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Minnetrista council opens improvement hearing for $3.37 million 2026 street project; assessments capped at $10,000 per property
Summary
At a Sept. 15 meeting, Minnetrista council held a public hearing on the proposed 2026 street improvements covering several neighborhood streets, outlined a $3.37 million project estimate with typical funding split (city share, state aid and special assessments) and discussed a $10,000 per‑unit assessment cap for 15 adjacent properties on the full‑depth segment of Game Farm Road.
Mayor Lisa Whalen opened the Minnetrista City Council meeting on Sept. 15 and called a public hearing on the proposed 2026 street improvement project, which includes Game Farm Road (north and east to County Road 110), Willow Court, Magel Lane, Saunders Lake Drive North and South, Basswood Drive, Pinnacle Way, Lakeside Drive and several smaller courts.
Emily Brown, the project presenter, told the council the work would generally be mill and overlay, with targeted full‑depth removal and replacement in areas that have suffered repeated patching and longitudinal cracking. She identified portions of Game Farm Road, Basswood Drive and North Saunders Lake Drive as candidates for full‑depth replacement and said some areas will require spot curb repair and pedestrian ramp installation.
Brown summarized estimated costs: surface improvements about $2.8 million; a trail bid alternate about $23,000; culvert replacement on Game Farm Road just under $70,000; and West Edge Boulevard improvements about $450,000 — bringing the project total to roughly $3,370,000. She said the city’s assessment policy and Minnesota Statute 429 support partial assessments to benefiting property owners, historically about 50% of eligible project costs.
For the full‑depth Game Farm Road segment, Brown said the city is preliminarily proposing an assessment cap of $10,000 per unit. "There are 15 properties adjacent to the full‑depth removal and replacement area that are proposed to be assessed," she said, and noted hardship deferrals are available for eligible seniors, disabled residents and certain military service members, though eligibility depends on income and asset thresholds and deferred balances accrue interest.
Residents who addressed the council raised concerns about eligibility for hardship deferrals, whether nonprofit or government parcels are assessed (Brown said nonprofits do pay assessments), the mechanics of payment (first‑year partial payments to the city are allowed; remaining balances are collected through property taxes), and localized stormwater/runoff issues tied to culverts that cross private property. Council members urged residents with drainage concerns to meet with the city’s engineers so the issues can be reviewed before final plans are prepared.
Council members asked about funding. Brown said the surface work would be funded through a combination of the city’s responsibility (just under $2.0 million in current estimates), state aid (about $740,000) and special assessments. The schedule in Brown’s presentation called for preparation of plans and specifications if the council authorized the project, bids opening in January 2026, an assessment hearing and contract award in February 2026, and construction between June and September 2026.
After public comments, the council voted unanimously to order the improvements and authorize preparation of plans and specifications, to add West Edge Road to the project (Mound will cover its portion, estimated at about $112,000), and to authorize an additional WSB design fee. The motions passed 5–0.
What happens next: the council said it will hold the formal assessment hearing later in the process, at which time the city will provide proposed final assessment amounts and the interest rate and term (Brown said term is typically 20 years). Residents will receive notices before that hearing with the final numbers and payment terms.
