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North St. Paul officials prioritize streets in proposed 10‑year, $100 million CIP
Summary
City staff told the council at a July 15 workshop that roughly half of the proposed 2026–2035 capital improvement plan would fund streets and utilities, driving a recurring levy impact; staff singled out First Avenue and Margaret Street for priority work after repeated water‑main breaks and subgrade failures.
At a July 15 workshop, City Finance Director Dan Wick and staff presented a draft 2026 budget and the 2026–2035 capital improvement plan that places streets and utilities at the center of the city’s 10‑year capital needs.
Wick told the council the city portion of the proposed levy currently sits at 6% and that capital decisions — particularly streets, parks and asset preservation — are the primary drivers of that increase. "Capital all comes from the CIP," Wick said, adding that staff used one‑time transfers (including a $90,000 penalty transfer to asset preservation and about $65,000 in restored enterprise transfers) to lower the near‑term levy impact. He said the 10‑year plan amounts to roughly $100 million and that streets and utility reconstruction combined with pavement preservation account for about half of that total.
City Engineer Morgan said the city rates one‑third of its streets each year and that recent investments produced an improvement in the citywide weighted pavement condition index from about 56 to about 67. "This is a very data‑driven process," Morgan said, explaining the rating system and why preservation work such as crack sealing and targeted overlays can extend pavement life and delay costly reconstruction.
Public Works Director Ron told council staff audited field records and found 24 water‑main breaks on First Avenue from First Street to Highway 120 during his tenure. "I woke up one night...at what point am I being negligent at not replacing a water main on a road when there's that many water‑main breaks?" Ron said, calling the recurring breaks a central reason staff recommend full reconstruction with utility replacement rather than repeated repairs.
Council members and staff discussed tradeoffs between preservation and reconstruction. Staff and an outside WSB consultant cautioned against unproven surface treatments for major projects; the consultant noted pilots are more appropriate when external funding offsets experimental risk and recommended staff research pilot programs that fit North St. Paul’s scale.
Sidewalks and ADA work came up repeatedly. Staff said full reconstruction projects replace sidewalks and typically include ADA ramp upgrades, but that the city does not have a formal sidewalk preservation plan and currently performs spot repairs from maintenance funds. Several council members recommended creating a sidewalk preservation line or plan for future CIP discussions.
Wick highlighted other large CIP drivers: vehicle and equipment replacements (including a major fire apparatus in the 2030 timeframe), a water tower currently estimated at about $4.3 million in 2028 (staff said that estimate may rise), and parks/facility projects. He reminded the council that the street program as described would add an ongoing street levy of about $250,000 per year — a figure staff said equates to roughly a 3.2% annual levy increase if sustained over the next decade.
Staff said next steps include a follow‑up meeting to cover the remaining CIP items, options to prepare for the maximum levy at the first September meeting, setting the maximum levy at the second September meeting, and final budget adoption later in the year.
Votes and formal motions taken during the workshop were procedural (agenda adoption and adjournment) and were approved on voice votes by the members present.
