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09.c1 Engineering Updates 7-20-2021 City of Scandia Engineering Updates 7/20/2021 Engineering italics = old information · 2021 Street Improvement Project & Layton Ave N  City Council authorized Plans and Specifications for the 2021 Street Improvement Project at the October 20th City Council Meeting and Approved Plans & Specifications and Authorized Ad for Bid at the January 19th City Council Meeting.  Bid Opening was held on February 24, 2021 at 10:00am. March 16, 2021 City Council awarded the project to North Valley, Inc. and the Preconstruction Meeting has been scheduled for April 20, 2021, Contractor’s schedule will be discussed at that meeting and available for better updates at the City Council meeting.  Contractor paved bituminous driveways the week of May 24th. Contractor paved wear course on June 2nd and 3rd on Pomroy Avenue N/Peabody Trail N/220th Street N. These roads will be shouldered and gravel driveways will be resurfaced the week of June 7th. Layton Avenue wear course was paved on June 10th. Driveways were surfaced on June 16th. 220th Street and Pomroy Avenue N were striped on June 21st. Contractor still needs to complete Layton Ave ditch/restoration work.  As a separate business item, Contractor’s Request for Payment No. 3 will be on the regular agenda. · Calcium Chloride Quotes  Quotes were received and will be discussed as a separate business item on the May regular agenda.  City Staff is coordinating the construction scheduling with the Contractor. · 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.  City received on February 22, 2021 a Pre-Public Notice Review of Draft Permit - Bliss Collector WWTP (#MN0054119) that also included a statement of basis outlining any changes or new requirements to the draft permit. This 30 day pre-public notice review period starts on February 22, 2021 and ends on March 24, 2021. Once your pre-public notice review is complete the draft SDS permit will be placed on public notice for 60 days. · First thing that needs to be done is complete a Facility Evaluation Report within 180 days of issuance of the new permit they requested. Based on the report, MPCA will then ask the City to follow either Track 1 or Track 2. Track one is the new monitoring well. Track two is a facility upgrade. There are a few other changes to the permit, they include some additional monitoring required over this permit. Also, MPCA is requesting flow monitoring at WS 004, WS 005 and WS 006. These are to each of the infiltration trenches. We are in the pre-public draft notice stage where just the City received these draft documents and can comment. We can review and suggest changes or modifications prior to March 24th. · Current updates: Under track 1, the requirement to abandon GW 008 is included because using this well for monitoring is problematic, since we have no information on the well’s construction nor well boring records. Based on the limited information we do have, it is the opinion of MPCA hydrologist, Steven Stark, that this well is too deep to be used as a monitoring well and may be sampling a confined aquifer. All monitoring wells should be sampling the surficial aquifer and have well screens that bisect the watertable. · The justification for proposed timeline is sufficient and the new timeline will be incorporated into the draft permit. Shown below (last page of this report) is a revised compliance schedule. Flow monitoring requirements at WS 004, WS 005, and WS 006 will become effective upon installation of the flow monitoring equipment. The permit will continue to the 60-day Public Notice period.  We are currently in the 60-day public comment period of the draft SDS permit, which started on May 24, 2021. · Sump Pump Inspection Program  2 homes/cabin remain to be inspected. · Bliss Addition Stormwater Planning  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.  On October 14, 2020 at the Watershed Board meeting, Board Managers approved $3,600 cost share for option 1.  Watershed anticipates in 2021 they will apply for 2022-2025 Clean Water Funds to implement stage 1 and 2, but could potentially also apply for all three stages. It should also be noted it will be difficult for the District to participate in just the directional pipe installation without the water quality BMPs being installed in that area. City may want to consider adding water quality practices to this stage to leverage more funds from District (with or without Clean Water Funds). · Stage 1 – directional drilled pipe to re-route drainage to wetland · Stage 2 – North Layton Ave bioinfiltration basin, concrete trench and enhanced ditch improvements, west bioinfilration basins, and 189th culvert crossings and enhanced ditches.  Watershed has completed the evaluation of potential projects on Big Marine. The Subwatershed Analysis is currently being prepared. Schedule still anticipates to be on track to apply for Clean Water Funds in July 2021.  Meeting scheduled with City Staff and Watershed District to discuss Clean Water Fund Grant Application on Thursday, July 22nd. · CLFLWD Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan  60-Day Public Comment Period ended on April 30, 2021  Responses to comments were sent to review authorities on May 27, 2021. Visit: https://www.clflwdplanupdate.org/documents  The Board will hold a public hearing for the WMP on June 10, 2021. Visit: https://www.clflwd.org/6- 10-21_regular_board_meeting.php  The 90-Day Draft Plan was sent to the Board of Water and Soil Resources on June 15th  The BWSR Central Region Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 4, 1- 3pm. This meeting will be held virtually (link/info forthcoming). It is during this meeting that CLFLWD staff will give a 5-10 minute presentation on the draft Plan and answer any questions the Committee may have.  The full BWSR Board will consider the Plan for approval at its meeting on August 25-26 (exact time TBD, but staff has been told that discussion/questions aren’t likely to occur at this time). · CLFLWD & Scandia Staff Quarterly Meetings  Meeting held on October 19, 2020.  Meeting on February 9, 2021.  