Bemidji City Council to tackle road projects and more at tonight's meeting

The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
·2 min read

Apr. 19—BEMIDJI — A pair of road projects will be considered for approval Monday evening by the .

One project is located in the heart of downtown, while the other is in the northern section of the city. The first project is for the reconstruction of three blocks on Fifth Street Northwest, from Irvine Avenue to Beltrami Avenue.

Last year, the city reconstructed America Avenue Northwest, from Fourth Street to Fifth Street. This year, the council authorized staff to design and advertise the continuation of work on Fifth Street.

The engineer's estimate for the 2021 project is $430,000 and the city staff are recommending the usage of $353,000 in state aid funds to help cover the costs. If a bid is selected on Monday, construction is expected between July 4 and Labor Day.

The other proposed project is on Elliot Road. The city, in coordination with Northern Township, previously applied for a Local Road Improvement Program in March.

The grant will provide funding to pave Elliot Road Northeast, from Lake Avenue to Big Bass Road. The city was expecting the grants to be announced in May, but because of the volume of requests, the funding will be determined in June.

Also during the meeting, the council will consider a memorandum of understanding between the city and township to split costs 50/50. This includes design work, which can be completed in advance of June.

Two other agenda items include:

* Mayor Jorge Prince proclaiming the night of April 22, 2021 as "Take Back the Night" and the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

* Consideration of a quote of $63,540 to construct natural playground equipment at North Country Park.

The council is scheduled to start their meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, Monday, April 19. The meeting can be viewed on the city's website.