The City of Silver Lake held a public hearing on proposed improvements for the infrastructure improvement project on Monday during the Silver Lake City Council meeting. “We are at a point now where we are doing this public hearing for the Chapter 429 process which allows the city to apply for special assessments for the project to help fund the project,” Short Elliott Hendrickson’s (SEH) Sam Fink said. The estimated cost of the improvement project is $23,959,440. After the public hearing, the city council unanimously approved a resolution ordering improvement and preparation of plans. The infrastructure improvement project will include “about 40 blocks of total reconstruction” according to Fink. The improvements will include the construction of sanitary sewer, water main, water services, storm sewer, drain tile, sump pump services, concrete curb and gutter, sidewalk, lift station reconstruction, well rehabilitation, and other miscellaneous items.
Fink cited a litany of problems with the existing sanitary collection system including broken, misaligned, and sagging pipes, substandard service connections, active infiltration, and cross-connections. The proposed sanitary system will be constructed out of plastic materials and will be televised following installation to confirm that there are no breaks, sags, or misalignments according to Fink.
Fink said the existing water distribution is primarily cast iron pipes that have outlived their lifespan with many of them being several decades old as well as being undersized and brittle. The new pipes in the proposed water distribution system will be constructed from PVC or ductile iron and will be 2-4 inches larger in diameter. A new curb stop will also be installed at the right-of-way with hydrants being replaced and new gate valves being installed at several locations.
Fink said the proposed storm sewer system will be designed for modern standards with a designed storm event of 10 years. He said more catch basins will be installed and that sump pump service baskets will be installed at every lot to provide access to pump stormwater directly into the storm system.
Fink called the existing pavement conditions “fair to poor” and noted that several street signs are also in need of replacement. He said the majority of street widths will be lessened as some existing streets are up to 45 feet wide. “It’s also a cost-saving measure, the biggest expense to all of these projects is the street section itself and if we can save four feet of width we’ll do that to save a lot of money, tax dollars, and assessments,” Fink said. He also noted that narrower streets will be “much easier to maintain”. Additional benefits according to Fink include decreased runoff into the storm sewer, reduced future maintenance costs, and less snow removal for the public works department. He said the streets will still be wide enough to allow for parking on both sides.
As part of the project, improvements to the Cleveland Lift Station will take place with a new lift station being constructed in the northeast quadrant of Cleveland St. and Lake Ave. Fink said the existing pumps will be salvaged and used at the new lift station as they were recently purchased. He said the lift station was in poor condition and had exceeded its design lifespan.
Proposed funding sources for the infrastructure improvement project include “long-term, low-interest loans” to be paid by city utility funds, special assessments preliminarily totaling $2,590,600, and a general tax levy according to Fink. Grants from the Department of Agriculture- Rural Development (USDA-RD) and the Minnesota Public Facility Authorization (MPFA) are proposed as well. Fink said the city will apply special assessments to properties directly adjacent to the project and that the special assessment hearing will be held in the Fall of 2026 following the majority of construction. He said once approved the assessments will be applied to the McLeod County property taxes starting in 2027. Rates and loans will be finalized at the hearing with a 4.5 percent interest assessment for a 20-year term being used for preliminary affordability discussions per Fink.
Fink said the next step in the proposed schedule for the project is to present the final plans and specifications to the city council on Nov. 18, where they will then authorize advertisements for bids. Bids are tentatively scheduled to open on Jan. 14 with the city council expected to accept bids and consider the awarding of the project on Feb. 18. Work on the project is expected to begin in the Spring with final completion scheduled for Summer 2028.