The Hastings City Council met on Monday, January 6 for its first session of the new year. First on the docket was to swear in the four members who won elections last November: Tim Lawrence of Ward 4, …
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The Hastings City Council met on Monday, January 6 for its first session of the new year. First on the docket was to swear in the four members who won elections last November: Tim Lawrence of Ward 4, Lisa Leifeld of Ward 3, DawnMarie Vihrachoff of Ward 1, and the sole new council member Mya Beck of Ward 2.
PFAS
City Administrator Dan Wietecha provided the council with the first of many PFAS updates for 2025, providing an overview of the central water treatment plant (WTP) which is currently set to go to bid in May, begin construction in the summer, and be completed in the winter of 2026. While the mantra of the city has been ‘one WTP a year for three years,’ in reality that is not the case: there will be “significant overlap between projects,” said Wietecha as one WTP breaks ground before the previous one is finished.
Another concern with moving forward with the central WTP is the displacement of the two businesses currently on the site: Carbone’s Pizzeria and Stacy’s Stars. The central WTP is currently expected to be built at 1290 N Frontage Rd with the city undertaking an environmental assessment of the land before moving forward with the purchase.
While the city has met with both businesses and according to Wietecha they both intend on staying in Hastings, the funds associated with moving them are tied up in the $1.4 million grant agreement due to well 5 being incorporated into the 3M settlement fund. The city expected to have the grant agreement back in two weeks at the earliest and will then continue to work with SRF Consulting to move the businesses and set them up for success in their new locations.
With the beginning of the legislative session on January 14, again eyes turn to the state for funding. Lacking a bonding bill from the 2024 legislative session, Hastings residents will begin to feel the effects of the 10% water rate increase that began on January 1 and was necessitated due to the city lacking outside funding to construct the 3 WTPs to filter city water.
Several councilors brought up questions they had received from residents on the nomenclature of the WTPs which shifted after well 5 was added to the 3M settlement fund. Initially, the WTPs were numbered 1-3 with the first to be built in the industrial park, the second near Lion’s Park, and the third near Wallin Park.
After well 5 was added to the 3M settlement fund, the order of WTP construction shifted so that WTP 2 could be built first. This pivot, what Wietecha called “following the money,” not only allowed for a lower increase in water rates at the beginning of 2025, but provided more time for other WTPs to find funding or be connected to the 3M settlement fund.
This shift in the order of WTPs came with a shift in how the WTPs were referred to, with WTP 1 becoming the eastern plant, WTP 2 becoming the central plant, and WTP 3 becoming the western plant.
Red Rock Corridor and Great River Rail
Finally, the councilors discussed future prospects of the council’s involvement in the Red Rock Corridor Commission and the Great River Rail Commission. Council member Dave Pemble has been the representative of Hastings for the commissions of both projects for the past two years and expressed frustration with the continued delays with the Red Rock Corridor.
“I’m struggling to say it’s a valuable piece for one of us to be involved in,” said Pemble.
The Red Rock Corridor, a project nearly 30 years in the making, meant to provide bus transit to the southwest metro from the twin cities all the way to Hastings as its final stop. The COVID-19 Pandemic in particular upended public transportation, slashing ridership rates and changing who rides and when, which has further delayed the project, long delayed even before that point.
“There’s enough work here to be paying attention to,” said Pemble.
Other councilors disagreed, asking for a workshop to further discuss Hastings’ involvement in the project: “I really do feel that if we don’t have an advocate there, we will be forgotten and never get transportation in Hastings,” said Council Member Angie Haus.
For Great River Rail, it’s “mission accomplished,” said Pemble.
Great River Rail aimed to increase the number of “passenger rail options along the Mississippi River Route between the Twin Cities and Chicago,” according to the Great River Rail website. Starting in May, the Borealis train began running from St. Paul to Chicago twice daily. Ridership broke 100,000 passengers by October, a mere 5 months later, surpassing ridership projections of the route.
While the Great River Rail Committee has been adjourned since the creation of the route in May, the committee will eventually return in order to promote, support and potentially expand the route, said Pemble.
For more information about the Hastings City Council visit https://www.hastingsmn.gov/city-government/city-council
To watch the full video of the city council, visit HCTV’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@HastingsCommunityTV
