Moving Past the 2021 Minnesota Drought

By Alyson Fauske, Sr Project Manager, WSB

2021 has presented a number of challenges to communities, not least of which was a major drought. Minnesota was faced with above-normal temperatures along with lower-than-average precipitation, resulting in one of the worst droughts seen in the area in the last 20-30 years.

As we move into fall and winter in Minnesota, leaders may be thinking that the worst of the drought is over and that they can move on to thinking about managing winter snow and cold. However, the ramifications of the drought are likely to continue into 2022. Below is a list of some of the ways the drought may have longer-term effects to communities.

Loss of saplings. Communities that implemented projects in 2021 that included planting saplings are likely going to find that many of them have not survived the year and are going to need to be replaced in the spring.
Mature tree loss. Due to the stress of drought, mature trees in the community may have suffered from pests or disease. These shade trees are a major resource to communities and may need to be treated or replaced.
Watering restrictions. Many communities implemented watering restrictions due to drought conditions. Irrigation systems that ran too often or for too long used more resources than necessary leading to reduced water availability for daily needs. This also resulted in concerned or confused residents that didn’t understand how or why these restrictions were needed for the good of the community.
Low reserves of community water supplies. In addition to increased watering demands for vegetation, valuable water was often lost through inefficient or defective equipment in many residents and businesses.
Well interference. Drought can often result in domestic or municipal wells running out of water. The MN DNR received significantly more calls this year than normal about dry wells that require them to investigate and often result in owners or municipalities incur repair costs.

Nearly all Minnesota cities experienced some or all these challenges this summer. As a result of the extreme stress put on local water infrastructure, the MN DNR has put together the 2021 Drought Assistance Proposal. This proposal includes a request for $13.3 million in funding to help cities address the effects of this drought.

WSB is tracking the funding package as it moves through the legislature and will be prepared to assist clients with grant applications for the fund as well as identify other funding opportunities that are tied to this effort.

Alyson is a Senior Project Manager in WSB’s Municipal Group and the City Engineer for the City of Minnetrista. With 20 years of engineering experience in the municipal industry, Alyson Fauske has built her career providing municipal engineering services throughout the Twin Cities.

[email protected] | 763.512.5244

Annual Minnesota Transportation Funding Opportunites

There are many recurring transportation funding opportunities in Minnesota that are open for applications now and into early 2022. The list below provides additional details on each of the funds. Now is the time consider if your community has transportation projects that fit these programs. If you believe that your community qualifies and would like help with the application or if you’re not sure your project is a good fit, contact Bart Fischer ([email protected] or 651.286.8484) to learn more.

MnDOT’s Greater MN (Non-Metro) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) – This program aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries involving vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians on all public roads. It is open for applications September 3, 2021 – November 24, 2021. Eligible projects are categorized as proactive – projects that address known risk factors; and reactive – projects that address a sustained crash location.

MnDOT’s Metro Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) – The HSIP solicitation for metro area counties will occur in spring of 2022. Like the Greater Minnesota HSIP, this program aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries involving vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians on all public roads. Eligible projects are categorized as proactive – projects that address known risk factors; and reactive – projects that address a sustained crash location.

MnDOT’s Safe Route to School (SRTS) Infrastructure – Applications will be accepted October 4,2021 – January 7, 2022; letters of intent are due by October 29^th, 2021. The program funds capital projects that promote and encourage more students to walk or bike to school by making routes to schools safer and more accessible. $7.5M is available, with minimum awards of $50k and maximum awards of $500k. There is no matching requirement.

State Park Road Account Solicitation – This MnDNR solicitation is open now through November 1, 2021. Funds are intended to improve local access roads to state parks, state campgrounds, public water access points, and other eligible recreational areas. Projects awarded funding must follow applicable state aid construction project requirements.

Federal Land Access Program (FLAP) Funds – This program funds construction projects on public highways, roads, bridges, trails or transit systems that are located on, adjacent to, or provide access to federal lands for which title or maintenance responsibility is vested in a state, county, town, township, tribal, municipal, or local government. A 20 percent match is required. Applications are due by December 15^th, 2021. A preliminary review of applications is available for draft applications submitted prior to November 19, 2021.

Metropolitan Council’s Regional Solicitation – The next round of applications for the Metropolitan Council’s Regional Solicitation process will take place in the spring of 2022 to fund projects in 2026 and 2027. This solicitation, which is open for counties and communities within the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, seeks applications for: roadways including multimodal elements; transit and travel demand management projects; and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. During the last round of the Regional Solicitation in 2020, approximately $200 million in federal transportation funds were awarded to 56 projects in 36 different cities and townships.

environmental compliance during rapid population growth

Preparing for the Conservation Partners Legacy Grant

By Luke Lunde, Professional Soil Scientist and Amy Anderson, Project Engineer, WSB

Applications for all cycles of the Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grants opened on August 1. The CPL Grant Program funds conservation projects that restore, enhance or protect forests, wetlands, prairies and habitat for fish, game and wildlife in Minnesota. To be eligible, projects must be located on public lands or private properties with an easement that allows for public access.

Since 2009, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) has been managing the reimbursable program to provide competitive matching grants from $5,000 to $400,000 to local, regional, state and nonprofit organizations.

Finding funding for projects can be challenging and knowing how to take advantage of a grant opportunity can make or break a project’s success. Here are some helpful ways you can prepare your application for the upcoming fiscal year 2022 grants.

Determine the grant cycle that works best for your project.

There are three programs available: Traditional, Metro and Expedited Conservation Projects (ECP). Grant amounts needed, project activities, eligible land, funding rounds, review processes and project locations all impact the type of grant program that’s best suited for a project. The MN DNR’s website offers a helpful Grant Comparison Cycle worksheet to guide evaluation.

Determine if the matching requirement will impact your application.

A 10% match of the total grant amount requested is required. There are two matching options. A cash match is actual cash contributed by your organization, a third party or supplies or contacted services to be paid during the grant period. An in-kind match is a non-cash donation of a good service that could include personnel time, use of equipment or donated supplies or services.

There is nearly $10 million available for CPL grants for the upcoming fiscal year 2022. Applications must be submitted by September 20, 2021 for the Traditional and Metro grant cycles and by September 13, 2021 for the ECP grant cycle.

Helpful links:

Luke Lunde
Luke is a Minnesota Professional Soil Scientist in WSB’s Environmental Natural Resources Group, and he has over nineteen years of natural resource and environmental review experience. Luke’s experience includes soil survey mapping, geologic hazard assessments, karst feature mapping and mitigation plans, wetland delineation, wetland banking, wetland mitigation, habitat restoration, invasive species management, grant writing, erosion control compliance site management, habitat restoration, invasive species management, natural resource planning, environmental permitting and compliance, for numerous projects throughout the Midwest.

Amy Anderson
Amy has over nine years of professional experience in water resources engineering, specializing in stream restoration and watershed management. Amy’s experience in stream restoration spans the project cycle, from surveying and design through construction observation and post-project monitoring. Amy has been the primary author or co-author of Surface Water Management Plans for two separate municipalities (West St. Paul and North St. Paul) and one watershed district (Valley Branch Watershed District) in the metro area and has presented to citizen’s groups, municipal committees, and city councils on surface water management and planning.

MnDNR expected to grant $4 million to improve access to parks, lakes, rivers & trails

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting grant applications for local roadway improvement projects that benefit outdoor recreation and open spaces. The DNR has allocated $4 million to the State Park Road Account Program to improve both public and private access to parks, trails, lakes and rivers.

A few key things to know about this grant program:

Townships, cities and county governments can apply
Focused on enhancing county roadway access to state parks, trails, wilderness areas and recreation facilities
Consideration is also given to projects that address safety issues to these facilities
Local cost sharing and amount of traffic directly related to the site are key selection criteria
Roadway construction, right-of-way acquisition and wetland mitigation are eligible activities
Applications are due November 1, 2020.

