Mabel’s City Council met on June 9. Attending were Mayor James Westby, Terry Torkelson, Kirsten Wyffels, and Cory Wilson. Also participating were City Clerk Karen Larson and Jeff Rein.
Brian Krambeer, President/CEO of MiEnergy Cooperative, addressed the council about a current offer being made to cities in the area. He said, “MiEnergy is working with 30 other electric coops, and we formed an organization called Charge EV. We’re in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinios to build a regional charging network, so people don’t get range anxiety if they have an electric vehicle.”
He went on to explain that Mabel is eligible to receive a free electric vehicle charging station. Krambeer said that if the city chooses to accept this offer, the city would be responsible for deciding where to put the station, and for the cost of installation, which he said most likely would run around $1,000. He said the basic charging station, which is being offered to Mabel for free, is valued at around $5,100. Krambeer said another option is that the city could opt for an upgrade to a different model of charging station; in this case, the city would have the $5,100 discount applied to the cost of whatever charging station was selected.
Krambeer explained that if Mabel chooses to move forward with the charging station, the system would offer an app on smart phones, which would allow users to pay for the electricity they accessed while charging their vehicle. “It’s simple, it’s clean… and again, you guys are a municipal utility selling electricity. You don’t have to worry about sticking a meter or anything out there.” He also stated that the vast majority of recharging of electric vehicles is expected to occur at homes, there are benefits to cities offering an option for drivers to recharge in the community.
Council members discussed that the best site for installing the charger would be near the community center. This would allow for possible future expansion, if/when electric vehicles become more popular. It was also mentioned that this location would make it convenient for users to walk downtown while they waited the roughly 30 minutes for an average recharging of their vehicle.
The council voted to purchase a slightly upgraded charging unit, which has a price tag of around $5,800. After the credit described by Krambeer, the city’s cost will be roughly $700 plus installation. This upgraded station will allow users to get a recharge that gives somewhat better mileage range. A one-hour charging is estimated to offer the driver a range of 30-50 miles.
The council discussed the recent improvements to County Road 34 as it comes into town from the west. Mayor Westby said this has resulted in increased speeds, summarizing, “They’re coming in pretty hot.” Council members agreed this is a concern, especially with the new playground next to the road. The city will look into installing a “speed readout” traffic calming sign along the new roadway.
Regarding the new playground on West Prairie Avenue, Jeff Rein said, “The playground is in. It’s all up and running.” He said grass seeding is yet to be completed, and he added that although the mulch is very “spongy” right now, it will likely settle after a good rain.
Karen Larson informed the council that Brooke Harmening submitted a resignation from her position as deputy clerk for the city. Council members praised the work she had done for the city. Larson said the city received eight applications to fill the position, and three applicants were interviewed. She said the recommendation is for the city to hire Kendra Spalla to fill the vacancy. The council voted to hired Spalla as recommended.
Immediately prior to the regular council meeting, a public hearing was held regarding a requested variance related to a zoning permit. No citizens spoke during the hearing, so it was promptly closed. The council approved a total of seven zoning permits.
The council’s next regular meeting will be July 14, at 6 p.m. in the community center. The public is welcome.
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