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Lindstrom officials hold a public hearing June 26 at Lindstrom's city hall on the Highway 8 reconstruction project.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has laid out a design of dual, one-way routes for the highway through downtown and before advancing to the stage where bidding documents come together, Lindstrom City Council must adopt "municipal consent" of the design.

Mayor Keith Carlson said the council will take a vote at the conclusion of the hearing next week.

The hearing will begin with MnDOT officials presenting the pairs design.

Lindstrom staff members have identified funding mechanisms for Lindstrom's share of the work to be done.

City Administrator John Olinger said talks with MnDOT continue on stormwater ponding and run-off retention projects, so the actual city cost share is not finalized. This component could be $220,000.

In addition Lindstrom is sharing bridge replacement costs at $177,000. Street signals are $168,750. Sidewalks are $144,700 and relocating ornamental street lights another $33,800.

The city plans to finance these costs through Tax Increment Financing District revenues already in the bank and future projected increment capture. One Tax Increment Financing District is awaiting the highway reconstruction to be finalized (Holiday-Veterinarian Office District) before this district is redeveloped. Two other Tax Increment Financing Districts have already contributed development reserves (the Arby's-Lindstrom Foods TIF Dist.)

All but $124,000 or so of the city's share of related projects is accounted for outside of a tax levy.

The sale of the Terryll Street city-owned lot is earmarked at $43,000. The highway project won't start until 2011 and it is anticipated this land will sell by that date.

Mayor Carlson says, "It would have been a shame for the city to have slammed the door" on this reconstruction opportunity. There are some who advocate building a highway by-pass or other rerouting of #8. In Carlson's opinion this would have been detrimental to the long term interests and viability of the city business district. The pairs plan is going to allow Lindstrom to thrive, he said. Carlson understands the decision won't be made "without some pain" but Lindstrom must attempt to improve itself. He concluded, "Any plan that will double the volume of the traffic flow, bring people into town, and improve what Lindstrom looks like," is worth moving ahead on.

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