Winsted City Council awarded Mid Minnesota Hot Mix a $104,015 contract to improve the sports courts at the Weinbeck Athletic Complex during its meeting Tuesday.
The work will include grading, resurfacing the court, and installing new basketball hoops on the north side. The existing hoops will be removed.
Additional upgrades include installing posts and nets for pickleball courts and a 10-foot-tall chain-link fence to separate the basketball and pickleball areas.
The contractor will be required to take protective measures during construction to avoid damaging nearby trees, light poles, sidewalks, and curbs.
The project is to be completed no later than Friday, Aug. 1.

The council also finalized a financing agreement with the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) to help fund the construction of a fifth municipal well in the city.
Council members adopted a resolution to accept an offer from the PFA to purchase a $2,085,408 general obligation water revenue note, and in doing so, the city will effectively receive a loan in the same amount from the PFA, with repayment scheduled from 2026 through 2045 at a fixed interest rate of 2.054%.
The city will repay the loan and accrued interest using revenue from its water fund.
Winsted originally applied for the funding in 2024 as it moved to address its need for a new well. While four municipal wells have been constructed in the city’s history, the first has long since been sealed. In contrast, the second and third are more than 60 years old and experiencing declining production. 
The city’s fourth well, drilled in 2005, currently serves as the city’s primary water source. Because the second and third wells struggle to meet demand when the fourth well is not operating, council members have said adding a fifth well is necessary. 
The new well will be located at the Weinbeck Athletic Complex at a site that avoids disruption to surrounding park facilities. Once completed, the well is expected to stabilize water capacity and allow for continued development within the city.

The council authorized City Administrator Neil Schlagel to execute a proposal for professional services with Bolton & Menk, Inc. for the site design of a new multi-bay hangar at Winsted Municipal Airport.
The proposed structure is a three-unit hangar measuring 150 feet by 40 feet, with each unit measuring 50 feet by 40 feet.
The site design and associated bid administration services from Bolton & Menk are expected to cost $115,000, with an additional $4,500 in administrative costs bringing the total to $119,500.
As part of the project, the council also authorized Bolton & Menk to submit a request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a $113,525 Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) that would cover 95% of the project cost. The remaining 5% would be split evenly between the city and the state, with each contributing $2,987.
The project’s design work is expected to be completed in early 2026, followed by bid letting next spring and construction starting in August 2026. It is anticipated to be completed by July 2027.

 For some time, the city council has sought out opportunities to bring more market-rate housing to the town. In 2023, the city was approached by Winsted Leased Housing, LLC, a developer wanting to construct two 31-unit apartment buildings in the city’s Grass Lake Farms third addition to be known as the Grass Lake Apartments.
To make this project a reality, the city applied for a deferred loan last year from the Minnesota Housing Agency through its Workforce Housing Development Program (WHDP).
The program targets greater Minnesota communities with demonstrated job growth and housing shortages. Deferred loans from the program are forgivable, provided the developer complies with requirements set forth by MFHA and completes the project on time.
During its recent meeting, the council authorized a subcontract with Winsted Leased Housing to ensure the developer complies with all conditions set by the MHFA. The agency has issued a compliance guide for the developer to reference throughout the project, which must be completed by Jan. 1, 2028, unless an extension is granted.
WHDP loans may not exceed 50% of total project costs, and applicants must match at least one dollar for every two received. Winsted agreed to establish a tax increment financing (TIF) district at the project site to meet this requirement without incurring direct city costs. 
As property values increase post-development, 90% of the resulting TIF revenue, up to $3,074,787, will be used to fulfill the matching obligation. The WHDP loan amount is not to exceed $3.3 million.