Last week, the Big Lake City Council heard updates from the Street Improvement Project, both from the city engineer, and from residents effected by the plan.

Open Forum

Bettina Potter and Chris Rauch both spoke during the open forum segment of the meeting to express their dissatisfaction with the city council in regards to adding a sidewalk on Euclid Ave. Rauch, a resident on Euclid, said he’s had a sign in his yard for years advocating against the installment of a sidewalk on that road, and that many of his neighbors signed his petition to not implement a sidewalk. 

Potter said she hoped that the council would be more willing to listen to the wishes of the residents of Red Oak Dr. and Highland Ave. as they progressed with the road improvement plan.

Street and Utility Improvement Project

Council called for a public hearing on the 2021 Street and Utility Improvement Project. The public hearing will take place March 10 at 6 p.m. 

The project will focus on street rehabilitation and drainage improvements on the streets near Mitchell Lake and Big Lake. Questionnaires were sent out to residents in 2019 and 2020 regarding the project, and city staff received a lot of valuable input. 

Layne Otteson, City Engineer, says he has walked the site of the project and spoken to several homeowners, and that he and his staff will continue to seek input from residents as the project moves forward. The estimated cost for the entire project is $3.6 million.

Land Purchase

The city is investigating purchasing the land that forms the channel between Big Lake and Mitchell Lake. This land is currently owned by the state. The city hopes to purchase the land for one dollar through the Lands Bill in order to make some much needed improvements to the channel.