At the November 14 meeting of the Chatfield City Council, the results of the city election were reported and certified. City Clerk Joel Young said the election went smoothly due to the capable leadership of Deputy City Clerk Beth Carlson working together with 16 judges. Councilor Mike Urban was absent.
Eighteen hundred fifty-three citizens were registered to vote the morning of November 8 and 1,305 voted that day. John McBroom won the mayor’s race with 452 votes. Write-in candidate Curt Sorenson received 431 votes and Pam Bluhm received 332 votes.
Councilors Paul Novotny (950 votes) and Mike Urban (910 votes) will retain their seats on the city council. Young said the Chatfield Center for the Arts, with its recent enhancements, allows Potter Auditorium to work well for elections.
Other business in brief
•Osseo Construction Co. LLC submitted a pay application for work completed on the 2022 Ground Water Storage Improvement Project. City engineer Craig Britton explained the pay application was for work completed in October on the South Reservoir; the work is substantially completed. The pay application was approved as presented. The contract total after a change order (less work planned for the concrete tank) is $304,000.
•The CEDA contract was approved. The Chatfield EDA is to reimburse CEDA for staff time provided not to exceed $48,594 annually. The contract is based on an average of 16 hours per week.
•A revised purchase agreement for the Peoples Cooperative property was approved. The sales price is $699,900 contingent on financing, a satisfactory environmental report, and its consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. It includes furniture and fixtures in the office building. The revision was for a minor change requested by the seller. The property taxes are to be prorated. Seller shall pay any special assessments levied against the property as of the closing date. Buyer shall assume payment of any special assessments pending against the property as of the closing date. It was noted that property tax proration should be minor, assuming a closing date near the end of this year and there are no special assessments.
•It was determined not to waive the monetary limits on municipal tort liability established by Minnesota Statutes 466.04 for the city’s Property and Casualty Insurance renewal for 2023. The city accepts liability coverage of $2million from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT).
•Mayor Russ Smith again warned residents to determine a place to park their vehicles off the street during a snow emergency. He congratulated McBroom, Novotny, and Urban on their election wins.
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