Leaders ponder concrete or asphalt for trail

The Albert Lea City Council voted unanimously Monday to move ahead with the $3.19 million reconstruction of Lakeview Boulevard, from Abbott Street to Wedge Street.

The project is slated to begin in the spring of 2015 and be completed by October.

Councilors Al “Minnow” Brooks and George Marin said though they supported the project — especially because of the state and federal dollars going toward it — they hoped that other roads, particularly in the 6th Ward, would be addressed in the near future.

City Engineer Steven Jahnke said the pavement in the stretch is in fairly poor condition, with deteriorated joints, poor soils and cracked pavement. He said the sanitary sewer and water lines were put in between 1912 and 1937.

He proposed sliplining the sanitary sewer after televising that pipe, but the water line will be reconstructed. About 1,850 feet of water lines will be replaced, and 2,985 feet of sanitary sewer will be lined.

The project also includes removing the existing pavement, improving drainage runoff, building an 8-foot-wide concrete shared-user trail in the place of the 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side of the street and rebuilding the road to meet state and federal standards. It aims to reduce sediment and nutrients reaching Fountain Lake and the Shell Rock River and to improve pedestrian crossings at Sunset Street and Abbott Street.

Jahnke said he looked at two alternatives for the Abbott Street intersection at the bottom of the hill near Lakeview Elementary School. One option called for narrowing the road to give pedestrians less space to cross the street and the second option looked at having a roundabout.

He said the roundabout would have been $290,000 more in cost and would have required acquiring some property from the school and residents. He recommended following the first alternative.

The project will be paid with a combination of funding:

• $977,000 from federal aid funds

• $796,000 from municipal state aid funds

• $214,000 from sewer funds

• $159,000 from water funds

• $192,000 from assessments

• $850,000 from local funds

Resident Joy Schwab, who described herself as an avid runner, walker and biker, asked the council to consider a surface other than concrete for the user trail. She said concrete is the most difficult surface to run and walk on, while asphalt can often be a little softer.

Jahnke said staff had looked at both asphalt and concrete but were leaning toward concrete to minimize damage from the boat trailers and lift haulers going in and out of the lake.

The councilors motioned to approve the project with the caveat that staff continue to look into possibilities to address boat trailers.

Second Ward Councilor Larry Baker questioned whether the asphalt could be laid a little thicker than normal to stand up better to the traffic from the trailers.

Stretches of Lakeview Boulevard from Grace Street to Abbott Street and from Martin Road to the Fairway will be completed at another time. Jahnke said staff have looked at the possibility of putting a bicycle lane on the lake side from Grace Street to Abbott Street.

In other action, the council:

• Heard a presentation from City Attorney Lee Bjorndal about a Charter Commission meeting Dec. 1 to amend part of the city code.

Bjorndal said the commission recommended delinquent and unpaid lodging taxes be levied against properties to give the city a means to recover this money.

The taxes would be transferred with the property if it is sold.

The issue will come before the City Council at a later date and requires a unanimous vote for passage.

• Approved a five-year joint powers agreement with the state’s Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to use systems and tools available over the state’s criminal justice data communications network for which the city is eligible.

• Approved the preliminary and final plat for the Summerdale Townhomes fifth addition to allow subdividing lots to accommodate for four twin homes. The lots are on the corner of Keystone and Crystal Drive.

• Authorized the purchase of a 2015 Caterpillar wheel loader to replace the 2005 John Deere wheel loader in the Public Works Department. The present piece of equipment is the smallest and most used of the loaders in the department.

The cost of the new wheel loader, including the trade-in value of the old one, is about $116,000. It was included in the budget.