Hastings approves Met Council cooperative agreement, engineering contract and right-of-entry plan for Trunk Highway 61 sewer work

The Hastings City Council on June 15 approved a package of actions to prepare for sewer infrastructure work tied to the planned Trunk Highway 61 corridor project, including a cooperative construction agreement with the Metropolitan Council, a not-to-exceed engineering services contract, and authorization for staff to secure property right-of-entry (ROE) agreements.

Public Works Director Ryan Stimsky told the council the cooperative agreement with Met Council would fund design and construction of a gravity sewer to be placed with MnDOT's TH-61 utility work. Stimsky said the city is planning for a multi-decade shift in sewer flows to a regional treatment plant and that early coordination avoids redundant excavation. "So that's what we're talking about here tonight: an efficient way for us to get that pipe in the ground, and get it ready for when this transition occurs," Stimsky said.

Stimsky explained Met Council will fund the design and construction for the described green-line gravity sewer alignment and the city would coordinate timing and easements with MnDOT and property owners. To deliver the work, Met Council requested the same engineering consultant already designing utilities for the corridor; the council approved a WSB services proposal with a not-to-exceed fee just under $595,000 for design and construction support.

Council members raised standard questions about outreach and property impacts. Stimsky described a layered outreach plan that will include a business liaison doing door-to-door contact, mailings, phone calls and public meetings; he also said roughly 40 property signatures will be sought for right-of-entry agreements to allow the contractor to replace private service lines to the right-of-way at no cost to property owners. If a property owner refuses to sign, Stimsky said the city cannot replace the private portion of that owner's service line and the owner would remain responsible for any future private repairs.

Council members moved and seconded approval of the cooperative agreement, the WSB contract, and authorization for the city administrator or designee to sign ROE forms as they are collected. All motions carried. Staff will return copies of signed agreements in batches and continue public outreach before construction begins with MnDOT's contractor in 2028 or as the corridor schedule dictates.