Variance requests, a mower lease for Pebble Creek, a tobacco ordinance update and a request to participate in a coal challenge were all items discussed and more during Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting.

 

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske discussed a new program designed to partner with the county and regional leaders to retool economies to become more resilient to changing conditions in regards to coal-reliant communities.

 

The National Association of Counties (NACO) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) research foundations — with the support of the U.S. Economic Development Administration — are behind the project.

 

Pruszinske said throughout 2015, NACO and NADO will be hosting three intensive, hands-on workshops designed to boost the innovative potential of coal-reliant counties seeking to grow and diversify their economies.

 

Pruszinske says counties and regions are being asked to form “teams” to apply to enter the program.

 

Pruszinske says the innovation challenge is open to all counties and regions in the U.S. that are economically linked to the coal industry. Each team is to include a minimum of four people and a maximum of six participants. The teams must include at least one county official and one regional development organization representative.

 

Other members could include staff, elected officials and members of community development organizations, philanthropic organizations, business leaders and other partners engaged in small business development, workforce development and other institutions.

 

Pruszinske’s request for permission to participate in the valuable project was approved by council. He said Sherburne County will be taking the lead on the project.

 

City Planner Therese Haffner presented four resolutions for consideration in regards to a property owner — Hans Sando — who is interested in constructing a single-family detached home in Becker.

 

Haffner said the three properties affected are within the Town of Becker with one lot having an existing duplex structure on it, built in 1982, with a detached garage that extends across the boundary line on another lot (12110 Ramsey St. SE).

 

Sando is proposing to build a new home on the vacant adjacent lot to the north, which is currently 50 feet wide, then re-plat the three properties into two lots and establish new property lines. The re-platting would result in the duplex/detached garage property having a lot width of 87.76 feet and the vacant lot a width of 62.33 feet.

 

The city’s zoning ordinance requires lots to be at least 100 feet wide in this particular single-family district.

 

The reason the original platting of the lots is not up to standard is because they were platted before the city had established lot size requirements.

 

The planning commission and staff recommended approval of the requests for variances, provided the following conditions are met:

• The property must be platted and is subject to development fees, including but not limited to SAC/WAC and park dedication fees;

 

• An ingress/egress easement must be obtained and recorded for the shared access and a copy of the recorded access easement must be submitted to the city prior to issuance of a building permit;

 

• The driveway must be a hard improved surface, such as concrete or asphalt to meet city code (Gravel is not permitted);

 

• A building permit must be obtained prior to construction.

 

Council approved the four variance requests including the adoption of Findings of Fact for the properties.

 

Golf Director Troy Malo asked council to approve a request to lease a rough mower from vendor John Deere.

 

Malo said that when council and staff discussed budget and rates for the 2015 season, a mention of acquiring a new rough mower along with two greens mowers was brought up. Malo said his staff had been re-evaluating the needs and priorities of the facility and because of that, he decided to only move forward with the request for one mower.

 

Malo said the golf course’s current rough mower — a 2008 John Deere model — has been “an operational lemon as of late.” He says the mower is constantly in the shop for repair, limiting its use and creating issues with staff in the delivery of service to the course’s customers. The 2008 mower would be offered up for trade in the lease of the new machine.

 

Malo acquired two quotes from vendors and the low quote came in from John Deere for a five-year lease — along with a trade-in value of $10,000 for the 2008 mower.

 

The new mower would be  a 2015 Lastec 3300 Articulator priced at $36,900.

 

With the trade-in, Pebble Creek would be looking at financing around $28,000 with an annual payment of around $1,044 (sales tax included).

 

Malo said based on the perceived high level of use for the new mower, staff would not be interested in purchasing the unit at the end of the lease.

 

The John Deere vendor — Frontier Ag & Turf — provided the estimate.

 

All on council voted to approve the mower lease with Mayor Lefty Kleis opposing the lease option — stating he thinks the city should use cash to buy the unit outright and not spend so much money on paying for the interest on the lease.

 

Council Member Adam Oliver argued that the lease option seemed to be the best option since while the city held a lease, should anything happen to the mower while under the lease, the manufacturer would be liable to either fix the unit in a timely manner or supply the golf course with a replacement or substitute while the unit is fixed.

 

City Clerk Julie Blesi outlined the city’s tobacco ordinance to include the licensing of tobacco and tobacco-related devices and similar products.

 

The League of Minnesota Cities recommended the following changes to the ordinance:

• The addition of the phrase, “electronic delivery devices, nicotine or lobelia delivery products;

 

• The purpose amended to include further information regarding minors under 18 and the benefits of keeping such products out of their hands;

 

• Additional definitions inserted including electronic delivery device, indoor areas, loosie, nicotine or lobelia delivery products and smoking;

 

• Investigation and fees changed to be stated the same way the liquor ordinance reads;

 

• License fees amended to include fees established by resolution;

 

• Addition of two subdivisions (Basis for denial of license and prohibited sales);

 

• Self-service vending machines was removed and a section addressing self-service sales was added;

 

• Responsibility was amended to include subjecting the clerk to whatever penalties are appropriate;

 

• Addition of license condition and unlawful act — allowing for the inspection of the premises by a law enforcement officer to determine whether the ordinances and laws are being followed;

 

• Addition of continued violations which state continued violations constitute separate offenses;

 

• Addition of severability stating the invalidity of one section shall not affect  enforcement of all other sections;

 

• Minors amended to include administrative fines;

 

• And, addition of statutory penalties stating if administrative penalties are authorized MN statutes differing from those established in the administrative penalties section — the greater of the two penalties shall apply.

 

• Roger Bigalke resigned his seat on the planning commission and he was replaced by Judy Bowatz;

 

• A partial pay request in the amount of $173,375 was paid to Rice Lake Construction Group for modifications done to the WWTP clarifier project. $118.800 is the remaining contract amount.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is March 17 at 5 p.m.