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A proposed street and utility improvement project for this portion of Second Avenue Southwest in Pipestone is expected to take place next year and would include a new concrete street surface. Residents recently had a chance to ask questions and comment about the project.
Photo by Kyle Kuphal
About 10 community members attended a Nov. 3 public hearing about street and utility improvements proposed for Second Avenue Southwest from state Highway 30 to 10th Street Southwest in Pipestone.
Five of them asked questions and commented about the project and the preliminary assessment amounts. City Engineer Travis Winter answered questions and said he would review preliminary assessments that were questioned.
The proposed project is estimated to cost $2,193,391.20. Of that, an estimated $1,249,339.39 would be for street work, $460,620.80 would be for watermain, $366,561.60 would be for sanitary sewer and $116,869.41 would be for storm sewer. Thirty percent of the cost of the street work will be assessed to benefiting property owners based on feet of frontage along Second Avenue Southwest. A preliminary assessment roll based on initial estimates showed that the owners of 50 properties would be assessed a total of approximately $443,000. The assessments would range from $6,769.09 to $19,552.26 and average about $9,000.
Among those who spoke during the hearing was James Vaughn, who said he wanted to put in a new, wider driveway at his property and was told to wait until the improvement project took place. Winter said he could work with Vaughn on getting his driveway apron done in conjunction with the project.
Vaughn and others also asked questions about losing part of the boulevard due to the street being widened from 30 to 36 feet. Winter said three feet of boulevard would probably be taken from each side of the street. He said in response to another question that the new sidewalks would not be any closer to the houses than the existing sidewalks.
Gene Bloemendaal asked how underground sump pump lines would be affected by the project and who would pay for their replacement if they were dug up. Winter said the project would include connecting sump pump lines to underground pipes, so the pumps will no longer drain onto the street.
“We’ll put a connection past the sidewalk,” he said. “If yours is underground now, we’ll connect it back. Otherwise we’ll give you the opportunity to connect to it.”
Winter said there are sanitary sewer lines in the area that are clay and there are thought to be lead water lines, as well. Replacement of those lines up to the property line would be included in the project and residents would have to pay for the cost to replace water or sanitary sewer lines on their property.
A probable schedule presented by Winter shows that bids for the project could be opened in March, a contract could be awarded in April and construction could start in May. Winter said the project is expected to be completed in one construction season. If the project is done next year as planned, an assessment hearing and approval of the assessments could potentially take place in October of 2027. Winter said the timing could change, however, based on the availability of funding.
In other business, the City Council:
•Approved $1,129,273.26 in assessments for street and utility improvements completed in 2023 and 2024. The assessments will be added to property taxes over a period of 10 years with 5 percent interest. Winter and Temporary City Administrator/City Clerk Stephanie LaBrune said assessments were reviewed for residents who had requested it and several adjustments were made in situations where it was determined to be warranted.
•Approved $131,426.82 in assessments for sanitary sewer improvements at 26 properties. Those assessments will be added to property taxes over a period of seven years with no interest. The improvements were made through the city’s sanitary sewer loan program.
•Approved updates to the personnel policy that include changing the city hall office hours to 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Delaney said the change was requested by employees.
•Appointed Dave Rambow to the Community Improvement Commission.