County Road 101, New Residents, and Changing Weather Patterns

County Road 101 is Moved Forward

County Road 101 is the most traveled gravel road in Olmsted.  This road connects County Road 1, just north of Gamehaven Park, and Shoppes on Main.  Olmsted will be coordinating the rebuilding of the road with the City to provide access to the recreational areas.  Work on 101 will start this summer and will be finished in 2021.  This will be an extensive construction schedule that will include widening the road for shoulders, reducing the grades on the hills, installing new culverts, and finally applying a bituminous surface.  I supported the county board’s decision to adjust the budget to allow public works to move this projects up.

Public Works will also start to rebuild County Road 9, between Olmsted Medical Center Hospital and Circle Drive.  The utilities along the right of way have already been moved so construction can start this spring.  The project will also include rebuilding the short stretch of road that goes to the recycling center.

 

Welcome to District 3 Residents

I visited with folks at the Towne Club Senior Housing, Eastwood Ridge Apartments and Silver Lake Apartments.  It was nice to meet new people and let them know how I represent them.

 

The Trend is More Severe Rainfall Events

The weather patterns are changing; Rochester, and Minnesota, is experiencing rainfall events that bring a lot more rain within a storm than we used to experience.  This trend has the potential creating problems for land erosion and flooding.  Olmsted is staying ahead of this issue by working with farmers to use cover crops and planting vegetation barriers between the fields and waterways.  Additionally, when roads are built or rebuilt, retaining ponds and run-off water diversions are including in the designs to abate any potential water runoff damage.