Council OKs grant ap for possible Union St. project

An Area Transportation Partnership (ATP) grant application for a possible Union Street/Highway 169 intersection reconstruction project was approved by the St. Peter City Council at Monday’s regular meeting.
If the grant application were successful, it could allow the city to work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on this project. MnDOT has already planned a renovation project in 2014 for that stretch of Highway 169 including flood mitigation (raising the southbound lane for around two miles from Union Street to Dodd Avenue) and revising the intersection of Highway 169/Highway 22 North for safety purposes.
The council’s action allows the city to apply for approximately $560,000 in ATP funding which is made available to government entities within the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) District 7 on an annual basis. The remaining $140,000 balance of the $700,000 total cost of the intersection project could be paid for using Municipal State Aid funds.
“The city has discussed options for improving access to 169 with MnDOT in the past,” St. Peter Public Works Director Lew Giesking said. “MnDOT is interested in working with the city beyond the scope of their work; to the extent the city is willing to fund additional work.
“This grant application would help start up that part of the process.”
The motion passed unanimously and several council members went on record stating this only commits the city to the application process for grant funding for the Union Street/169 project. The details of how the intersection would be designed would still need to be determined.
Giesking and St. Peter City Administrator Todd Prafke pointed out the city has been in discussions with other intersections along Highway 169 such as Old Minnesota Avenue (at north city limits), Highway 22 North and St. Julien Street. However, the Union Street intersection has moved up on the priority list because of the 2014 project and MnDOT exploring the possibility of even closing that intersection which got the attention of city officials.
“Our goal is to keep that intersection available to the citizens of St. Peter and also help support growth in that area,” Giesking said.

Commission/board openings
Prafke informed the council that several openings have come up on some local commissions and advisory boards. Those openings include:
• Civil Service Commission
• Economic Development Authority
• Heritage Preservation Commission
• Hospital Commission
• Housing and Redevelopment Authority
• Human Rights Commission
• Library Board
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• Tourism and Visitors Bureau
Those interested in volunteering to be a part of one of those groups, with the exception of the Tourism and Visitors Bureau, need to be a resident of St. Peter.
For more information or to volunteer for one of the openings please contact Barbara Luker at the St. Peter City Administrator’s Office by e-mail at barbaral@saintpetermn.gov or by phone at 934-0663. Residents can also contact a council member to learn more about the volunteer positions.