Baxter City Council accepts Brentwood Circle feasibility report with narrower road and lower assessment estimate

The Baxter City Council voted to accept the Brentwood Circle sanitary sewer and street improvement feasibility report with two specific modifications: cutting the proposed street right-of-way from 26 feet to 24 feet and calculating assessments using 11 equivalent residential units (ERUs) rather than 13. Council members also approved the consent agenda and later proposed a closed session on pending litigation related to the Whiskey Creek Stormwater Project.

City staff opened the Brentwood Circle item by summarizing the feasibility report prepared by a consultant and asking council to either accept the report as written or accept it with changes limited to two clarifications: the cost savings from reducing the street width from 26 to 24 feet, and the city’s adjusted share if ERU assessments change from 13 to 11, depending on whether certain corner/commercial lots are included in the assessment area. The report was described as a planning-stage feasibility analysis; the project remains tentatively slated for 2026.

Council discussion focused on two linked questions: (1) whether to reduce pavement and right-of-way widths on the dead-end street to lower construction and long-term maintenance costs, and (2) whether to split existing lots (create new smaller parcels) for assessment purposes. One council member, citing lane-width guidance from organizations such as NACTO and the Federal Highway Administration, argued for narrower local lanes on low-speed, low-traffic dead-end streets: “I would be okay with something like a 10-foot lane when you’re looking at… it’s not gonna see high speeds,” the member said, adding that narrower lanes and reduced cul-de-sac radii can reduce pavement area and cost. Another council member and several residents raised concerns about narrower streets in established neighborhoods with heavy pedestrian use, saying they worried a reduced pavement width could make sidewalks and safe pedestrian clearances harder to achieve in older subdivisions.

After discussion, a council member moved to accept the feasibility report as modified — implementing a 24-foot right-of-way and using 11 ERUs for assessment calculations — and the motion was seconded. The motion passed; the transcript records council members responding “Aye” and the mayor (or presiding officer) announcing the motion carries.

During the meeting council also approved the consent agenda, which staff had identified as noncontroversial. The consent items passed in one motion after one item was pulled for separate consideration; the items included approving minutes from the Jan. 21, 2025 work session and council meeting, payment of bills and a finance report, an unpaid leave of absence and continuation of city-paid insurance contributions for Keith Bensfield through Feb. 10, 2025, purchase of easements for several parcels tied to the 2025 Design Road and Trunk Highway 371 stormwater improvements project (parcel IDs listed in the packet), adoption of Resolution 2025-018 authorizing municipal state aid advances for two projects, and approval of a lawful gambling permit for Whole Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity.

A council member asked staff to double-check an assessment calculation in the feasibility report after spotting a likely typographical error on a page that appeared to show a $3,000-per-year assessment for 15 years; staff acknowledged the typo had already been corrected.

Toward the end of the meeting the council chair (administrator) announced a proposal to go into closed session pursuant to the cited statute for attorney–client privileged discussion concerning pending litigation on the Whiskey Creek Stormwater Project; a motion to close the open session was made and seconded. The transcript records the motion and second, but does not record a roll-call vote in the provided excerpt.

Votes at a glance - Motion: Approve consent agenda (with one item pulled). Outcome: Approved (voice vote; motion carries). Items listed in packet: approve work session minutes (Jan. 21, 2025); approve council minutes (Jan. 21, 2025); payment of bills and finance report; unpaid leave for Keith Bensfield with city insurance continuation through 02/10/2025; purchase of easements for parcels 40050608, 40050614, 40050719, 40050532, 400050721 for the 2025 Design Road and Trunk Highway 371 stormwater improvements project; adopt Resolution 2025-018 (municipal state aid advance for two projects); approve lawful gambling permit for Whole Lakes Area Habitat For Humanity. (All consent items passed in the single motion.) - Motion: Accept Brentwood Circle sanitary sewer improvement feasibility report with modifications (24-foot right-of-way; 11 ERUs for assessment calculations). Outcome: Approved (voice vote; motion carries). Specific roll-call votes not recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. - Motion: Move to closed session for attorney–client discussion on pending litigation (Whiskey Creek Stormwater Project). Outcome: Motion made and seconded; outcome not recorded in transcript excerpt.

What the council decided not to do tonight - Council discussed, and several members opposed, splitting existing lots to create smaller parcels for sale or development; the prevailing sentiment in the discussion was to avoid lot splits that would impose high assessment costs or create impractically small lots. The motion that passed accepted the report as modified and did not require splitting lots as a condition of acceptance.

Context and next steps - The Brentwood Circle project remains at feasibility/assessment stage; staff and the consultant will use the council’s direction on right-of-way width and ERU counts to update cost estimates and assessment rolls. The report describes a tentative 2026 construction timeframe. Council asked staff to correct the typographical error in the assessment table and to return any further clarifications to council as needed.

(Quotes and attributions are taken from the meeting transcript.)