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The Albert Lea City Council on Monday voted to move forward with preparing plans for a series of road improvements slated for this summer. 

In discussion about the projects, the councilors and City Manager Ian Rigg talked about the need to review the city’s assessment policy and to consider if any changes need to be made. Assessments are typically approved in the fall after a project is completed. 

Rigg said some of the councilors had received some questions about the high price of assessments for the upcoming projects, specifically for lower-valued homes. City Engineer Steven Jahnke said the last time the policy was seriously looked at was between 2006 and 2008. 

The city manager said he thought a review of the policy was overdue to make sure some of the guidelines are still wise, but he noted it would also be important to keep in mind equity for those who have already had to pay assessments over the years.

Fourth Ward Councilor Sherri Rasmussen said during the work session before the meeting she thinks it is also important to keep in mind the increases in construction costs that have come in recent years and how costs are much higher than before. 

First Ward Councilor Rachel Christensen said she was happy to hear that the city manager and others are open to looking at different alternatives to the assessment policy. She said she recognizes that while projects need to be done, she disputed that having a sidewalk on a property increases that property’s value. Currently, the policy states that a property that has a sidewalk on it pays 25% of the cost. 

Rigg said research shows that sidewalks and trails improve values. He also brought up how the city is a Blue Zones community and how its goals are for mobility. 

“There has to be a balance,” he said. 

Rasmussen agreed and said the council needed to be careful and find a balance, noting the council needed to make sure it was not hitting a breaking point for the taxpayers. 

Third Ward Councilor Jason Howland pointed out how the council has made some tweaks in its assessment policy since he was on the council, including capping the square footage that a property owner can be assessed for. He said he would be open to other tweaks but was not open to eliminating the assessment policy all together. 

In the regular meeting, Rigg said discussions will continue on issues of equitability in the coming months and advised people that the proposed assessments they received were not the final determinations. There is a possibility assessments could be reduced, but they would not increase. 

People can appeal their assessments with the city finance office if there is a hardship.

Second Ward Councilor Larry Baker encouraged residents to continue to get ahold of their councilor with concerns. 

“It doesn’t mean that after tonight we’re done listening because that isn’t true,” he said. 

The projects included the following:

• The 2024 neighborhood improvement project, which includes bituminous mill and overlay in the Fairlane Terrace area, bituminous surface and watermain replacement on the Spicer Road cul-de-sac and replacement of the bituminous surface on the east end of Hammer Road. 

The streets for the mill and overlay include Fairlane Terrace from Richway Drive to Briarwood Drive, Crestview Road from Fairlane Terrace to Levison Street, Foothills Boulevard from Crestview Road to Fairlane Terrace, Spicer Road from Fairlane Terrace to Foothills Boulevard, Briarwood Drive from Garfield Avenue to Crestview Road, Kent Avenue from Fairlane Terrace to Levison Street, Levison Street from Garfield Avenue to Crestview Road and Columbus Avenue from Hawthorne Street to Crestview Road. The project would also involve replacing sections of curb and gutter that have settled. 

Rigg said there are 186 properties to be assessed as part of the project. Assessments will be over 10 years for the mill and overlay and 15 years for the work on Spicer and Hammer roads.

The estimated project cost is about $1.38 million and would be paid for with assessments, sanitary sewer funds, water funds and city bonding funds.

• The mill and overlay of Greenwood Drive from Richway Drive to the bridge and installation of new sidewalk on the west side of Greenwood Drive from Richway Drive to Hammer Road. Sections of curb and gutter that have settled and are causing drainage issues would also be replaced. 

Rigg said this will narrow the street three feet, which is also intended to help slow traffic. 

One resident, Jim Gulbrandson, who lived on Greenwood Drive, said he supported the sidewalk, as there are many elderly people who walk on the street, but pointed out it would be a burden to take care of it for many of the residents. He also talked of a need for a crosswalk at the road’s intersection with Richway Drive. 

Christensen said she has been in touch with the city and county engineers about the need for a crosswalk on Richway, and they will investigate that possibility.  

Kathryn Pestorious, another resident on Greenwood Drive, said she also felt like the added sidewalk would be a “tremendous” burden for the residents there. She asked what would happen to the mailboxes on that side of the road. 

Forty-four properties are expected to be assessed as part of the project, and the city is also applying for a $500,000 grant through the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program that could go toward  the sidewalk installation and road narrowing. 

The estimated project cost is about $905,000 and will be paid for with assessments, state-aid funds, city bonding funds and the grant funds, if awarded.

• The total reconstruction of Marshall Street from Bridge Avenue to East Main Street and Sibley Avenue from Marshall Street to East Main Street, including removal and replacement of pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain. 

The project will be a collaboration between the city and Freeborn County as the portions of the road in the project are under the jurisdiction of the county. The county has agreed to pay all sidewalk costs along the county-owned portions of the project. 

Eight properties are proposed to be assessed for the project, including one city-owned lot. Assessments will be over 15 years. 

A representative from Scooter’s Coffee asked what the plan was for businesses in the area so customers could still have access. He said he was concerned that the shutdown of roads would impact traffic. 

Jahnke said both Sibley and Marshall will not be able to be closed at the same time. 

Brandi Krenz and Michael St. Romain, who own buildings on Marshall Street expressed a need for parking on the street and advised against going to all parallel parking on the street. 

The council opted to not go with state-aid funds for the project and instead utilize those for another project so that the parking stalls could remain as they are on Marshall Street. The alternative was to make all parallel parking on the street, which would have reduced the number of stalls available.

Estimated total cost is about $1.16 million and will be paid for with Freeborn County reimbursement, assessments, sanitary sewer funds, water funds and city bonding funds. 

• The reconstruction of Seventh Street from SE Broadway Avenue to James Avenue and Winter Avenue from Fountain Street to Abbott Street, including removal and replacement of pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain. 

The councilors voted to move forward with reducing the street width to 32 feet on Seventh Street to accommodate a new sidewalk on the north side of the road. On-street parking will be eliminated on one side of the road.

Winter Street will be built to the same configuration as previously, and the area where the Union Pacific rail line was previously located will be smoothed out.     

There are 36 properties to be assessed — 13 along Seventh Street and 23 along Winter Avenue. Assessments will be paid over 15 years.

Estimated total cost is about $1.87 million and will be paid for with assessments, sanitary sewer funds, water funds and city bonding funds.