HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdina_Feb-2025-Web (1)Sustainability Division Obtains Money to Bring
B100 Biofuel to Edina Public Works
Over $595,000 in Grant Funding Secured for New Tank and Retrofitting Trucks
BY LAUREN SIEBENALER
The City of Edina’s Sustainability Division
has secured nearly $600,000 in grants to
convert 10 trucks from diesel-powered to
running on B100 biofuel in 2025.
“Heavy-duty fleet is a really hard
technology to convert to electric. We’ve
been able to do that with other smaller
fleet vehicles, but these heavy-duty trucks
are different,” said Sustainability Manager
Marisa Bayer. “We need to maintain the
same level of service to our community,
while also being cost effective and
feasible. This biofuel project creates that
opportunity for us while also reducing
the carbon footprint of those vehicles.”
The project is estimated to cost $600,000
and is being primarily funded with
grants. Multiple grants for one project
is considered “braided funding.” The
sources include:
•$163,000 from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA) Higher Blends
Infrastructure Incentive Program
•$163,000 from the Minnesota
Commerce Department’s State
Competitiveness Fund (USDA
funding match)
•$119,340 from the Department of
Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grant Program
•$100,000 from the Minnesota Soybean
Research & Promotion Council
•$50,000 from the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency’s Local
Climate Action Grant
Now that the grant funding is secured,
the next step is put out a Request for
Purchase for a new, separate tank to
dispense the biofuel and retrofit systems
for the 10 trucks. The trucks are able
to run on biodiesel, but the retrofitting
is needed so that the biofuel can be
warmed up to run in the winter. Once
permits are obtained and the tank is
installed, the trucks will be able to start
running the new fuel.
“The industry is not ready for progression
of the Green Fleet Policy that we’ve
tried to achieve with our larger pieces
of equipment. Our normal cost for a
street sweeper is $200,000-$250,000.
We asked for a quote on an all-electric
sweeper and they said it was $750,000.
That’s more than three times what we
normally spend, and so clearly, we couldn’t
justify it,” said Public Works Director
Brian Olson. “This biofuel project would
create a 100% reduction in our carbon
footprint and would more than satisfy the
requirements of the Green Fleet Policy. This
is an option that we can all feel proud of
without compromising our power needs
that we have or the jobs that we do.”
The biofuel conversion is projected to be
completed by fall. To staff’s knowledge,
this biofuel conversion is the first of
its kind for a city in Minnesota. Other
cities that have been successful with the
conversion to biofuel include Madison,
Wisconsin, and Ames, Iowa.
“Biodiesel has been a key part of
Madison’s strategy to reduce emissions,
helping us save over 15 million pounds
of carbon dioxide from entering our
atmosphere since 2018,” said Rachel
Darken, Assistant Fleet Superintendent
for the City of Madison. “The technology
to run 100% biodiesel on our fleet of
refuse trucks and snowplows makes it
easy to keep them operating on cleaner
fuel all year long.”
For more information on the
Sustainability Division, visit
EdinaMN.gov/Sustainability.
The City plans to retrofit 10 Public Works trucks to run B100 biofuel by fall 2025. (File Photo)
City of Edina EdinaMN.gov 1
Edition: Edina
FEBRUARY 2025
Volume 12, Issue 2Strong FoundationCITY GOALS:Better TogetherReliable Service Livable City
BY JACEY MISMASH
From its original construction in 1982, to
its grand reopening after a fire in 2012,
and all the way to today, the Braemar
Golf Dome has been a flagship facility for
the Edina golf community in the winter
months. With the introduction of Toptracer
technology in 2019, reverence for Braemar
Golf Dome has only continued to grow.
The largest and longest indoor hitting
facility in the Twin Cities, Braemar Golf
Dome at 7420 Braemar Blvd. is home to
44 tee areas across two levels. Only four
cameras are needed to accurately trace any
ball’s shot in the dome.
“The ball only needs to travel between two
of the cameras for one second,” explained
General Manager Joseph Abood. “The
cameras can then track the flight of the
ball across the entire dome.”
Braemar Golf Dome is the only indoor
facility in Minnesota equipped with
Toptracer technology and is one of
only seven in the United States. Since
introducing the technology, Braemar Golf
Dome has seen a greater than 246%
increase in revenue from the 2019 to 2023
season. This substantial increase in cashflow
has allowed the facility to operate self-
sufficiently, providing the funds for routine
updates and maintenance to keep the
facility and its technology in top condition.
“Toptracer sets us apart from other
simulators as customers can see the
real path of every ball they shoot,”
said Abood. “It’s also a very affordable
option for winter and indoor golf with
great technology.”
Not only does Toptracer equip golfers
with real-time information about
their game, but also supports golf
entertainment modes such as Go Fish and,
new to Edina this season, Angry Birds.
