Council OKs plan outlining ADA improvements

Cloquet city councilors approved a plan Tuesday to continue the city's transition toward being compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly where sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and traffic signals are concerned.

The 63-page ADA Transition Plan is federally mandated and must be developed in order to qualify for certain funding streams. Were every suggestion to be implemented, the work would cost the city an estimated $1.2 million. Of that, reconstructed 550 pedestrian ramps would cost an estimated $1.1 million, and reconstructing 3,126 feet of sidewalks with a poor rating would cost another $100,000.

But that is not how the plan goes. Assistant city engineer John Anderson told the council the city will accomplish the changes gradually as part of scheduled street and utility projects including 14th Street in 2021-22 and Armory Road and 17th Street in 2023. The city may also upgrade pedestrian facilities as a standalone sidewalk and ADA accessibility project, which would be incorporated into the annual Capital Improvement Plan on a case-by-case basis determined by city staff and the council.

A bright note: all 16 of the city's traffic signals have been upgraded to include visual and audio cues as well as proper button placement and installation for people using wheelchairs for pedestrian crossings since 2017, according to the report.

"The Cloquet Avenue project a few years ago really boosted our numbers with ped ramp compliance and push buttons (ADA complaint traffic signals)," Anderson said, adding that the 14th Street projects will also give the city another big boost in ADA compliance.

No members of the public spoke during the public hearing on the plan, or sent letters or emails to city officials. The Pine Knot News asked about adding sidewalks to street without them. Anderson said the plan doesn't call for adding sidewalks to every street. "It's focused on repairing and updating facilities we currently have in place," he said. "That doesn't mean sidewalks can't be added as projects come forward and streets are approved, but if they were added they would be added in compliance with the ADA regulation."

Ward 4 councilor Kerry Kolodge asked if the council would still have control over street projects through the capital improvement program. "We have not done some sidewalk projects in the past: Will this limit us at all, tie our hands?"

Anderson said the city won't be required to do standalone projects, but would have to incorporate ADA compliance as part of any approved projects.

The council passed the ADA Transition plan unanimously.

In other matters Tuesday, councilors approved changing the meeting start time on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. Work sessions - rare during city administrator Tim Peterson's tenure and the pandemic - can still be held before a meeting or on a different day, Peterson said. He also suggested that the council incorporate some of the traditional work session topics into the formal council meeting.

Councilors also approved changing the playground replacement plans to focus on Ashley's Playground at Braun Park this summer and move the Pinehurst Park replacement project to 2022. There are three broken features at the Braun Park playground, which are unsafe.

The Parks Commission will choose from proposed bids for the new playground equipment and the council would approve the expenditure. The city had set aside $60,000 for the Pinehurst project, which would be applied to Braun instead.

The council also approved the 2021 Community Education Agreement for services at the Beach, among other things, and a sanitary sewer maintenance policy.

Community Development director Holly Hansen reminded everyone that the new round of grants for businesses and nonprofits affected by Covid-19 must be submitted by Feb. 16.