(Spirit Lake)– Plans by the city of Spirit Lake to build a snowmobile and pedestrian underpass under Highways nine and 71 near the East Okoboji Bridge got some new life today (Tues.) from the Dickinson county board of supervisors.
The supervisors unanimously approved a proposal allowing the city to tap into the county’s bonding capacity to pay for the project, which has an estimated construction cost of 480-thousand dollars. Spirit Lake’s bonding capacity is nearly exhausted, forcing it to go to the county. It isn’t the first time it’s been done. The city of Lake Park has done the same thing to finance an urban renewal project.
The deal with Spirit Lake is contingent on a 28E agreement being worked out with the city, spelling out terms as to how it will reimburse the county.
Supervisor Paul Johnson sited safety concerns in voicing his support for the project, saying “if one person would die due to a lack of action on the supervisors part, we’d be derelict of our duties”.
City officials say the project would have died without the county’s participation.
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