The Clearwater City Council discussed the city’s mosquito control spraying program during a recent meeting, which a resident had expressed concern about previously.

Detailed information on the chemical used was provided by the spraying contractor, who informed the council certain areas could be skipped if requested.

After much discussion, the issue was tabled until the November meeting so more information could be gathered. With only one complaint to date, the council also decided to request feedback from other residents, who are being asked to attend the November meeting, provide input to city staff, or take a short survey on the city’s Facebook page at facebook.com/City-of-Clearwater-MN.

CARES Act

In July, the city received grant funds from the CARES Act which were transferred to the EDA to be used to assist small businesses and non-profits in the municipality who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Only three businesses applied for assistance through the program by the Sept. 30 deadline, the applications are now being reviewed.

Although a number of businesses had indicated they were in need of assistance, Smythe explained she had heard most hadn’t applied for the funds due to the extensive federal and state government restrictions that were put upon them.

Any funds unused will be returned to the city, and any unused by mid-November must be returned to the county. The city has been considering city hall upgrades to address challenges related to the pandemic, primarily how to allow residents to attend or listen to meetings remotely once the council returns to in-person meetings.

A motion carried authorizing up to $14,200 of CARES Act funds for addressing the issues, including a camera/microphone system, city council seating/platform, ADA Accessibility buttons, and website storage space.

Fire Contract

The council reviewed the latest fire contract Clearwater and Lynden Twps. sent back, which asked for a quarterly call report, to allow two of the three entities involved to call a special meeting, and to agree to a 10% cap on their 2022 budget.

After much discussion, members agreed to the call report but rejected the other revisions. Concerning the special meeting request, the council expressed the concern that the townships would call special meetings that would require the city to attend, incurring time and expense costs.

Concerning the 10% cap on the 2022 budget, members stated they didn’t know what would happen in the future, especially with the pandemic, so they weren’t agreeable to capping the budget, as they would be locking themselves out of responding to potential city emergencies.

The townships will be made aware the city is not agreeable to continuing the contract terms beyond 2022, instead proposing either a flat fee service model or a Joint Powers Agreement for future service.

Solar Projects

Over the summer, the Sewer Authority Board heard proposals from two energy companies proposing a number of solar energy projects as a means of saving costs on the Sewer Authority’s energy bill; they agreed to move forward with the next steps for three possible projects.

Separately, the projects would generate revenue, solar energy credits, and include construction of facilities on city-owned property.

Because the proposed agreements are complex, the city’s attorney asked for authorization from the two cities before incurring high costs, and for both to confirm they understand the Sewer Authority would be the beneficiary of the agreements.

A motion carried authorizing the three solar proposals to move forward and for the benefits to be provided to the Sewer Authority.

Other Business

In September, Lindsey Luhmann addressed the council on behalf of the Bluff Street neighborhood, requesting “slow – children at play” signs due to concerns about speeders; the city agreed. Residents also requested to have the speed limit lowered. Before making any decisions, the sheriff’s office will first be contacted about conducting a speed study in the neighborhood.

The Wright Co. Sheriff reported 139 incidents for September, including one burglary, one stolen vehicle, four theft, five fraud, and 52 traffic stops.

The next Clearwater City Council meeting will be Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. due to the election.