Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
Mayor Scott Solberg called the Tuesday, June 15 regular meeting of the Spring Grove City Council to order at 6 p.m. at the Spring Grove Communication meeting room. Council members in attendance, Travis Torgerson, Trent Turner, and Karen Folstad. Councilmember Chad Rohland attended the first half of the meeting via Zoom and appeared in person for the second half. The council unanimously approved the Consent Agenda.
Old Business
After a presentation by Spring Grove Swim Center Managers Mariah Edgington and Alyssa Johnson and 30 minutes of community input, the Council unanimously approved leaving the pool hours as is with the addition of one extra hour of open swim on Saturday and Sunday night if there is demand for it. Open swim is from 1 – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 – 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. On Friday night, the pool is open from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. if there is enough demand. Watch the Swim Center’s Facebook page for upcoming announcements on special events at the pool.
Julie Amundson, City Clerk/Administrator, announced that there were no applicants for the Water/Wastewater position. The job was posted without a closing date in the Driftless Journal, Fillmore County Journal, Caledonia Argus, and the Minnesota Water Board. The job will be reposted for two more weeks.
Drum roll! The results of the trash tote survey are in. Five hundred survey cards were sent out, and 261 were returned, for a return rate of 52.2%. One hundred forty-nine votes for totes and 112 for bags. Councilman Rohland made a motion to switch to totes. Turner seconded the motion. All were in favor except for Councilmember Folstad, who voted nay. Richard’s Sanitation plans on getting the totes delivered before winter, so residents have a chance to get accustomed to using them.
Mayor Solberg moved to accept the request to allow the lawn by the swimming pool to be used for additional parking during Musik Fest (June 26, 2021) with the stipulation if the property is wet, it will not be used for parking. This was approved.
EDA Update
EDA is keeping busy. Representing EDA, Courtney Bergey Swanson introduced her colleague, Alex Herr, who is replacing Rebecca Charles. Herr has a Master’s in Public Administration and calls Rochester home.
Spring Grove was one of four rural communities selected in the United States to participate in the Citizen’s Institute on Rural Design. According to Bergey Swanson explained, “This is a small grant ($6,000) to help with gathering community input and participation in the national cohort, which we hope will lead to some fruitful relationships built with potential funders.”
The Spring Grove Community Real Estate Fund is moving forward. Rebound Partners, an investment company out of Northfield, Minn., has been meeting with Bergey Swanson and local individuals that would invest in housing, warehouse space, hotel and help entrepreneurs get started. A pilot project EDA is looking at is Doc’s/Norski’s. According to Bergey Swanson, “The Spring Grove Community Real Estate Fund would purchase and revitalize the space and then lease it to a local entrepreneur interested in a woodfired pizza and craft beer taproom concept.”
The council unanimously approved releasing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to find a potential housing developer for the city-owned Quonset hut site by Roverud Park.
Cobblestone Hotels has expressed interest in building a hotel in Spring Grove. Rebound Partners is involved in these conversations as Spring Grove Community Real Estate Fund would likely be a significant investor. Bergey Swanson shared with the council, “The bare land located next to the pool and owned by the city is attractive as a site for the hotel. Bergey Swanson is interested in knowing if the city is interested in selling it. The council agreed that they would sell property it if the proposed project generates revenue for the city.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Proposal
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
Kent Whitcomb, MiEnergy, explained that MiEnergy is offering a free level 2 EV charging station to the city. The charger is a commercial ZEFNET 40-CPD-SS, dual-head pedestal-mounted level 2 EV charging station with a charge rate of 7.7kW. One hour of charging will add approximately 20 to 30 miles to an EV’s battery. Spring Grove will choose the location for the charging station and has the option to upgrade. The city pays for the installation, which can range from $1,000 to $3000 depending on the location and electrical service. The city also determines the fees for parking and electricity. It is recommended that cities not collect payments with a credit card but instead use a QR code. Mabel, Harmony, and Caledonia recently accepted MiEnergy’s offer and are upgrading and/or adding more than one charger. The decision to accept MiEnergy’s offer was tabled until the July meeting.
Other Business
The council approved the recommendation to hire Kennedy Bomholdt and Tiahna Garcia for the summer recreation program; the two will teach dance classes.
The council unanimously approved Resolution 21-26 Authorizing Limited Use Permit, giving Mayor Solberg and Amundson signature authority.
Announcements
The League of Minnesota Cities notified the city that they received the 2021 City of Excellent award in the Topical Category, COVID-19 Response. The city received the award for enclosing the shelters at Trollskogen Park using CARES funds. The city will receive $1,000, a commemorative plaque, and special recognition. Congratulations!
The city did not receive any applications for the vacant library position. Therefore, the job is scheduled to be reposted.
The Chamber of Commerce is developing a job description for a part-time director. Puzzle sales are going well. To order your puzzle(s), go to www.springgrovemn.com/chamber-of-commerce.
The Spring Grove City Council’s next regular meeting is July 20, 2021, at 6 p.m. at the Spring Grove Communications building.
Union Negotiation meeting dates are scheduled for June 9 and 23 at 10 a.m. at 168 W. Main, Spring Grove, Minn.
The budget workshop is scheduled for June 29, 2021, at 5 p.m. at city hall.
At 8:07 p.m., the council went into closed session to discuss labor negotiations. The council meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.