The Dundas City Council met on Monday night during which City Administrator Jenelle Teppen said the Minnesota State Legislature, and Senator Bill Lieske in particular, came through for a project she has been working on for quite some time.
When County Road 1 was widened in 2018, there were no pedestrian crossings put in at Highway 3, leaving a somewhat dangerous situation for people who have to cross in that area. Teppen said she has been working to have the situation rectified since she took office in 2019.
This year, she wrote a long and detailed letter to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, copying Senator Lieske and Representative Kristi Pursell.
Lieske, Teppen said, was able to have $370,000 allocated for the project in the state’s $2.6 billion infrastructure bill, and the city is expecting to receive the funding later this year.
Teppen said the project will be more than just a crosswalk and flashing lights.
“And there will be some trail connections. Trails along County Road 1 and Hwy. 3 kind of just end. If you want to make your way from one trail to the other trail, you have to walk or ride your bike or whatever through the ditch. Seems kind of crazy to me that there were no connections made during that project, but here we are.”
In other developments from the meeting, Teppen said the Department of Natural Resources has been granted the request to increase the amount and timing of a water surcharge applied to cities. Teppen said currently, in an effort to curb water use during the summer months, the DNR imposes a surcharge of $30 per 1 million gallons used by a city between June and August, and that will now be expanded to a $50 surcharge between May and September. Teppen said that will affect the city’s watering restrictions moving forward, most likely to include the months of May and September.
She said the Council also renewed the city’s liquor licenses at the meeting on Monday night and included in that a special license for Chapel Brewing to host an event with the Minnesota Brewers Association on July 9th.
