BY BILL MORGAN, STAFF WRITER

 

 

 

Community Development Director Marie Pflipsen said the city received seven proposals for the city’s branding initiative.

 

The EDA and branding team met to review the proposals and narrowed the proposals to the top two submissions. The two teams met again with the two submitters to listen to presentations and ask questions. After the reviewal process, the EDA/branding teams recommended Replace, Inc. out of Minneapolis to partner with the city in their rebranding efforts.

 

The city has budgeted for this project which is slated to cost around $20,500.

 

 

A CUP was submitted to the city last month for an ice cream/coffee shop to be located at 12172 Hancock St. in Becker. The application was reviewed and deemed complete by staff for a CUP in the T-Town zoning district.

 

Pflipsen pointed out that this building is somewhat unique in the fact it has zero setbacks on each property line and the existing building footprint takes up the entire parcel. The major issues, she says, are parking, trash and debris disposal and traffic mitigation.

 

Pflipsen said the parking situation will require any delivery trucks to deliver product only on 2nd Street SE and can take no longer than 30 minutes to unload or load. No deliveries will be allowed along Hancock Street.

 

Private property shall not be used for any parking or activities associated with the business unless a written agreement has been made. On street parking and the city-owned parking lot may be used to satisfy the parking requirements.

 

All trash resulting from operations of the CUP must be safely and sanitarily stored inside, then moved to trash receptacles, taken off site or kept inside until the day of trash pickup.

 

 

Chief Brent Baloun asked council to approve the purchase of four, in-squad cameras for $32,000.

 

Baloun said the cameras were placed in the 2018 CIP at an anticipated cost of $25,000 but with the updated system and technology, the price increased nearly $7,000. The chief says the extra amount of funds needed will come from the capital revolving account.

 

The new camera system will integrate with the current Axon body cameras. They will have front and rear-facing cameras and will download wirelessly through the department’s Cradlepoint system.

 

 

Clerk Julie Blesi said she needed council approval to appoint election judges for the upcoming primary and general elections.

 

Appointment of the judges early is necessary to allow for ample time to train those new officials.

 

The election judges named are Judy Bowatz, Sharon Woolhouse, Janet Boettcher, Stephanie Loch, Connie Robinson, Jean Lumley, Corina Landwehr, Muriel Aleckson, Roger Bigalke, Angella Fuller, Lonny Seeley, JoAnn Klym and Brad Novak.

 

 

Pruszinske asked council to consider approving the reclassification of Pebble Creek from an enterprise fund to a special revenue fund.

 

Pruszinske was tasked with researching the process for reclassification and said the city’s auditing firm would perform some prior period adjustments to the future financial statements. The move takes out the depreciation of the golf course.

 

Mike Doering said, “It balances the field with the other city entities.”

 

Lori Keller said it will make the city more transparent than it has been in the past.

 

“It will bring the golf course’s financials earlier into our budgeting cycle, which is good,” she said.

 

Rick Hendrickson wasn’t sure the reclassification was a good idea and voted “no” to the move. All other members including Mayor Bertram voted for the move.

 

 

Mayor Bertram read aloud a document declaring the week of June 11-16 as Freedom Days in Becker.

 

 

Brad Falteysek of Abdo, Eick & Meyers gave the 2017 audit. He touched on topics throughout the financial statements and management letter.

 

 

The city approved the hiring and termination reports for the golf course, community center and public works. They also approved updates to the predatory offender ordinance and the job descriptions for the reorganization.

 

Also, council voted to approve the extension of professional services with Shore Dynamics for another six months at a reduced rate of $175/hr. The projects Shore Dynamics will be working on include acting as the interim public services director, developing the new position and identifying lines of authority. 

 

Shore Dynamics will also be tasked to develop and lead recruiting and hiring efforts of the recreation and leisure assistant, the public works and parks assistant, the golf service manager, the recreation services manager, and the hiring of a public services director once key positions have been fully developed and filled.

 

 

The next becker City Council meeting is June 19 at 6 p.m.