Oakdale Council Members Unsure About Funding Tanners Lighting, Vets Memorial Projects

Oakdale City Council members said they’re unsure how they want to proceed with two projects that are now going to cost the city significantly more than originally planned.

Due to poor soil conditions, the estimated cost to at has now nearly doubled from $175,000 to $297,000.

Similarly, the committee working to get donations for a veterans’ memorial to be built outside of has raised $10,000, but needs between $50,000 and $75,000 to complete the project, and is asking for city help.

Some council members said they weren’t sure whether they could maintain support for the projects under these new conditions at their workshop meeting Tuesday, July 26, and they plan to hear more specifics on both projects and potential funding sources at their next workshop meeting in two weeks.

The Oakdale Athletic Association has requested more lighted playing fields to provide more practice space for fall sports, and to allow the organization to hold more of its games at home.

Lighting the field at Tanners Lake Park had been presented as a cheaper alternative to the estimated $600,000 cost—given by Parks Superintendent Randy Bastyr—of constructing and lighting fields in the open area on the east side of the property.

“When you see the price go from $175,000 to nearly $300,000, that’s a different project from what we had originally talked about,” said council member Lori Pulkrabek. “Now I just wonder if we need to revisit the whole thing.”

Council member Kent Dotas also said he needed time to “digest” the cost increase.

Council members said they had similar concerns about putting city funds toward the project to build a veterans’ memorial on the Oakdale City Hall property.

They said they were originally told the project would be privately funded.

“While this is an important aspect and is going to have a special place in the city’s being, it’s not there yet in my mind, especially when I signed on to support this cause under the original auspices—under the original understandings,” said council member Paul Reinke. “This is another tough one that I have a hard time handing out the dollars for at this point.”

Memorial committee member Ted Bearth said the group set out to raise the money for the project privately, but they’ve been to every business in town and found donations hard to get.

Bearth asked that the council raise its utility franchise fee slightly to cover the cost.

Council member Stan Karwoski suggested that the city offer to pay half of the balance of the project cost as matching funds to solicit additional donations. 

Mayor Carmen Sarrack said the veterans’ memorial will be an asset to the city for years to come, and he’d like to figure out a way to fund it and the lights.  He suggested seeking out a funding source and then making a loan to the veterans committee, knowing that the loan may never be fully repaid.

The suggestion concerns Pulkrabek, she said.

“This is a big departure from everything that we’ve talked about before today,” she said.

Oakdale’s city staff is scheduled to bring back more specifics on both projects and potential funding sources to the council’s Aug. 9 workshop meeting.