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RUMBLE STRIPS CONTINUED

Stated Mayor O'Connor, "This issue scares me to death. It's not a rural road, but if they save lives ... It's a terribly complex issue. There's only one traffic engineer in this room and he's recommending rumble strips. I went along with a traffic expert last year."

The mayor added, "This is something that MnDOT should be doing on their own, without the city."

Stated Brad Johnson, "These are the same experts who wanted to take my trees down and put in a holding pond." When MnDOT reviewed that proposal last year, the trees remained in place.

Said Mayor O'Connor, "MnDOT deserves a helluva lot of credit on 99% of that road project. But it troubles me they're looking at a city council, non-experts, to make this decision."

Stated Councilmember Lani Basa, "It's not our decision, but we recommend. MnDOT decides what they'll do, and I am disappointed in how this was handled. Other things could have been done to make the road safer. I wasn't involved at the time, but council made the decision they thought was best."

She said she supported the elimination of rumble strips, that there should be learning at every level, that with the wider shoulders and turns lanes, "maybe the rumble strips weren't needed."

Said Councilmember Tom Strigel, "I respectfully disagree with MnDOT. We did not reach this decision for rumble strips together."

He went on to say, "I hope the sleepless nights of the residents due to the rumble strips are not replaced with sleepless nights due to death or injury ... The Met Council declared this to be a growing metro area, which has led to some of the highest water rates around. MnDOT has declared this to be a rural area. So who's in charge? We need much more scrutiny of the experts in the future."

Said Councilmember Pavelko, "This is a no-brainer. We should have rights in our everyday lives. Our residents don't like the rumble strips. I don't feel the same as you do, Mr. Mayor. It's everyone's responsibility to follow the rules and drive appropriately."

As in 2012, the 2013 motion referring to rumble strips was a city council recommendation. The decision for action, and the action itself, lies with MnDOT.

IMPROVEMENTS AT ASTER TRAIL/ASTER CIRCLE

FOR VICTORIA WATER, SEWER, NEW STREETS

Council voted 5-0 on June 10th to approve constructions plans and specifications and order advertising of bids for the Aster Trail and Aster Circle street, drainage, and utility improvements. Bids should be received on July 3rd with the awarding of contract at the July 8th council meeting.

The neighborhood is located in the northeast corner of Victoria city limits.

Said City Engineer Cara Geheren, "The plans and specs approved some time ago, are complete. We're looking for approval to go out for bids. We've revised gravity sewer to be pressure sewer. We needed pretty significant easements from two parcels, parcels not receiving benefit."

She reported that at a neighborhood meeting, "even people not supportive of the sewer project were resigned to it."

The Aster project includes the construction of three utilities -- street, water, and sewer. Assessment was estimated in March to be approximately $35,000 per home or per unit. There is a potential of 19 residents who will be assessed, some with multiple parcels. Overall cost of the project is estimated to be $1.7 million. It is the City of Victoria's policy to pick up half the cost of street re-construction, or approximately $550,000.

Cara said another neighborhood meeting is scheduled for July 1st to present actual costs in greater detail and what will be occurring during construction.

Asked Councilmember Tom Strigel, "What is your comfort level with the cost assessments?"

Replied Cara, "Asphalt, gravel, and excavation tend to be connected to gas prices, and it's difficult to predict what they will be." Construction is anticipated to begin in August with a substantial completion at the end of October, she said. The second lift of asphalt will be placed in June 2014.

Asked Councilmember Joe Pavelko, "Are homeowners required to abandon their septics?"

Replied Cara, "Yes. The Metropolitan Council does like to have people hook up once it's available. Certainly, if the septic system is not compliant, they'll be required to hook up."

Asked Mayor Tom O'Connor, "What is the difference in cost between a gravity system and a pressure system?"

Replied Cara, "The overall project cost is about the same, but for some of the residents, their sewer assessment will be lower." She added assessments won't go higher, regardless of where bids come in.

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