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Early purchase avoids 7% price hike

The Austin City Council on Monday night unanimously approved the request of the Austin Fire Department to purchase a new ladder truck ahead of schedule.

Initially, the purchase of the truck on the original schedule would have delivered it to the AFD in 2025, but by moving up the contract signing approved the purchase to before May 1, the city avoids a 7% price increase and saves $115,000. By locking the price in now the city can also avoid a possible $375,000 in future price increases.

The department will now receive the vehicle in mid 2024, a year ahead of the original schedule.

The final purchase of the vehicle comes to $1.64 million.

City to look at intersections ahead of reconstruction

The council also approved a proposal from WHKS to perform inspections of four downtown intersections ahead of a reconstruction of First Street NW from Oakland Avenue West to First Drive NW slated for 2023.

The proposal was for $32,800 and will include traffic counts, warrant analysis, intersection control evaluation and cost analysis.

The intersections in question include:

• First Street NW and Fourth Avenue NW (currently signalized).

• First Street NW and First Drive NW/Fifth Place NW (currently two-way stop).

• North Main Street and Fourth Avenue NW/NE (currently signalized).

• North Main Street and Second Avenue NW/NE (currently signalized).

Bike Path

Austin is adding to its paths this summer.

The city is planning on building an asphalt bicycle and pedestrian trail alongside the south side of Oakland Avenue West/State Highway 105 from 25th Street SW to Interstate 90.

Part of the trail will be separate, but for some of the stretch a new lane will have to be added to Oakland Avenue.

In order to do this, the council approved the signing of a Limited Use Permit with the Minnesota Department of Transportation in order to proceed with the construction on the MnDOT right-of-way.