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<br /> <br />1 <br />7 <br />8 <br /> <br />E <br /> <br />9 <br />T <br /> <br />H <br /> <br />S <br />T <br />R <br />E <br />E <br />T <br /> <br /> <br />| <br /> <br /> <br />S <br />U <br />I <br />T <br />E <br /> <br />2 <br />0 <br />0 <br /> <br /> <br />| <br /> <br /> <br />S <br />T <br />. <br /> <br />P <br />A <br />U <br />L <br />, <br /> <br />M <br />N <br /> <br /> <br />| <br /> <br />5 <br />5 <br />1 <br />0 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />| <br /> <br /> <br />6 <br />5 <br />1 <br />. <br />2 <br />8 <br />6 <br />. <br />8 <br />4 <br />5 <br />0 <br /> <br /> <br />| <br /> <br /> <br />W <br />S <br />B <br />E <br />N <br />G <br />. <br />C <br />O <br />M <br /> <br /> <br />April 6, 2026 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />City of Hugo <br />14669 Fitzgerald Avenue N <br />Hugo, MN 55038 <br /> <br /> <br />Re: Hardwood Creek Regional Trail Update <br />2026 Bald Eagle Industrial Park Area Street Improvement Project <br />WSB Project No. 028436-000 <br /> <br /> <br />Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council: <br /> <br />Staff wanted to provide an update to City Council on a number of items related to the extension of <br />the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail from 140th Street to 120th Street. The effort to complete this <br />remaining segment of the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail has been a collaborative effort with <br />Washington County. <br /> <br />The City of Hugo has incorporated plans to upgrade the portion of sidewalk and trail within the <br />2026 Bald Eagle Industrial Park Area Improvement Project. Specifically, the sidewalk along <br />140th Street would be converted to a 10-ft bituminous trail, and the trail along Fenway Boulevard <br />would be replaced. Washington County was successful in receiving an Environment and Natural <br />Resources Trust Fund grant in the amount of $1,244,000 for the segment of trail extending from <br />130th Street to 120th Street. Washington County is working on the development of plans for the <br />construction of this segment of trail. Meanwhile Ramsey County is in the planning process of an <br />extension of the Bruce Vento Trail that would connect to the southern portion of the Hardwood <br />Creek Regional Trail. The Sunrise Prairie Trail through Chisago County Connects to the northern <br />end of the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail. <br /> <br />City and County Staff have continued collaboration in an effort to find a way to accomplish the <br />completion of the trial. A draft Joint Powers Agreement was prepared by Washington County. <br />Washington County has indicated their Cost Share Policy requires the City of Hugo to pay 50% of <br />the regional trail costs. Once the grant is applied, the cost the city would be responsible for is <br />conservatively estimated to be $760,000. It should be noted; Washington County continues to <br />apply for additional grants and if successful it would reduce both the County and City share. We <br />have expressed concern related to the 50% cost share related to regional trail funding <br />considering other regional trail efforts underway that would affect the City of Hugo as well as <br />other communities, both rural and urban throughout the county. It is our understanding that this <br />policy will be reviewed in the future. <br /> <br />Similarly, the City of Hugo estimated costs and cost share for the HCRT improvements as part of <br />the 2026 Bald Eagle Industrial Park Area Improvement Project. City Staff believe the County is <br />responsible for 50% of the sidewalk to trail conversion along 140th Street and 100% of the trail <br />resurfacing along Fenway Boulevard per their cost share policy. The estimated Washington <br />County costs are $464,000. The County has indicated they agree that they would be responsible <br />for 50% of the cost associated with the sidewalk to trail conversion along 140th Street. County <br />staff have indicated the trail is not designated as a regional trail yet and that the City of Hugo <br />would be responsible for resurfacing the trail along Fenway Boulevard. They have shared that