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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — JUNE 23, 2025 15 Fisher said they are in the process of soliciting the general benefit appraisal for the project. That should be ready in the next week or two. The appraiser will go through and based on the improvements being proposed determines what the actual benefit to each property is. This isn't individual appraisals, it's on a neighborhood basis. Fisher outlined the project schedule and next steps. They will come back on July 14 so Council can accept the feasibility report and order the Public Improvement Hearing. On July 28, the Public Improvement Hearing will be held. Starting in September they will be targeting the final design and plan production. Bidding would be in the first part of 2026, with construction to begin in the spring. Mayor Pro Tem Monson asked Council if they had any questions, starting with base project. Councilmember Holden asked if the manhole covers are okay or will we get new ones? Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen said they will be replacing the sanitary manhole castings. Councilmember Holden asked if there was money in the budget to cover all of the costs. Finance Director Yang said we have it in the CIP budget. Councilmember Holden asked if any of the utility funds will go in the hole. Finance Director Yang said no. Councilmember Weber said he supports the base program entirely. Mayor Pro Tem Monson said with no further questions Council should discuss dredging. She asked what if we didn't do it. She asked to be walked through the risk and if this is something that we're delaying and will have to do in 5-10 years anyway. Councilmember Holden wondered if we will have to do the same for all the other lakes. Fisher said they performed a bathymetric survey. For that, they take a rod and determine where the top of sediment is and then push through to the hard bottom. The limitation is if you get gravel or hard sands you can't calculate it properly as it includes organic matter. Trees will drop leaves every year so you will continue to get the organic matter. You can't mitigate that unless you remove the trees. He noted each of the outlets are clear. They aren't building up sediment beyond the invert of that pipe opening. It's not impacting the hydraulics. It is being pushed into the lake a little. By being proactive and improving them right now will only ensure less sediment gets into the lake in the future. Councilmember Weber said the scenario that was used that may cause the storm sewer to fail were an exceptional snow fall or erosion event that would lead to the storm sewer inlets to be blocked. He said even if we were to dredge, that scenario is still feasible. Councilmember Holden worries that we are setting a precedent and we'll have to do Lake Johannah and Lake Josephine.