Lanesboro Council Tables Several Items

The June 3 Lanesboro City Council Meeting was delayed a bit while City Administrator Mitchell Walbridge and Deputy Clerk Darla Taylor worked on Zoom audio technical issues. Councilwoman Kathryn Wade made good use of the down time as she solicited blood donors from the council and attending public for the blood drive on June 11 at city hall. Wade noted there were still appointment openings for the afternoon and encouraged people to call in for a time slot.

Once the technical issues were resolved and the agenda was approved, Mayor Jason Resseman opened the public comment period. Jon Buggs, representing the Library Board, appeared before the council to ask about a camera placed in the corridor leading into the library. Buggs shared that the library had never been notified of the installation of the camera. He asked, “Who has access to the video? How long are the files kept? Is this a security issue? Why doesn’t the library have access to the camera and recordings as well?” Buggs felt strongly that the library should have been notified. The camera is focused on people accessing the library. No answers were given at this time.

Chase Bakke shared that on June 8, there would be a controlled houseburn by the fire department in conjunction with Riverland to allow the fire department to practice on a real fire.

Joe Goetzke shared that the EDA was working on a strategic planning survey. LEAN (Lanesboro Entrepreneur Network), a subcommittee of the EDA, is working to increase accessibility during upcoming road construction.

The EDA has been considering the Riverfront property where the city shops are located. With the possibility of new city shops, the property could be appraised and put up for sale. Mayor Resseman suggested that since this would need to be a council initiative, the EDA should pause that exploration until the city decides if it wants to sell the property.

Library Director Tara Johnson informed the council that a new contract had been signed with the county for 2025 through 2027 that will provide a 3% increase each year in funding.

In continued business, the council once again looked at the 151 land use ordinance. There will not be a difference seen in applying for licensure by business owners. The new tiered system which is similar to those used by neighboring cities will include temporary housing such as Airbnbs. Fees for licensure would be included in the ordinance, which would require a public hearing before approval. The ordinance was tabled.

Revisions in the wording of the Hwy 250 letter of intent have not yet been completed by MnDOT; the letter should be ready for the July council meeting. This, too, was tabled.

A document dealing with the handling of donations of public art, memorials and monuments had been prepared by Walbridge for consideration. Walbridge researched such policies and included everything he found for the council to look at. He encouraged them to read the document and then they could delete items they found too restrictive.

Mayor Resseman urged caution, asking, “Are we art critics?” The council tabled the donation policy for further discussion.

The ordinance on the discharging of firearms was also tabled. The current ordinance does not allow the discharge of a firearm within two miles of the city park. Changes to the ordinance would allow discharges on rural/ag property and include bows. A clarification would allow discharge of blanks in the city for a performance with a special permit. This ordinance would require a public hearing before acceptance.

Brian Malm, Bolton & Menk engineer, appeared via Zoom to present pay request #12 for the 2022 Street and Utility Project. Finishing details including the striping on Kirkwood, sod and yard cleanup are being completed. Malm shared that the project is under the total cost estimate. There has been a reduction in the retainage since most of the project has been finished. Final pay request will be at the July or August meeting.

David Haugen appeared to request the purchase of a 2024 Case 580SN backhoe. The Public Works Department and Public Utilities share the costs of equipment and have put replacement of equipment on a rotation. The $135,500 machine is similar to the one being replaced. Trade-in value of the old backhoe is $72,000. With enough money in the budget for the purchase, the council approved spending up to $37,463.40 on the new backhoe.

Final business before the council was the approval of invasive buckthorn removal. Two areas will be treated at a cost of $1,200 each. Funding will come from the tree budget and capital outlay.