Montevideo moves its street and flood projects forward

MONTEVIDEO -- City council members in Montevideo agreed to move forward with plans for an estimated $1.2 million in street improvements in the coming year at their meeting Tuesday, according to City Manager Steve Jones.

Council members called for a public hearing on the street assessments at 7 p.m. March 1.

The work includes improvements to portions of William, Coleman, Ashmore, Windom and Park Avenues as well as a part of 24th Street.

State aid funds of $467,000 are expected towards the costs of the improvements, based on estimates from Rodeberg and Berryman, project engineers. Property owners will be responsible for an estimated $317,000 in assessments towards the costs and the city's share is estimated at $482,000, according to the engineer's report. In other business, council members approved an agreement with the state of Minnesota for $2.5 million grant funds toward the flood protection levee improvements.

The funding will allow work to proceed this year on phase two of the overall flood project. It will focus on the portion of the project that calls for raising the U.S. Highway 212 levee.

The city is pursuing an estimated, $10.3 million upgrade to the city's flood defenses as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. The largest portion of that work will occur as the third phase of construction, possibly in 2011.

The city is continuing to seek funding for the overall project. Its share of costs has risen from $944,000 to $1,523,711.