WSB is experienced in assisting, preparing and reviewing project grant applications. In 2019, this program provided $4.8 million in state grants for 10 different projects around the state. This annual program has also funded more than $1 million of campground road improvements for Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. WSB led the roadway design and construction for this project, which is now underway.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Transportation website or contact Scott Mareck at 320.534.5948 or [email protected].

Let’s Keep Moving

By Ron Bray, Vice President, WSB

Much like our economy, our industry has its ups and downs. These are challenging times that no one would have imagined. No industry is immune to economic disruptors, but our collective commitment to bringing stability back to infrastructure project delivery is our differentiator. We can’t predict the future, but we’ve adapted to our circumstances. We have project delivery options to fit specific timelines and needs. Delivering projects faster and getting projects on the shelf for a possible stimulus package will put you in a competitive position to benefit your constituents. Now might be the time to consider Alternative Delivery solutions for your Cooperative Local and Trunk Highway projects. Design-Build projects can advance much quicker than standard Design-Bid-Build projects. Now is the time to chat about this and other funding or project delivery opportunities.

Earlier this month, my good friend and colleague Dave Enblom explored challenges our County Engineers are facing as we navigate the fallout of COVID-19. It’s important for us to think about these challenges and find solutions that bring some stability to our industry.

Making government guidelines work for you

Consider which guidelines are affecting your operations and start implementing new procedures. Legislation or policy change may be needed to make projects work, especially streamlining the environmental permits and process. Determine the skills you need and your goals. Find ways to accomplish these goals and reorganize or reassign teams if necessary. Do you need a bigger team, but can’t make a full-time hire? Consider augmenting your staff with a part-time consultant. We can help with project management or any other areas that are understaffed. Use emerging technology to create efficiencies.

Stay connected to your teams and the public

Technology to keep public discussion moving forward is critical, it needs to be customized depending on the area of concern and whether it is a large-scale effort or one-on-one with a project stakeholder. Maintaining a healthy public conversation is vital to securing permits and gaining agency approvals. We’re seeing how team meetings can be done virtually, and face-to-face conversations can and should still occur. Use video conferencing solutions to check-in. Continue public engagement efforts to help guide decision making and move projects forward through visualizations, immersive 3D, virtual reality and augmented reality solutions. WSB’s IT and Technology staff have the expertise to assist you.

Stretch your stimulus dollars

Following past crises, significant dollars were allocated to major, high-priced infrastructure projects. Find ways to tighten project timelines by exploring efficiencies using technology. Consider using advanced data collection or reality capture tools to create reality meshes that work in Autodesk, MicroStation, and GIS. Asset management is being changed through AI systems and efficient collection of data.

Keep moving forward

We know it is going to take a team approach to move projects forward if there is a stimulus package. I have always loved how close the County Engineer’s Association is and how you work together as one voice. This is the time where our collective support of each other will allow each of our organizations to move faster and better together.

As we continue to work through COVID-19, show compassion to your colleagues and empathy for the challenges they’re facing. Sometimes you’ll act as a resource and other times you’ll need help. It’s in our best interest to work together.

After every economic disruption or crisis, I look for the silver lining. Following the Great Recession, there was more awareness of the importance of infrastructure in our economy, and the need to proactively manage, prioritize, and invest in it. Now and in the near future, we have an opportunity as an industry to show that a combination of emerging technology and expertise will be the future of infrastructure development. We are proud to be your colleagues and we value our continued partnership to accomplish your goals and community needs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help in any way.

Be safe, stay healthy, and we will see you soon!

Ron has been a Vice President and Principal in transportation and construction services for over 37 years. He’s experienced with roadways and bridges, planning, traffic analysis, geometric layout, design of roadways and bridges, and constructions services.

[email protected] | 763.287.7177

Met Council grant applications: Getting started

Update: Metropolitan Council has extended their 2020 Regional Solicitation grant submittal deadline to May 15 in response to COVID-19.

