Council approves street projects, pool repairs

City News April 24, 2026

At its April 13 meeting, the Albert Lea City Council accepted the low bids for several street projects this season, including:

• Repaving sections of several streets throughout the city
• Reconstructing St. Mary Avenue from William Street to Clark Street
• Reconstructing 14th Street from Myers Road to the east end
• Replacing the water main along the east side of Sorensen Road between U.S. Highway 65 and Hammer Road

The council also approved to $140,000 for repairing the paint in both pools and the surrounding deck at the Albert Lea Aquatic Center this spring.

The surfaces were last scraped, acid-etched and painted in 2024 with a touchup in 2025. The paint deteriorated over the winter to the point that immediate repairs are needed for the Aquatic Center to open this season, scheduled for June 5.

For the repairs, the Recreation Department will contract three different service providers to sandblast, make concrete repairs, and paint the surfaces of the pools and deck.

For all the council action, watch the meeting on YouTube.

In the photo above are, from left to right: Front row – Ward 6 Councilor Brian Anderson, Ward 2 Councilor Larry Baker, Ward 4 Councilor Reid Olson and Ward 5 Councilor Keith Van Beek. Back row – Ward 1 Councilor Rachel Christensen, Mayor Rich Murray and Ward 3 Councilor Ted Herman.