The Stewartville City Council met for the first time in 2016 on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Members include, front row, from left, Craig Anderson and Wendy Timm. Back row, from left, Gary Stensrud, Mayor Jimmie-John King and Dick Uptagrafft.
City officials have taken another step toward improving a number of streets in 2016.
The Stewartville City Council unanimously approved a resolution last week approving plans and specifications and ordering the advertisement of bids to improve Fourth Street Northeast, Third Avenue Northeast, Fifth Street Northeast and a portion of Sixth Avenue Southwest.
Mayor Jimmie-John King and councilpersons Wendy Timm, Gary Stensrud, Dick Uptagrafft and Craig Anderson all voted to approve the resolution.
Residents who live along the streets to be improved discussed the projects during an hour-long public hearing at the Stewartville Fire Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. The residents learned at that meeting that they are scheduled to pay individual assessments ranging from, for example, an estimated $3,904.50 to an estimated $4,482.50, $5,060.50, $6,216.50 or $7,372.50.
Typically, most residents pay off their assessment bills by paying 10 percent of the bill per year, plus interest, over a 10-year period. Barb Neubauer, city finance director, told the affected residents at the August meeting that they can expect to pay 3.99 percent interest on their assessments.
Neubauer wrote a memo to the City Council last week explaining that because the projects include roads available for Municipal State Aid, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) must review all the plans.
“At this time they are in the process of review and may require minor changes,” Neubauer wrote.
Neubauer asked the City Council to approve the… For more on this story pick up your copy of the Jan. 19 Stewartville STAR.
Mark Peterson
Editor