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Kettle River council OKs design work for power-reroute, advances plans for lead service-line replacements
Summary
At the Feb. 10 meeting the council accepted a task order to begin design work tied to a proposed Great River Energy substation reroute and discussed starting replacement of galvanized water service lines this fall if Ordinance 115 is adopted; grants and a discretionary funding request were reported.
At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Kettle River City Council unanimously accepted Task Order 6 from engineering firm Bollig to begin design and construction work tied to a proposed Great River Energy (GRE) substation reroute. The motion was made by Councilor Miya Kohmetscher and seconded by Councilor Elizabeth Mascarenas.
City Administrator Kathy Lake told the council the work would be billed to the City by Bollig and then invoiced to GRE, and that Planning and Zoning will review the reroute and make a recommendation to the council. Lake also reported the City received a $6,000 Small Cities Development grant and submitted a $1 million congressional discretionary spending request, but said those larger federal funds are unlikely to be available until reviews finish, likely in 2027.
On water infrastructure, staff said the City intends to start replacing galvanized service piping this fall through Lead Service Line Task Order 6, contingent on passage of Ordinance 115 that would authorize replacing galvanized pipe. Lake said a grant will cover the replacement costs; the council discussed scheduling and regulatory steps but did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting.
Utilities staff reported operational issues during recent extreme cold: water in the bottom of the tower froze, producing an ice cap that required drilling 16 holes. AUS representative Eric Appelwick said the tower’s design makes it susceptible to freezing, the air dryer at the treatment plant is an obsolete 2002 model and will need replacement, and the discharge pump will require replacement at a later date. Council later approved a motion concerning jetting the ice cap; the minutes clarify holes were drilled and the tower was not jetted.
Planning and Zoning will receive GRE materials at a future meeting and is expected to make a recommendation to council before further council action on reroute design approvals.
No direct quotations were provided in the meeting transcript for this topic. The council voted unanimously on the task order acceptance and related motions recorded in the minutes; formal ordinance action on Ordinance 115 was noted as a required next step rather than completed.
Next steps: Planning and Zoning review of the GRE reroute, anticipated ordinance introduction or public hearing on Ordinance 115, and follow-up on equipment replacements at the water treatment plant.
