Baxter, state to share cost of stoplight

BAXTER -- The Baxter City Council agreed Tuesday to pay about $80,000, or half of the cost for a new stoplight at Highway 210 and Baxter Drive, often referred to as the "Kmart signal light."

The council adopted a resolution to enter into an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for the improvement project, which is part of the overall Highway 210 improvement project.

Trevor Walter, Baxter public works directors, said the signal light had reached the end of its 20-year life expectancy and needed to be replaced. Crow Wing County and the city of Baxter each will pay about one-quarter of the cost for the new signaled intersection.

In other council action, the city accepted a 100 percent petition from Dean Rennekke and J. Michael Hayes for sewer, water and bituminous street construction.

The city agreed to act as the fiscal agent for the Northland Arboretum to apply for a Federal Recreational Trail Program grant for $100,000 to construct a Paul Bunyan trailhead facility in Baxter.

The council referred an issue about street lighting on a Kenwood private road easement back to the Baxter Utilities Commission.

The council set a 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 public hearing for the Holbrook annexation.

The city agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for a March 29 Area Planners Workshop to be held at the Nisswa Community Center and authorized Baxter assistance finance officer Jeremy Vacinek to sign an agreement for the workshop with the Government Training Service. Cost of the workshop will be about $1,300-$1,400.

The city authorized a gambling permit for the Edina Realty Foundation to host a July 4th raffle.

Mayor Gary Muehlhausen requested a moment of silence at the start of Tuesday's meeting to remember the seven astronauts killed in the space shuttle Columbia disaster and for Brainerd Mayor James Wallin's brother, Jerry Wallin, who died Saturday.