Pelican Woods Cemetery Grounds Maintenance

The city contracts the landscaping work and lawn maintenance for the cemetery since its inception.  Grass Master has provided this work and has been a good partner with the city working with the cemetery volunteers in directing efforts in the various gardens and doing miscellaneous landscaping work. The arrangement has worked out well. 

 

The service offered by Grass Master has been done through a two year contract.  This year the contract provides for a 2% increase in costs but looking back on contract costs with them the cost of service has remained relatively flat.  In review of the cost for mowing of the cemetery since 2007 up until this contract the increase has been only $4.28.  The labor cost increases for landscaping work has only increased in that time $0.56 per hour. 

A contract for cemetery services of landscaping work and mowing has been approved.  The contract covers 2015 and 2016.  The contract for services in the cemetery will increase $4.37 for mowing to $222.65.  The labor rate will move to $30 per hour.  In the grand scheme of things we’ve seen good value from Grass Masters with minor increases in the budget.   

Road Improvements

The Roads Committee of the City Council has been working towards road maintenance and improvements within the City of Breezy Point.  This year some maintenance efforts were undertaken with a good deal of seal coating being accomplished.  This was done jointly with the county including our work under their bid.  Seal coating involves the rejuvenation of the asphalt with a thin layer of asphalt/oil mix, covering it with an application of rock, and in this situation a fog seal that holds the materials in place.  This prolongs the life of the asphalt and is used only when the pavement will benefit from the application.  Streets that have alligator cracking or are crumbling will not benefit from this treatment.  

The other project that was undertaken was the mill and overlay of Breezy Point Drive.  This was done from the gates to the parking lot area of the resort.   This roadway receives heavy use and had been overlaid once so pavement thickness was adequate to do a 2 inch mill and resulting overlay. 

 

For 2015 the city is interested in trying to complete a couple of asphalt paving projects in addition to continuing to do seal coating.  The city council looked at three roads to consider for paving however the budget does not allow for all to be completed.  A feasibility study was ordered in October and reviewed by Council at the November meeting.  The study looked at Snowman Circle, Shady Trail, and Rainer Drive.  Rainer Drive and Shady Trail are both shown in the Comprehensive Plan for sanitary sewer extensions.  Sewer isn’t practical for these roadways at this time. 

  

The costs for these improvements are proposed to be assessed to the benefiting property owners.  Accomplishing an assessment involves a process to be used as dictated under Minnesota Statutes 429.   Accomplishing all the steps takes about five to six months at a minimum. In some situations it can take up to a year.  It is a formalized process that needs to be undertaken to meet statutory requirements.  The process can be halted at any time which results in the improvements being abandoned.  

The council determined that we would move forward with Snowman Circle and the west half of Shady Drive for paving projects for 2015.  An open house has been scheduled for November 20^th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm to address questions concerning the project.  A Public Improvement Hearing has been scheduled for December 15^th  at 7:00 pm.  At that point the city will make a decision as to whether or not to move the project forward.