In a special session held before their regular monthly meeting this week, the Clear Lake City Council voted to wait on filling their vacant council seats until after the August filing date.

 

Resident Chad Koren was the only person to express interest in the open seats, and he told the council his plan, if appointed, was to serve the community long term.

 

Although impressed with his letter of introduction and stated interest, council members expressed concern with potential conflict of interest as Koren lives with Clear Lake Clerk/Treasurer Kari Mechtel. 

 

“I understand the need to fill the position, but it’s not a secret that I’m concerned about conflicts of interest, actual or perceived, from Chad serving as a council member while living with the city clerk,” said Council Member Dale Powers. He also stated the city attorney should be consulted on the issue.

 

Powers said in the past the city has had a hard time finding people to be appointed to the council, however when filing season opens they always seem to have contested races. He stated he would like the council to wait to fill the seats until after the filing date for council positions ends Aug. 18, and if Koren is the only applicant, he would have no hesitation appointing him immediately.

 

The term for Claudia Page’s council seat ends in 2018, so the position will be for two years as it completes her term, and Connie Achman’s council seat is up for election this year, (as is Council Member Bob Arnold’s), so it will be for four years. 

 

Koren asked why the council was making him wait, to which Powers replied that he has a heightened awareness of conflicts of interest and feels this puts the city clerk (Mechtel) in a tenuous position. 

 

“There’s actual conflict and the appearance of conflict,” he said. “Once you’re on the council we could say you shouldn’t vote on this or that but you still could.”

 

After an animated and often heated discussion between Powers, Mechtel and Koren, the council decided to wait until after filing to fill the vacancies, with Mayor Tim Goenner stating he had thought hard about the situation and also felt it would be best to wait. All three members deemed it important to let the residents decide on who would fill the vacant seats. 

 

“I think you’d be a great councilman if there was no conflict of interest,” Powers told Koren. “We need young people with good ideas. The fact that you’re also from this area, that means something.”

 

Powers made a motion to not appoint anyone to the vacant positions at this time. After the filing period, which is Aug. 2 through Aug.  18, has closed, if only one person files for Page’s two-year position, the clerk will contact the mayor to call a special meeting to immediately fill the seat. Concerning Achman’s and Arnold’s seats, if only two people file, (Arnold and one other) then the clerk will contact the mayor to call a special meeting to immediately fill the open seat with the new candidate. 

 

During their regular monthly meeting that followed, the council approved the 2016 liquor license for The Brickyard, with Mayor Goenner abstaining from the vote. 

 

Clerk Mechtel expressed concern over there being enough voting members on the council to constitute a quorum. She will contact the city attorney to see if a problem does exist, and if so, what the council can do in order to renew the license before it expires the end of June.

 

Powers informed the council he would like to investigate potential community support for breaking off from the St. Cloud school district and either getting a high school in the area or combining with another local district. 

 

“People move here to get small schools,” he said. “It does impact community involvement. Let’s see what we can do.”

 

The council approved the 2016 election judges. Primary election judges include Gary Anderson, Stephanie Ulwelling, Muriel Thompson and Kari Mechtel. Cathy Pounds will take the place of Kari Mechtel as general election judge.

 

Council Member Powers informed the council he plans to meet with Sheriff Brott on their level three sex offender ordinance and should have something for them to review at the July meeting. 

 

Public Works Supervisor Dustin Luhning reported they should hear about final test well drilling bids in the next few weeks, and thanked the volunteers who helped set up the new playground at Goenner Park.

 

He asked the council’s permission to remove one of the barricades from the cul de sac at the end of Church Street to use for another project. He will be installing a ‘no outlet’ sign there, which will help deter motorists.

 

The July council meeting was moved to the 5th because of the 4th of July holiday, and the August meeting was moved to Tues., August 2 due to conflicts.

 

There was no sheriff’s report available at the time of the meeting.