Council receives feasibility report for 2025 street improvements, schedules public hearing

The St. Joseph City Council on Feb. 18 received a feasibility report outlining a proposed 2025 pavement-maintenance program that targets neighborhood overlays, edge milling, and a fog seal for a section of the Minnesota Street Trail, and the council scheduled a public improvement hearing for March 17.

City staff said the program is the next phase of the city’s pavement-maintenance plan and includes proposed work on multiple streets: Fourth Avenue, Elena Lane, Ellie Court, Twelfth Avenue Southeast, Abel Street East and Abel Court East, Thirteenth Avenue Southeast, Pond View Lane, Eagle Ridge Drive and Court, Dale Street East, Callaway Street East, Eighth Avenue Northeast, Minnesota Street West, Third Avenue Northwest, and a segment of the Minnesota Street Trail. Staff described a common approach across many streets: an edge mill and a 1.5-inch bituminous overlay with curb patching and adjustments to utility-castings as needed; the trail would receive a fog seal rather than a chip seal.

Probable construction costs in the feasibility report were estimated at about $736,600, with total project costs including contingency, design, engineering, legal and administrative items at roughly $1,015,000. Staff presented preliminary special-assessment revenue projections of approximately $600,000 and a city subsidy estimate of about $400,000, noting that the city’s policy initially calculates special assessments at a maximum 60% level but that actual assessed amounts typically decline after a special-benefit appraisal and final contract bids.

Staff outlined a multi-step schedule if the project proceeds: receive the feasibility report and order a public-improvement hearing (action taken at this meeting), order plans and specifications and authorize bidding in April, open public bids in late May, potentially award a contract in early June, begin construction in July, and substantially complete the work in June 2026 with final completion in July 2026 (the Minnesota Street overlay is timed to follow a separate county roundabout project so city paving will occur after that county work is finished).

Council members asked about why only portions of some longer streets were included; staff replied that different sections were built at different times and some areas had more recent overlays. Council members also raised questions about recent water-main breaks in several neighborhoods and whether utilities present a risk to the pavement program. Staff detailed recent breaks in the Morningside and Northland areas, showed photos of corroded mechanical joints and pitting on pipe exterior surfaces, and said engineers had not found a link to stray electrical current from nearby infrastructure. Staff said they have commissioned additional soil and corrosion testing (soil borings were ordered and samples submitted to a lab) to determine if corrosive soils are causing localized pipe deterioration; results were pending.

Why it matters: The feasibility report, if approved through the public-improvement and special-assessment processes, will lead to neighborhood overlays and trail maintenance that affect property owners along the project frontages and will trigger special assessments under Minnesota Statute Chapter 429 procedures. The council’s vote to schedule the public hearing starts the statutorily required notification and comment period that will refine cost estimates and assessment responsibilities.

Action taken: The council voted to receive the feasibility report and schedule the public-improvement hearing for March 17 by adopting resolution 20 25 0 0 6. Staff said more detailed assessment numbers and the special-benefit appraisal would follow if the council orders design and assessment steps.

Speakers and context: Staff member Randy introduced the background and statutory process; staff member Bryce presented the feasibility-report details and engineering estimates. Council members Kelly Buenek, Kevin Klusener, Adam Schneidler and Andrew Mooney participated in discussion and voted to schedule the hearing. Staff described recent field observations of corrosion on mechanical joints and pipe pitting and said soil testing results are expected in the coming weeks before any utility-replacement decisions are made.

Ending: The council’s receipt of the feasibility report moves the pavement program into a public-notice phase; the city will hold the March 17 public-improvement hearing and then proceed, if directed by council, to special-benefit analysis, bidding and award steps that will determine final costs and assessments.