Chris Giesen gave the EDA report to the Harmony City Council at their December 13 meeting. The EDA will continue its Home Rebate Program with some updates this year. The program has received national and international attention since its inception in 2014. Harmony was only one of three cities in Fillmore County that saw population growth in the last census which Giesen attributed at least partly to the Home Rebate Program. “It’s something that sets Harmony apart from basically everywhere else,” he said. 19 new living units have been built in Harmony since 2014 using the rebates. The EDA recommended that the maximum rebate amount be increased from $12,000 for properties valued at $250,000 or more to $20,000 for properties valued at $500,000 or more. The council renewed the program and expanded its values.
Giesen’s CEDA contract was renewed for 2023 with an increase from $33,100 in 2022, to $34,757 in 2023. The amount had already been factored into the 2023 EDA budget so will not impact the city levy. The EDA is continuing its Downtown Revitalization Program for the second year. The goal of the program is to preserve the historic atmosphere of downtown Harmony by funding one renovation project a year. The EDA reviewed three applications, all of which were well-qualified for the project and recommended that the council approve Aaron and Amy Bishop’s application to tuck point the exterior of their commercial building on Main Street. The council approved the application.
The consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the regular November meeting, the December 6 special meeting, the claims and November checks, the cash in the CD, and cash balances.
A public hearing was opened to discuss Resolution 22-18 vacating a portion of 6th Street SE as requested by Roxanne Johnson. The land should have been vacated by the city earlier, but due to an oversight, that did not happen. Johnson agreed to pay the costs for the survey which has been completed. There were no comments or questions and so the public hearing was closed and the resolution was approved.
A representative from the Minnesota Department of Health or MDH was present at the meeting to discuss Harmony’s Wellhead Protection Plan. The plan is a requirement of the MDH and is good for 10 years. The previous plan is at its finish line so the new one will be implemented shortly. The purpose of it is to tell the community where their water is coming from and how safe it is. The City of Harmony has three wells, one of which was installed in 2015. Nitrate levels have increased in well #2, the caues of which will be looked into further, but the levels still remain under the allowed amount. Well #1 will be televised the next time maintenance is performed on it.
Resolution 22-16 was approved which decertified TIF District #6. The TIF was set up around 7 or 8 years ago for Harmony Enterprises’s warehouse expansion and has run its course.
The council reviewed and approved the 2023 budget and tax levy with a 3.5% increase.
Harmony resident Sarah Thacher appealed the $75 dog-at-large citation she had been issued on October 25th. She stated that she has an electronic, invisible fence, but that it has been driven over repeatedly so is in need of repairs which she has not been able to take care of yet. Because of that, she always stays with her two service dogs whenever they need to go outside. Thacher also noted that her neighbors have frequently reported her dogs since July. This citation was the result of one of her dogs walking across the alley and using the bathroom in the neighbor’s yard. “I’ll make a motion to waive it (the citation) this time, but you have to see to it that it just doesn’t happen again,” Mayor Steve Donney said. The motion failed as the votes were a tie.
A resolution to approve a cooperative agreement with the State of Minnesota for the construction of the Harmony bike trail expansion was approved by the council contingent on the DNR not awarding bids. Currently, the City of Harmony owns the land that the bike trail expansion will be built on, but it will be given back to the DNR at no cost as soon as the land transaction has gone through. The resolution gives the state permission to continue construction of the bike trail on that property while it remains in the possession of the city.
The personnel committee interviewed several candidates for the position of city administrator. A motion to hire Richard Baker was made. Council member Domingo Kingsley asked if it would be possible to have the two city clerks continue to run things for the time being while a part-time position is advertised for, rather than the full-time one. Jesse Grabau noted that the change in hours may make it more difficult to get applicants. The motion to hire Baker failed, and another motion was made and approved to appoint Samantha Grabau as city clerk and to keep Lisa Morken as the deputy clerk. The motion was approved with Jesse Grabau abstaining.
Craig Morem was approved as the new Harmony Fire Department chief. Thanks were extended to Rod Johnson for his 10 years of service as fire chief.
The next Harmony city council meeting will be held on January 10, 2023 at 7 p.m.
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