April’s Clearwater City Council meeting began with a public forum to hear a development proposal being considered for property south of the city along Hwy. 24.
Lionel Kull attended the meeting as a representative of his group to outline the proposal, explaining that given the size of the project and investment required, they would like to get feedback from the council regarding any concerns before moving forward.
The project would consist of three phases. Phase 1 would consist of constructing a cold storage building on 21 acres. The building would be 100,000 sq. feet with the capability of holding 14,000 pallets. If the project goes well, they will move on to Phase 2 and then Phase 3. Storage will be for frozen food products.
Phase 1 would bring approximately 17 jobs to the area consisting of forklift help, office work, and upper management. By the end of Phase 3 they’re forecasting over 50 jobs; all will be well paying with benefits.
Around 35 trucks a day are anticipated to be visiting the site; the trucks will be loaded to the west facing Hwy 24.
Kull said the group is looking to put in a buffer zone on 19 acres that would be suitable for apartments or townhomes, which would create a type of transition area going from their warehouse type of building to the Cedar South neighborhood.
As a condition for the group to move the project forward, the property would need to be annexed into the city and would likely need to be rezoned. The addition of a TIF (tax increment financing) district was also requested.
Potential buffer zone options were discussed along with the potential of adding a bike or walking path for pedestrian safety.
There was no public input.
Mosquito Control
The council received information and pricing on the mosquito control spray currently used by the city and on Merus 3.0, which is a “softer” chemical.
The city had conducted a resident survey earlier in the year concerning the issue; the majority of responses indicated they would like to continue the service as is.
A motion carried 3-2 keeping the mosquito control the same as in previous years, with a one-year contract so the issue can be revisited again if necessary.
Other Business
After receiving requests for waste hauler proposals, the city only received a bid from one company, Republic Services. A representative from the company attended the meeting to answer questions and provide information on the company. Residents have three container size options as well as the option to request a second container for free.
A motion carried approving the new contract with Republic Services.
Motions carried accepting the amended sewer authority director contract, a new drug and alcohol contract, which covers the city’s public works employees who are subject to DOT regulations in their job duties, and authorizing submission to PFA for the well relocation project to be placed on PPL/IUP.
A motion carried to purchase four sections of 15’ bleachers, up to $7,000. The bleachers will be installed at Sportsman’s Park, the wood bleachers currently there will be moved to El Dorado Park.
A motion carried approving a special event permit for a pyrotechnic display to be set off from El Dorado Park. The display is planned as part of Three of a Kind’s annual fundraiser in July.
A motion carried approving a temporary COVID-19 cleaning fee of $25 for the rental of the Lions Pavilion.
Resolutions passed in the meeting included Res. 2021-17, approving new hire for fire department, Res. 2021-18 accepting donations for library, Res, 2021-19 extending covid-19 emergency order, Res. 2021-20 certifying lien for unpaid charges, and Res. 2021-21- authorizing seasonal hires.
The Wright Co. Sheriff’s Office reported 138 incidents, including 46 traffic stops, four civil complaints, two motor vehicle accidents, two fraud, one criminal damage to property, one theft, and one stolen vehicle.
The next Clearwater City Council meeting will be on May 10 at 7 p.m.
