This photo down Linton Street shows some of the rough conditions the street surface is in. The city engineer noted that much of the underground utility lines are also in rough condition and are quite old.
After having a long meeting just a week earlier, the Blue Earth City Council had a relatively short meeting on Monday, Nov. 4.
Topping the agenda items was a resolution to accept an engineering report for the 2025 Linton Street and Utility Project, and setting a date for the public hearing on the project.
The projected cost of the project, according to the engineer’s estimate, is $3.39 million.
It will include nine blocks total, including Linton Street from 10th to Seventh Street, Eighth Street from west dead end to Nicollet Street and Ninth Street from Holland to Main Street.
The project will include improvements to sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water mains and street construction, as well as sidewalk, curb and gutter and boulevard improvements.
The engineers’ report included details on the reasons for the project to be done, total cost estimates, and a list of estimated assessments for each of the properties in the project area.
The assessments are based on a three-year average of costs of each of the items of streets, sidewalks, sewer and water lines, etc.
The public hearing on the proposed project is set for Dec. 2, at 5:05 p.m. at the City Hall, which will be followed by the City Council’s regular meeting.
After the public hearing the council will have the option of voting to proceed with the project or not.
In other business at the meeting, the Blue Earth City Council:
• Had a first look at nine pages of city fees for services, and proposed increases to many of the fees. The fees cover a wide range of things from animal license fees to building permits, liquor licenses, fitness center fees and many more.
• Voted to have $28,328 in unpaid charges put on various properties as special assessments.
• Voted to accept a letter of engagement for having the auditor conduct the 2024 audit, at a cost of $23,600, which is the same fee as last year.
• Had a special half hour work session before the regular meeting which was devoted to looking through a proposed model cannabis ordinance.
The council had spent time looking at the ordinance at previous work sessions and was continuing to study how they wanted the language to read.
Some of the concerns were about distances a cannabis business has to be from schools or playgrounds, various license fees, application process, number of licenses per category and much more.
The council looked at a new map of the city with suggested distances from schools and other places.
Mayor Rick Scholtes noted that if the city also kept residential zones off limits, it would leave just a couple of areas where cannabis businesses would be able to be located inside the city.
The council will continue to look at the ordinance at a work session before their next council meeting. They are expecting to have the ordinance voted on, approved, and in place by the end of the year.