New Ulm City Council holds

organizational meeting tonight

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- It's the annual organizational meeting of the City Council tonight.

In addition to appointing officers and board and commission members, the council will be asked to order in and set a public hearing date for city improvements associated with Minnesota Department of Transportation's two-year U.S. Highway 14 reconstruction project beginning this summer on North Broadway.

It also will be asked to authorize the submission of an application for a $150,000 Public Library Accessibility Grant to construct a handicapped accessibility entrance with a large, five-level elevator serving both library buildings.

The improvements associated with MnDOT's reconstruction project include water main and water-end service replacement, sanitary sewer main and sewer end repair, street reconstruction, storm sewer, sidewalks, pedestrian box culvert, street lighting and traffic signal modification or replacement from Seventh North Street to the west city limits.

It also includes the same type of work on Westridge Road from North Highland Avenue to the west city limits, plus street reconstruction, water main and sewer main and water and sewer end service repair, storm sewer, street lighting, access modification and boulevard restoration from North Highland Avenue to Boundary Street.

Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning's library development specialist has given the city the green light to proceed with a formal application for the funds providing certain conditions are met.

The project is estimated to cost $628,900. In his review of New Ulm's proposal, Bruce Pomerantz said approval would be contingent upon "renovating a restroom on level 4 into a unisexual, accessible restroom," and "justifying what appears to be a $215/square foot cost for the infill elevator lobby."

The council also will act upon a request by Hazel Schneider for a variance in lot-size regulations to permit two outlots to be subdivided into parcels less than the 10 acres required in R-A (Agricultural Residence District) zones. Schneider's property, which is 5.3 acres in size, will be divided into two parcels amounting to 3.11 and 1.25 acres respectively by the proposed relocation of Oak Street between North Garden Street and North Highland Avenue.

An ordinance revising and recodifying city ordinances will receive its first reading, and the council will receive the good news that the city and the Public Utilities Commission will receive a $99,723 dividend on its insurance through the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust.