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TRUMAN-- The Truman City Council on Monday met with Sam Parker with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) regarding a proposal to add a sidewalk along Highway 15.
Mayor Jake Ebert said there are no sidewalks on Highway 15 and that the council had some questions on what can and cannot be done.
"Safety is a big priority. In my life I know three kids that have been hit on the highway there," Ebert said.
Parker said first they need to determine if there is space in the public right of way or if land would need to be acquired from a business in the area.
"From our perspective, we're not opposed to adding a sidewalk. It makes sense," Parker said.
He spoke about a program called the Local Partnership Program. If the city leads the project, state highway funds could be secured and used. Parker said it is a competitive process and that the application is due soon, but he encouraged the council to pursue it.
Council Member Patty Truax said that there is a partial sidewalk on the South end where there used to be school crossing on Highway 15.
Council Member Ron Kelley asked if it would be possible to put a crosswalk between Casey's and Aardvark's. Parker asked if there were any other marked crosswalks crossing Highway 15. The council indicated that there used to be one on the South end by the school.
"As far as the crosswalk itself, marking it... it's in a 30 miles per hour zone. We do (run into) issues with density, proximity of other crosswalks... we'll take a look at that. There could be other options as far as what we could do," Parker said.
Truax noted that it didn't used to be an issue when there was a grocery store on the West side of Highway 15, but that now there are fewer options on that side and more on the East side of Highway 15.
"With Dollar General, you see kids crossing," Kelley said.
Parker encouraged the council to look into and pursue state highway funding for the project and he said timing is good for that. He pointed out that using local funds is always an option as well.
Moving to other matters, the council discussed what it wanted to do regarding bids for the campground expansion project. At its last meeting the council heard that the project would be about $327,867 plus additional work which would bring the total to around $450,000.
Truax said she thought they should put the matter up to a public vote since they were using city funds. City Clerk Melissa Sirovy said she wasn't sure if that could be put up for public vote, but that she would check. She said said that Troy Nemmers, an engineer with Bolton & Menk who had presented details of the project to the council, was asking whether the council wanted to accept any bids.
Ebert asked whether the council would be open to selling the land if someone was interested in turning it into a modern campground. Kelley said he would be open to that. Council Member Brian Nickerson indicated that he knew of at least one person interested in purchasing the land for that purpose.
Truax said there is no "accountability" at the campground. She took issue with the fact that they don't know how much use or how much money the campground is currently bringing in and said she felt like they were putting the cart before the horse.
"I hate to put it off some more but I don't want to make a decision at this minute," said Nickerson.
Ebert acknowledged that all of the council members want to see progress made but pointed out that they currently don't have funding for the project.
"We have to make the best financial decision," Ebert said.
The council tabled the issue for the time being.
In other news, the council:
-- Accepted a grant of $40,000 from Age-Friendly Minnesota to be used to reimburse the city for the cost of remodeling and repair work at the Community Building.
-- Approved an ordinance change to parking regulations on Ciro Street.
-- Set a work session for 5:30p.m. Tuesday, June 13 to discuss the possibility of a municipal liquor store.
-- Set the date for clean-up day for Saturday, Sept. 23.
-- Moved the next council meeting from Monday, June 19, to Tuesday, June 20 due to the Juneteenth holiday.