City of Lake Elmo, MN

PROJECT CONTACTS: If you have any questions or concerns about this project please contact the City of Lake Elmo Engineering staff.

• Chad Isakson, Assistant City Engineer 651-300-4283           isakson@FOCUSengineeringinc.com
• Jack Griffin, City Engineer 300.4264            jack.griffin@FOCUSengineeringinc.com

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES: Updates will be placed on this website when new information becomes available.

• Punchlist work in the neighborhood is underway. The contractor is working to schedule restoration repairs. No date is available at this time as to when they will be out there.
• Connection to City water is ready. Official notice will be mailed out with detail on the process to connect.

PROJECT HISTORY:

• The City Council ordered the improvements and awarded a contract to A-1 Excavating at the June 1, 2021 meeting. Contracts are being processed and a neighborhood construction meeting will be scheduled in the next month.
• Feasibility Report was presented to the City Council at the May 4, 2021 council meeting. It was accepted by Council and a Public Hearing has been called to be held at the City Council meeting on June 1, 2021
• Contractor bids were received on May 20, 2021 with A-1 Excavating being the apparent low qualified bidder.
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Grant Agreement was approved on October 20, 2020, and Grant amount increase was amended on January 28, 2021.
• City Council authorized preparation of Feasibility Report on October 20, 2020.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF IMPROVEMENTS:  In July, 2020 the City of Lake Elmo submitted applications to the MPCA to extend municipal water service to existing neighborhoods that reside in the Special Well Construction Area due to PFAS contamination. The City’s grant application was successful for the 38th-39th Street Neighborhood and a Grant Application for the project was approved on October 20, 2020.

The 38th-39th Street Neighborhood Street and Utility Improvement project will extend clean drinking water to 49 homes located in the Bordners Garner Farmettes subdivision in the City of Lake Elmo by extending the municipal water system into the neighborhood prior to reconstructing the neighborhood streets as scheduled for improvement in 2021 in the City’s capital improvement plan, and prior to the County Roadway Improvements along Ideal Avenue (CSAH 13) to be completed in 2022.

The project extends a 12-inch trunk public watermain from the Public Works building site located to the south, across a portion of city property and north along Ideal Avenue, to bring the city water supply to the neighborhood. Approximately 7,700 feet of watermain will extend to the neighborhood, run along 38th Street, 39th Street and Innsdale Avenue, as well as north and south along Ideal Avenue (CSAH 13), to connect the 12-inch trunk watermain to the existing 6-inch watermain at the intersection of Lake Jane Trail. Individual water service stubs will be installed to the edge of right-of-way at each of the 49 residential properties.  Following the installation of the public watermain improvements, the public streets, including 38th Street, 39th Street and Innsdale Avenue will be reconstructed including storm sewer and storm water management improvements to meet Valley Branch Watershed District requirements.

As part of the Grant Agreement with the MPCA, all households in the development, regardless of Health Based Values (HBVs), are eligible to connect to city water and all properties that connect must have their private well(s) properly sealed and abandoned, unless exempted by the MPCA as a monitoring well, within one year after water service is made available and following written notice from the city to connect.

PROJECT FUNDING:  The improvements will be funded primarily through the MPCA Grant. The total estimated project cost is $3,743,000. This includes $1,127,000 for the public watermain improvements, $1,921,000 for the street and drainage improvements, and $695,000 for the private water service connections/well sealing improvements. The improvements will be primarily funded through a grant from the MPCA under the 2018 3M Settlement Agreement as an expedited project, and in accordance with the MPCA-Lake Elmo Grant Agreement dated October 2020, 2020, and amended January 28, 2021.

The City will contract for the public improvements located within the public right-of-way, make payment to the contractors and submit invoices for reimbursement through the MPCA Grant. The City intends to use fund reserves for the public improvements to pay the up-front project costs and to cover any city cost participation.

The private water service connection and well sealing work will be contracted separately by each individual property owner. Eligible private property costs will be paid from the MPCA Grant on a reimbursement basis through the city. This reimbursement applies to the contractor costs to install the water service line from the right-of-way to the home connection, the costs to abandon the private well(s) on the property, and all permit fees including a $3,000 Water Availability Charge (WAC), a $1,000 Water Connection Charge, a $430 Meter Fee, and a $60 Plumbing Permit Fee. If the property currently has a granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment system, the removal of the system from the home will also be reimbursed.

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS: Preliminary assessments have been established in the feasibility report which will be adopted by Council. The preliminary assessment rolls are available at the link at the bottom of the page and details each impacted property. These amounts are based on estimated project costs and are not final. Upon completion of the project and the one-year period to make connection to city water and abandon your private well, the final assessment hearing will be held and the Council will consider the adoption of final assessment amounts. Properties that have made connection to city water and abandoned the private well will have their assessment fully or partially removed.

Please see the Feasibility report dated May 2021 for additional information on assessments.

• Preliminary assessment for Public Watermain Improvements. $20,800. Assessment is payable over 20 years at an interest rate of 1% over what the city bond rate.
• Preliminary assessment for Street and Storm Sewer Improvements. $12,300. Assessment is payable over 15 years at an interest rate of 1% over what the city bond rate.

ATTACHMENTS

• Click here to view the project location map 
• Click here to view the May 24, 2021 neighborhood presentation
• Click here to view the March 10, 2021 neighborhood presentation
• Click here to view the list of contractors licensed to work in Lake Elmo
• Click here to view the proposed improvements Exhibit
• Click here for a copy of the full project Feasibility Report
• Click here to view the project Preliminary Assessment Roll 
• Click here to view the Project Schedule
• Click here to view the MPCA Notice regarding private wells and the 3M Settlement
• Click here to the view the presentation to the City Council
• Click here to view the 2021-06-23 neighborhood presentation