DL city council discusses 5-year plan and special assessment policy

Members of the Detroit Lakes city council held a work session Tuesday to review the city’s 5-year capital improvement plan, which lays out major projects to be completed within the city limits through 2028, and discuss possible changes to the city’s special assessment policy to give Detroit Lakes residents a break on assessable improvements.

Jon Pratt, city engineer for Detroit Lakes, said, during the last five year period, the city completed nearly $47 million worth of infrastructure, road and multi-use trail improvements. Over the next five years, he said, the city aims to complete just over $79 million in new projects, which will include: two new water tower replacements, various street rehabilitation and utilities extension to the western side of Long Lake.

“We always look at (the 5-year plan map) and ask, are we doing a good job of spreading the improvements around the community and not getting too focused in one area so that maybe residents across the entire community are seeing some level of work being done,” said Pratt., during the meeting. “And I think this accomplishes it. I think, if you look, it’s pretty spread out, so that’s a good thing.”

Some of the major projects for the plan include: a $9 million West Lake Drive phase three project from Legion Road to Washington Avenue slated for 2025; a nearly $4 million street and utility reconstruction of portions of Frazee, Holmes and Front Streets, west of Washington Avenue in 2024; and three separate large street rehabilitation projects, totaling more than $8.5 million.

Additionally, the city is planning $6.5 million in improvements to the North Industrial Park and the Tower Road Industrial Park.

To help keep the special assessments costs for Detroit Lakes property owners lower for the upcoming projects, city staff and members of the city council are planning on adjusting the city’s special assessment policy in coming months so the Detroit Lakes Public Utilities fund will cover more of the overall project costs that were typically assessed to homeowners.

The added cost on the public utilities fund may increase the utility bills for all residents, but should save property owners thousands in special assessment costs going forward. 

Kelcey Klemm, city administrator for Detroit Lakes, said the assessable costs won’t go away and they need to be covered from somewhere.

“If you don’t want to assess, you’ve got to pay for it somewhere else,” said Klemm. “Just being blunt. If we’re not going to use utility funds to pay for it, it’s gonna have to go on property taxes. There is no other fund out there that is going to pick up those assessment costs. So the idea is having that water and sewer cost for those water and sewer mains built into your rate.”

Under the proposed policy, the water and sewer mains cost for upcoming reconstruction projects, which are currently assessed at 75% cost to the homeowner, will be covered entirely by the city’s public utilities fund. Additionally, the city will begin assessing adjacent property owners for project reconstruction costs for alley work, which had been exempt from the special assessment policy.

Klemm also pointed out the new special assessment changes would only affect reconstruction projects, projects aimed at replacing already existing infrastructure. New utility services and new roads would remain assessable to property owners

Action by the Detroit Lakes city council on the new five-year capital improvement plan and proposed changes to the city’s special assessment policy are expected to be voted on in coming months.

Two injured in multi-vehicle crash near Alexandria

Two people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 Wednesday morning, west of Alexandria.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, on June 21 at 6:21 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a crash with possible injuries at mile marker 100 on Interstate 94 in La Grand Township, part of Douglas County.

A 2012 Ford E-350 pickup, driven by 24-year-old Andre Kondee Farrington of Beloit, Wisc., was eastbound in the left lane of the interstate and was slowing down to turn into a construction area. Two other vehicles were eastbound and following the truck when a rear-end crash occurred.

A 2011 Cadillac SRX, driven by 29-year-old Jordin Leigh Otto of Hoffman, Minn., rear-ended a 2013 Ford Taurus, driven by 26-year-old Luke John Leinen of Long Prairie, whose vehicle was pushed into the rear of the pickup.

Otto suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the collision and was transported to Alomere Hospital in Alexandria for treatment. 

Leinen also suffered non-threatening injuries, but was not transported to a medical facility following the crash.

Otto was the only driver not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Farrington, the driver of the pickup, did not report any injuries as a result of the crash.

Nevis man to attempt 1-year, 11,000 mile bike trip literally around U.S.

Scott Freitag, the former Park Rapids postmaster and stage 4 prostate cancer patient, is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime as he begins a 1-year, 11,000 mile bike trip around the exterior of the United States to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer and schizophrenia.

The 59-year-old Freitag said he first came up with the idea of outlining the United States on a bike when he was in his twenties and a co-worker said they were leaving their post office job to sail around the world.

“A lightbulb went off,” said Freitag. “I’m into cycling and it’d be fun to bike around all the exterior states as opposed to … biking across the country. And I thought this would be a kinda cool, around the world, around the United States, and it just stayed with me through the years, kinda back of your mind.”

As the decades went by, Freitag said the normal life distractions of family and career made him put his cycling dream by the way side until major life events intervened. 

Freitag was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2018 after routine physical found elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens in his blood. After surgery and radiation, Scott found out his cancer had spread to a lymph node and he began a regimen of chemotherapy to keep his aggressive cancer at bay.

“During that chemo, I got a phone call that no parent ever wants to get that my son had committed suicide,” said Freitag. “And then we found out after that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he had went off his meds due to the bad side-effects of the treatments for schizophrenia.”

After a lot of soul searching and prayer, Freitag decided he wanted to do something positive and bring both of the diseases that have affected the lives of himself, and his son, to the forefront so he can help and inspire others.

“I decided that I wanted to do something to make a difference with my life, and honor, not only my life, but Benny’s life as well” he said. “So I started discussing with (my wife) about my dream to bike around the exterior states and how I could do that to raise awareness and funds for both prostate cancer and schizophrenia, so that’s kinda how the dream was born.”

Freitag said he plans to bike 300 miles over five days per week with two days off to recover. He will also need to take time off for his continuing cancer treatments. His wife, Katy, will be following Scott every step of the way with a camper and trailer.

He also said he would love for people to join his cause along the way, even virtually, and bike their own miles while raising money for prostate cancer and schizophrenia.

Freitag will leave on Monday, June 26 to begin his trip around the country with the goal of raising $500,000 to further new treatment options for prostate cancer and schizophrenia. He will be working with the nonprofits: Zero Prostate Cancer and Schizophrenia Action Alliance, during his year-long trip.

“Part of it is the awareness for guys, you are not going to feel sick,” said Freitag. “It’s not going to be something where it knocks you on the head to say, ‘hey, you better get this checked,’ it’s not like that. It’s a silent killer.”

Scott’s brother, Randy, has also pledged to match the donation total up to $100,000 to further his brother’s cause

Freitag also said he hopes to inspire more people to schedule a prostate-specific antigen test as part of their next physical so that any cancer can be found early, which can help with treatment options.

For more information about Scott Freitag’s journey, or if you would like to make a donation to Scott’s cause and check in on his progress over the next year, visit his website at: milesformoney.org.