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Item No: 8C <br />Meeting Date: November 10, 2014 <br />Type of Business: Consent Agenda <br />Administrator Review: ____ <br /> <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br /> <br /> <br /> To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: Nick DeBar, Director of Public Works/City Engineer <br />Item Title/Subject: Resolution 8323, Supporting a Jurisdictional Transfer of Highway <br />Avenue to Ramsey County and Functional Classification Change <br /> <br />Background/Discussion: <br />Highway Avenue is an extension of County Road H between County Road 10 (CSAH 10) and I-35W <br />that is under the jurisdiction of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). Highway <br />Avenue currently ends on the east side of the I-35W bridge and has traditionally been used for <br />access onto and off I-35W. Mn/DOT also has jurisdiction of the southeast leg of the CSAH <br />10/County Road H intersection while Ramsey County has jurisdiction of the west leg of County Road <br />H and northwest leg of County Road 10 from the intersection. <br /> <br />There is major construction work currently being planned for 2016 that includes replacement of the I- <br />35W bridge at this location including reconstruction Highway Avenue and CSAH 10/County Road H <br />intersection. Ramsey County and Arden Hills will also be constructing a spline road serving the Rice <br />Creek Commons Development (formerly TCAAP) that will connect to the east side of the Highway <br />Avenue (County Road H) bridge over I-35W. Upon completion of the improvements, Highway <br />Avenue will be a link between County Road H and the spline road serving Rice Creek Commons. <br /> <br />Ramsey County Public Works has made a formal request to Mn/DOT for a jurisdictional transfer of <br />Highway Avenue from the state highway system to the county highway system to accommodate the <br />future use of the roadway. Ramsey County plans to rename Highway Avenue to County Road H <br />and has made request to change the functional classification designation of Highway Avenue from <br />“B Minor Arterial” to “A Minor Arterial - Expander”. This change in designation will allow Ramsey <br />County to accurately reflect the roadway classification and accrue additional funding for future <br />maintenance and improvements. <br /> <br />Mn/DOT requires a resolution of support from affected municipalities for jurisdictional transfers and <br />functional classification changes. Ramsey County has asked Mounds View and Arden Hills to <br />provide such support. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br />As Director of Public Works/City Engineer, I have been involved with many meetings as a member of <br />the project management team for the various improvements that Ramsey County has been <br />undertaking and planning along the I-35W corridor, including the I-35W/CSAH 10/County Road H <br />intersection improvements. I recommend that the City Council approve the attached resolution that <br />will support Ramsey County’s efforts to obtain jurisdictional control of Highway Avenue and obtain a <br />functional classification that accurately reflects the future use of Highway Avenue (County Road H). <br /> <br />Adopting the resolution does not approve any planned improvements by the County or increase any <br />costs that the City may incur from the improvements. Ramsey County representatives will be <br />presenting planned improvements to the Council at their December work session and will ask the <br />City Council for municipal consent sometime in early 2015. <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> <br />Nick DeBar – Director of Public Works/City Engineer