Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting went a quick, 36 minutes and included a public hearing to consider a DEED application, a call for a public hearing for unpaid utility charges and a list of staff employees who are celebrating service anniversaries this month.

 

Community Development Coordinator, Marie Pflipsen, asked Mayor Lefty Kleis to open a public hearing to discuss information in regards to the application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) by Manufacturing Partner's Inc. (MPI) of Big Lake.

 

Pflipsen said MPI is applying for financial assistance for their business expansion project in the industrial park. The company has outgrown their current building in Big Lake and will be purchasing an existing building in Becker’s industrial park. 

 

Pflipsen said the City of Big Lake has written a letter of support acknowledging that MPI found a location in Becker and will be relocating.

 

Pflipsen went on to say the company currently has 37 jobs which are paid an average of $20.55/hr. MPI hopes to create a minimum of 16 additional jobs within two years of project completion. Current wages range from $13.37/hr to $47.00/hr. 

 

The project includes expenses for business relocation, building renovations, electrical upgrades and new equipment. The entire project, including building and equipment acquisition is estimated at $4,325,000.

 

The company, in partnership with the City of Becker, will be requesting $384,000 from the State of MN DEED's Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF). The funds will help fill the financial gap. MIF is set up as a loan administered by the city but funded by the state. However, a portion of the funds ($100,000) is kept by the city to be used as revolving loan funds. 

 

The City of Becker is able to forgive all or a portion of the funds to assist with the project. MPI is requesting 50% ($50,000) of the city's portion to be forgiven.

 

After further discussing the benefits of having a company like MPI in Becker, Pflipsen turned it over to council for comments or questions. No one from the public spoke on the subject during the public hearing.

 

Tim Dolan, a chief strategist for Decklan Group of Elk River said MFI is a Tier I supplier of CNC-machined firearm and military munitions components.  They specialize in complex part, high volume CNC machining in the defense industry.

 

Council voted to support the application to DEED to implement the MPI project on behalf of the City of Becker.

 

Assistant Finance Director, Connie Robinson asked council to approve the request to hold two public hearings in November to address utility accounts that are greater than 60 days past due.

 

The first public hearing would be in regards to weed  charges that have gone unpaid and the second hearing would be for unpaid utility charges. The two public hearings were assigned to be held at the next regular council meeting — Nov. 15 — for consideration to certify to the county for collection with 2017 property taxes.

 

Council approved.

 

Mayor Kleis announced that June Hubbard of the Becker Police Dept. was being honored for serving the city for the last 29 years. Golf Pro Troy Malo was recognized for serving the city for nine years and Jason Sharpenkamp (BCC) and Chris Lisson (WWTF) for their first anniversaries.

 

Council spent significant time during their workshop to discuss the golf budget forecast as well as discussion on the enterprise budgets.

 

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske shared a schedule for an “Organics to Energy” workshop. He also talked about the upcoming decommission informational meeting and handed out information requested by council in regards to Mayor Kleis’ lawsuit against the city and the costs involved.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.