06-20-11 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JUNE 20, 2011 RAILROAD- The City Administrator reported that based on discussion at a previous TRAIL Council meeting, the City Engineer was directed to determine the CROSSING feasibility of extending the City's agreement with BNSF Railroad for AGREEMENT the City's trail crossing in the area near Frattalone property as well as break out the cost of the various components of this project. The Administrator pointed out that, as previously discussed, the cost of the project is substantially higher than initially anticipated. Project costs were originally estimated at $40,000 and are now estimated at between $140,000 and $150,000. This is mainly attributable to the requirements that BNSF Railroad has placed on the project, the substantial fill needed, and the need to replace trail segments that were disturbed by St. Paul Regional Water during well construction even after the City had cleared our proposed location prior to trail construction with that agency. The Administrator reported that the initial permit with BNSF Railroad was for 12 months, and the project would have to be constructed this summer under the original permit. BNSF is agreeable to a one -year extension of the permit at a cost of $600. The Administrator noted that substantial fill is needed for this project given grade differences, and the Engineer estimated a cost savings of $10,000 to $15,000 if fill from the 2011 street projects can be used for the trail project. However, the Engineer feels it may be more advantageous to take the fill from a future street project. The 2011 contractor would charge the City for placing the fill, thus reducing the cost savings. Project specifications for a future street project could be written so that the contractor would be required to place this fill as part of the project. The Administrator then noted that the City previously had some grant dollars for this project, however, was not able to take advantage of the full funding given the delay in obtaining the permit from the railroad The Administrator suggested that if the project is delayed, the City could look for additional grant dollars, however, he was not optimistic that the City would be successful. Blesener suggested that the best option at this point may be to delay the project, obtain a permit extension from the railroad, and try to find grant dollars to buy down the cost of the project. The Parks & Recreation Director agreed. He noted that the cost of the project increased substantially given the requirements placed on the project by the railroad. He felt that the additional time in delaying the project could be used to try to obtain additional grant funding. Keis agreed, and noted the uncertainty with the State's budget. The Administrator pointed out that the permit 12