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Residents ask council to ensure structural repairs are included in Stenberg mill-and-overlay project
Summary
Neighbors asked whether the planned $1.34 million mill-and-overlay on Stenberg will include underlying structural repairs and storm sewer work; city engineer said the current contract calls for full‑depth patching rather than replacing underlying structures, and staff are seeking contractor pricing for additional work.
Residents from the Stenberg neighborhood pressed the International Falls City Council on July 7 to confirm whether a planned $1.34 million mill‑and‑overlay project would address underlying structural issues and storm sewer concerns rather than only resurfacing.
Resident Glenn Davis asked if the mill and overlay would include “fixing the structural issues underneath the surface that are causing the damage to the road.” The mayor asked City Engineer Jason Fisher to respond.
Fisher said the currently planned work calls for full‑depth patching but not wholesale replacement of drainage structures. “In that current plan, it's full depth patch is what we have in there, not replacing the structures,” he said. Staff are obtaining contractor prices to determine the cost of replacing structures and may reduce the contract in other areas to accommodate critical structure work.
Councilors and residents noted prior televising of sewer lines in the neighborhood that reportedly showed few issues warranting replacement; nonetheless, neighbors said failure to address sub‑surface problems could leave the city in the same condition after only a few years, potentially wasting the resurfacing dollars.
No change to the approved contract was made at the July 7 meeting; staff said they are awaiting contractor pricing on structure replacement and will report back to the council before final work decisions.
The council recorded the mill‑and‑overlay amount in the claims and approvals section of the meeting materials and approved routine payments earlier in the session.
