Brainerd committee approves multiple public‑works and public‑safety measures, seeks consultant review of transit operations

The Brainerd City Safety and Public Works Committee on an agenda meeting in the 645 Council Chambers approved a package of enforcement actions, construction contracts, and policy steps affecting public safety, transportation projects and downtown events.

Committee members voted to direct staff to pursue code enforcement at three residential properties, adopt a resolution to add the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Police to the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADED) joint powers agreement, award a Safe Routes to School construction contract for Lowell Street and adopt the related MnDOT grant terms, enter a cooperative construction agreement with MnDOT for the Trunk Highway 371B/Willow Street roundabout, award a chip‑seal contract, approve a farmers market at the City Hall parking lot, authorize placement of a large planter near Holiday Station to reduce sidewalk parking, approve consultant services to review transit operations, and direct staff to revise a draft busker (sidewalk performers) ordinance for further council consideration.

Why it matters: the package mixes near‑term enforcement and event permits with multi‑year transportation projects and a regional policing agreement that the chief said could affect eligibility for state grant funding. The committee also asked for an outside operational review of the city’s transit contractor after repeated performance issues.

Code enforcement: three properties Community development director James Kramvik brought three active code enforcement cases to the committee and asked for direction on how to proceed. Kramvik recommended beginning legal action and “issuing a $300 citation every month that the property remains occupied and unlicensed” for 507 First Avenue Northeast, pursuing an administrative search warrant and towing at 1106 Quinn Street because of unlicensed and possibly inoperable vehicles, and issuing $300 monthly citations on 1111 Thirteenth Street Southeast for a prohibited tarp‑style accessory structure. Kramvik told the committee police had confirmed multiple people were living at 507 First Avenue Northeast and that the property owners had received prior notices. A motion to follow staff recommendations for all three properties carried by voice vote.

Drug task force JPA: Mille Lacs Band added Brainerd Police Chief Davis presented a resolution to amend the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division joint powers agreement to include the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Police Department. Chief Davis said, “A significant amount of drug crimes in Brainerd has a direct correlation to the Mille Lacs Reservation,” and that investigators already work with Mille Lacs Tribal investigators “on a daily basis.” He explained the task force’s historical funding through asset forfeitures has declined after changes in Minnesota law and that inclusion of Mille Lacs Tribal Police in the JPA is a step the LADED board and Department of Public Safety encouraged as part of preparing the task force to seek grant funding through Minnesota’s VSET (Violent Crime Enforcement Teams) program. The committee adopted the resolution.

Safe Routes to School and Lowell Street contract Project staff said WSB solicited bids for the Lowell Street Safe Routes to School project and recommended awarding Improvement 2407 to DeChantel Excavating as the low bidder at $432,624.79, about $40,000 under the engineer’s estimate. The committee approved awarding the contract and adopted the resolution authorizing the MnDOT Safe Routes grant agreement.

Trunk Highway 371B/Willow Street roundabout Public works staff presented a cooperative construction agreement with MnDOT that defines state participation in construction costs and the city’s long‑term maintenance responsibilities. Staff said plans are complete and bidding would proceed; construction is scheduled for this year. The committee adopted the resolution entering into the MnDOT cooperative construction agreement for the roundabout.

Chip seal contract Public works reported three bids for the city’s chip‑seal program. The lowest base bid reported in the packet was $151,676.20; an add‑alternate brought a total quoted amount near $162,337.90. Staff recommended awarding the improvement to the lowest responsive bidder, citing that oil prices had fallen and bids came in under engineer estimates. The committee approved the award.

Farmers market permit and planter placement The committee approved a request from a downtown business group to host a farmers market on Fridays from May 16 to Oct. 10, 2025, in the City Hall parking lot after staff secured written agreement from an affected law firm for temporary parking relocation. The committee also approved placing a large planter near the Holiday Station (Norwood, between Fifth and Sixth) to reduce vehicles mounting the curb and sidewalk; staff said the planter would be one of the city’s existing large planters and that planters are removed and stored for winter.

Transit consultant services Public works and transit staff reported recurring operational problems with the city’s third‑party transit operator and said MnDOT has agreed to pay for an outside consultant to perform an operational review. Staff described several outcome scenarios the consultant will evaluate—continued contracting, replacing the contractor, bringing operations in‑house administratively, county takeover, or hybrid models—and asked the committee to authorize the consultant work and return recommendations to the full council in June. The committee approved proceeding with the consultant review. Several council members stressed there is no obligation to adopt any particular scenario; staff said any final decision would return to council for direction.

Buskers/sidewalk performers ordinance Staff presented a draft sidewalk performers (buskers) ordinance requested by the council. Discussion focused on whether permits should be issued by staff or require additional review (the draft currently contemplates a permit), whether limits should be set on group size or location, how to avoid conflicts with restaurants that want outdoor seating, and the process for revoking permits. Staff will modify the draft ordinance to reflect council feedback and return it at the next council meeting.

What’s next: staff will implement the committee’s direction—pursue the three code enforcement cases, finalize contracts and grant documents with MnDOT and awardees, proceed with the MnDOT‑funded transit consultant, install the approved planter, and return a revised busker ordinance for council action.

(Quotes are verbatim from committee participants as recorded in the meeting transcript.)