Based on the context of the meeting, the following speaker names have been added. **Key Speakers:** * **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Presiding officer. * **Kim Points:** City Administrator/Clerk. * **Brad Reefstec:** City Engineer. * **Council Member John Kiefer:** Reads the calendar and asks about costs. * **Council Member Tom Rock:** Questions the trail project. * **Council Member Tufty:** Discusses cleanup day. *** [0:01] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** All right, here we go. Tomorrow. [Music] [0:18] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Thank you. Motion to approve our huge and regular agenda, please. [0:31] **Council Member:** [Unintelligible] second. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** No second? I'm waiting for a second. Okay, second. Okay, yeah, you're the new guy coming back, you got to do the seconds here. [0:48] **Kim Points:** Hi. Hi. Council Member Tufty? **Council Member Tufty:** Aye. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** You've all had a chance to take a look at our consent agenda. Please move to approve. **Council Member:** I'll move to approve the consent agenda. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Thank you, sir. Awesome. Second? Not that you have to. [1:15] **Kim Points:** Mayor Huber. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** All right, thank you, Kim. Staff agenda items. Mr. Reefstec is with us tonight and he's going to talk to us about the Resolution 2023-10 approving the plans, specifications, and ordering advertisement for bids on Honeai, 115th, and Hillcrest. Hi, Brad. [1:15] **Brad Reefstec:** Hi, Council. Um, as the Mayor stated, I am here to seek a motion to adopt Resolution 2023-10, seeking approval of the—or acceptance of the plans and specs—and getting authorization to go out for bid for the Honeai Avenue, 115th Street, and Hillcrest Court project. As you know, this project was petitioned by more than 60 percent of the residents that live in the project limits last fall. We've prepared the feasibility report, Council accepted the feasibility report earlier this year, and we did have the public hearing at last month's meeting. At that meeting, we had again a majority of the residents in favor of the project. Um, so again, just a reminder, this is a pavement reclamation project, where we'll be, you know, tilling in the existing pavement with the underlying gravel and then overlaying the new gravel with the three-inch bituminous lift. [2:47] **Brad Reefstec:** Um, we will be making some improvements to the crown of the road so that we can get the drainage to shoot off to the ditches where it belongs, and we will be putting in new shoulders for this project. So again, the price of this improvement is approximately $511,000. Um, we intend to bid the project in early June and bring back those bids for Council's consideration at the July 28th meeting—I believe the—or June 28th, the July meeting. Um, so with that said, I would be happy to answer any questions that the Council may have. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Okay, Brad, thanks very much. [3:33] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Um, just so that we all understand properly, we're going out for bids, we're going to see what it's going to cost, we're going to then take a look at those bids, and the Council has some choice to make after we see those bids, correct? **Brad Reefstec:** That is correct, Mayor. Um, we wouldn't have the assessment hearing until the Council had awarded a project. So the schedule from here on out would be to again, um, receive the bids in early June, set the assessment hearing for August 1st, and then consider the bids that we're taking in June right after that assessment hearing in August. So that's kind of what we have left. And then again, we would, if everything goes well at that meeting, we would award a contract and move into construction probably in early September. [4:19] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** So basically, we're in the middle or beginning the investigative process of making sure that this project would make sense in terms of cost and timing and the whole thing. So that's—that's pretty clear. I appreciate that, Brad. Questions, gentlemen, for Brad? **Council Member John Kiefer:** Uh, I do, yeah. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** John. **Council Member John Kiefer:** So, Brad, you know, had you had several meetings with the—or have you had meetings with the people living on those streets? [5:05] **Brad Reefstec:** Yeah, so we've had two neighborhood meetings. Again, they weren't very well attended, but everybody that was attending those meetings was in favor of the project. And again, you know, we had more than 60 percent of the people signing the petition that were in favor of the project. And then again, at the public hearing, we mostly heard that people were in favor of the project. **Council Member John Kiefer:** When we get the estimated project cost, did they know about it then when you were having these meetings? **Brad Reefstec:** They did, and we brought that up again at the public hearing as far as the assessments go. I think the mock assessments currently are around $15,000—somewhere in that ballpark—and again, I think they were still in favor of moving forward with the project. **Council Member John Kiefer:** Okay, well, that's good then. All right, thank you. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Good questions, John. Knowing where we are in the process I think is key in terms of going forward or not going forward. Other questions, gentlemen? [5:53] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** All right, we've got a resolution on the table then, 2023-10. **Council Member John Kiefer:** I'd like to make a motion to approve 23-10. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Thank you. Do I have a second? **Council Member:** Second. