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City outlines multi‑year Lake Dam replacement plan tied to $500,000 DNR grant
Summary
City staff presented a multi‑year timeline for replacing the lake dam, describing surveys, wetland delineations, preliminary and final engineering, Army Corps and Minnesota DNR permitting and an anticipated bid schedule for winter 2027; the work is linked to a $500,000 DNR grant that must be contracted before reimbursable work begins.
City engineers presented a phased schedule for replacing the lake dam and described the steps needed to move from planning to construction, including grant administration and lengthy permitting.
Justin Black, city engineer, outlined a timeline that begins in January 2025 with grant application and execution of a contract with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for a $500,000 grant. He said the city would then complete a topographic survey (April), wetland and habitat delineations (May—June), preliminary engineering and cost updates over the summer and fall, and final engineering and permit applications in 2026. Black noted Army Corps permitting can take 6—12 months and that additional soil borings might be needed based on the final dam footprint.
Staff emphasized a critical condition of the DNR grant: work that is intended to be reimbursed cannot be undertaken before the city executes the grant contract. "Until we enter a contract, nothing qualifies as reimbursable," a staff member said, urging caution about starting construction‑level tasks prematurely. The city plans to pause after preliminary design to meet with DNR for comments and to update cost estimates before proceeding to final design and permitting.
The timeline provided places project bidding in winter 2027 and construction in 2027, subject to final permitting and approvals. Staff said the schedule was intended to organize permitting steps and keep the project on track; council members asked staff to consider on‑site conditions (low flow at the dam) and to coordinate timing so surveys are conducted when conditions give the best data.
No formal vote was required on the outline; council gave consensus to proceed with work on the schedule and to begin grant application activities.
