City joins county in trail grant application

The city will add its plan to create a loop to the trail that would run along the Rainy River to the county’s existing plan for the trail outlined in the grant application. The county’s part in the plan is to widen the existing trail, eliminate the gravel section of the trail, and add amenities along the trail.

The city council Monday approved a commitment of $15,000 from the city’s Economic Development Authority budget for its portion of the project if Koochiching County is awarded the grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

 Koochiching County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to fund $51,930 for the county’s part in the grant application. 

If approved, the total grant would provide $374,476 for the county and city trail improvements.

The city had applied for a previous grant for the project in 2009 and 2011, but the applications were denied.

Shawn Mason, International Falls director of economic and community development, said at the meeting that a joint application with the county reduces the city’s contribution from $25,000 to $15,000. The estimated total cost of the additional loop in the trail proposed by the city is $300,000, and the grant would provide most of those funds. The total cost of the combined project is estimated to be approximately $1 million.

Filing a joint application helps the city’s proposal “rank higher,” gives it “more power” and increase ability to leverage state dollars, Mason told the council.

“We think that because we are able to loop into the existing Rainy Lake Bike Trail, this application has more muscle,” she said.

The city’s portion of the trail would loop out to the Rainy River for approximately 1.2 miles, and then reconnect to the trail along Highway 11 East. The county’s request for funds would widen the existing 12.5-mile trail from eight feet to ten feet, and add a portion at the start of the trail in the downtown area near the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

“All in all, this bike trail project is going to connect citizens of International Falls to Ranier,” Mason said in her presentation to the council. “This is a connectivity project — connecting us with our friends east of us in Ranier.”

The trail improvements are part of the Gateway Corridor project adopted by the city council in 2008. The proposed trail would be used for walking, biking and in-line skating, and would be paved and handicap accessible.

Crosswalk item tabled

In other meeting business, the council tabled action on a proposed crosswalk and street signs near Falls Elementary School. The city’s infrastructure and public works committee recommended the approval of a crosswalk for 15th Avenue and at the 14th and 15th Street intersections for improved safety for walkers and bikers.

The item was tabled until the council has a better idea if the crosswalk would be effective — temporary signs are at those intersections in the meantime. 

The council also tabled the issue to allow a concerned resident a chance to provide input. The resident expressed to Councilor Cynthia Jaksa that he was concerned about how the signs would affect his property. A cement pad would have to be placed at the northwest corner of the intersection “so you don’t have a crosswalk ending in the middle of the road,” city administrator Rod Otterness explained to the council.

The original idea for the crosswalk came from residents who were concerned about the safety of children who walk to school.

Police Chief Mike Musich said he thinks the council will “get some negative feedback.”

“It’s safe, it will reroute some of the traffic, but I think you’ll get some people frustrated because it’s going to slow things down a bit — it’s going to congest things a little bit,” he said to the council.

In other police business, the council and Musich briefly discussed the increase in teenagers toilet papering people’s yards and houses.

“That’s been a big headache for me this year,” Musich said. “We’re caught in between fun and fun going too far — enforcing it but not having a student or officer get hurt.”

Mayor Tim “Chopper” McBride said he has encountered some teenagers outside with toilet paper in the early morning hours.

“It’s impossible to try to stop — these kids are sneaky,” McBride said.

Midcontinent

Steve Shermoen, the city’s attorney announced that the Midcontinent Communications office in International Falls will stay open, but will have reduced hours. Midcontinent announced earlier this year that the office would close Monday, but Shermoen said they are required to stay open as part of their contract with the city.

The change will include reduced hours, but there will continue to be a drop box for payments and the staff will still perform most of the functions as before.

Midcontinent’s contract with the city requiring it to keep a physical office location expires in 2013.

Memorial fund

Mason announced at the meeting that the family of the late Riley and Natasha Burnell has set up a local memorial fund that will help fund a new splash park at Smokey Bear Park.

The young couple was killed in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 53 just south of International Falls in early September.

Because of their involvement in the community — Riley as an area law officer and Natasha as a school teacher — Riley’s father, Roger Jensen received donations from the community and wanted to use the funds to give back.

Jensen spoke with Mason about the idea of funding the park in Riley and Natasha’s memory.

“He believed that Riley and Natasha would have loved this project,” Mason said. “They loved kids.”

The fund is set up through TruStar Federal Credit Union in International Falls. Donations can be sent to: Riley and Tasha Burnell Memorial Fund, c/o Roger Jensen, TruStar Federal Credit Union, 601 4th St., International Falls, MN 56649.