At the August 13 Lanesboro City Council meeting, the council approved hazard pay in the amount of $10 per call that firefighters responded to during the month of March. Jeff Norby was appointed to the Lanesboro Fire Department per the recommendation of the fire chief.
The consent agenda was approved and included the accounts payable, a lodging license application, Resolution 2020-23 vacating a portion of Auburn Street, and Resolution 2020-27 denying a petition to vacate Hillside Avenue.
The dam project engineer, Chris Goodwin, joined the meeting via Zoom to update the council. He reviewed five change orders, noting that he doesn’t anticipate seeing many more of them for the duration of the project. Council member Tom Smith asked why there have been so many change orders. “Some of the engineering design might be a little bit flawed here,” he commented, pointing out that the project is now over budget.
“That’s a fair criticism,” Goodwin responded. “Dams are tough. They’re like a remodeling project on steroids.” He noted that the project is ahead of schedule by a few weeks. “I’ve been pleased with the way these guys have worked with us. It’s been a good project to go through so far.”
The council approved the change orders and invoice.
The council reviewed the city’s COVID-19 response for its public facilities. Mayor Jason Resseman noted that there has been constant contact between the council, City Administrator Michele Peterson, and himself to discuss and evaluate how things are going. Peterson noted that several requests to rent the community center have been received lately. The council discussed the possibility of re-opening the center, but due to liability issues, decided to keep it closed for rentals through December 31, 2020. They will continue to re-evaluate the situation during that time. “If something changes, great. We’re all hopeful for that,” Mayor Resseman said.
At the July meeting, Ron Amdahl asked the council to approve his request for detachment. At the time, the validity was questioned because it was unclear if his property bordered the township property. Due to that, his request was tabled. Amdahl was present at the August meeting to discuss the matter further. It was determined that his request was valid. Mayor Resseman reminded Amdahl that the city is in the process of creating a new tax district for agriculture and asked that he wait until that is finalized before making a decision on his detachment request. Amdahl was not in favor of waiting as the details of the new taxing district are not clear yet. “It’s hard to base your decision on a maybe,” he said. He noted that it’s difficult to run a farming operation under city ordinances, giving the example of the ordinance restricting animals in city limits. Mayor Resseman assured Amdahl that the city can give variances for ordinances if requested, but Amdahl felt that having to apply for a permit or variance for each issue would inhibit the process of farming. “I appreciate the opportunity, but it’s all very nebulous right now and it’s difficult to build a business around that,” he said, adding that the only service he gets from the city is electric. Council member Bridget Harvey noted that making the decision to allow Amdahl to detach would have ramifications as others might ask for detachment as well, leading to a loss in tax base which could make it difficult for the city to support the ambulance and other services. “I think this is a difficult decision and I make a motion to deny it,” she said. The council approved the motion.
Peterson brought up some infrastructure concerns for the council to discuss. There is a drainage concern on Whittier where a trench on a private property empties into the street and flushes rocks and debris into the neighborhood. A decision was made to obtain a recommendation from the city engineer and send a letter to the homeowner about the matter asked that it be fixed.
The alley between Sheridan and Pleasant has been on ongoing concern and was prioritized at one time, but never dealt with due to budgetary concerns and the pandemic. “We need to start working on these things when it’s practical,” Mayor Resseman said. “There’s only so many projects we can take on at one time.”
The council also discussed the inadequate drainage on Pleasant Street and Parkway, the alleys parallel to Kenilworth Ave. N and Elmwood St. E, and Hwy 250. City Engineer Brian Malm noted that he is working with Peterson to find as many grant dollars as possible to pursue the various infrastructure needs.
A liquor license for Sylvan Brewing, LLC was approved.
A resignation was accepted from council member Autumn Johnson. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the mayor and city council member,” Johnson said in her resignation letter. Johnson had been deployed with the military and was planning to return to the council when her deployment ended, but will now be moving out of state for a job with the Air Force. “It’s sad, but we’re happy for Autumn,” Mayor Resseman stated. “We appreciate her service to the country as well as to the city.”
As Johnson will not returning to her seat on the city council, it needs to be filled until her term is up. The position will be advertised and anyone interested should write a letter to the council by September 9 for review.
The next Lanesboro City Council meeting will be held on September 8 at 6 p.m.
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