With an eye toward long-term planning, Hermantown’s City Council approved the Financial Management Plan (FMP) in early 2019. The FMP provides guidance regarding Hermantown’s financial choices over the next several years, allowing greater investment in the community including the successful launch of the Essentia Wellness Center, the desire to add to our city’s trails and parks, and a need to improve several city streets.
Noted by Hermantown residents as the biggest need in our community, our roads were assessed by the Public Works department and the City Engineer to determine which were most in need of improvement. Out of these efforts, city staff developed the Road Improvement Plan, which would allow for the most comprehensive improvement of Hermantown’s roads in the city’s history.
Funding for this multi-year project required not only the fiscal guidance of the FMP, but also assessments on individual property owners along the to-be-improved roads. A strong community desire to keep that assessment under $10,000 was able to be met by landing a $9,750 assessment to be utilized during each year of the project.
The first year of the Road Improvement Plan featured no construction, but heavy communication. The initial roads – Johnson, Portland, Carlson, Alexander, and the stretch of Hermantown Road between Stebner and Okerstrom – have featured several informational mailings, several public information meetings, and public hearings.
Community engagement has been strong during this first year of the plan, as public information meetings have featured several dozen residents in attendance each time. They have voiced their support for the project, while also adding their desire for specific needs within their neighborhood.
Should the Road Improvement Plan continue forward as planned, City Council approval would come in early 2020 and construction on these roads would begin in May of 2020.