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40% OF HARTWOOD WANT NEW STREETS

IN 2009, A YEAR EARLIER THAN SCHEDULED

On December 1st Council accepted and declared adequate a petition from 40% of property owners in the Hartwood neighborhood of Victoria to improve their streets in 2009 rather than 2010. Those streets are identified as Lilac (not Lilac Lane), Marigold, 79th, and 79 1/2 Street. All of them are gravel roads on which the city receives frequent complaints.

Said Councilmember Richard Tieden, “We did this four years ago and people were very upset this was going to cost them money.”

Explained City Engineer Cara Geheren, “Because we have the 2003 feasibility report in hand, we can have it updated and turned around pretty fast. There are basically two choices: Add it to the 2009 projects or leave it as scheduled for 2010. Residents see it as an opportunity to reduce their costs.” Costs are expected to increase due to new rules that are coming on board from the watershed district, among other things.

Asked Councilmember Kim Roden, “Do folks have an approximate idea of what this is going to cost? I’d like to avoid false starts if we could.” Replied the city engineer, “I give people a range of what the assessments have been.”

Councilmember Tim Amundsen pointed out, “This petition isn’t for a feasibility study. They want the project moved ahead. I think they know what the costs are.”

Stated City Administrator Don Uram regarding the earlier than anticipated expenditure of city funds, since the city pays half of street reconstruction costs, “Over the long term it balances out. There are advantages to doing it now. I’m comfortable with this.”

The feasibility study will be updated.

COUNCIL CALLS FOR HEARING JANUARY 22ND

ON STREET IMPROVEMENTS AT HARTWOOD

On December 11th Council accepted the feasibility report and called for a public hearing on street and utility improvements for the Hartwood neighborhood in Victoria. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd, 2009, at 6:30 p.m.

According to City Engineer Jack Griffin, the project could have a bid date of April 20th and be in line to coincide with the street and utility project for the Lions Park Area.

He reminded councilmembers that the current streets are entirely gravel roads with standing water. “Maintenance has been higher than normal for quite some time,” he said. He proposed a 24-foot wide street with concrete curb and gutter and stormsewer provisions.

He estimated the total project cost to be $702,000 with the city’s share being $341,000. There are 30 units to be assessed, each at $11,375 “plus we’re looking at sanitary sewer costs which come from the sewer core fund and would not affect assessments.”

Stated Councilmember Jim Paulsen, in regard to a recent issue at Baycliffe, “I want to make sure we know where the junction boxes are going.” Replied Engineer Griffin, “The utility companies set their own separate plan sheets. They use our plans to draw their plans.”

“I’m not comfortable with the answers you’re giving me so far,” said Councilmember Kim Roden. “We hire the engineer to sign off on a project as a whole and not in pieces. Ultimately it’s our right of way, and we don’t have to let people do what they want.”

City Attorney Mike Norton said, “The utilities are entitled by state law to use the right of way for their facilities. I’m not sure we have the right to tell them we don’t want their size facility.”

“Are you telling me that the citizens of Victoria, when they come home at night, that it’s okay for them to find a 7 1/2 by 5-foot box in their yard without any of our approval?” asked Councilmember Roden.

The city attorney replied, “Our ordinance says they have to talk to our engineer and get approval of location.”

Councilmember Roden requested that size and description of a junction box be part of the engineer approval.

Councilmember Tim Amundson referred to the Baycliffe issue of the poorly placed junction box. “When the utility company tells us they can move it to another location for $10,000 to $15,000 -- that means it could have been located elsewhere from the beginning.”

Stated the city attorney, “They are supposed to be submitting to us what they’re going to be doing.”

Added the city engineer, “There is significant pushback from them. We’ve sat in this room with the higher-ups from Xcel. We have some companies more flexible than others.”

About the Hartwood improvement project, Mayor Mary Thun asked, “Will we be going over the 2009 budget by adding this project at this time?” City Finance Director Jylan Johnson said it would increase the 2009 levy by $30,000.

Administrator Don Uram elaborated, “The three projects for 2009 -- Lions Park Area, Hartwood, Quamoclit Street -- total $3.4 million so we’d be exceeding our budget by about $400,000.” He also said some costs can be reduced to get it within budget.

The vote to accept the report and call for a hearing on doing the Hartwood streets was 4-1 with Jim Paulsen casting the nay vote.

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