The city of Peterson has a new councilor for the third time since January 1. Last November, Chris Grindland was elected to the seat vacated by long-time councilor Dick Lee. In February, Grindland was hired for the vacant city clerk position and willingly gave up the council seat. In March, the council opted to appoint resident Jake Sandeno to the council seat. Sandeno had garnered the second highest votes, behind Grindland, in the November election. Last month, Sandeno handed in a letter of resignation for the council seat after a new job saw him move out of the city.
According to Clerk Grindland, a notice was posted for persons interested in the available council seat. Only one letter of interest was received. Resident Lisa Price was appointed by the council to the open seat at the Wednesday, September 13 meeting.
The city also discussed several items of old business at the meeting. Reclaimation/repair of Park and River Streets continues to be a priority for the city. Grindland indicated the city will be taking bids on the project. At this time, the city is not committed financially to the project. Funds were set aside the last two budget cycles for proposed street work.
Overdue utilities remain another thorn for the city. At the August meeting, the council discussed in-depth the large number of delinquent bills and the process get them remedied. Last October, the council unanimously approved assessing of delinquent utility bills to property taxes at a rate of four percent. The following month, the council approved a policy update that specified any bill not paid by or before the date indicated would be subject to a late fee of 1% of the past due balance would be added to the current amount due. The 1% is removed from the past due amount once certified to the county.
Last month, 21 properties were past due and received notification letters from the city citing the delinquency. Total amount past 30 days was $16,852. This month, the number of delinquent properties is down to 14, totaling $10,139. No further action was taken. If the properties remain delinquent, they will be assessed to the property tax rolls.
After some research, Clerk Grindland has identified that the weigh scale in Fillmore Street is the property of the city. Looking at county sales histories, Grindland identified a 100-foot by 50-foot plat that was split in 2004 to the south and north. The scale is not noted in any transactions. Mayor Tim Hallum asked that the issue be put to new business for October so the city can make the determination to remove it, as well as how and when. The cost of removal may be added to 2018 city projects.
The city is moving forward with the rental of campground spots for off-season camper storage. A liability waiver from the city attorney was reviewed and approved. The number of spots has not yet been determined. The city will also determine the start and end dates for the rental spaces. The cost of space rental will be $25 per month for a period of five months, paid in advance to the city by the renter.
Other changes to the city campground include the removal of available firewood bundles for sale by the city. Theft of firewood has been a consistent issue. Recently, eight bundles were stolen. For the remainder of 2017 and beyond, campers will need to purchase firewood from a local business.
A Conditional Use Permit for 411 Mill Street, reviewed by the planning and zoning commission at the September 5 meeting, has been approved by the council. The request from the property was to zone the building both residential and commercial. No opposition was presented at the zoning meeting. The conditions of the property permit include no more than two residents and no short-term or transient residency.
The last item of major discussion for the council was the purchase of a new plow for the city truck. The currently plow is needing to be replaced at an estimated cost of $6,500. Mayor Hallum brought forth the option of using state bid pricing for the purchase of a new plow truck instead. The current F-450 truck is 10 years old. While it’s not experiencing problems at this time, Hallum suggested it may be a better option to take advantage of state pricing and get a new unit, with plow, rather than spend the funds on a new plow. Several area cities use the option to keep newer, warrantied fleet vehicles in rotation, at a manageable cost, rather than keeping vehicles long-term.
There are no funds for the purchase of a truck for 2017. The council opted not to purchase a new plow for this season and to bring the matter up again at later date.
The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Wednesday, October 11, at 6 p.m., at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
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