The Clear Lake City Council met Tuesday evening and breezed through a light agenda, including plans for investigating a trail to connect the Hunter Lake Bluff development to the business district along Highway 10.

Council member Stefany Janish brought the item up for discussion, stating that she hears frequently from residents in that part of the city about the need for a trail.  In addition to people wanting access to businesses, she said there are also a number of runners who like to take that route, but it can be dangerous with the higher speed limits on the county road.

City Clerk Kari Mechtel noted that the city has looked into the trail in the past, but did not proceed with plans.  Engineer Keith Yapp chimed in that he had done preliminary work on possible costs, but there would need to be county involvement since the sidewalk or trail would mirror the county road.

A discussion of possible grant funding was held, along with an idea to install the trail in phases to help manage the costs over a period of time.  The project will also be added to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) as that process comes together.

Mayor Tim Goenner volunteered to contact Sherburne County and an adjacent landowner to explore the possibilities and he will report back to council in the near future.

County Updates

Sgt. Andy Ochs appeared before the board to present the report from last month which showed 42 calls for service, with most being security checks and traffic complaints.  In addition, he noted there were a couple of personal injury accidents.

Mechtel then asked council to consider an offer from Sherburne County to purchase a small, mostly landlocked tax forfeited parcel of land in the northern part of the city.

One possible idea was to establish a commuter lot in the area, however this concept had been looked at in the past and there are security and access issues with the location that would need to be addressed.  

After further discussion, council unanimously adopted a motion to decline to purchase the parcel.

Public Works

Public Works Director Dustin Luhning reported on his department’s activities over the past month in dealing with the dry conditions.  He and Yapp noted that the seeding project at the well and pump house had not been able to be finished, but other punch list items are being addressed.

In addition, Luhning stated that 3 or 4 new homes have been constructed and are in the process of hooking up to the city’s sewer and water supply.

Power surges were also discussed, as several homeowners have been reporting the issue.  Luhning continues to investigate as the issue has also affected city infrastructure.

The new ball park scoreboard has been ordered and as soon as it is delivered, plans will be made for installation.

Council Member Brandy Roberts addresses the issue of sewer and water rates within the city, as it is a question she gets often from residents.  She wondered if there would be a time when the rates might be lowered because of projects that would be paid off.

Mechtel explained that there are currently two bond payments the city is financing, one which will expire in 2028 and the other in 2039.  

However, it was also noted that there could be additional projects needed in the future and it was unlikely that the rates will decrease much as a result.

Meetings

In a last order of business, the council rescheduled the next two council meetings.  The August meeting will now be held on Wednesday, August 4, while September’s meeting was moved to Tuesday the 7th to avoid Labor Day.