From rookies to seasoned pros, everyone
can find their stride at the Golf Dome.
“The technology is excellent,” said Allen
Van Beek, a resident of Edina since 1982
and a regular attendee of Braemar Golf
Dome for over 20 years. “It really helps
me to see my consistency.”
Open Nov. 1 to April 30, the facility
encourages golfers to keep at the sport
year round in the warmth of the dome.
In 2024 alone, over 5.4 million shots
were traced at Braemar Golf Dome.
Interested in taking a swing? Braemar
Golf Dome is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
daily. Rates are charged per bay by half-
hour, hour and two hours. Members
of the Dome Player’s Club receive
discounted rates. To learn more, visit
BraemarGolfDome.com.
Braemar Golf Dome: Transforming Indoor Golf
Toptracer Transformed Beloved Golf Dome into a Technology Hub
- COMPILED BY DEBBIE TOWNSEND
Southwest Television (SWTV) manages education and public access
cable channels serving Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka
and Richfield. In Edina, the Education channel is on Comcast 14
and 798; Public Access is on 15 and 799. Starting in June 2024,
programming began streaming online, making it accessible to
anyone. Learn more at EdinaMN.gov/SWTV.
BY THE NUMBERS
Public Access
Channel
2,864
Total streaming views. Most popular
programs: Edina High School
Commencement Ceremony, “West Coast
Jazz” and the wrestling show “MAW Live.”
Apps or devices to stream
on: Apple, Android,
Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku
5
Hours streamed online
June 1-Dec. 31, 2024
75
Times residents or
organizations requested
Public Access airtime in 2024
534
Producers of
shows since 2019
81
Golf Dome 2024 Statistics
48,085Total Number of Toptracer Sessions
2,203,293Virtual Golf Shots Traced
1,465,546My Practice Shots Traced
815,315Warm Up Shots Traced
101,245Go Fish Shots Traced
Average Session Length63Minutes
Busiest Day: Saturday, March 3051,825 Shots Traced
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BELMORE LN
MALONEY AVE
ALDEN PARK
3RD ST S
2ND ST S
WASHINGTON AVEADAMS AVEJEFFERSON AVEMADISON AVEMONROE AVEJACKSON AVEVAN BUREN AVEHARRISON AVETYLER AVETYLER CTLegend
Existing Sidewalk
Proposed Sidewalk
Future Bike Lane
Future Sidewalk
Project Limits
Existing Shared-Use Path
Proposed Shared-Use Path
The City of Edina has one neighborhood street
reconstruction project planned for 2025 in the
Presidents A & B neighborhood, located in the
northwest quadrant of the community.
The street reconstruction program addresses
neighborhoods with aging streets and
utility infrastructure. The timing of when a
neighborhood gets scheduled for reconstruction
depends on factors like pavement condition, age
of original construction, underground utilities
and gaps in the bike and pedestrian network.
As part of the project, the City plans to
construct one sidewalk and two shared-
use paths to continue to create connections
throughout the city for walking, biking
and transit access.
Project contact: Assistant City Engineer Aaron
Ditzler, aditzler@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0443
Construction timeframe: Late April 2025
until late November 2025
Estimated affected properties:
301 properties
Miles of road: 2.75
Work includes:
•Complete reconstruction of the roadway
asphalt pavement
•New watermain and water services,
including replacing fire hydrants and
gate valves and adding more hydrants
where necessary
•Reconstruction of two alleyways
•Improvements to the sanitary sewer system
•Modifications to roadway and storm
sewer to improve drainage, including
the installation of sump drain pipe
where feasible
•Replacement of concrete curb and gutter
•Proposed sidewalk and paths:
• Monroe Avenue (5-foot sidewalk from
2nd Street South to Maloney Avenue)
• Belmore Lane (8-foot shared-use
path from Washington Avenue to
Dearborn Court)
• Washington Avenue (8-foot shared-
use path from 3rd Street South to
Maloney Avenue)
Website: Weekly project updates will
be provided during construction at
BetterTogetherEdina.org/presidents-ab
How will construction affect travel in
the area?
The project will mostly affect local
neighborhood traffic. However, drivers who use
Washington Avenue—a higher-volume street—
should expect delays. As part of this project,
Engineering staff are working with food
distributor UNFI to redirect its truck traffic onto
an alternative route away from Washington
Avenue during construction and thereafter.
Engineering staff will communicate with
local property owners about construction
phases. Additionally, efforts will be made to
minimize event impacts at Alden Park.
How will residents in the project area be
notified of time-sensitive information?
You can sign up for emailed notices through
the project’s Better Together Edina webpage.
Time-sensitive information will also be
posted to all affected residents’ doors.
Residents should make a habit of checking
their front door each day for new
information. The City will leave notices
during inconveniences such as short-term
loss of water service or driveway access.
How will this project be paid for?
