Major Road, Stormwater, Sewer and Water Improvements in Store for Wykoff

By Zech Sindt

The Wykoff City Council meeting came to order at 7 p.m. on October 17. Mayor Ryan Breckenridge, City Administrator Becky Schmidt, Administrative Assistant Luann Hare, and city council members Kaleb Himli, Lyle Morey, Barbara Fate and Jeffrey Hare were all present.

Rick Whitney from the wastewater treatment plant discussed the city’s need for, and the costs associated with, a new EQ tank for the wastewater plant. Whitney said he talked to Stantec, who is willing to help the city apply for a grant through the MPCA for the design and planning stage of a new EQ tank. The cost to do that is about $5000. That would be non-reimbursable, and would allow for the creation of plans and bid documents to build the EQ tank. Whitney also said he has completed about 65-70% of the federally mandated home lead and copper inspections. In addition, he’s trying to arrange for water tower inspections in the Spring. 

The council approved two building permits, one for a deck replacement, and one for a fence. They denied a permit for a detached carport because it would be too close to an alley. The alley is not currently being used, so there was some discussion about the possibility of selling that portion of the alley. City Administrator Becky Scmidt said if they were to sell the property, they would have to get it surveyed, and then they would have to put it up for auction with sealed bids. There will be more discussion about this topic in the future.

Mayor Ryan Breckenridge said that two weeks ago, 34 eighth grade Kingsland students came to town to help with some of the maintenance. He says it was a fun day. They painted the dugouts, well house covers, jailhouse door, and did some weeding. 

The Stantec feasibility report was the main topic of the meeting. Brett Grabau, an engineer at Stantec, attended the meeting to lay out future plans. He’s broken down the project into five sections; Area 1 is Line Street North and Bartlett Street, Area 2 is Line Street South, Area 3 is South Main Street, Area 4 is Silver Street North, and Area 5 runs behind the fire hall. 

Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4 will include roadway improvements, stormwater utility improvements, sanitary sewer improvements, and water distribution improvements. Area 5 will include sanitary sewer utility improvements and surface removal and improvements. Detailed cost estimates for the improvements are Area 1, $654,314.24; Area 2, $756,898.95; Area 3, $723,371.85; Area 4, $517,306.11; and Area 5, $248,482.80. Total project cost estimate is $2,900,373.95. 

Grabau says if the council wants to do any of these projects next year, they need to get started on the decision-making process immediately. The most pressing decision to be made is which portions of the project should be done first. Plans were made for city council members to visit each of the sites over the weekend of October 19, and come to a decision about the most pressing issues on October 22 at 7 p.m. when they hold a meeting specifically for the project. In order for any portion of the work to be completed next year, a public hearing for assessments will need to be held on or about Monday, November 11. Final city council approval of plans and specifications would need to be completed on or about February 10, 2025. 

In other business, the council made the decision to donate their old siren to the Fountain Historical Society. They also approved a bid for American Waterworks to repair foundation problems on the fire hall. In addition, the council recognized Stender Enterprises for their work on a wall hydrant in September. Schmidt noted that whenever Stender does any work in the city, they always donate the money back to the city. Schmidt said she filled out a grant for a new hose reel on the new tanker from the DNR and was approved. They will get the check in November. They also approved an ad for a 2025 Visit Bluff Country magazine advertisemen. As a last item for new business, they discussed a new law that will go into effect for all employees in Minnesota. The new law covers all employees for paid medical leave.

A Cannabinoid Ordinance meeting is scheduled for November 18.