The Metropolitan Council is now accepting grant applications for the Twin Cities and 7-County Metro area. Here are tips to help you through the process:

$180 million of federal funding is available for projects to be constructed in 2024 or 2025
Eligible project types include roadway, bridge, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities
20 percent local match is required
Funding is for construction only; design and right-of-way are ineligible
Projects must be consistent with local comprehensive plans and Metropolitan Council plans
Applicants must have an approved Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan
Applications are due April 16

WSB has a long history of preparing successful Metropolitan Council Regional Solicitation applications. Our team can identify key projects and determine community goals. Additional information about the 2020 regional solicitation requirements can be found here. For further details, contact Scott Mareck at 320.534.5948 or [email protected].

Applying for grants: 5 Things to Consider

Mary Gute, Sr. Transportation Planner, WSB

You encounter many opportunities to pursue grants throughout the year. Grants can be a great way to fund community needs. However, preparing applications comes with expense – staff time and effort or consultant fees. Not to mention, there’s no guarantee you’ll be awarded anything. Is it worth the effort? Below are some things to consider when making a decision.

1. Know the program requirements

Does your project or need fit the eligibility requirements? Try talking to the grant administrator to see how well your project fits within the program requirements.
If a local funding match is required, make sure your community has the funds available.
If the grant is for construction, does the project need to be let or constructed by a certain date? If so, be sure your community meet that requirement.

2. Know the real level of effort

Calculate the cost: consider staff hours or consultant fees needed to prepare the application.
Can your community meet all of the application requirements, including the due date?

3. Identify the grant team

Assign a grant champion – the person who will see the application through from start to finish.
Identify who will provide the technical portions of the application. For example: engineering layout; cost estimates; benefit/cost analysis; etc.

4. Obtain necessary approvals and endorsements

Is your community leadership on-board with pursuing the grant?
If the application will benefit from outside support from stakeholders or elected officials, be sure to request those items early.

5. Identify unstated factors that may influence success

Has your community recently been awarded money from this funding source? Oftentimes, grant administrators award money based on historic awards in an effort to ensure everyone has an opportunity.
Identify any outside factors that may influence selection.

Thinking about the items above will help you make an informed decision – balancing the level of effort required compared to the likelihood of success.

Need help deciding whether or not to go after a grant or wondering if any grants might fit a project? We can help.

Mary is a Sr. Transportation Planner at WSB with over 17 years of progressively complex transportation planning and project management experience, gained from working on a variety of transportation projects for modes including roads/bridge, transit, and trails.

WSB, Brooklyn Park & Brooklyn Center secure $150,000 grant

WSB assisted Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center in securing a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Youth at Work Competitive Grant for a combined $150,000 in funding. The funding will be used for the cities’ collaborative workforce development program BrookLynk in 2020 and 2021. Directed by Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, BrookLynk is a youth employment program dedicated to addressing the regional talent and workforce needs of the communities through a strategy that explicitly supports and invests in young people facing barriers to employment. The grant funding will assist in scaling the program to help train more youth to join the future workforce and build the talent pipeline.

WSB assists City of North Branch to secure $400,000 grant

WSB assists City of North Branch to secure $400,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

The City of North Branch has received a $400,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The City of North Branch will use grant dollars for the installation of a trunk water line along 400^th Street, under I-35. The existing water system serving the 400^th Street industrial park is currently unable to provide adequate fire flows and water volume, preventing commercial and industrial development. The trunk facility will be installed in 2019, and is a critical component of the city’s water infrastructure system. The intent and hope of the trunk line is to spur economic momentum throughout the 250-acre industrial park.

The Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Program Grant helps stimulate new economic development, create new jobs and retains existing jobs through investments in public infrastructure. It provides grants to cities of up to 50 percent of the capital costs of the public infrastructure necessary to expand or retain jobs in the area, increase the tax base, or expand or create new economic development.

Lee Gustafson, WSB Senior Project Manager, is the City of North Branch’s City Engineer. Gustafson completed the grant application on behalf of the City of North Branch.