A plan to revisit street repairs along 20th Street Northwest and 5th Avenue in East Grand Forks received some pushback at last night’s (Tuesday) council meeting.
Mayor Steve Gander floated the idea of a partial reconstruction of the roadway starting with failed curb and gutter…storm sewer basins…and sidewalks. Residents of the neighborhood have rejected previous attempts to fix the roadway citing high special assessment costs.
A staff report says the first step would be an initial “Opinion of Cost” that would estimate the price of the fix. The numbers would be shared with residents who would need to forward a letter of support prompting additional engineering work.
Council member Tim Riopelle says the residents don’t want the road fixed. “They have to come to us and ask for this stuff.”
Council member Clarence Vetter says the idea sets a bad precedent. “We are not doing this in any other part of town. We’re not holding anyone’s hands.”
Mayor Steve Gander says called it a good faith attempt to make some much needed improvements. “Shame on us if we don’t have a plan that can keep our streets up better than that section.”
No action was taken at last night’s work session.
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East Grand Forks has found a little extra cash sitting in an inactive account. The $73,034 dollars was part of a 2011 contract for deed sale on the DeMers Professional Building. The building was paid off in 2017. The city council is looking to move the cash into the general fund for use towards the 2024 budget.
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