Nowthen council reviews 2027–2031 capital improvement plan, including proposed municipal well and expanded road work

Miss Shay, a city staff member presenting the capital improvement plan, outlined a multi-year proposal that would package a new municipal well with planned equipment replacements and street projects in a 2027 bond issue.

"We are proposing ... putting in a new well and ... you would be able to do that with the bond issue for in 2027," Miss Shay told the council, noting the plan included descriptions and justifications in the council packet.

Why it matters: staff said a local well would give Nowthen an independent water source for firefighting and training, reduce reliance on neighboring systems and improve response times for pumping. The city would issue debt and fund the well over a 15‑year bond to reduce annual levy impact.

Cost, capacity and public‑safety context Miss Shay and Chief Miller provided figures and limits for the project: the well’s total estimate is about $375,000 and staff calculated a levy impact of roughly $39,000 per year if bonded over 15 years. The chief said the well would likely be drilled to about 600 feet and that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) limit would constrain municipal withdrawals to about 2 million gallons per year.

Chief Miller said the well and related training capacity would help the city’s ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating over time, but that ISO reviews occur only every several years. "This well is at the top of the list. That will ... impact our ISO," the chief said.

Roads and gravel maintenance Council and public‑works staff spent substantial time on road strategy and recurring maintenance for gravel roads. Staff proposed $520,000 for 2027 overlay work (including Hunter’s Meadow and Milestone Ponds) and a program to ramp street funding toward about $1 million annually by 2029. On gravel roads, the council discussed chloride treatments, delivered versus hauled gravel, hauling costs, and possible multi‑year cycles for maintenance.

Public works noted historical operating budgets for gravel and chloride of roughly $30,000–$35,000 per year, and said that doing more work or contracting hauling could rapidly consume those funds. One public‑works official reported using a private contractor recently at an approximate cost of $20,000 for three days of hauling and placement.

Equipment, radios and fire gear The council reviewed an equipment list that included a zero‑turn mower (replacement), a Sterling dump truck (purchase vs. a 7‑year lease‑to‑own), mobile and portable radios and additional SCBA packs for a planned 2027 fire truck. Staff supplied a lease‑vs. bond comparison showing a lower total cost on a 7‑year lease for one truck but a different levy‑impact profile compared with a longer bond term; staff also warned of an emissions‑related price increase for heavy trucks expected January 1, 2027, that could add roughly $15,000 per unit.

Security, heating and parks Council members discussed budgeting $10,000 as a contingency for replacing the city‑hall air conditioner (original equipment from 2006), and adding a multi‑building security lock system that would allow centralized control and timed locking. Parks items on the CIP included a Twin Lakes parking repair estimate (public‑works estimate around $100,000 for potholes, cracking and seal coating), trail and signage work, and a $75,000 Memorial Park allocation in 2029.

What’s next Staff said the CIP will return for additional refinement in upcoming work sessions and the council directed staff to obtain bids, refine scope and return with a recommended bond packaging for council consideration. No formal vote on the bond package occurred at this meeting; council members asked for more precise cost breakdowns and trade‑off comparisons before any bond decision.