Mayor’s Minutes: New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken Discusses Road Construction and Budget Process
New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken touched on two big topics making news around her city as summer transitions to fall: road construction and the city budget.
Road Construction
Hemken shared with CCX Media’s Dave Kiser in the latest Mayor’s Minutes that work is wrapping up on the city’s end connected to MNDOT’s months-long reconstruction of the Rockford Road and U.S. Highway 169 interchange.
Work continues on making the 42nd Avenue corridor more accessible in New Hope.
Work continues on making the 42nd Avenue corridor more accessible in New Hope.The city has been improving accessibility along the 42nd Avenue/Rockford Road corridor by burying utility lines and improving sidewalk access at intersections. That has lead to some road and sidewalk closures in the area.
MNDOT image of the new configuration of Rockford Road and Highway 169 between New Hope and Plymouth.
MNDOT closed Rockford Road over Highway 169 earlier this year, and work continues to re-configure the former traditional cloverleaf interchange.
“There will be some new signals, they say it’s much quicker to get around, much safer, and it takes up less space,” said Hemken.
Hemken also mentioned new sound barriers going up along Highway 169 between Bass Lake Road and 62nd Avenue.
“All of this will be done in mid-to-late fall. It doesn’t look like it’ll be done by then, but they said they’re good,” said Hemken. “It’ll be gorgeous when it’s done.”
City Budget Process
City staff and council continue work on next year’s budget, which Hemken says includes at most a 5.36% levy increase. She said the majority of that money raised by the increase will go into reserve to for long-term planning for needs at city hall, the fire station, and the aquatic park.
“So that money will be there,” instead of the city having to secure bonds for it in the future, Hemken said.
The city’s Truth in Taxation hearing will be November 27 at City Hall.
For more information, go to www.newhopemn.gov.
