agendaitem5c-WMPUpdate.pdf
· Begin discussing draft plan sections per schedule. Sections will be brought to board meetings
for discussion, posted to the District website, and sent to the District’s Technical Advisory
Committee and Citizen Advisory Committee throughout the summer.
· August 2020
· Continue holding joint board-council workshops (City of Wyoming)
· September 2020
· Continue holding joint board-council workshops (City of Forest Lake)
· Hold a full TAC meeting (via Zoom). This will be the first time the full TAC is convened since
the Initial Planning Meeting on June 20, 2019. The District has been engaging TAC members
in smaller groups through the issues workshops this spring and via email with the draft plan
sections throughout the summer.
· October 2020 – December 2020
· Continue plan drafting through fall/winter 2020.
· January 2021
· Begin the first official review period, to last 60 days. Required review
agencies will be notified (BWSR, DNR, PCA, MDA, MDH, DOT, Met Council,
counties, cities, townships, SWCDs and adjacent WMOs/WDs), as well as
the public (through the District listserv, social media, newspapers, lake
association meetings, etc.).
· March 2021
· 60-day review ends. Respond to comments received and revise plan as
necessary.
· April 2021
· Hold public hearing.
· May 2021
· Goal to submit final draft plan to BWSR for 90-day review.
· By this time, we will have a clear view of the 2022 CIP for budgeting
purposes.
· August 2021
· BWSR completes its review and sends letter of approval or disapproval.
· Board adopts updated plan. Afterward, staff proceeds with distribution and
printing.
· September 2021
· September 28, 2021: Current Watershed Management Plan expires.