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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 5 has worked at the County. He didn't want to make this decision arbitrarily. He understands the project is important but cost savings is important, too. He wants guidance from Council and Staff. Mayor Grant asked about timeframes moving forward. John Mazzitello is hoping to get the 2026-2030 TIP in front of the board in November. The next JERC meeting is also in November. If discussions continue to progress as they have been and he can get a super majority, he can make a presentation to the board. He wants the cities to drive what this looks like. It has to work for the cities, otherwise it's a futile effort. Mayor Grant asked if this will be presented at one of those meetings or is this a meeting or group of meetings in the future. John Mazzitello a proposal to the board would come after the TIP approval in March or April. Mayor Grant thinks this is a 2027 project. He asked Council's thoughts. Councilmembers agreed to delay the project until 2027. John Mazzitello shared a handout for the Lake Johanna Boulevard Trail. He said he has been talking to Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen about how they want to tackle this project. It is a long, complicated corridor. There is a lot of public need and want for a change in facilities. There are five independent projects programmed that all depend on each other. The 2026 construction season will include a mill and overlay on County Road E. They looked at installing a trail on the south side, per City Staff request. There is a trail at the old railway right of way, they were looking at putting a trail connection on the south to Lake Johanna Boulevard. That would require right-of-way acquisition. The right-of-way process takes 15 months. That would have thrown the payment project out of it's cycle. They have talked about including that portion with the first leg of the Lake Johanna project. Lake Johanna Boulevard is programmed in the draft TIP as three separate projects. The first is County Road D, north to Lake Lane. They would be looking at scoping a project in 2026 with public engagement, agency involvement and the City would have a major say in the scope. The issues being discussed include loss of on street parking, do we need a separated facility or a facility behind a curb, do we need to put in a curb gutter and storm sewer system. These items will be flushed out during the design process starting in 2026. Actual construction will take place in 2029. They are going to request the consultant designer do an alternatives analysis from Lake Lane North to County Road E. Councilmember Holden said the original plan made Lake Johanna a parkway. She asked if the design has been simplified to reduce costs. John Mazzitello said at this point he doesn't want to take anything off the table. Any option that gets analyzed will have pros and cons. The section between Lake Lane and County Road E is constrained. The right-of-way is very narrow, there's a lake on one side and the grades to the homes comes right up from the curbline. He doesn't want to take anything off the table in the beginning because he doesn't want the County to dictate what the project is going to be. Councilmember Holden said the curb stabilization that is on the east side of the lake, people use that for trail. It's starting to get really bad. She asked if that can be paved again so it can be used