Assistant Editor

Emotions ran high during St. Cloud’s City Council meeting Thursday night, with the longstanding New Nolte Road project again at the center of debate.

After a long discussion, with each council member stating personal views on the project, the motion passed to proceed with permanent financing to pay for the extension and expansion of the road.

The city has acquired all but a few parcels of land needed for the expansion, which will extend the east-west street three miles from Canoe Creek Road to Hickory Tree Road on the east side of St. Cloud. The project, estimated to cost $42 million, is one of the largest road projects the city has undertaken. New Nolte would be expanded to a four-lane road and extended to run as a parallel route to U.S. Highway 192. 

“We’ve already spent $19 million on this road,” Mayor Donna Hart said. “We’ve bought a lot of property and we’re ready to go.”

Councilman Jay Polachek strongly opposed the continuation of payment for the roadwork at this time, pointing out the $44 million project would cost $90 million by the end of its 30-year loan term.

The city’s finance director, Mike Turner, informed the council there would be a 10-year “call” provision to make changes to bond financing, if needed.

Polachek then said he was concerned the city might not be able to raise enough funds from its traffic impact fees to keep up with payments.

“If this economy stays like this, there will be a whole lot of other problems, but this won’t be one of them,” Turner said, adding that four years of the impact fees have already been banked.

Hart then brought up Stevens Plantation.

“There’s a lot of dirt out there,” Hart said. “We have an obligation to our citizens to continue that piece of the vision. I think this road will bring us economic development.”

Because of the New Nolte Road project being a longstanding and debatable one, Hart asked council members, before voting, to give their reasons for how they would vote.

“We do owe the public our thoughts about this,” she said. “Never have we discussed why we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Polachek immediately said he would not be voting for it.

“I don’t think local government should be a welfare system,” he said. “I don’t think $90 million is a good deal to build this road. I have a hard time throwing more money out to it at this time.”

Councilman Jarom Fertic, who has abstained from voting because of connections with the property, gave his opinion regardless.

“I don’t see how $90 million is going to help it. We do have to worry about the Stevens Plantation debt in the near future,” Fertic said. “I think it’s a lot of money. I don’t think times are going to get better for awhile, and we could just throw $80 million to $90 million out at (U.S. Highway) 192 and we’d finish it out.”

Hart said the road would create better transportation and relieve congestion on U.S. Highway 192.

“We need something else on the east-west.” Hart said. “A lot of times we sacrifice what we want for the vision of this city. We can get in front of this.”

Councilman Tom Griffin said he wants to see the project completed.

“I really see St. Cloud in a very good position,” he said. “I really see this as a true benefit for the city. We can be proactive instead of reactionary. I think we should take advantage of the opportunity.”

Councilwoman Mickey Hopper said the project has been on her plate practically since she first took office. At that time, she leaned against seeing it through, she said.

“It will be more than double if we wait a few years,” she said. “Am I nervous about it? Yes. But I think in the long run, it’s the best thing to do.”

Before the official vote, Polachek said he had made several timed runs back and forth from U.S. Highway 192 and described those runs as being congestion-free.

“It never once took me more than seven minutes,” he said.

Hart then opened the floor for any comments from the audience, but no one approached the podium.

Griffin made the motion to pass the resolution; Hopper seconded it. It was approved, with Polachek voting against and Fertic abstaining.