City of New Hampton Facing Tough Infrastructure Decisions

From downtown to the edge of town, the City of New Hampton has decisions to make on a variety of infrastructure projects.

Mayor Steve Geerts says an increasing number of decorative bricks along Main Street are becoming tripping hazards for pedestrians.

Geerts says the City is also contemplating the possible repaving of Kenwood Avenue on the west side of town.

Since the east half of Kenwood Avenue is in City limits of New Hampton and the west half is Chickasaw County responsibility, the two municipalities have been discussing how to move forward with the project jointly.

The City is on its own for overdue street improvements for South Broadway, North Maple, Logan Street and East Cleveland. The City received an estimate of over $5.8 million dollars last year, but Geerts expects a new estimate to be higher for the upgrades, including water mains under the streets.

Geerts adds that some of the water mains under those streets date back to the 1960s, with several water main breaks along South Broadway, including one about three weeks ago.

Geerts says the City also has issues with the Mikkelson Parking Lot to address.