Maplewood council approves park lease, schedules MnDOT hearing and backs boardwalk grant; funds gym repairs

Maplewood’s City Council on March 24 approved a series of routine but locally significant actions: a lease for Gethsemane Park, a resolution calling a public hearing for MnDOT Trunk Highway 5 improvements, a resolution supporting a DNR grant application to replace a deteriorated boardwalk shared with Little Canada, and a contract award to repair the Maplewood Community Center gym floor.

The council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to renew the lease with Gethsemane Lutheran Church for the 7.4‑acre parcel the city has used for park purposes since the 1970s and to continue city maintenance of park facilities. Staff told the council the city will pay the church $3,400 annually for the first two years, with the amount to increase 2% per year beginning in year three; the council authorized the mayor and city manager to sign the agreement.

Staff also presented MnDOT’s plans to reconfigure Trunk Highway 5 from four lanes to three between Minnehaha Avenue and Lakewood/Stillwater Road, replace signals, construct a new east‑side trail, improve drainage and add ADA improvements, and to acquire right of way for the trail. Because the project changes through‑lane configuration, municipal consent is required and Minn. statute requires a public hearing. Council approved a resolution calling a public hearing for 7 p.m. on April 28; staff estimated Maplewood’s share of the project cost at $236,000 to be paid from municipal state aid funds.

On the Thunder Bay boardwalk, staff said the structure—built in 2008 where Maplewood borders Little Canada and used by both communities—has reached the end of its useful life. Little Canada is applying to the Minnesota DNR Local Trail Connections Program, which can fund up to 75% of replacement costs. Staff estimated total replacement cost at roughly $381,000 and the maximum grant at $250,000; if the maximum award is received, Maplewood’s share was estimated at about $58,000, proposed to be paid from park improvement funds. The council approved a modified resolution of support reflecting Little Canada’s requested 25‑year maintenance term.

The council also approved a construction contract to replace and repair the Maplewood Community Center gym floor after staff identified extensive damage from hydrostatic pressure that has limited YMCA use of half the gym. Staff reported three bids ranging from $159,500 to $191,250 and said the middle H2I bid was reported during the presentation as $164,350; the motion recorded in the packet and adopted by the council set a base contract figure of $164,315 plus allowances for concrete corrections ($10,000), hallway refinishing ($3,235) and upgraded moisture mitigation ($40,000), producing a total authorized expenditure of $217,550.

All motions on these items passed by voice vote with ayes recorded. Councilmembers did not ask for further public hearings or extended debate on these items during the meeting. The council moved on to a closed session later in the agenda to conduct the annual performance evaluation of the city manager and then adjourned.