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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — JANUARY 9, 2023 16 <br />Councilmember Monson requested further information regarding the pavement improvements <br />that would be completed if the intersection were left as a four way stop and what this would cost. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen stated he did not know what the cost would <br />be but noted it would be less than a roundabout. He reported the pavement at this intersection was <br />in poor condition. He indicated the intersection needed a full depth reclamation. <br />Councilmember Monson stated she did not want to pay to replace the pavement if it would have <br />to be redone again in three or five years. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen commented the County has the repaving of <br />Old Snelling from this intersection up to Highway 96 scheduled for this year. He indicated the <br />County owned three -fourths of this intersection and the City owned one-fourth. He stated he <br />would like to see this intersection improved as soon as possible. <br />Councilmember Holden explained the issue she has with the roundabout was with Lake Johanna <br />Boulevard. She indicated the residents living in the southern area of this intersection have <br />complained how people speed along Lake Johanna Boulevard. She feared how a roundabout <br />would encourage further speeding because people would not have to come to a complete stop at a <br />four-way intersection. She anticipated traffic would continue to speed along Lake Johanna <br />Boulevard and she did not believe the roundabout would help. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen explained he was not a traffic engineer, but <br />he understood the roundabout would require vehicles to slow down in order to maneuver through <br />the roundabout. He stated if cars were speeding along Lake Johanna Boulevard this meant the stop <br />signs were not effective, which was a separate issue from the roundabout. <br />MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Mayor Grant seconded a motion to <br />Approve the Ramsey County Cooperative Agreement for Right of Way <br />Acquisition and Design for Reconstruction of the Intersection of Old Snelling <br />Avenue and County Road E. <br />Councilmember Monson indicated this was an interesting decision for the new Councilmembers <br />to make. She reported she was generally inclined to approve based on the work the City needs to <br />do today and that a roundabout would be required at some point in the future. She did not <br />anticipate Lindey's would improve their parking lot on their own. She stated she was open to <br />tabling this item to a future meeting if the Council wanted further information regarding the <br />roundabout. <br />Councilmember Rousseau explained she generally supported the roundabout. However, she did <br />feel there were questions she did not have answers to, such as what other options were considered. <br />She indicated she could support tabling action on this item to allow for additional discussion at a <br />future worksession meeting. <br />Councilmember Fabel stated he was brand new to this item, while the former Council had been <br />working on this project since 2018. He believed more time was necessary to educate the Council <br />and to have Ramsey County go back to speak with Lindey's to determine if the existing access <br />