Sauk Rapids Council Approves Road Projects, Passes 2023 Budget

(KNSI) – Sauk Rapids City Council approved two separate road projects for 2023 at Monday’s meeting.

City Engineer Scott Hedlund got the go ahead to put the Division Street project up for bid early next year. It will stretch between 2nd and 8th Avenues and will feature a full reconstruction, including installing drainage tiles and replacing water mains.

Overlay improvements will happen on 4.8 miles of side roads, costing an estimated $4.3 million for what will be strictly resurfacing of the affected roads. A map of where the work will occur is here.

A hearing for special assessments related to the project is not expected until next November. They’ll cover a quarter of the total cost. The assessments will be set up per lot for the urban roads and will be determined by the total road frontage for the rural streets.

The budget was also in focus. City spending will increase to $5,405,700, which should equate to an extra $100 to $150 per home in property tax assessments. Another public hearing pertained to changes to the fee schedule. Finance Director Jack Kahlhamer says most saw small tweaks but some, like equipment rentals, were more substantial as this was the first adjustment to the rate since 2008.

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