NEW ULM – The New Ulm City Council approved the final assessments for 2025 surface reconstruction and 2025 utility street following public hearings for both assessments.

The 2025 surface reconstruction project included improvements to 23th North Street from North Broadway to Terrace Drive; 11th South Street from Payne Street to Jefferson Street; 5th North Street from Broadway to German Street; 15th South Street from State Street to Washington Street and Summit Avenue from State Park Road to Golf Drive.

The total recommended assessment for this project was $143,173, which is 32.57% of the final project costs.

During the public hearing, Summit Avenue resident Tom Totland asked how the assessment amount was determined. He said the surface work being assessed did not run the full length of his property.

City Engineer Joseph Stadheim said the assessments for the surface reconstruction are calculated on a per parcel basis. The amount assessed would be the same regardless of property frontage.

Totland asked whether his property would be assessed again once the other portion of the road was resurfaced.

Stadheim said in this case, the other portion of road resurfacing would be done by Brown County, but because it is considered a State Park road, there would be no assessment.

Stadheim added that there was unlikely to be any additional road work in front of the Totland home in the near future.

Following the public hearing Councilor David Christian made motion for surface assessments, second from Councilor Larry Mack, which was approved by the council.

The second public hearing on the 2025 street and alley improvement assessments included improvements to Bridge Street from Cottonwood Street to Tower Road, Lakeside Village Addition, multiple alley improvements and miscellaneous concrete sidewalk and ADA improvements.

The total recommended amount to be specially assessed was $1.4 million or 47.02% of the total project.

The only public comment was from Lakeside Village resident Michael Beavens. He asked how the roadside assessments were determine because not all homes were assessed the same.

Stadheim said the difference in assessment came down to driveway width. He said roadway improvements were assessed on a per parcel basis with the cost being split the same between each parcel, but each property was charged differently based on the amount of concret needed in front of the driveway.

Stadheim said since each driveway could be different in width, each is assessed separately, creating a slight variation between assessments.

Beavens also asked how the main road entering Lake Avenue was assessed, since it had thicker pavement due to the nearby gravel pit.

Stadheim said the extra cost for the thicker pavement on Lake Avenue was picked up by a recent city bond. That amount was not included in the assessment.

The motion to approve the 2025 street and alley improvement assessments was made by councilor Mack with a second from Christian and was approved by the council.