The Becker City Council discussed the vacancy on council, a potential business interest, the BCC dehumidification project, Freedom Days and compliance checks at Tuesday’s meeting.

 

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske requested the council approve a resolution declaring a vacancy on council to begin the process of filling the seat vacated by Adam Oliver May 3.

 

Pruszinske also asked council to consider coordinating a day to meet and interview potential appointees and nail down the process of questioning and selection.

 

Mayor Jerome Kleis suggested council just go back to the last election and contact the runners up to see if they’d be interested in the seat. After further discussion, council decided it would be best to allow people who are interested in the seat to send a formal request to the city.

 

Pruszinske said a timeline was created to keep the city on task to fill the vacancy by the end of June. Interviews with the candidates will occur June 2 with an appointment to the seat expected to occur at the June 21 meeting.

 

Community Development Coordinator Marie Pflipsen said a biotech and bio-chemical process company located in Delaware called White Dog Labs (WDL) is exploring land options in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota with access to corn.

 

Through WDL’s innovative process, they produce acetone and IPA (isopropyl alcohol). The business would create 50 jobs with a potential for another 30 jobs after expansion.

 

Pflipsen said WDL has their eyes on two potential land sites in the industrial park.

 

Council approved their show of support for bringing the new business to town.

 

At the last meeting, council approved the equipment specifications (provided by Wenck) and to release for public bids for the BCC dehumidification project. The bid letting occurred Tuesday morning with one bid received from Schwab Vollhaber Lubratt, Inc (SVL).

 

The engineer’s estimate for the equipment for the project was at $180,339. SVL’s bid came in at 184,339.

 

Council approved the bid from SVL and will issue a purchase order this week. Jamie Cassidy said the lead time for this piece of equipment is 14 weeks with installation slotted for early September.

 

Cassidy asked council to approve a resolution  to suspend certain prohibitions and city code requirements for the week of the Freedom Days celebration.

 

Specifically, Cassidy said the areas needed for the suspension of the rules is promotional signage,  the parade, golf cart usage, private vendor sales on city streets and sidewalks and alcohol consumption within the festival area.

 

May 3, members of the Sherburne County Public Health organization —with the assistance of the Becker Police Dept. — conducted alcohol compliance checks of all businesses within the city of Becker issued an alcohol license.

 

As a result of these checks, two local businesses were found to be in violation of the compliance checks in which the cashier sold alcohol to an underage checker. The checker is employed by Sherburne County Public Health and is instructed to enter the licensed establishment for the purpose of purchasing alcohol. They are instructed to hand over their personal ID should they be asked. Their personal ID does show that they are under the statutory age of 21 to purchase alcohol. They are asked not to lie about their age if asked.

 

Nix Bar and Grill and the Pizza Depot both failed the compliance checks. 

 

As a result, the cashiers  will be criminally charged with selling alcohol to an underage person, which is a gross-misdemeanor. They will have to appear in court. This part of the process in now in the hands of the county attorney. 

 

Secondly, the civil portion of this includes a public hearing with the potential for a civil penalty of $750 minimum as directed by the city council. Council decided to hold the public hearing June 21 at their council meeting.

 

Both Nix Bar & Grill and the Pizza Depot were made aware of this violation.

 

Sherburne County has requested the city enter into an agreement for election hardware, software and related services. The preliminary agreement was reviewed by the city and all voting districts within Sherburne County.

 

The price for the equipment is $6,926.12 on a cost-share basis, which can be paid in four installments of $1,731.53 with the first payment due on June 30.

 

This item was budgeted for in the 2016 administration CIP under election ballot counter/register.

 

Clerk Julie Blesi said election judges are needed for both the primary and general elections this fall and one of the first steps required in an election year is to appoint election judges.

 

The following people are hereby designated as election administrator and head election judges along with the election judges for the primary and general elections in 2016:

 

• Election Administrator - City Clerk Julie Blesi;

 

• Head Election Judge - Deputy Clerk Marilyn Danielson;

 

• Alternate Election Administrator: Greg Pruszinske;

 

• Alternate Head Election Judge: Sarah Brunn;

 

• Election Judges: Judy Bowatz, Sharon Woolhouse, Janet Boettcher, Stephanie Loch, Cheryl Wynkoop, Janet Voigt, Marge Erickson, Marilyn Merritt, Jean Lumley, Corina Landwehr, JoAnn Klym;

 

• Alternate Election Judges if needed: Connie Robinson,  Emily Praught and Kathryn Tatso.

 

Clerk Blesi said staff was notified Monday that the public hearing notice for snow removal was not printed in the May 7th edition of the Citizen-Tribune. Because of this, the public hearing scheduled for Monday was postponed to the June 7 meeting next month.

 

To date, there are 53 properties that have not paid for these services. If left unpaid the charges will be assessed against the property owners for taxes payable 2017.

 

• Mayor Kleis read aloud a document proclaiming the week of May 15-21 as peace officers memorial week;

 

• Dave Pesola was awarded the month of April’s safety award winner.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is June 7 at 6 p.m.