The Mabel City Council has received a number of concerns from citizens about the current rules and process for getting a permit when citizens plan to make improvements on their properties. This was a main topic of discussion when the council met in regular session August 8. Members in attendance included Liz Folstad, Gary Morken, Mayor James Westby, City Clerk Karen Larson, and Terry Torkelson. Also in attendance was City Attorney Gregory Schieber. Kirsten Wyffels was absent.
Council members said some citizens have complained about having to get a permit simply to make minor repairs, such as installing one new window. Karen Larson said another problem is citizens who simply ignore the requirement to get a permit beforehand, and take their chances on getting fined the current amount ($250). She’s checked with some other cities in the area, and was told the city should set a fine high enough to persuade citizens. The council considered possibly setting the fine as high as $1,000. Larson said the permit cost is only $25.
The council also considered the possibility of changing the parameters of what requires a permit. Larson pointed out that the current ordinance is very old. City Attorney Schieber added that, “Maybe your ordinance is drafted such that it’s catching people you don’t want to catch, and don’t need to catch.” Council members asked about setting a standard “dollar amount” and requiring permits for any work above that. Schieber responded, “Probably better is to identify what are the activities we’d want people to check in,” and he gave an example of anything that expands the square footage of the building. Larson added that remodeling, new roofing, and siding are also upgrade that perhaps should require a permit. Schieber will review the current ordinance and bring back suggestions to the council at an upcoming meeting. No action was taken at this time.
Another item with significant discussion was the possibility of changing the city’s zoning and/or ordinances to possibly allow commercial properties to have a residential portion on the ground floor. Historically, most cities, including Mabel, have dictated that properties in the business district or “downtown” cannot have residential spaces on the main floor. This is why many stores have apartments on the second floor. But, as Schieber explained, small towns are facing a tough choice nowadays. As there become fewer and fewer businesses downtown, there are many buildings sitting vacant. Some cities are allowing businesses to have an “apartment in the back” as a way to attract new businesses to the community. Schieber suggested one “middle ground” option could be to allow conditional use permits for such situations. Council members discussed possibly setting a limit, such as no more than 40% of a downtown building to be used for residential purposes. Schieber noted that if the city chooses to pursue such a change, this would require a public hearing and careful consideration. He will bring more information to the next meeting, if possible.
Mike Bubany presented the council with his recommendations for bonds to fund the city’s construction project. He explained that he suggests three bonds, each for $150,000. He explained that under this plan, interest rates for two of the bonds will be below market rate and that, “The net effect of all of this combined, though…. Is way below what you could have done if we had just done a conventional $450,000 microloan.” The council voted to approve the bonding plan as presented.
The council heard from Curt Marx (Davy Engineering) regarding the city’s manhole project. He explained that although delays have occurred for several reasons, the project is on target to be completed within revised timelines. He asked the council to set a special meeting to consider approving “substantial completion” of the project, since he said the next regular meeting (September 12) is too close to the project’s deadline. The council set a special meeting for August 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Craig Arneson addressed the council regarding the city’s decision to no longer allow the fire department to deliver water (via the pumper truck) to citizens outside of city limits. Arneson said his property is outside out the city and has no well, but for several years he’s had the fire department bring water to fill his cistern, up to 2,500 gallons roughly four times per year. He said he’s always written a check to the department to pay for this service. He asked the council to consider allowing this to continue. Later, the council discussed the reasons for their recent decision to stop this practice. They chose to make no changes or exceptions to the recent decision.
The council considered a request from the Mabel Liquor Store to allow alcohol sales along the parade route during Steam Engine Days. If approved, the sales would happen from a “side by side” ATV that would drive along the route while spectators awaited the parade. Mayor Westby said the Lions Club had gotten approval for a similar request, but backed out due to negative feedback from citizens. A motion was made to approve the request from the Mabel Liquor Store, but it died for lack of a second.
The council summarized the joint meeting of Mabel City Council, Canton City Council, and Mabel-Canton School Board that was held on July 24. The council plans to continue sending representatives if the group continues meeting twice per year as planned. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. The council’s special meeting was set for August 22 at 5:30 p.m. The next regular meeting will be September 12, at 7 p.m. at the community center. The public is welcome.
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