Representatives of the Minnesota State University Mankato Student Senate asked the City Council on Oct. 27 to prioritize pedestrian-safety improvements on Monks Avenue between Balzersac and Stadium and to include those improvements in the 2027 Capital Improvement Plan.

Tyler Hillica, an off-campus senator who authored the student-senate resolution, said the crossing outside Highland Hills Apartments is heavily used by students and that he witnessed a recent crash at the location. Matthew Zone, another off-campus senator, said the student senate formally adopted the resolution to represent student concerns and requested the improvements be added to the CIP by 2027.

Councilors thanked the students for bringing the resolution forward. Councilors described the crossing as hazardous, cited missing pedestrian turn-lane features and discussed the importance of doing any fixes correctly to avoid repeated work. Mayor Masad and staff said the request would be taken under consideration; staff follow-up and inclusion in future surface-transportation planning and the CIP process were discussed.

The students offered contact information for follow-up correspondence and legislative-affairs coordination; council did not take formal action to obligate funds at the meeting.