Kristen Goenner of Little Friends Montessori, LLC — along with Jamie Cassidy of the Becker Community Center — requested from council the opportunity to offer preschool kids an educational option in the City of Becker.

 

After a lengthy debate, council decided to table the request to further discuss and ensure the city is not “stepping on any toes” in regards to Becker schools and what they offer through community education.

 

Cassidy started his appeal by stating the BCC runs many recreational programs, activities and events but the design, implementation, recruitment, hiring and training can be a burden and costly detriment to staff which made the idea of contracting with Goenner a great option for the city.

 

Goenner said she’d like to offer the program initially on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school year. Cassidy and Goenner reviewed locations for the schooling event and decided the pavillion at city park was the best option as far as location.

 

Goenner said she had already talked to Michelle Peacock at the school and “got her blessing” for the program.

 

The contract for the city with Goenner would include providing Little Friends Montessori with a facility to use, maintenance of the facility, garbage and snow removal, assist in marketing, fielding registration, fees and provide monthly statements, issue checks, provide administration overhead and oversight.

 

Goenner would be responsible for providing the educational program (instruction, curriculum, etc.) following the Becker Primary School District calendar, assist with marketing,  carry out registration, cleaning the facility, provide background check and carry a $1 million liability insurance policy.

 

The “tabling” of the resolution was approved in a 3-2 vote.

 

Troy Malo, director of golf at Pebble Creek Golf Course, presented five names chosen to comprise the new golf advisory board.

 

Robin Conlon-Dingmann, Andy Voller, Don Holly, Gary Obele and Steve Whittaker were recommended to council by the golf task force out of seven applications. Conlon-Dingmann and Obele bring business expertise to the board, Voller brings financial experience, Holly brings legal experience and Whittaker brings his professional golf experience to the board.

 

All five of the members are season pass holders at Pebble Creek.

 

Council approved the five candidates in a 4-1 vote (Mayor Kleis voted “no”).

 

Treasurer Sarah Brunn provided a resolution calling for a public hearing in December to discuss an issuance of bonds for Shepherd of Grace Senior Community.

 

Brunn said the City of Becker is granted the power to issue conduit bonds under Minnesota statutes for organizations seeking tax exempt bonding. Brunn stressed the liability for repayment goes directly to the borrower and not the city and Shepherd of Grace is looking to refinance approximately $8.2 million to take advantage of a lower interest rate.

 

Brunn said participation by city staff is minimal and SOG will pay all costs associated with the issuance as well as a .25% conduit debt fee to the city.

The public hearing was set for Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.

 

Jessica Huettl of the BCC said — after applying for grant funds in October from the Minnesota Dept. of Labor and Industry — she was notified her application was approved by the Deputy of Commissioner’s office.

 

The grant funds applied for are to be used to reduce risk of injury and illness to workers that are based on safety and hazards. Huettl pointed out the safety grant program is a reimbursable grant program in a dollar-for-dollar match.

 

Huettl mentioned that in the approval of the application, she was informed the MDOL reduced the city’s maximum reimbursement and the number of items that were requested.

 

The approval calls for traffic cones, barricades, signs, sign stands and a flammable storage cabinet in the total cost of $4,498.46. The grant will be for half that amount.

 

Huettl said all the items included in the safety grant project are directly for employee safety and should help reduce the number of claims to the city, reducing the hours lost to injury and ensure the workers compensation modifier remains low. Ultimately, Huettl says, it will save the city on insurance premiums and benefit the taxpayers by lowering the annual tax levy.

 

Council approved.

 

City Planner Therese Haffner presented a request for approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) for Novak Construction to operate outdoor sales of sheds on their property at 12690 1st St., SE.

 

Novak Construction operates their office facilities at this location and has been selling and storing sheds within their parking lot for over a month. City ordinance allows such sales as an accessory use within commercially zoned districts for up to 14 consecutive days for a maximum of 30 days per calendar year without a permit.

 

Novak Construction plans to do sales od the sheds and structures during the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. No more than 10% of the total parking lot can be used for outdoor sales.

 

Haffner noted she received one anonymous letter from a concerned citizen opposing the CUP, saying the structures along 1st Street will be a visual hazard for all those who drive along Hwy. 10.

 

Council approved the CUP.

 

Richard Hubbard presented a request to have his mother’s single-family home issued the same standards it would if it were located within a single-family residential district. His request is so the family can sell the house and give the future homeowner the ability to expand.

 

The property is located at 14086 Myhre St. SE, located within a Q-PUB district.

 

Haffner requested the city amend an ordinance to provide for the orderly establishment and expansion of public and quasi-public institutional uses to allow additional permitted uses, adding public educational institutions as a conditional use, adding accessory uses, lot, yard and height requirements and building design requirements.

 

• Lori Keller and Rick Hendrickson were acknowledged for winning the two opens seats in Tuesday’s election;

 

• Smoke is a new tobacco business located at 13850 1st. St. and they recently applied for a tobacco license and passed a background check;

 

• A donation of $100 was accepted by the city from the Becker/Big Lake Knights of Columbus organization to be used for Freedom Days;

 

• Water and sewer and the Pebble Creek CIP was discussed at the executive session as well as the city’s current electronic filing system and the displaying of flags.

The next Becker City Council meeting is Nov. 18 at 5 p.m.