Where will proposed ponds go? Who is designing them? I hope they do some feasibility studies on this to see if they will make enough of a difference for the residents in this area or if the cash will be best utilized for lift station upgrades and, as we’ve proposed, an additional outlet force main to the lake.
Keep the pressure on the council and mayor so an actual fix happens instead of another band aid. And keep questioning the $ #’s they seem to just throw out to the public to squash anything that they don’t want to do. I really get tired of politicians squashing projects that need to happen to improve failed infrastructure by throwing out dollar amounts that are made up and greatly inflated so they can then spend the money on their sexier pet projects.
Our (USA) whole political system is broken from the top all the way down to little old Albert Lea. We need more citizens getting involved and staying after the elected “leaders” to do what is necessary and what is right, even if they don’t want to because it won’t “win them any votes”.
What’s the status of the Virginia Place project now? Out to bid yet?
Virginia Pl and 5th St Reconstruction Project will begin August 1st..
Subject starts at the 37:45 mark in the video below at the Monday July 13th City Council Meeting..
Its funny that you described much of the City Council Meeting in a few words..
Open communication continues with the County and the City..
This is the email that I sent to 12 County and City Officials on Tuesday July 14th:
Subject: Just to Clarify
Hi,
First, I didn't say a 12" force main, I said 24" force main.. Second, I never mentioned replacing the lift station, current pumps equal 10,000 GPM and will need a retrofit with pumps that equal 18,000 GPM. Third, I've never heard of a force main that runs from manhole to manhole. A force main is continuous until it either dumps into a gravity storm sewer or reaches its destination.
My figure of $1.5 million for the 6th St force main plan comes from the EPA plus 75% for inflation, pump retrofit, backup power system and increasing the Virginia Place 42" line to 54" at the lift station.(Should be done during reconstruction)
Force main from Virginia Place to St Joseph Ave on 6th St and then Gravity Storm Sewer from St Joseph Ave to Albert Lea Lake..
Its a straight run without having to reconstruct 6th St because the incline continues to St. Joseph and 6th St doesn't have any storm drains to connect to.. The only connection would be at 7th St on Frank Hall prior to dumping into the lake..
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) leaves the majority of 6th St intact because the line would be bored in below all of the existing infrastructure.
The Video posted above on the subject reminds me of a post I made on May 27th:
The City has allowed the area to flood for decades because they refused to admit they have a problem.. It was easier to say its a depressed area in the lowest part of the City with poor soil located in a swamp with an ancient lake bed on the South Side that the Feds paid the City to buy out and relocate to a better area.. Instead of admitting they screwed up and then fix the real problem..
“You can’t have a 3,000 foot line with no way of getting into it”. What is Jahnke talking about? It’s a force main where the storm water is going through a pump system before it is discharged into the new pipe. There should be nothing of any size passing through the pump system into the force main that would cause any plugging issues. I hope he really is going to get an actual cost to bore the 24” line. I see no way it is “$4M to $10M” like he said.
He really better have a complete hydraulic study done for the entire drainage area. He really should not be sitting in a council meeting saying that just putting in a storm water pond on the west side of the tracks would fix the flooding.
Never use to like George, but seems like he is the only one who gets it. Why are spending all the $ on the project if we aren’t fixing the flooding problem? Keep on it George.
“You can’t have a 3,000 foot line with no way of getting into it”. What is Jahnke talking about? It’s a force main where the storm water is going through a pump system before it is discharged into the new pipe. There should be nothing of any size passing through the pump system into the force main that would cause any plugging issues. I hope he really is going to get an actual cost to bore the 24” line. I see no way it is “$4M to $10M” like he said.
He really better have a complete hydraulic study done for the entire drainage area. He really should not be sitting in a council meeting saying that just putting in a storm water pond on the west side of the tracks would fix the flooding.
Never use to like George, but seems like he is the only one who gets it. Why are spending all the $ on the project if we aren’t fixing the flooding problem? Keep on it George.
I've read article's that describe storm water force main's going a mile or two under constant pressure, they're like an over sized fire hose..
I admit the performance by the City Engineer in the video above was deceptive and dishonest in so many ways..
Now did you notice that he said Virginia Place had a good street for 20 to 30 years before it started falling apart?
Well, between 1953 and 1956 South Virginia Place got City Water, Sewer, Curb and Gutter and a Street.. In 1978 South Virginia Place was Flooded and designated a Flooding Area.. This is 25 to 28 years after the street was installed.. Proof that Flooding that was Caused by the City of Albert Lea Destroyed the Street and the Infrastructure, NOT the frikin soil or location..
The 2015 Feasibility Report shows no history of flooding until 1978 when houses were purchased..
The City Manager said at the 45:25 mark in the video above that since we are not in a Flood Plain that we would not have qualified for Federal Grants..
My written request to the City of Albert Lea for any and all records pertaining to federal funds to buyout property owners in 1978 proved to be fruitless.. None were found by the City of Albert Lea or Freeborn County..
I was amazed how well the concrete has appeared to have held up in some of your photos. The sidewalks is lifted but not cracked. Who ever put that in must have had access to that ancient Roman concrete recipe and materials. http://www.history.com/news/the-secrets-of-ancient-roman-concrete
From listening to that meeting and looking around at some rebuilt streets sidewalks and gutters. They really do seem to only last about as long as the assessment takes to be paid off. heh. They're refurbished in that time span as well. Snow plows and the weather are tough on it all. And certainly accelerates the ultimate demise of it all.
You won't ever see the longevity of the past, in anything new today. IMO
You have to tip your cap to all those people that get up and talk before the council. It looks pretty intimidating. Just one person up against a group of people.
I don't get the fuss over Virginia and the lift station. What are there. . . four houses there?
Go over to Austin and look at all the houses they removed due to flooding. It's like 4-5 entire neighborhoods. Blocks and blocks of houses.
The City says my street has a 15 year warranty and if it starts falling apart within those 15 years that the City will cover the cost to fix it..
Every property owner in Albert Lea will pay once again to fix Virginia Place as long as they allow it to flood.. The question is WHEN will they fix the damage..
Its been 52 years since my section of Virginia Place has been paved and its a proven fact that the City is responsible for the flooding that destroyed it in the first place..
We know the flooding will destroy the south end of Virginia Place quickly, the question is how many decades will it take for the City to honor the WARRANTY??..
Is there a warranty to protect the houses of homeowners on South Virginia Place from continued damage caused by the neglect of the City?
