After more than a month of discussion, the City of Clearwater  and Lynden Twp. are still at odds over the fire service contract.

 

Back in May, the city received an email from the township claiming discrepancies in the service calls for 2018.

 

Clearwater City Administrator Kevin Kress said the township submitted a payment that was less than the agreed upon amount. The city held the check, did further research to verify the validity of the calls and submitted the information to the township’s attorney.

 

Last Monday, Kress said the issue still hasn’t been resolved.

 

“I haven’t heard anything back from Lynden Twp. as far as what they plan on doing now that they have the reports,” he said.

 

Kress recommended turning the matter over to the city’s attorney. He also recommended possibly voiding the current contract, which was renegotiated earlier this year.

 

The current contract requires a 90-day notice to void.

 

Members of the council debated their next step. Councilman Wayne Kruchten suggested giving the township 15 days (until Aug. 1) to submit the unpaid balance. If it wasn’t paid, then the city would give the 90-day notice.

 

Councilman Richard Petty agreed there should be some time allowance before starting the 90-day notice.

 

“Let’s put the ball into their court...  we give them the option, if they don’t pay give it to the attorney,” he said.

 

The council agreed on 30 days. If the balance isn’t received in that time frame, the issue will be turned over to the city attorney.

 

 

The council amended the city’s code to modify language regarding drive-through stacking requirements.

 

The issue came before the council last month when Coborn’s submitted a plan to add a Caribou Coffee drive-through near the existing pharmacy drive-through.

 

Since there wasn’t enough space to allow stacking for both businesses under the city’s existing code, rather than approve a variance, the council agreed to look at amending the code instead. 

 

Under the amended language, six stacking spaces are required for convenience food (fast food) establishments. Banks require four spaces.

Pharmacies require three stacking spaces, and for all other uses, the number of spaces will be determined by the city administrator.

 

 

In other action the council:

 

* Set a public hearing for Aug. 19 to consider vacating a portion of Linn Street;  

 

* Passed a resolution accepting the donation of a sign for Sportsman’s Park from the Clearwater Lions;

 

* Approved a payment of $132,481.19 to Molitor Excavating, Inc. for work completed  on the Southeast Area Street & Utility Improvement project.