City Clerk Joel Young reported at the city council’s February 13 meeting that the Swimming Pool Committee has requested authorization to survey the community regarding the future of the swimming pool.
The survey was authorized by the council and is to be conducted by Community Perceptions, a division of School Perceptions LLC. The Pool Committee wants to learn the importance of the swimming pool to the community. Should it be fixed, closed, or built new? If most want to build new or fix the pool, what functions and amenities do people want? What are residents willing to spend to fix or build new?
The fees to conduct the survey will be paid by the swimming pool operating fund.
Industrial Drive improvement
Councilor Paul Novotny listed the steps taken to date on the Industrial Drive Improvement Project. In early 2016, the city retained city engineer, WSB, to prepare a feasibility report for the improvement of Industrial Drive. Last fall a request for proposals for the design was authorized by the council. Four engineering firms submitted proposals.
Novotny said the scope of the project may change. He recommended the current engineer, WSB, adding that continuity justifies the slightly higher cost in the firm’s proposal. Young added that when the first design proposals were received they needed to know more. Novotny maintained they are hiring an engineer to come up with a few proposals and to do the design phase, to get it all put together.
Novotny said the improvement project will get rid of the last gravel in the city. Councilor Mike Urban stated we need to find out the unknowns. Novotny continued that the plan we have at this point does not work out all the funding needed to pay for the project. The estimated cost of the project is $1.3 million. The project would involve Industrial Drive from the Conway subdivision to Hillside Drive Twelve lots for commercial/industrial use are expected to be created.
The council unanimously approved hiring WSB for the design phase.
Other business in brief
• Craig Backen, administrator of the Chosen Valley Care Center, Inc., a non-profit corporation, and Eric Lunde, Piper Jaffrey, offered to answer any questions during a public hearing regarding the financing of the care center. The public hearing is required for the issuance of tax exempt bonds.
There were no comments from the public. It was noted that the city acts only as a conduit for the financing.
The refinancing of the note is for the 78-bed nursing facility, 20-unit assisted living facility, and 15-unit senior multi-family housing facility. The maximum estimated amount of the note to be issued to refinance the project is $2,480,000.
Young said the care center is now its own entity and this is a refinancing of existing debt. The resolution for the refinancing was approved.
• Brian Burkholder gave an update on the new water metering system. The new system was used for the entire city last month with only a few hiccups. Those with poor reception are being looked at. Burkholder said the system is working even better than he imagined. The system recognizes when a meter is going backwards and when there are water leaks at an individual residence. The system tells them when to alert people about a leak, which is often resulting from a leaky toilet. Urban remarked it was “money well spent.”
Young said we took a “leap” forward with the water metering system. The new system allows staff to be more interactive with the public.
• Kevin Carr, owner of Chosen Valley LLC/Creating Ability, had requested approval to have temporary storage units. Young said the business located at 107 1st Street SE is outgrowing its current accommodations. Carr is looking for another site/building within the city to expand his business. The temporary storage units were approved as recommended by Planning and Zoning.
• Police Chief Shane Fox reported there were 1,789 printed calls in 2016. He said it was a typical year.
Fox recommended that attorney Lee Novotny handle prosecutions within the city for both the Fillmore County and the Olmsted County portions of the city. All of these cases will be heard in Fillmore County.
Felony and designated gross misdemeanor cases are not handled by the city attorney, but by the appropriate county attorney.
The council approved an agreement with Lee Novotny to handle prosecutions within the city.
• The second consideration and publication (summary) of Ordinance 423, Floodplain Designation, was approved.
The second consideration and publication of Ordinance 424, Accessory Structures/Lot Coverage, was approved.
The first consideration of Ordinance 425, Lot Coverage, was approved. This ordinance provides that the minimum lot coverage of all buildings shall not exceed 40% of the lot (R-1 Single Family Residential).
• The Committee of the Whole met with the Charter Commission before the regular city council meeting and discussed the concept of a city manager form of government.