5.1 Public Hearing - Small Cities Development Program

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Will the entire project, not just components that may be covered by SCDP funding, result in expanding the facility's capacity by more than 20% and/or will be impacting previously undisturbed ground? o ❑ Yes o N No • Have engineering services been procured by the city through a competitive process, using standard procurement methods (federal, state, or local, whichever is more stringent)? o N Yes o ❑ No 1. Describe the community need for this project: Narrative Answer: The City of Pequot Lakes is located 22 miles from the Central Minnesota regional employment base of Brainerd. It has grown from 947 residents in 2000, to 2,166 in 2021, (U.S. Census). Pequot Lakes is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area. There are vulnerable populations in Pequot Lakes who depend on the public infrastructure including school children, low-income residents, and elderly persons. As a community supporting this regional workforce, there is an essential need for healthy and safe public infrastructure. Forcemains are a key component to most municipal sanitary sewer systems, as they are in Pequot Lakes. They have the potential to create serious environmental concerns and groundwater contamination if not in proper working order. Pequot Lakes currently has one forcemain in service, this is the only piece of infrastructure that connects the wastewater collection system to the stabilization cells. Lift stations are a critical part of the collection system and have the potential to create serious environmental concerns if not in proper working order. To the Pequot Lakes community, the failure of a lift station could create a backup of sanitary sewage in the collection mains and private service lines. Backups can result in property damage to residential homes and serious health impacts, particularly if damage occurs in food service industries. There are 2,166 persons in the City of Pequot Lakes. With 52.66 percent LMI, there are 1,142 persons who are of low to moderate income. The poverty status in the past 12 months includes 78 who are below the poverty level and 838 who are at or above the poverty level. Federal programs commonly use 100%,138%, or 200% below poverty as the poverty level. In Pequot Lakes there are 41 persons who are 70 persons who are at 200 percent of the poverty level, (2021, U.S. Census). The City of Pequot Lakes is a total of 18.16 square miles in size. The City limits include a small town urban and residential area, that is roughly five square miles in size, as well as a sparsely populated wilderness area that includes Sibley Lake, East Twin Lake, Mayo Lake and part of Middle Cullen Lake. Around the lakes, which Small Cities Development Program (SCDP) 2023 Full Proposal Public Facilities Infrastructure 6