The project is expected to cost $17.6 million,
funded through a combination of special
assessments, property taxes, respective utility
funds and the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety
(PACS) fund. For the roadway improvements
specifically, 57.86% of the cost will be assessed
to Presidents A & B property owners and
42.14% will be paid for through property taxes.
Which locations will the new pedestrian
and bicycle paths provide access to?
•Alden Park and Van Valkenburg Park in
Edina and Harley Hopkins Park in Hopkins
•Harley Hopkins Family Center
•The Blake School
•Downtown Hopkins
•Multiple regional trails
•Metro Transit Route 612 and Metro
Transit Green Line Extension
- COMPILED BY BRITTANY BADER
2025 Street Reconstruction Scheduled for Presidents A & B Neighborhood
Project Includes New Asphalt, Utility Improvements and Pedestrian and Bicycle Paths
Existing and Proposed Paths and Sidewalks
Presidents A & B
Neighborhood Roadway
Reconstruction
Scan QR Code
for online map
3City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov4
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, Feb. 1
Black History Month begins
Sunday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m.
Real Big Band, Edinborough Park
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Feb. 6, 4:30 p.m.
Summer Activity Expo,
Edinborough Park
Sunday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m.
Katy Tessman, Edinborough Park
Wednesday, Feb. 12, Noon
Activity Registration opens for
Edina residents
Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority
meeting, Edina City Hall
Friday, Feb. 14, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Candyland Trail, Edinborough Park
Friday, Feb. 14, 5:30 p.m.
Movie night, “Lady & The Tramp,”
Edinborough Park
Sunday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m.
Luke LeBlanc Trio, Edinborough Park
Monday, Feb. 17
Presidents’ Day, City offices closed
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m.
City Council meeting, Edina City Hall
Friday, Feb. 21
Registration closes for State of
the Community (March 4)
Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band,
Edinborough Park
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 a.m.
Housing & Redevelopment Authority
meeting, Edina City Hall
City Council Reviews Initial Designs for
Pedestrian Bridge
Engineering Department to Hire Bridge Fabricator for Next Steps
Architects have developed initial drawings and
models for an iconic pedestrian bridge over
Minnesota Highway 62, but is it too expensive?
That’s the question the City’s Engineering
Department hopes can be answered by adding
a bridge fabricator to the project.
The current bridge, which does not meet
Americans with Disabilities Act standards, was
built in the 1960s and is owned and managed
by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The bridge is an important piece of infrastructure
connecting the northeast and southeast parts of
Edina. It is a critical connection for pedestrians
and cyclists to safely access Rosland Park and its
amenities, including the Edina Aquatic Center.
The bridge was significantly damaged in 2022
when it was struck twice by trucks traveling
on Highway 62. The second crash resulted
in the closure of the bridge for most of 2022
until expensive temporary repairs were made
in January 2023.
Since that time, the City and MnDOT have
been in discussions about replacing the bridge.
Funding for the project has been secured with
a successful State bonding request and MnDOT
funds. The project budget is $6 million.
The project team of Bolton & Menk and Snow
Kreilich Architects was hired in June and has
developed some designs with unique steel
truss angles and wood attachments. The 30%
designs were presented to the Edina City
Council last month, when Engineering Director
Chad Millner noted a bridge fabricator will be
added to the project team.
Millner said a bridge fabricator will be able to
provide input on the attachment details of the
façade and estimate costs at this stage and
eventually make the steel truss bridge itself.
Staff hopes to have final plans for the bridge
complete by September. Construction is
anticipated for 2026.
In other business last month, the Council:
•Provided nonbinding feedback on The Opus
Group’s sketch plan to redevelop 5100 Eden
Ave. Opus would like to redevelop the site with
a five-story office building that would house
its headquarters and other tenants. The first
floor would have retail space or a restaurant.
•Began considering an ordinance
amendment concerning the sale of
inhumanely bred animals.
•Awarded a contract to SEH, Inc. to design
the Wooddale Avenue bridge and prepare
bidding documents. The design and bidding
documents will allow the City to pursue grant
funding to construct the replacement bridge.
•Appointed Council Member James Pierce
as Acting Mayor for any times the Mayor
cannot be present.
The Council will next meet 7 p.m. Feb. 4 and 18.
For more information, visit EdinaMN.gov.
– COMPILED BY JENNIFER BENNEROTTE
Watch City Council, Housing &
Redevelopment Authority and Planning
Commission meetings live on Edina TV
(Comcast Channels 813 or 16) or online.
For a complete listing of meetings and
events, visit EdinaMN.gov/Calendar.
Snow Kreilich Architects has developed some
designs with unique steel truss angles and wood
attachments for the pedestrian bridge over
Minnesota Highway 62 in Edina. (Submitted Rendering)
Iskaan-garee koodhkan oo ku fiiri soomaali
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EdinaMN.gov/SpanishEE
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