The Two Harbors City Council met on a snowy Monday night this week to consider the direction of a number of current projects.
Readers may remember that there is an ongoing need to upgrade and repair facilities at the Two Harbors Airport. The Council voted to award contracts to Parsons Electric for the replacement of the airport beacon and to National Sealant and Concrete for repairs to the tarmac. Both of these upgrades are necessary for the safe operation of the airport. The beacon replacement has a price tag of $78,401.00. 90% of that amount will come from the Federal Government with both State and local entities contributing 5% each. The pavement crack repair work will cost $96,755.00 with the State picking up 75% of the cost while 25% will be the City’s responsibility. Construction of a new Arrival and Departure building is also under consideration by the Public Works Committee.
Bids have come in for the 2024 – 2025 street improvement project and Lake County has indicated that they are ready to award the contract for that work to Northland Constructors. The Council concurred with the County’s request to award that contract by a unanimous vote. The neighborhood meeting to discuss logistics with residents impacted by the construction has been rescheduled for April 25th and will be held at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.
The Council also authorized an engagement request from the Minnesota Department of Health for lead service line inventory grant funding. The Federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the State Legislature have dedicated significant funds for replacing lead service lines. Bolton & Menk wrote the grant application to this project and will work with the Department of Health to conduct the inventory.
City Administrator Patricia Nordean attended a meeting recently with State officials to discuss preparations for the upcoming election season. Security improvements have been made for polling locations, the accurate tabulation of votes and poll worker safety. Nordean said that it is important for people to know how reliable the election process is in Minnesota.
There was a considerable amount of discussion about the Odegard Trail Project. Planning for the project has gone through a number of iterations due to the proximity of the Trail to property owned by Canadian National Railroad and the fact that CN required some modifications to the initial design plan. Bolton & Menk will be providing professional services for continued design work to bring the project to fruition. Design costs for moving the project forward will be around $30,000. Council members asked for clarification on the cost projections and after discussion, voted to accept the proposal. One Council member voted no, expressing the opinion that further clarification was needed.
The Council is considering changing the time for the regular City Council meeting from 6:00 to 5:30, after the Committee of the Whole meeting. Stay tuned for updates on that decision.
Finally, the ground breaking ceremony for the new Liquor Store will be held on Thursday, April 11th at 1:00. The next City Council meeting will be held on April 8th at 6:00 at City Hall.
