Saint Paul Park council approves joint powers agreement with Cottage Grove and Grey Cloud Island Township for shared section of Grey Cloud Trail

The Saint Paul Park City Council on Sept. 2 authorized a three-party joint powers agreement with Cottage Grove and Grey Cloud Island Township to manage and monitor the portion of Grey Cloud Trail that lies on the shared corporate boundary, council members said. Why it matters: The agreement creates an ongoing process for assessing roadway deterioration and allocating maintenance responsibilities for a section of the road that both the city and township use, and it was adopted in response to concerns about heavy construction truck traffic from nearby development. The council approved the agreement by motion and a 5–0 vote. Council member Swanson moved to approve the joint powers agreement and a second was recorded; the motion passed with all council members voting in favor. City planning staff member Morgan told the council the agreement is a three-way arrangement between Saint Paul Park, Cottage Grove and Grey Cloud Island Township, and noted the developer is not a party to the agreement. The pact calls for periodic inspections by an independent third-party engineering firm to evaluate wear and tear on the road and provides for Cottage Grove to assume some maintenance costs for normal deterioration within specified stipulations. Morgan said the agreement does not give the city unlimited authority over truck restrictions because the roadway in question is on the state aid system: "While the city does have statutory rights to be able to limit weights, axle weights, and truck traffic on certain roads, if a street is designated from a state aid standpoint, there's lesser… ability to prohibit trucks as the city accepts state aid dollars." Council member Swanson said the agreement requires a resolution for approval; the resolution and authorization of signatures were part of the council action. Council members and staff emphasized monitoring and periodic maintenance rather than a one-time fix. Morgan and other staff said the agreement includes termination clauses and that termination would generally require joint agreement among the parties. Staff said they expect the agreement to be in effect for years while development proceeds and that the parties intend to monitor and perform incremental maintenance such as crack sealing to limit long-term damage. Clarifying details included that the agreement covers the jointly owned portion of the road where the city corporate limits run down the middle of the roadway, that the developer is not a signatory, and that the agreement provides for third-party inspections and negotiated maintenance responsibilities. Morgan described the agreement as the result of months of negotiation among city, township and Cottage Grove staff. Outcome: Motion to approve the joint powers agreement carried 5–0; staff were authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of Saint Paul Park pending the council’s motion.