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The Albert Lea City Council voted Monday to apply to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources for a $1 million grant to go toward a new estimated $2.5 million solar energy project the city hopes to put in when it upgrades the wastewater treatment plant.

The state commission has a program that provides funds for renewable energy demonstration projects at wastewater treatment plants. The solar field the city hopes to put in would be on two acres adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant and would help reduce the cost of operations at the plant.

City Manager Ian Rigg said the grant would help make the project feasible. If the city gets the grant, the payback for the project would be five years. If the city did not get the grant, the payback would be 10 years.

The life of the solar panels is 20 years.

Rigg said if the city does not get the full $1 million requested, it could scale down the project.

The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources is funded by lottery proceeds.

In other action, the council:

• Awarded the contract for the bituminous paving of 209th Street and the mill and overlay of Happy Trails Lane to Ulland Brothers Inc. of Albert Lea for about $273,000. The engineer’s estimate was about $383,000. The city received two bids with the one from Ulland being the low bid.

• Awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the city-owned parking lot at Washington Avenue and East Main Street to Jensen Excavating & Trucking LLC of Albert Lea for about $89,000. The engineer’s estimate was about $100,000. The city received two bids for the project with the one from Jensen Excavating being the low bid.

Ten parking stalls will be eliminated on the north side of the lot and replaced with green space. The city Parks Department will do the landscaping and is budgeted for an additional $10,000.

• Voted to enter into an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Local Road Improvement Program for reimbursement of construction costs tied to the road raise, storm sewer improvements and grading for about $1.28 million for the flood mitigation efforts on East Main Street.

The city was awarded $2.6 million in state bonding funds in total, some of which were also used to purchase the former Godfather’s Pizza, where a new storm water pond will be built.

This is the second of four grants that will be written.

• Accepted the low bid for bituminous material for 2022 from Flint Hill Resources of St. Paul. Three bids were received.

• Had the final reading of an amendment to the city ordinance regarding alcoholic beverages. The amendment removes the spatial restrictions someone is allowed to serve alcohol near churches and private Schools. The 300-foot restriction for a public school will remain enforced.

The amendment is consistent with state statute.

• Approved refurbishing a pump at the city’s main pumping station.

Rigg stated the pumps are refurbished every seven years and was budgeted for $25,000. After sending the pump in for evaluation the cost was estimated at $75,000.

• Approved a new five-year partnership contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for design, construction and maintenance and operation of state and local roads.

Rigg said the city uses MnDOT for bridge inspection and lab service, and MnDOT has used the city’s equipment in the past under the agreement.

• Acknowledged state approval of annexation for Scott Schroeder into the city from Albert Lea Township. The council also amended the zoning and land use map for the property to single-family residence district.

• Granted a variance for Duane and Pamela Virchow to increase the maximum square footage allowed for carports, garages and sheds to build a 32-by-48-foot shed addition.

• Appointed election judges for the May 24 special election.

• Accepted donations totaling $3,715 to the city.