Meeting on May 11, 2021 covered the following topics: · Lake Management District Updates · Bone Lake projects status · Greenway Corridor Planning & Parks · Roadway projects · CMSCWD Managment Plan · Bone Lake H&H Modeling Update at 5/13 Board Meeting. · MnDOT/Washington County – Hwy 97 & Oakhill/CR 52  First initial contact/conference meeting with MnDOT to discuss issues and concerns with intersection safety on October 13, 2020. · This work has been completed; Signing – MnDOT will upgrade the size of all the fluorescent yellow-green signs and add fluorescent yellow green tape to the sign structure (the post). At the crossing itself MnDOT will be placing the enlarged signs back to back as to warn motorist on approach of the crossing on Hwy 97. These additions will enhance the visibility of the intersection. · Striping - The school Xing pavement markings were completed with the last pavement maintenance project, if City staff observes that these are worn out, please send in a request to MnDOT and they will submit it to our pavement makings crew.  County Road 52/Oakhill · City Council Workshop on June 2, 2021; Scandia City Council heard concerns residents who live along Oakhill Road, east of the business area, where they have observed speeding traffic and parking issues. One resident who lives at the site of the 30 mph zone remarked that the majority of drivers do not slow their speed at all and race in and out of town, causing safety concerns for the many pedestrians and bicyclists who share the road. · Washington County has scheduled a meeting with City Staff on June 21, 2021 to discuss the concerns brought forward to the City Council. · Coincidentally the County has been communicating with the City Engineer to discuss Oakhill, Highway 97, and Olinda Trail. We think this is a good time to have a conversation about overall traffic flow, pedestrian connections, speeding, bike routing, school issues, etc. in the “downtown” Scandia area and potentially start to develop a joint strategic plan for this entire area – including engaging MnDOT about improvements to highway 97. · CSAH 3 (Olinda Trail) Mill and Overlay Project · Construction Contact: Allan Brandt (651-430-4348) · Construction work has started, crews have removed the curb and gutter on both sides of the road. These removals are from Hwy 97 north approximately 1,900 feet. Crews then will replace the curb and gutter; as well as the concrete driveway aprons within this area. In addition, approximately 40 feet of sidewalk next to the curb and gutter will be replaced. · If you would like to get these updates via email when they are available, sign up using the link on the web link: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/2899/County-Highway-3-Olinda-Trail · Floodplain Risk Assessment  Online Workshop held, January 5, 2021  The Brown’s Creek Watershed District (BCWD), Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District (CMSCWD) and the Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District (CLFLWD) are jointly evaluating approaches to conducting a floodplain mapping/flood risk assessment with two goals in mind: · The short-term goal is to outline potential approaches the watershed districts could take to map and quantify future flood risk. · The long-term goal for these watershed districts is to build a common understanding of risk and prioritize projects and other resiliency actions.  Small group is meeting on February 3, 2021 to discuss the outcomes of the online workshop and next steps. Consultants are still working on recommendations for an approach to define and agree on what should be the intensity, duration, and frequency of design events under future climate conditions (e.g., 100-year, 24-hr rainfall event) they will be sharing with District Administrators for their consideration.  CMSCWD has completed their Hydraulic and Hydrologic Model update and calibration. This model will be the foundation for any future climate resiliency modeling we conduct. This information will be presented to their Board at the April 10, 2021 CMSCWD Board meeting.  Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District has identified climate resiliency/floodplain risk assessment work to be conducted in the 2023 in the CMSCWD Draft 10 Year Management Plan. The Management Plan is scheduled to begin the 60 day public review period on August 15th. · MnDOT – Hwy 95 Tree Removal Work  In March 2021, in preparation of a drainage culvert repair project in late summer, a MnDOT contractor will be removing trees and brush at four drainage culvert locations along Hwy 95 between Hwy 97 in Scandia and Pleasant Valley Road (County Road 26) in Franconia Township. All the vegetation to be removed is on state right-of-way. Crews will use flaggers to control traffic during the work, so there may be some short traffic delays near work areas. Work will be done during daytime hours and is expected to take about one week to complete. Due to the Federal Bat Protection Act, tree removals must be done prior March 31 annually. · Small Cities Assistance Account  The Omnibus Transportation Bill (HF 10) provides $18 million in one-time funding for the account and estimated payment amounts are now available.  The Small Cities Assistance Program funding is for the construction and maintenance of roads located within the city and eligible activities can include land acquisition, environmental analysis, design, engineering, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance.  The cities that are eligible are those that do not receive direct funds from the constitutional formula that distributes proceeds from the gas tax, motor vehicle sales tax, and license tab fees. The Small Cities Assistance Program is administered by MnDOT’s State Aid for Local Transportation Division, with the funding distributed by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The Minnesota Department of Revenue has estimated the amounts that will be paid to each eligible city in 2021. The amounts need to be certified but are not expected to change significantly. Upon certification, the funds will be distributed. Eligible cities should expect to see the funds in the coming weeks.