Council acts on bike ride, runway project, new well

Talk about it

A silent bike ride, airport runway improvements, a new water well and taxi cab increases.

Those were just some of the topics that popped up at the Alexandria City Council’s three-hour-long meeting on April 23.

The council:

• Approved plans for the third annual “Ride of Silence” for bicyclists in Alexandria. It will take place Wednesday, May 16, starting at 2nd Avenue near Big Ole. The public is invited to join the ride. Bicyclists will meet at 6:30 p.m. and start the silent ride at 7 p.m. The event is part of a worldwide effort to raise awareness to the fact that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. It also is a chance to remember those killed or injured in bike crashes. Locally, the ride is organized by Jake Capistrant and Brad and Sue Dumm. The Dumms lost their son, Dennis, in a bicycle crash in the Twin Cities in 2009.

• Heard good news from its airport consultants. The state has awarded the city a grant that will completely cover the costs of overlaying and patching the airport runways. The council authorized the consultants to call for bids on the project, which is estimated to cost $70,000.

• Approved a request from Alexandria Light and Power to call for bids on a new well that will replace an existing well that’s been plugging up. It will be located in ALP’s well field north of the Eagles. The estimated cost is $175,000.

• Approved a request from Orange Cab to increase its taxi rates from $3 to $3.50. The company said the increase was needed to make up for higher fuel prices.

• Agreed to temporarily close portions of Jefferson Street to allow the Jefferson High School Marching Band to practice this summer. Practices start May 11. A waterline project on Jefferson is also planned this summer. The city and bandleaders will discuss the project’s impact on the rehearsals.

• Approved the 2012 contract with the Alexandria Youth Baseball Association to provide maintenance, game preparation and clean-up services at Knute Nelson Memorial Park. The association will receive $9,500, $1,000 more than last year’s contract.

• Issued a conditional use permit for Alexandria Auto and Marine to display up to 89 vehicles, including docks and lifts, outside on a lot it recently purchased on North Nokomis, north of the Living Waters Church parking lot.

• Issued a conditional use permit to Alexandria Motors on Highway 29 South to display up to 15 vehicles as part of its new car rental business, Enterprise.

• Authorized the city planning department to re-hire Nick Buller as a summer intern. He’ll work 32 hours a week at no city expense. He’ll be paid $2,500 through Active Living Douglas County. Buller is a senior at the University of Minnesota, pursing a double major in urban studies and human resources development. Projects he’ll be working on include park and trail planning; Safe Routes to School programs at Lincoln, Voyager and Discovery schools; and the city’s 2012 comprehensive plan.

• Approved engineering agreements with Widseth Smith Nolting and Associates of Alexandria. It will receive $686,260 for work on the phase four, part one watermain extension project, which is estimated to cost a total of $5.49 million. It will also receive $62,510 for work on the downtown parking lot projects at 5th Avenue, and Fillmore and 7th Avenue, which are estimated to cost about $410,000.

• Was informed that the city received a dividend check from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust for workers’ compensation in the amount of $26,750. It’s the first workers’ comp dividend the city has received since 2000. The money will go back into the liquor stores enterprise fund, the city and Runestone Community Center fund and Alexandria Light and Power fund.

• Agreed to request Douglas County to convey tax-forfeited property at 404 12th Avenue East to the Alexandria Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The HRA plans to develop the property for low to moderate income family housing. The HRA will negotiate a price for the property. The HRA has agreed to reimburse the city for the demolition costs of the property, which amounted to $9,256.

Tags: local news, bike ride, news, runway, council, alexandria