Department Updates

The City Council received quarterly updates for two contracted services: management of FiberNet and local law enforcement from Wright County Sheriff’s Office. 

FiberNet Quarterly Update

The FiberNet update from Arvig’s Mark Birkholz outlined the most recent subscription counts as well as monthly and summary breakdowns of the revenues, expenses, and profits. During the last quarter, the number of subscriptions was up, and revenues were slightly higher than budgeted resulting in a positive cash flow for the City.

The revenues go into the Fiber Optic Fund, which is used to pay for the City’s costs associated with owning the network and extending service into new neighborhoods. 

 WCSO Quarterly Update

The City Council also received their regular update from Wright County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO). Council members were introduced to Monticello’s new district patrol lieutenant, Lt. Jeffrey McMackins, who will be taking over the district from Lt. Jason Kramber who is moving into a different role. Lt. McMackins has worked with WCSO for about 15 years, including seven in Monticello. 

Following the introduction of Lt. McMackins, Sergeant Kevin Triplett provided an overview of recent activity and comparisons with data from 2023. Highlights of the quarter (January – March 2024) include decreases in number of juvenile complaints and thefts from vehicles. Triplett also noted an increased number of traffic stops and DUI incidents, noting deputies have put a lot of effort into proactively addressing these issues.

Monticello contracts with WCSO for 60 hours of coverage per day. This provides full 24/7 support with at least one deputy always stationed in Monticello and typically 2-3 officers in town. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about law enforcement in Monticello, contact City Hall at 763-295-2711. To report a crime, please call 911. For public safety concerns, suspicious activity, curfew, or parking violations, call WCSO’s non-emergency line at 763-682-1162.

Following the council meeting, Mayor Lloyd Hilgart made a proclamation declaring May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and May 12-18, 2024 as Police Week in Monticello. The proclamation commemorates past and present law enforcement officers dedicated to faithfully protecting and serving their communities.

Construction Updates

Downtown Roadway & Pedestrian Improvements Project (West Broadway)

Broadway is currently closed to traffic between Locust and TH25 and is expected to remain closed for another week. 

• May 13-17: Crews are finishing the work in center median and completing the final lift of asphalt for the roadway. They are also working on the edge of West Bridge Park and the future terrace at the corner of Walnut & River Streets.
• May 20-24: Crews will shift to focus on landscaping and irrigation along Walnut Street as well as the parking lot between Bliss Salon and Monticello Family Dentistry.

East Broadway Improvements (between Fenning and Hwy 25)

Broadway is reduced to one lane in both directions while crews work on repairs to sidewalks, storm sewers, and ADA ramps. The contractor plans to start the mill and overlay stage of the project in late May or early June. Public Works Director Matt Leonard noted the project is on schedule to be complete by the end of June, in anticipation of MnDOT’s project on the Hwy 25 bridge, which is scheduled to begin July 8.

Traffic Complaints

Leonard noted recent traffic backups on Hwy 25 and explained there was an issue with the traffic signals at the intersection of Broadway and TH25 that created delays. MnDOT modified the signals and believes this will help reduce the backups.

All traffic signals in Monticello are maintained by Wright County or MnDOT. You can report issues to the City and we will pass on that information to our partner organizations, or you can report concerns directly to MnDOT here, or Wright County here.

Additional Downtown Utility Improvements

In mid-May, Xcel Energy will begin burying overhead utilities around Block 52. This may require some single-lane and/or parking closures on Broadway between Walnut and Hwy 25. Please slow down, pay attention to construction signs, and watch out for workers in the area.

City Council Decisions

Updated Election Polling Place for Precinct 4

Council approved Resolution 2024-40, updating polling places for the 2024 Primary and General elections. There are four voting precincts in Monticello, and each one has their own designated polling location. Staff were recently notified of the possible sale of one of the locations, and they determined the best course of action would be to establish a new polling place before the remaining 2024 elections. The polling location for Precinct 4 has been changed from Kindred Hearts Event Center to Grace Bible Church. Voters in the precinct will be notified of their new polling place before the Primary Election on August 13, 2024.

Voters can also verify their precinct and polling location before the location on the MN Secretary of State’s website.

Council Approved Two Special Event Permits

City Council approved special event permits for Nordic Brewpub and the Monticello Lions.

• Nordic Brewpub was approved to host seven outdoor events with concerts in their back patio and parking lot, fenced off to comply with their liquor license and ending before 10 p.m. to adhere to noise ordinances. The event dates are:
  • June 1
  • June 29
  • July 13
  • August 10
  • September 10
  • September 28
  • October 5
• The Monticello Lions Club was approved for Brewfest on August 17, in Ellison Park. The permit includes use of the park with assistance from the city for set-up, waiving the permit fee, and coordination with vendors. The event anticipates 1,500 attendees and offers craft brews and local food.

Council Approved City Contributions to next phase of Haven Ridge Residential Development

Haven Ridge is a residential neighborhood currently under construction. The next phase is Haven Ridge 3^rd Addition, located at the intersection of Fallon & 85^th/Eisele. This phase includes extending trunk water and sewer utilities and constructing a new roundabout. The proposed street alignments and utility extensions were previously reviewed with the preliminary plat design for Haven Ridge. Oversized trunk water and sewer mains are proposed to be installed to support future growth, minimizing future disruptions. In their decision, the City Council approved the city covering the costs to oversize the utilities and contribute to a portion of the cost for the roundabout. The costs for the utilities are paid out of the trunk utility funds specifically designed for this purpose. The costs for the roadway contribution come from the Capital Project Fund. 

What is ‘oversizing?’ Public Works Director Matt Leonard explains, “If you were building a housing development you typically have 8-inch pipes for sewer and water, that’s the standard for what you need to provide fire flow and service to your residential development. Commercial developments might need 12-inch lines. But the City will say we need a 24-inch pipe for our trunk line to support this development and future growth. If they had an 8-inch pipe and we wanted to go to a 16, we would only have to cover the material difference for that oversizing in the development. So, then the City would pay the difference, and that comes out of the City’s trunk fees.”

Council Approved 2 Change Orders for Downtown Improvements

During construction Downtown, city staff have been monitoring progress and evaluating where adjustments might be helpful. They proposed two changes to the existing scope of work for the project: additional modifications to West Bridge Park and the addition of tree guards along one block of Walnut Street.

• Change Order 1 - West Bridge Park: The project currently includes significant changes to the park’s edges, including the addition of new ADA accessible pathways into the park. Staff proposed to include additional grading and sidewalk installation in the area around the playground. The changes will work with the current park layout as well as future improvements identified in the Parks Master Planning Project. Funding for the change will be reallocated from other parts of the Parks budget and existing reserves in the Park & Pathway Improvement Fund. 
• Change Order 2 - Tree Guards: Council approved exchanging use of refurbished bridge rails for tree guards along the Walnut Street corridor at an additional cost of $15,091. The original plan to reuse the refurbished bridge railings as tree guards was revised for greater functionality, including tree protection and improved parking guidance. Funds initially allocated for refurbishing the bridge rails will be reallocated to purchase the tree guards. Additional funding for the change order will be sourced from existing Capital Project Fund reserves. The City will keep the bridge rails for future use in the community.