(The following article by Dan Linehan was posted on the Mankato Free Press website on March 21.)
MANKATO, Minn. — City Manager Pat Hentges is becoming more optimistic that he’ll be able to negotiate an agreement between the city and the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, hopefully in time for the City Council’s Monday meeting.
Hentges said the details of such an agreement are still “sketchy,” though Councilman Jack Considine suggested that a good starting point for negotiations would be the community partnership agreement rejected by the council in 2000. That agreement included an estimated $25 million to make the trains quieter and safer.
Councilmen Mark Frost and Jack Considine visited the area’s federal delegation in Washington, D.C., last week. On the agenda were talks with Sen. Norm Coleman, Rep. Gil Gutknecht and staff of Sen. Mark Dayton.
Piercing safety whistles are perhaps the biggest problem, but the deal that the DM&E has been offering other cities, including Eagle Lake, for whistle-free zones isn’t good enough for Mankato. Hentges says that’s because those deals rely on federal funding, which is in very short supply.
He said he believes that the railroad ought to pay 100 percent of the whistle-free improvements, mostly safety measures such as fencing and stop arms.
A rail bridge over Third Avenue is another item of concern. The rejected community partnership agreement would have provided for one.
Considine says that, along with a whistle-free zone and home buyouts along the railroad, a Third Avenue bridge is one of his biggest issues.
He’s holding a ward meeting Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Intergovernmental Center to hear from constituents. Considine said he’s largely interested in those who will be most affected, especially in the Sibley Park area, but others can come.
Any agreement will likely hinge on the city’s approval of the project.
As Frost said, “once we’ve got the deal, we will cooperate with them fully.”
And, even so, he says it’s “not going to be a popular thing in Mankato.”
But: “We can’t afford not to have this city covered.”
Hentges said continuing to oppose the railroad is another option. That might involve asking the Federal Railroad Administration to “look negatively” on the $2.5 billion loan it is considering for the DM&E.
But Hentges said he gets “mixed signals” from legislators for such an approach. During a recent work session, council members asked the city manager to negotiate with — not oppose — the DM&E.
The city’s chances to broker a deal are fading. About two weeks ago, Hentges said the city had a 90-day window in which to act — a rough estimate for the loan’s timeline. The city will have considerably less negotiating power if that loan is approved.
City lobbies feds for in-city route
If the DM&E is to avoid building a southern detour around Mankato, they’ll need to persuade the Union Pacific railroad to allow its competitor to construct a rail line on its land.
That’s something that Mankato wants to happen, largely because more trains are coming downtown, south route or not. And the city is taking steps to make it a reality.
Councilmen Mark Frost and Jack Considine visited the area’s federal delegation in Washington, D.C., last week. They asked lawmakers to use their influence to help DM&E avoid building a southern route around Mankato.
Specifically, that involves bringing the Union Pacific to the table and persuading the railroad to allow the DM&E to use its in-town rail corridor. But it’s not clear how much power elected officials have to bolster that in-town route.
Jim Gelbmann, Sen. Mark Dayton’s state director, said he doesn’t think senators have the power to bring the two railroads to the negotiating table. He said Dayton remains focused on noise and safety mitigation issues.
Spokesmen for Sen. Norm Coleman and Rep. Gil Gutknecht did not comment specifically, though both said the officials are interested in bringing affected parties together to come to an amicable solution.