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various gravels used by the city, and is recommending a spring workshop with the City Council <br />to discuss test results and methods for improving the gravel roads. At that workshop, the staff <br />will likely recommend a significant improvement project to occur on some of the city's gravel <br />roads in 2018. <br />Construction projects in 2018 will focus primarily on new public roads and utilities to <br />be constructed concurrent with private development. Aside from that, we are not anticipating <br />major projects to impact Hugo this year. Work on the Hugo Short Line Railroad will be <br />completed in the spring. Completion of fiber-optic lines in eastern Hugo in 2017 will allow high <br />speed internet service to much of rural Hugo. Conversion of City street lights to LED is <br />underway, which will lower energy and maintenance costs. Discussion on a collaborative effort <br />with Lino Lakes in underway concerning paving of Elmcrest Avenue in Southern Hugo and <br />Cedar Street in Lino Lakes. <br />South Water Tower. Staff is preparing plans for a new water tower on 125th street to <br />replace the existing tower on 130th Street. Plans, specs and construction timelines will be <br />presented to Council in 2018. <br />Bridges. City consulting staff has completed inspections of several city bridges that will <br />need maintenance work. Staff will present this information to the Council in 2018. Included <br />will be a continuing discussion about whether to close the Forest Road Bridge. <br />Water: <br />White Bear Lake Lawsuit. Judge Marrinan's ruling has significant impacts on the City. <br />The DNR has amended the city's water appropriations permit as a result. Staff anticipates <br />spending significant time and resources dealing with the requirements and consequences of the <br />court order. Unfortunately, it will likely cause us to re -set conservation priorities, and will divert <br />effort away from the normally good work we complete on responsible water management each <br />year. An appeal of the lawsuit is expected to be heard by the Court of Appeals this summer. <br />Staff will continue to provide periodic updates to the Council which will include discussion on <br />requirements for creating a water supply contingency plan, implementing a total residential <br />irrigation ban, amendments to the city's water supply plan, creation of plans to ensure <br />compliance with maximum water consumption levels, reports on required collaboration <br />measures with other jurisdictions, and a myriad of other related tasks. <br />Stormwater re -use. The looming irrigation ban might encourage additional stormwater <br />re -use projects for those who wish to continue to irrigate. Staff is prepared to continue working <br />with developers and homeowners associations to encourage conversion to stormwater-based <br />irrigation systems. The Waters Edge re -use project will be operational in the spring. We <br />continue to seek outside funds for these purposes. <br />Water Conservation. Many of the measures the city has implemented for water <br />conservation, may no longer be relevant as a result of the court ruling. These programs will need <br />to be re-evaluated before they are continued. Council has approved a new water rate structure <br />that is now being implemented. The rates will need to be changed again in 2018 if the court <br />ruling still stands at the end of the year. <br />