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Find middle ground – Our view: Morningside project too important to let slip away

We learned last week McLeod County and the City of Glencoe were putting plans to extend Morningside Drive to a connection with County Road 15 on the shelf for 2019. The project would require the opening of a railroad crossing. It, the county and city contend, will be sent out for bids early next year at a time when construction companies are most inclined to offer their best prices.
The project is at a standstill because McLeod County, the City of Glencoe and Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company have been unable, or unwilling, to reach a negotiated agreement on how much the railroad should contribute to the $6.6 million project. The county and city have put forth an offer to the railroad based on estimates updated earlier this year. TC&W President Mark Wegner said he has to present the offer to his board of directors after determining the feasibility of the offer from the city and county.
A response from the railroad, Wegner said, will come in August.
While the negotiations are unfortunately being held behind closed doors or on private phone calls, we believe the project is important enough that delaying the bidding until next year to find an outcome that meets the needs of the railroad and doesn’t take advantage of taxpayers is a reasonable investment of time.
The project will open a railroad crossing at Morningside and close the existing crossing at North Union Avenue. The county’s traffic consultant at SEH contends the new crossing will serve about 4,000 vehicles a day, a volume that no doubt will continue to grow over time. Much of that traffic is headed to or coming from Highway 212.
This is an important road project, one that should not be dismissed simply because people have become accustomed to a railroad crossing at Union Avenue and a high volume of traffic through a residential neighborhood with a nearby city park. In addition to the park, that traffic also runs by an elementary and junior-senior high school. It’s in the best interest of public safety to move that traffic to Highway 212 as quickly as possible.
Because of the raw materials involved, the city and county are rightfully concerned about the impact inflation could have on the bids. Inflation in government project construction bids is typically greater than rising costs consumers face. The city and county have already committed $1.6 million each to the project. The Buffalo Creek Watershed District is chipping in $75,000 and the state will kick in about $2.35 million. McLeod County Highway Engineer John Brunkhorst expects the contributions needed from the city and county may be expected to increase if the other entities funding the project don’t step up. The railroad is also impacted by the woes of the farm economy. It’s safe to say, the appetite for increased contributions isn’t immediate there.
For the railroad, the opening of a crossing at Morningside Drive means it will seek to move sidetracks – tracks off the main line on which it can park cars not currently being used – to the east, a plan that could impact Diamond Avenue to the east of Glencoe’s existing city limits. But if the crossing of Morningside Drive can’t be opened, TC&W might not need the additional capacity for its sidetracks to the east.
We hope the county/city and railroad are willing and able to reach an agreement that benefits the three parties.
so, its success will make the business subsidy a wise investment.
-jm