“The first area they will dig up is the west end lift station on west Minnesota Street near H&L Express,” Pete Carlson, city engineer, said. “While they are waiting for the pumps and control panel to arrive, they will start work on Washburne from Mill Street to the hospital corner. Main Street will be the next area on the schedule.”
Carlson said all the underground work should be done by the end of May and the crews will start paving the streets in June. The entire project should be completed by July.
“S. J. Louis plans on working long hours, from sunup to sundown,” Carlson told the council. “I expect the work to go fast. He has the equipment and manpower to get the job done.”
Ken Lange, H&L manager, asked if Minnesota Street couldn’t be resurfaced with curb and gutter after the lift station was completed. This short stretch of Minnesota Street was not originally included in the 1998 street project.
Carlson told the council that adding the street would be no problem. Since the street is located between Highways 23 and 55, the state will share in part of the cost on the project.
West Minnesota Street would be rebuilt to match the width of the street on the east side of Highway 55. Cost of the project is estimated at about $10,138.
In other business:
• The council approved the Paynesville Police Department contract with Paynesville Township for protection. The city has a five-year contract with the township, but establish new rates after every year of the contract. The rates increased 4.2 percent from last year for a total cost of $26,640 for 1,200 hours of protection.
• The council approved the one-year option with Robert and Phyllis Gardner to purchase the lot between Yarmon Ford and Mercury and Country Inn for the purpose of establishing a restaurant.