Nov. 27 – The Albert Lea City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve sending a letter of support for passenger rail options in southern Minnesota.
Albert Lea is part of a group of several communities in the southern part of the state calling for renewed efforts for passenger rail, which could eventually be connected to a system running from Minneapolis to Dallas. The state is in the process of updating its 2025 state rail plan.
The letter states that the city is prioritizing passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Albert Lea and the Twin Cities and Mankato as phase one projects in the state plan.
It also requests the same phase one designation for the existing Canadian Pacific Railroad/former DM&E rail line that connects Mankato and Albert Lea and could expand to additional cities including Waseca, Rochester and Winona.
In other actions, the municipality has:
— A variance from maximum height requirements has been approved for Green Acres Milling, which is building a new oat processing facility at 460 14th St.
The new structure, which city planner Megan Boeck described as similar to a grain elevator, would be about 1,400 feet above sea level, or a deviation of 45 feet from city ordinance. The building height itself is 35 meters with an equipment height of 25.5 meters.
—Approved project contracts for 2024 main line replacement throughout the city.
The Albert Lea Utilities Department is participating in a federal and state effort to reduce lead in drinking water by replacing remaining lead or galvanized water pipes.
Lead was commonly used for water pipes in the early 20th century. The federal government banned the use of lead materials in new plumbing systems in 1986. Property owners and the City of Albert Lea have replaced many of the pipes in recent years. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring every state to replace all remaining lead water pipes. The goal is to eliminate lead water pipes by 2033.
City Engineer Steven Jahnke said the city has received approximately $1.6 million in grants for the project and will apply for additional grants to pay for the remainder of the project. The city is only the third in the state with the program.
He said 1,400 letters were sent to property owners where the city knew there were lead lines or where they were unknown. Funds from this first round of grant funding will be used to verify unknown lines and replace 170 lead lines at no cost to property owners.
The council previously passed a resolution awarding bids to two low bidders for the project, Platinum Plumbing Solutions LLC of Albert Lea and BCM Construction Inc. from Faribault.
Mayor Rich Murray abstained because of a family connection to one of the companies.
– Approved a development agreement with Turning Point Real Estate for 821 Jefferson Ave. The city agreed to sell the property for $30,000, which is about the amount of repairs, City Manager Ian Rigg said.
According to the company’s plans, the property is to be converted into an apartment complex with three apartments, two of which are one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartments.
