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New Prague council accepts 2025 street and utility feasibility report, sets public hearing
Summary
City council accepted a feasibility report for the 2025 Street and Utility Improvement Project and voted to order a public hearing; the project covers multiple streets, includes MnDOT aid and a sidewalk grant, and carries estimated costs that the city says include contingency.
The New Prague City Council voted to accept a feasibility report for the 2025 Street and Utility Improvement Project and ordered a public hearing on the plan.
City Engineer (identified in the meeting as Speaker 5) told the council the project includes Lincoln and Pershing Avenues (Main to Fifth), First Street (Columbus to Pershing), Second Street (Columbus to Lyndale) and a block-and-a-half of sidewalk on Fifth Street NE, plus alley work. The engineer said the project estimate includes construction costs, a 10% contingency and 20% project-related costs, and that the city is using recent bid data to set unit prices.
The project, the engineer said, will use multiple funding sources including MnDOT state aid and an active transportation grant that will cover construction costs for sidewalk work on Twelfth Avenue SE; the city would be responsible for related engineering costs. The engineer also said the city had split the project into components to limit engineering costs and to take advantage of grant funding.
Council member questions focused on the local property-tax share and assessment methodology. The engineer said the general levy portion of the project should be slightly less as a percentage than in past years because a larger share of costs will be covered by state aid. He described the city’s assessment approach as based on a long‑standing Main Street assessment rate and said unit prices per service will determine final assessments. The meeting included an illustrative per‑lot assessment figure noted during discussion of roughly $15.07 per lot (transcript example).
Council member Bruce (motion listed in the record as made by Bruce) moved to accept the report and call the public hearing; the motion was seconded by Maggie and passed. The public hearing was scheduled for September 3 at 6 p.m., with the associated resolution appearing in meeting materials.
The engineer said bids and final assessment amounts could still change, and that the packet’s assessment numbers are estimates. The council’s approval advanced the process to the public hearing and retained the city’s ability to adjust unit prices and assessment rates after bids are received.
Next steps: the city will publish hearing notices and hold the public hearing as scheduled; final assessments and any levy impacts will be set after bids are received and the city finalizes unit prices.
