The November 28 Rushford Council meeting welcomed the new Rolling Hills Transit Director, Melinda Fields, who discussed upcoming plans and needs for the regional transportation company. It operates 13 routes within Dodge, rural Olmsted, Winona, Fillmore, and Houston counties. Service is available for anyone, providing curb-to-curb service with handicap accessibility at affordable rates.
The company is asking cities it serves to support operation of their routes financially, specifically in the cost of bus replacements. Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) provides 80% of Rolling Hills operations, equipment, and maintenance funding. The remaining percentage is a local share previously paid by the company. Now, it is asking cities to split that 20% cost.
While buses are certified by the state and replaced every five years or 150,000 miles, the Rushford bus is well past that. “We pride ourselves on how we take care of our buses. We don’t put things off and that has helped us during the time we’ve had to extend the lives of the buses,” said Fields. “The whole state, everyone’s in the same boat… the whole country.”
The final shared percentage cost should Rushford contribute, is dependent on the cost of the bus. Fields noted that replacements for all companies backed up in 2020 due to a chassis shortage. Across several companies, 263 buses were ordered that year, according to Fields, and 11 were delivered. 43 buses are expected in 2023. New orders are out to 2025 and beyond.
Luckily, three of the 2020 requests made by the company are underway. Despite new prices being double the original cost, or $184,000, Rolling Hills expects the cost of the Rushford-designated bus at $97,000. “We’re driving buses that aged with a lot of miles and that sort of thing. That’s why we’re reaching out. There’s no way Rolling Hills can afford to buy all the buses,” added Fields.
“We have worked hard to let people know this is public transit that anyone can ride,” said Fields. “It’s pretty exciting that we’re back on track. We’ve really been able to grow in most areas.” It was noted that the company has a difficult time with ridership in Rushford. Fields is unsure if this is due to the perception that it’s for low-income or strictly the elderly and children. “We’re trying to change that and stir some interest.”
There was some discussion regarding rides on the Rushford route that are pickups in Rushford Village and Peterson. “Have you approached them for funding? They are a city,” questioned Councilor Jim O’Donnell.
Mayor Terri Benson and Councilor Sally Ryman echoed the sentiment and suggested a discussion with the cities may be an opportunity for contribution or at least starting the conversation.
“It’s still a large dollar amount after the MnDOT funding portion. We’d like to decide on a goal and initiative after talking to each community. We’re excited to see what we can get together and work on,” said Fields.
In other news, the council did approve extending the Darr Realty listing contract for the remaining lots in the Himlie Business Park. The previous contract will expire on December 31. The term of the extension is one year. Of the original 10 listings, just three remain, all on the east side of Miller Circle. According to Rod Darr, there has been recent interest in commercial and residential lots.
The council asked Darr for his opinion on the recent Open Doors: A Tour of Business Opportunities event. “I thought it was a good idea,” said Darr. “The people I talked to weren’t just kicking tires. They actually showed some interest.”
“Maybe a whole bunch of property didn’t change hands that day, but it got people talking. Repeating it would well serve the community,” said Councilor Leigh Volkman.
The Highway 30 Reconstruction & Utility project is wrapping up for 2022. City Engineer Derek Olinger, of Bolton & Menk, was on hand to discuss project standing.
Completion dates are off from the scheduled timeline and MnDOT is discussing liquidated damages with the contractor. Because MnDOT was the lead, Bolton & Menk is not privy to the details at this time. “We’ve had some thoughts on that, but I don’t know how much involvement we’ll have. There will be an agreement on the final extension.”
Why the project was behind is up for discussion. “There are various reasons… things we absolutely know of. Others… we’ve heard there’s a list a page long. We haven’t seen it and we have no idea how long that’ll take to determine,” continued Olinger. “That’s why there are completion dates in the contract to try and push them to complete it. Once it starts, it is the contractor’s project schedule.”
Punch list items are due to be done by June 17, 2023. Final costs are coming. There may be $78,000-98,000 left in the project contingency fund and a prorated portion of liquidated damages by MnDOT against the contractor could be seen.
The council unanimously approved two deferral requests on special assessments applied to properties in the affected area. While in place, property owners must pay the interest portion of the assessment. The principal is due when the property is sold. The interest rate on the assessments is 3.8%.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Monday, December 12, at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
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