The Clear Lake City Council attended to a few action items, heard some reports and dispatched of their business within a short hour Monday evening.

 

They learned there might be some road funding coming from the State of Minnesota from gas tax receipts for smaller communities, money which previously has been reserved for towns of 5,000 and larger population.

 

But it would only apply to state aid highways and roads. The council passed a resolution in anticipation of funding. More on that later.

 

The council tabled a request by Jim Hartkopf of Hartkopf Potatoes, Inc. for a reduction for sewer charges for his property located at 8101 State Street. 

 

The property is a potato washplant vacated from November through Mid-July of the year and only used during harvest.

 

He asked he be assessed only for the four months of the year the building is in use.

 

Councilmembers Bob Arnold and Claudia Page inquired if this favored treatment would be something accorded to other property owners. 

 

Page later said she would vote to deny the request.

 

But Councilman Dale Powers asked if the city could receive more information from Hartkopf, and in doing so, requested the item be tabled. 

 

The council later voted unanimously to table the issue.

 

The council approved a resolution in an attempt to collect $500 in an unpaid fire call to property taxes of Michael Steiner/M & K Repair, at 12190 75th Ave. NE.

 

A sinkhole resulting from construction of a lift station  on Co. Rd. 8 in 2009 has the council looking for the contractor who didn’t finish his work.

 

The issue took a good share of council time Monday, as they questioned how to go about getting the job done, while hearing nothing from the contractor in repeated requests to come back and finish the work.

 

Utility Systems of America of Eveleth was hired to do the work, but due to a grate in the sink hole, it was not properly backfilled and has eroded.

 

City Engineer Keith Yapp estimated it would take seven or so yards of fill to complete the job; cost might be around $1,000. Original depth of the hole was 30 feet.

 

Councilmember Connie Athman, a former Iron Ranger, said she just might hand-carry the bill to him on a return trip up North.

 

The last cards are yet to be played out in this saga.

 

Maintenance Mgr. Dustin Luhning reported plugged sewer lines from Hunters addition may be resulting from dips in the lines. He said cameras will be installed to determine the cause. He said the line may need to be cleaned every year to stay free of clogging.

 

The council authorized the hiring of a part-time seasonal worker, for lawns and parks, to begin as early as May. The position will be advertised, and run likely to August.

 

During open forum, a resident stepped forward to inquire if anything official was going on with an attempt to provide signage and walkway across Hwy. 24, the busy state highway running through town.

 

The council had heard nothing of it, but the issue sparked discussion for a few minutes.

 

The MnDOT would be hard-pressed to slow any traffic on Hwy. 24 because their main cause is to move traffic, not stop it, asserted Powers.

 

But he also said it would be nice if the one-block downtown area could have traffic slowed so it could become more pedestrian-friendly.

 

The Hwy. 24 situation is scheduled for a review in the coming years, as it is in the MnDOT’s plans for an overlay in 2018.

 

Meanwhile, accessing it or crossing it is very problematic for Clear Lakers during heavy weekend rush hours.