Residents raise safety, flooding and driveway concerns over neighborhood street project

Several residents of neighborhoods around Bacon Avenue and Seventh Street told the Inver Grove Heights City Council on July 18 that a multi-block road and utility reconstruction project has caused repeated property damage, safety hazards and communication failures.

The council heard similar accounts from multiple speakers during the public-comment period. “That temporary water was shooting into my basement,” resident Bernie Swafford said, saying the flow had been ongoing since May 5 and that she was advised by project staff to contact her homeowner insurance. “Filing a claim…causes affects your insurance history and your premiums and your selling capability,” she said.

The complaints included reports that driveways and road edges were being replaced without rebar, contrary to contractors’ statements about durability; driveways not being restored to their prior condition; project delays (residents said a six-week schedule had extended to about 12 weeks); narrowed streets that residents said could impede emergency access; intermittent water shutoffs without notice that left hot-water systems pressurized; and repeated gas-line leaks or fittings incidents reported in the work area.

Resident Judy Mickelson said contractors left tree stumps and unfinished work, and that some homeowners now must park blocks away. “We cannot get out of our homes since April from 7 in the morning to 7 at night,” she said. Another resident, Jackie, described speeding and traffic safety concerns on nearby streets used as cut-throughs, and urged enforcement or a speed detail.

Scott Selden, who identified himself as working for a concrete and asphalt removal contractor, supported concerns about missing rebar in replaced driveways and asked the city to require correct method and materials. Will Robinson said a problematic section of the work required deeper excavation and was a root cause of flooding and cost overruns.

Therese Killian, who said she works for CenterPoint Energy, told the council she has observed at least 10 leaks in the neighborhood and warned that older steel mains and unsupported fittings posed a safety risk while crews are working in open trenches.

Residents said they had repeatedly contacted project managers — naming David Ray, Nick and Chad — and contractors on the site but had not received satisfactory resolution. Several speakers asked the city to allow homeowners to use project funds to pay for independent repairs if the contractor work does not meet standards.

Mayor (unnamed) and Clerk Kiernan responded to the speakers: the mayor said the council would seek follow-up and that city staff would coordinate: “I will talk with public works and public safety,” the mayor said. Clerk Kiernan said staff would connect residents with the appropriate city contacts and identify who will follow up. Administrator Wilson and others on the dais noted that elected officials were not the day-to-day project managers and that detailed technical questions should be addressed by staff.

The council did not take formal action on the project during the meeting. City staff committed to contacting the residents who signed the public-comment sheet and to having public works and public safety review the safety, communication and utility issues raised. Residents were advised to provide contact information at the sign-in table so staff could follow up.

The city has not specified a schedule or remedy in the meeting record; residents continued to request a written timeline and clarity on who is responsible for cost overruns or remedying damages.

Ending

City staff indicated they would report back to the council with more information; residents asked for rapid, specific contact and for the city to evaluate whether the contractor work meets required standards and warranty obligations.