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** To go out for plans and specifications, please. **Kim Points:** Tufty? **Council Member Tufty:** Aye. **Kim Points:** Council Member Carr? **Council Member Carr:** Aye. **Kim Points:** Council Member Rock? **Council Member Rock:** Aye. **Kim Points:** Council Member Kiefer? **Council Member John Kiefer:** All right [Aye]. **Kim Points:** Council Member Tufty? **Council Member Tufty:** Aye. **Kim Points:** Mayor Huber? **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Aye. Thank you, Brad. Appreciate that. We look forward to seeing that come forward so we can take a good look at it—and pray the price of oil goes down to $30 a barrel, will you? Very appreciative, thanks, Brad. [6:41] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** All right, guys, we have no action items for our planner or our attorney. Any new business, Kim? **Kim Points:** I'm unaware of—no. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Okay, real good. Unfinished business? **Kim Points:** We're unaware of [any]. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Yeah, okay. And I'm going to ask for staff updates. Kim, I bet you got something to update us on. **Kim Points:** Mr. Mayor, Council Members, the staff held their annual CUP review last week or the week before—I can't remember. Um, so we spent an afternoon going through the CUPs that were up next. I think five were selected for a site visit, and you've just made it through another round of those reviews. We do them every year. We stopped during the pandemic; we weren't meeting in person. Um, and at that same time, I went over the performance evaluations that all of you had submitted for myself and staff. [7:26] **Kim Points:** I just want to let residents know, as well as you guys, the potholes—they're working as fast as they possibly can. They are everywhere. Um, and not just in Grant, they're everywhere. And again, they are working just as quickly as they can. They had to make sure that they were dry enough to even fill, and just the way the spring has been, it's not been a spring. So they are currently out there. Um, I would not even say that half the city is done yet, but they're doing the best they can and probably about half your budget is done. Um, and then I just wanted to note that yes, there may be a June meeting, but the July meeting you guys set for the end of June, and that is June 27th. So that's just a reminder. [8:14] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Yeah, hopefully, we can get through our business on one of those and not on the other, if you know what I'm saying. I'll have a really, really short meeting. Um, I want to update the city on cleanup day. Um, I think it's our fourth or fifth cleanup day, annual cleanup day—I had to skip one because of COVID—but uh, what a fantastic success this was. We must have had 200 cars. Um, so many people pitched in to help. Our city contractors were here to help. [8:59] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Um, Mr. Tufty—I think [more than] he and I've ever seen him work. Mr. Kiefer was in and out of the dumpster—I wasn't sure if we had lost him there a couple of times. Um, got him back though. Uh, it was just a really rousing success. And I do want to say thanks to the contractors that were here. We had Mr. Johnson from KEJ, we had our grading contractors, we had other contractors that worked for the city, and they weren't here—they didn't come here just to hang out and have a hot dog, which I cooked—pretty good hot dogs if I may mention. Um, they didn't come just to do that, although they did get a hot dog. They were here helping. They unloaded cars, they cleaned ditches, they came here and they pitched in. [9:44] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** And it's good to see those people networking with each other. They work more effectively when they do this. Um, for example, the last big snowstorm we had, all of them were out pushing trees out of the road. All of them were out making sure that crews could get out to repair power lines, that people were able to get to doctor's appointments. They were all out. It wasn't just KEJ. And that type of [interaction], when you build relationships like that, they tend to look at each other as, you know, fellow co-workers, not just individual companies working within a city. That's a good thing to see. It means that they become more efficient and they get more done. I'm just really, really pleased at that. A couple of things were brought up during public comment. It's—yeah, it's a flail mower... [10:31] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** To flail mower this... yeah, go ahead. The city went to um, appointments on our hours because of COVID, like every other government office. Whether or not the office there that is not owned by us would care to protect their other staff by going to appointment-only is really their choice. We rent, we don't own, so we do have to follow the rules. The other thing I would point out in terms of participation: everyone is free to participate until they're done participating. We do however have the ability to pass our own set of rules—the rules that govern this Council—and we have done so. So yeah, some people... anyway. Council members, I just wanted to... [11:18] **Council Member Tufty:** Add on to the uh, cleanup day. Sorry, guys. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Um, go ahead. **Council Member Tufty:** It was a huge success, but next year we are going to have to put in a few controls. Thank you. It was actually overwhelming how many cars were out here lined up all the way down Kimbrough for a very long time. We were down to 80 [minutes?]. [11:36] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Yeah, yeah. And we did—we did see I think some—some—unfortunately some folks who took a little bit of advantage. And we saw some—some dual-wheel trailers and some stuff that looked like construction debris, and we're not going to be doing that any longer. And we will be tightening up the rules significantly to make sure that our residents first and foremost are served; that our residents have first take on the available space and on the time slots. We were—I had to go down the line—I was almost—walked almost down to 88th to tell folks who may not be able to fit you in. So we're going to have some time constraints and some other things. But overall, rousing success. **Kim Points:** Emeroni's ended up staying over... **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Yes. **Kim Points:** ...an extra hour. