2001-081City of Hopkins
Hennepin County, Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO. 2001-81
Resolution Supporting State of Minnesota Capital Appropriation
For Railroad Switching Yard in Glencoe, MN
WHEREAS, the cities of Minnetonka, St. Louis Park and Hopkins (the Cities) have been jointly working to
eliminate noise disturbances to their residents living adjacent to segments of rail lines where rail car
sorting operations are performed; and
WHEREAS, in 1999, the Cities funded a noise study that concluded these sorting operations generate
noise levels that exceed the State of Minnesota noise standards; and
WHEREAS, the Cities have actively pursued short-term and long-term solutions to mitigate the noise
from these rail operations. To date, the short-term solutions have provided little improvement; and
WHEREAS, the railroad operator, Twin Cities & Western (TC&W) is nearing completion of an agreement
with MnDOT and the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority that would expand their operations to
include the now defunct Minnesota Prairie Line (MPL). The Cities are concerned that this expansion
would further worsen the already untenable noise problems in the neighborhoods of the three
communities; and
WHEREAS, the construction of a switching yard in Glencoe, Minnesota was identified as the long-term
solution that would completely eliminate the blocking operations from the residential communities. A
switching yard would be beneficial to Gl~ncoe from both an operational and an economic development
standpoint; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute 16A.86 prescribes the process by which local governments and political
subdivisions may request State of Minnesota capital appropriations; and
WHEREAS, the Cities, in cooperation with the City of Glencoe and the McLeod County Rail authority,
have submitted an application for a State of Minnesota capital appropriation in the amount of $796,020
for land acquisition and design and development costs for a railroad switching yard.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Hopkins, Minnesota that the City
Council of the City of Hopkins does hereby support the application for a State of Minnesota capital
appropriation by the Cities of Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and Hopkins, in cooperation with the City of
Glencoe and the McLeod County Rail Authority, in the amount of $796,020 for a railroad switching yard
in Glencoe, Minnesota.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Hopkins this 16th day of October, 2001.
"' Eug'~ne J. Maxwell, Mayor
~T,~.rry Obe~lier, City Clerk