County Road 1 Roundabout cost may be out of reach for Dundas
Dundas Council had the County Road 1 construction between Hwys 246 and 3, back on their agenda last night. Administrator John McCarthy said the County looked at the potential of a non-motorized trail. In particular Bridgewater Township and Dundas have a significant amount of homes that would be affected as County road 1 is their only outside access. There’s a lot of interest in having the ability to get to Dundas businesses, such as Menards, areas along Stafford Road and Northfield’s Target and YMCA. McCarthy says, right now, the general consensus is for an underpass at Brockman Court. The entities, Dundas, Bridgewater Township, Rice County and the Mill Towns Trail group are interested but there’s a significant cost. As part of the reconstruction there would be reduction of the hill and, depending on how far that’s reduced,
the cost to Dundas may increase. As the hill is cut down, Dundas would also have to bear the cost of a pressure relief valve and utilities that must be moved. The lower the road, the higher the cost. Another complicated option is looking at a roundabout. McCarthy says it’s safer for all traffic. The underpass would be about $330,000, the cost of a trail connection is another $80,000 and the County is still working on the cost of a roundabout. McCarthy says, “I think everybody agrees a roundabout is a better idea but it has the possibility of creating a tremendous cost in the City of Dundas that I don’t think we could afford”. Dundas isn’t interested in bonding for the whole project but might consider a lesser amount. The County wants to make a decision by the end of the year.
Voter pre-registration and absentee voting
Northfield City Clerk Deb Little is deep into setting up for the November 8th elections. If you aren’t registered yet, you can save time by pre-registering. The deadline is Tuesday, October 18. You can register online at the MN Secretary of State website. You can also cast your vote early by mail or in person now through November 7th. Vote in person at Northfield City Hall during business hours. KYMN is partnering with the Northfield Chamber of Commerce and the Northfield News in a series of 4 candidate forums covering State, City and School board elections. The first, involving State candidates, took place this morning. Dates and times of the forums are posted on kymn.net. You’re invited to attend. They will be videotaped and made available to the public as soon as possible. Click HERE for more information on voting in Northfield.
Nfld Council to discuss “Booker” and more at work session
The Northfield City Council meets for a work session tonight. They’ll discuss utility rates, which Staff is recommending no change. Also on the agenda is a larger City contribution for a new bookmobile for the Northfield Public Library. The Minneapolis (Mpls) Foundation has offered to help fund a new bookmobile. Director Theresa Jensen proposed a package that included 25{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} from The City, 50{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} from the Mpls Foundation and 25{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} from community organizations and individuals. Some City Councilors felt the City could cover more than that so Staff put together a possibility of a 40{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} contribution. The cost to replace Booker is nearly $136,000. City Administrator Ben Martig will be in studio at 7:20 tomorrow morning with more. He’s sitting in for Mayor Dana Graham during the election season.
Carleton celebrates 150 years with “Town and Gown” event
Sesquicentennial banners are waving proudly on the Carleton campus and downtown Northfield as the College gears up for its 150th birthday bash. A public celebration includes a special Town & Gown event this Thursday, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Bridge Square. The public is invited to enjoy live music from The Counterfactuals (comprised of professors from Carleton and St. Olaf;) brief speeches by Northfield Mayor Dana Graham, St. Olaf President David Anderson, and Carleton President Steve Poskanzer; food trucks; and, of course, birthday cake! In conjunction with the sesquicentennial, the Northfield Historical Society will present a debut their new exhibit, “Hometown Ties: Carleton College Celebrates 150 Years with Northfield,”.
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