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During last night’s meeting, West St. Paul City Council learned about major work coming to Robert Street in St. Paul, discussed the potential winding down of the city’s inflow/infiltration sewer lining program, approved assessments, and more.
Robert Street Construction
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), a representative from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) gave an update on Robert Street construction coming to St. Paul in 2027 and 2028.
- Where: The work will be from Kellogg Boulevard to Annapolis Street. The work is happening in St. Paul, however there are detours and some work that will impact West St. Paul.
- What: It’s a full reconstruction of Robert Street, replacing buried infrastructure that’s more than a hundred years old. It will require complete closures of the street, though they’re going to do it in short chunks so the entire section won’t be closed at once.
- Detour: The main detour will send people along Butler to Highway 52 to downtown, though a local detour will take Butler to Oakdale.
- Work in West St. Paul: Actual work happening in West St. Paul will include signage and lane markings to narrow northbound Robert Street to one lane before hitting Annapolis. Also, some work for the G-Line bus rapid transit route in West St. Paul will be done sooner to avoid issues with the detour (including a short closure of southbound Robert Street just south of Butler starting next week).
Future of Inflow/Infiltration Program
Also during the OCWS, Council heard a staff report on the inflow/infiltration (I/I) program and its potential future.
- What: I/I is clear water that gets into the sanitary sewer system and then has to be treated, overwhelming the existing capacity. It’s usually rain water seeping into sewer lines through cracks and gaps in pipes. Since 2008, West St. Paul has had a program to line sewer laterals and minimize I/I.
- Why: The excess water during rain events can overwhelm the capacity of sewer treatment plants. Met Council threatened to levy millions of dollars in fines if the city didn’t address the issue.
- Progress: The city moved from inspections and mandatory updates to only requiring it at the point of sale. The city has made significant progress and there’s no longer the same spikes in sewer volume after it rains.
- What now: So the city is asking Met Council if the program can be winded down. There’s no precedent for this, so it’s an ongoing conversation. Council was generally supportive of the idea, and elements of the program would remain to continue to boost the efficiency of the sanitary sewer system and not backslide so the problem reemerges.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Assessments: Council held a public hearing and approved for assessments on Emerson Avenue (mill & overlay: $1,534; reconstruction: $8,329), the Dodd-Mina alley ($4,000). The Emerson projects came in slightly under the estimate and the alley project came in significantly under budget because they were able to package the project with the much larger Emerson project. No one spoke during the public hearing. Council also held various assessments for abatements, citations, and miscellaneous charges. One person challenged a snow shoveling citation, prompting Council to have a future discussion about policy, but the various charges were approved unanimously.
- Zoning setbacks: Council approved an ordinance to eliminate the maximum setback requirements for industrial zones. This comes from a proposed teardown and rebuild by Evolve Workplace that went to Planning Commission last week.
- Sewer: The OCWS also covered future rates for sanitary and stormwater sewers that show up on water bills. A study looked the various costs the funds cover and if the current rates are adequate. It recommended continuing the 5% annual increases, but to reevaluate more frequently. For typical water usage in a single family home, it amounts to a $33.60 increase per year. Council Member Pat Armon noted that this is not an area to be cheap: “You can’t put a price on being able to flush a toilet.”
- Veterans: Ed Iago shared about the Northern Dakota County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon that serves local veterans and introduced Jim McKie as the new West St. Paul representative.
- Civility: Council unanimously approved a resolution committing to leading with civility, dignity, and respect. It comes from the League of Minnesota Cities and is in response not to any specific event but to the larger trend of sharp and heated disagreement especially as the election approaches.
Engage
- Watch: City Council and OCWS meetings are archived online.
- Learn more: Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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