There were a number of big stories in Clearwater in 2018.

 

One of the most notable stories is a change in the city council. Mayor Pete Edmonson decided not to seek re-election after serving as the city’s mayor for six years.

 

Council Member Andrea Lawrence ran unopposed for the position and will be the city’s new mayor in 2019.

 

Wayne Krutchen is the newest council member, due to be sworn in January to fill Lawrence’s spot. Another seat vacated by Councilman Rollie Lange will also need to be filled in the new year.

 

 

The council spent a good part of 2018 debating whether or not to subsidize developer Progressive Builders by refunding a portion of its WAC & SAC fees.

 

Progressive owner Denny Nelson  purchased multiple vacant lots in the Cedar South and started putting up homes with the assumption he would get a $5,000 refund for every home he built.

 

After numerous meetings, the council couldn’t come to a consensus on a developer’s agreement, but  amended the fee schedule to lower SAC fees from $5,607 to $3,295 for everyone. 

 

But later in the year, when it came time to decide whether to make the fee change retroactive, the council was split and the rebate didn’t count towards homes Progressive had already built.

 

 

It was a packed house in February as customers, residents, city officials and staff members gathered at the new Kwik Trip store in Clearwater for its official ribbon cutting ceremony.

 

“We’re trying to build a community, and when Kwik Trip said they’re coming here, I said what great news, not only for the development for the city,” said Clearwater City Councilman Rollie Lange, “but for the people who work here in this great family store.”

 

 

The city and township were at odds earlier in the year.

 

At the township’s annual meeting in March, residents voted not to approve a 25.5% hike in their fire levy for 2019. They felt there shouldn’t be such a big hike in one year and approved a 10% increase instead.

 

They discussed ways to either lower the amount or change the formula, and directed the board to negotiate with the city. Discussions  with the city were unsuccessful, leaving the township to cover the balance from its general fund.

 

 

After almost a year of discussions and an amendment to the city’s ordinance, the council in April approved a site plan for Jimmy’s Pizza to locate a mobile food truck in the parking lot of Clearwater Hardware & Bait.

 

There was an ongoing debate for months about allowing mobile units to compete with “brick & mortar” businesses. Plus, the business needed approval from the MN Dept. of Health. In the end, the council set monthly fees in lieu of taxes and specific requirements for the unit to operate.

 

 

In April, the Clearwater Cast of Characters kept ‘em laughing at this year’s production of Scrambled at the event center at Driftwood Golf & Fitness (formerly Eagle Trace.)

 

Suesan Betzler said it was so much fun directing for her second time. She was also director for the 2017 performance of Here Come the Brides.

 

“My favorite part about directing is seeing every practice, seeing each performance, the development of the characters and the growth in the actors and actresses,” she said. 

 

 

Clearwater Heritage Days had a major disruption this year when a menacing funnel cloud, then torrential rains stopped the celebration half way into the parade.

The big crowd dispersed, and the Clearwater Royalty Pageant had to be held indoors instead.

 

 

In a unanimous vote at a special meeting Aug. 15, the Clearwater-Clear Lake Sewer Authority Board awarded the contract to do about $1.15 million in upgrades on the wastewater treatment plant to MBI.

 

MBI had the lowest bid of five firms who bid on the improvements, which include installing a sludge dewatering system (geotubes) to replace the practice of discharging waste solids/sludge to an aerated lagoon; improving the pre-treatment building, including a new HVAC system and new a influent screen; upgrading the SCADA (data acquisition) system and installing new rapid infiltration basins (RIBs) to prevent discharge of phosphorus into the Mississippi River.

 

Work has already begun on the project.

 

 

In the most contested race ever for Wright County Sheriff, Sean Deringer won by a narrow margin over Mike Kaczmarek during the 2018 general election in November.

 

What began as a five-man race at the primaries in August, Deringer and Kaczmarek received the most votes to move on to the general election.

 

Wright County voters were split almost 50/50, with Deringer taking the spot with 26,823 votes to Kaczmarek’s 25,679. 

 

 

In November, the council  approved a feasibility study for the Southeast Area Street and Utility Improvement Project.

 

The project covers Bittersweet Drive from Walnut Street to Porter Street, Spring Street from the cul-de-sac to Porter Street, Porter Street between Bittersweet Drive to Kothman Circle, Porter Circle from the cul-de-sac to Porter Street and Manor Drive from Porter Street to Co. Rd. 75.

 

Proposed improvements include widening streets to between 26 feet a 40 feet,    adding surmountable curb and gutter, replacing mainline watermain and all water service lines to the right-of-way.

 

The preliminary cost estimate for the project is $1,265,550. 

 

 

Finally, in December, the council approved a 4.14% final tax levy increase for 2019. The vote came after an earlier vote to increase the levy by 9.0%. It was reduced after the council decided to pull $50,000 in Local Government Aid (LGA) from the sewer fund and put it back into general fund revenue where it could be used to lower the levy.