The Crookston City Council met on Monday to discuss preliminary engineering reports, temporary construction easements, and municipal regulations ahead of the Ox Cart Days festival.
FRONT STREET STORMWATER OUTFALL
The first topic up for discussion was a resolution accepting the Front Street Stormwater Outfall Preliminary Engineering Report and Task Order #30, authorizing the final design and implementation of the project. Based on the preliminary engineering report, the recommended work on the outfall is a full pipe replacement. This option was recommended as the most practical and cost-effective long-term solution to improve system reliability, reduce future maintenance costs, and protect public infrastructure. “We’ve been trying to do fixes over the years, and now it’s just getting to be a bigger issue than we thought,” said Public Works Director Chuck Getsman. “And so, we would like to move forward and correct the problem. AE2S came up with a couple different options for us, which is less on cost, but should repair it.” The total project costs are $237,375.
LIFT STATION FIVE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING
The next discussion was a resolution accepting the Lift Station 5 Preliminary Engineering Report and Task Order #31, authorizing the final design and project implementation. The report identified deficiencies in the existing lift station and evaluated alternatives for rehabilitating or replacing the facility. The recommendation is to perform wet well rehabilitation, a practical, cost-effective solution that will improve system reliability, safety, and long-term performance while extending the lift station’s service life. “With these improvements made, we should see less backflow into residential housing,” said Getsman. “Plus, if there are any expansions that take place down in that area, the sewer lines and the lift station will be able to handle it with no issues.” Interim City Administrator Darin Selzler told the council that this project is expected to cost $227,362.50 and will be combined with the Front Street project into a single city-funded project, with the potential to bond it in 2027 or use reserve funds from the wastewater fund to pay for it.
BROADWAY/MAIN ADA RETROFIT EASEMENTS
The council’s final agenda item was a resolution approving temporary construction easements for the Broadway and Main Street ADA retrofit and concrete pavement repair project. The easements are for M. Schulz Properties, LLC, located at 121 South Main Street. Following negotiations with SRF Consulting Group, Inc., the compensation offer is $1,000. Selzler told the council that this was one of several easements between the city and private property owners ahead of the ongoing work to prepare for the Highway 2 reconstruction project, set to begin in the spring of 2027. “There have been easements between the state of Minnesota and the city of Crookston,” said Selzler. “This particular easement, as we’ve seen a few, is between the city of Crookston and business owners along the Highway 2 corridor south of East Robert on both Broadway and Main. I believe we have ran six roughly through council. There should be maybe one or more to come through. This is just another one that trickled in.”
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda was approved by the council in a unanimous vote. Items on the consent agenda included approval of the proposed minutes from the July 20 council meeting, authorization to approve the city’s bills and disbursements in the amount of $1,264,366.10, a resolution regarding the display of fireworks and pyrotechnics within city limits as part of the Ox Cart Days festival, a resolution regarding the Irishman Shanty Inc. dispensing of intoxicating liquor on the premises of a community festival, a resolution regarding Drafts Sports Bar dispensing of intoxicating liquor on the premises of a community festival, a resolution to conduct at Ox Cart Beer Garden an off-site gambling for the Crookston Firefighters Association, a resolution authorizing the execution of a utility easement to PMK Electric Cooperative Inc. for an underground powerline, and a resolution to approve Angie Peltier as an election judge for the 2026 primary and general election.
The next City Council meeting will be held on Monday, August 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall. The Ways and Means Committee will meet immediately following the City Council meeting in the council chambers at City Hall.
