Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kasson City to apply for PFA grant to replace about two dozen lead/galvanized service lines
Summary
Council authorized staff to apply for a Minnesota Public Facilities Authority grant to replace roughly 25 private lead/galvanized water service lines in Kasson City; staff said the program would be city‑led, require property‑owner agreements and likely stretch into 2027.
Kasson City council on Tuesday voted to authorize staff to submit a Public Facilities Authority (PFA) grant application to replace private lead and galvanized water service lines in the city.
The city engineer, Brandon, told the council that staff had “got down to 25 that we believe need to be replaced,” a mix of galvanized and lines with small lead sections. He said the PFA program provides grant funding to replace the full service from the meter to the street in jurisdictions with 100% private service, and that the city expects the application and subsequent agreements to require legal review and property‑owner coordination.
Brandon described the proposed scope as a city‑led construction project in which the city would contract a firm to excavate the curb stop, replace the service from the meter to the main and then reconnect meters and restore surfaces. He said staff would work with the city attorney on templates to protect the city and clarify responsibilities for meter access, restoration and warranty issues.
Council members pressed staff on what would happen if a property owner declined replacement. Brandon said the city would document refusals and that might affect the city’s reporting obligations under the federal/state mandate; he said some technical questions remain about whether replacing the curb‑to‑curb portion alone would remove a property from the state’s lead list.
After the discussion the council approved the resolution to submit the PFA application. The city emphasized that a future council meeting would return with a draft agreement with property owners and any implementation details before construction begins.
What happens next: Staff will submit the PFA application and, if invited to proceed, return to council with a draft property‑owner agreement, a construction timeline and grant agreement details. Staff cautioned the work could spill into 2027 given statewide demand for contractors and engineering resources.
Quoted: “We got down to 25 that we believe need to be replaced,” Brandon said, describing the set of services staff is targeting. "This will probably spill into '27," he added when asked about contractor availability.
Authorities referenced: PFA (Public Facilities Authority), Department of Health guidance and a federal mandate discussed in the staff presentation.
