Pine City council asks for county, Pine Tech commitments and clearer cost estimates before approving $400k–$500k trail

Pine City — The City Council moved Tuesday to delay approving construction of a proposed trail connecting Pine Technical College to Robinson Park until staff can obtain firmer cost estimates and commitments from the county and Pine Tech.

Mr. Sloan, who presented the project map and routing, told the council the conceptual, non‑engineered estimate for construction is "somewhere between $400 and $500,000," and that engineering could add roughly 10–15 percent to the project cost. Sloan said the college has signaled willingness to share costs but has not yet specified a dollar amount; county engineers have also discussed preliminary assistance but did not commit funding.

Why it matters: councilors said the trail could connect neighborhoods to parks and Pine Tech and support local economic activity, but they were also blunt that a half‑million‑dollar capital commitment requires clearer numbers, a defined funding model and an understanding of available grants and matching requirements.

Councilors debated two main paths: pursue federal or state grants, which may increase total cost and trigger prevailing‑wage requirements, or pursue a lower‑cost, in‑house approach that could be cheaper but would limit opportunities for grant match funding. Sloan said the county believed a base plan could be bid within weeks but emphasized the need for formal engineering to generate accurate bid packages.

Several councilors flagged fiscal constraints and competing priorities. One council member said, "400,000 is a lot of money," and asked staff to identify whether grants, Pine Tech contributions, or charitable donations could lower the city's share.

The council voted to ask staff to consult the county and Pine Tech and return to the next council meeting with clearer engineering cost estimates, options for pursuing grants (and their required match percentages), and a recommendation on next steps. The motion to bring the item back passed on a voice vote.

What comes next: staff will contact Greg Anderson (county engineers) and Pine Tech leadership to clarify commitments and will seek engineering cost estimates (Sloan estimated engineering fees at roughly 10–15 percent of construction cost). The council did not approve project funding Tuesday and made no formal grant applications.

Reporting note: all dollar figures and grant‑match estimates are from council discussion and staff presentations at the meeting; the engineering estimates described were described as preliminary and non‑engineered.