Intergovernmental cooperation was in view Sept. 2 at St. Paul Park, as the council considered a joint powers agreement with Cottage Grove and Grey Cloud Township.
“The portion of Grey Cloud Trail that we share with Grey Cloud, Cottage Grove is agreeing that because of all the construction going on in Mississippi Dunes that we’re going to do some samples,” St. Paul Park Mayor Keith Franke said. Moving forward and pending road damage results, the city of Cottage Grove would be responsible for repairs. The agreement also covers regular road maintenance including shoulders and crackfilling, construction traffic using the portion of Grey Cloud Trail outside Cottage Grove for site access due to low bridge clearance elsewhere. St. Paul Park shares Grey Cloud Trail 50-50 with adjacent municipalities, the boundary going down from the Y with County Road 75 to the corner.
Detailed in 14 pages and made effective upon the signature of the last agreeing party, the joint powers agreement starts with an appeal to state law.
Citing section 471.59 of the Minnesota State Statutes as its basis, the joint powers agreement between St. Paul Park, Cottage Grove, and Grey Cloud Township next makes reference to a study by Washington County from last year entitled “Report of Geotechnical Exploration and Pavement Testing,”which gave the road (Grey Cloud Trail) a 10-plus ton rating, “the best possible evaluation score for pavement conditions index (“PCI”) with a score of 94, and was rated as “Good;” before expressing concern that construction traffic will deteriorate the road faster than usual and expressing desire that it be kept in reasonable condition for its residents. To that end, the joint powers agreement establishes as “prudent and necessary” for a third party engineering consultant selected by St. Paul Park and Grey Cloud Township but not under contract or a consultant to any of the three parties, to determine the said road’s condition during the terms of agreement, with Cottage Grove agreeing to pay for said consultant.
For there the agreement moves to a resolution for mutual consideration by all parties, with agreement terms to run until the last home in the Mississippi Landing Residential Project receives a temporary or final certification of occupancy or else for 10 years, “whichever occurs last.” The agreement as such is made effective from the time the the last signatory to the joint powers agreement executes the agreement.
The agreement also provides for voluntary termination by all three parties or else involuntary termination due to default, in which St. Paul Park and Grey Cloud would be required to reimburse Cottage Grove for costs of performing its obligations under the agreement.
St. Paul Park and Grey Cloud retain the costs of maintaining right of way for each party to the agreement, including as this relates to “all ditches, culverts, trees, including tree trimming, private utilities, and private properties or driveways that abut the Road, “ excepting that repair of damage caused by traffic associated with the construction, which will be the responsibility of Cottage Grove. The City of Cottage Grove will also shoulder the road in Year 1 by adding aggregate base where aggregate base shoulders already exist, as well as performing crack fill in year 2 and every fifth year thereafter, at no cost to St. Paul Park or Grey Cloud Township. The road may be temporarily closed in case of emergency, with Cottage Grove agreeing to restore the road to a PCI rating of 84 once the project is complete, a lesser PCI rating than in the Washington County study. Cottage Grove will also patch or pothole fix the road as necessary during the terms of agreement for damage associated with “the Projects.”
“We worked with our neighbors, as we try to, and we will remain in contact as we monitor it,” Franke said of the agreement on Grey Cloud Trail before the council. Motion to approve the agreement on St. Paul Park’s end was made by Council Member Jeff Swenson, seconded by Council Member Jeff Haggerty.
Also in meeting updates from Sept. 2, the St. Paul Park City Council approved several consent agenda items. Consent agenda items Sept. 2 icluded payment of bills, issuance of a lawful gambling permit for Hope Christian Academy for March 21 next year, issuance of a special event permit for the American Legion October Fest Burger Bash on Oct. 20, and replacement of Axon body and squad cameras.
The council further approved the purchase of a 2026 Tandem Dump Truck in the amount of $350,000 from the Capital Equipment Fund, a budget transfer to pay for City Hall HVAC Control Upgrade, and a pay voucher to Taylor Electric for the WTP Generator. Motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Council member Jeff Swenson and seconded by council member Charlene Whitbred-Hemmingson, passing unanimously.
Among non-council updates from St. Paul Park, the Parks and Recreation Commission is still seeking members for open seats. Commission members are volunteers, with meetings held on the second Thursday of the month.