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Extra hour. Um, it's really sad. I hate it that some people have ruined it for your residents, but we'll probably have to check driver's licenses and that sort of thing. But anyway, we have a year to figure that out. [12:22] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Yeah, we'll tighten it up and, uh, you know what? The number one thing is serving the residents, so we're going to make sure that that happens first and foremost. Anything else, Kim? **Kim Points:** Nope. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Gentlemen? Brad has something. **Brad Reefstec:** I just wanted to update the Council on a couple of Washington County roadway projects that are in the process of preliminary design. Uh, the first one is on 75th Street. Um, basically I think it's phase two of that project ending or starting in Mahtomedi that goes all the way over to Jamaica. Um, we are in the early planning stages of that project and the County is looking at adding a couple trails on the south side of 75th Street that they wanted me to draw Council's attention to. They did apply for a grant for that work—a Safe Routes to Schools grant—where the grant would pay 80 percent of the costs and the Washington County would pay the remaining 20 percent. But of that 20 percent, the County, per their policy, they're asking us, the city of Grant, early that they would want us to participate for the construction of that trail. [13:53] **Brad Reefstec:** Preliminary cost estimates for the trail are around $30,000. Um, so at some point in the future, we'll be bringing that to Council as an agenda item and Council can make a motion whether or not they want to support the trail for that project or not. I know it's an important route for the Mahtomedi High School and the elementary school there, and I know some of the residents in the Gateway community or the Gateway development voiced their favoritism, I guess, for the project as well. The second project is the intersection at 36 or Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue. Again, Washington County is in the early stages of that project. [14:40] **Brad Reefstec:** We're still going through the preliminary design and trying to determining the actual—the final option to move forward with in preliminary design. There's a couple options still left on the table. One is the original option that you've all seen over the last four or five years, and the second option they're looking at is a pair of roundabouts, so it would be similar to the intersection of Hadley Avenue. So again, that will come probably later this year or early next year as far as the decision on the design, and we'll bring that information forward as we learn more from the County. So I just wanted to bring that to your attention, that things will be coming regarding those two projects to the Council. [15:27] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** More things on that that I [wanted] for you to mention, and thank you for jogging my memory. I've made very clear to Washington County and the powers that be on that project down on Lake Elmo that we retain access both to our commercial district and to the freeway there, so that that idea has been firmly planted. Also, I did have a conversation with our representative Wiens, who tells me that the preliminary amount of aid to small cities under 5,000 looks like it's about $191,000. Whether or not that $191,000 materializes, we'll see. [16:13] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Um, I count on it like I count on the gas tax—which means I don't. So if it comes, it will be a windfall for us and hopefully, we will put it to good use—in fact, I know we'll put it to good use. Um, that's all I've got. Kim, anything else? **Kim Points:** Mayor and Council Members, I'll just add to the County project—the 75th and the phase two with the trail segments. Brad and I have been in a couple meetings with the County, and that's where this came up in terms of trail and their policy. Um, I suggested Washington County start discussions with the school district in terms of maybe a cost-share in that sense. **Council Member Tom Rock:** Yeah, yeah. Why do we need a trail on the south side and there's a trail on the north side? I don't understand. How do the kids from Gateway get across? Put a crosswalk in. [16:59] **Brad Reefstec:** Yeah, there's—there's no trails currently on that south side of 75th and um, I think they're trying to provide that access for pedestrians um, through the Gateway development and, you know, residents that are living west of Ideal Avenue. **Kim Points:** So yeah, it's actually a federal project and—and the feds are actually pushing it, a Safe Path to School, so that kids can walk to school so they're not taking buses, they don't have to drive. So in that sense... I mean, this isn't the time or place, we don't have the information to really debate it. [17:47] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** But I—I think Tom is hinting at a very something very important, which is we don't have too many students in Grant that are going to be accessing that trail. So that's something that we need to keep in mind when we do end up having these discussions, right? We want to make sure that we're—we're doing our proportionate good thing, but we—we want to make sure that we have the number of students that are actually using it in mind. So, uh, good point, Tom, bringing that up. Um, anything else, guys? City Council reports—here's your chance. All right, uh, John, I believe it is your turn for the community calendar, if I am not mistaken, sir. [18:32] **Council Member John Kiefer:** All right, I will take that. Mahtomedi Public Schools board meeting: Thursday, May 11th and May 25th at the Mahtomedi Media District Education Center at 7:00 PM. Stillwater Public Schools board meeting: Thursday, May 11th at the Stillwater City Hall at 7:00 PM. And Washington County Commissioners meeting: Tuesdays at the Government Center at 9:00 AM. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Excellent, thank you very much, John. Would anyone like to adjourn? **Council Member:** Would you like to adjourn? I would love to adjourn. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** You need to make a motion. **Council Member:** Okay, I'll make a motion that we adjourn. **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Okay, real good. Do we have a second? **Council Member:** Second. [19:08] **Mayor Jeff Huber:** Lovely meeting, yes. Dismissed. Jeff.