By Bill Morgan, Staff Writer

 

Becker City Council met Tuesday to discuss committees, engineering, squad cars, the 2019 levies, a presentation report and held a closed meeting to discuss real estate offers.

2019 Levies

Finance Director Connie Robinson gave a presentation on the 2019 preliminary levies for the City of Becker.

Robinson said staff has been working on the 2019 levies since May and the city has to have certified proposed levies to the state by Sept. 30. Levies are used in preparing parcel-specific notices on proposed property taxes for each parcel of property for taxes payable in 2019.

Becker’s levies (city and EDA) also need to be certified to the county in September, setting a top dollar amount which can be lowered (but not raised) after it is set.

The proposed budget and levies are to be certified at $7,168,087 for the budget and $147,750 for EDA. The $7+ million for the budget includes a $3,187,267 for the general fund, $351,112 for the fire levy, $479,130 for the community center, $314,047 for the golf course, $1,935,500 for the capital levy, $140,574 for the 2008A WWTF bonds, $735,457 for the 2012A water/WWTF refunding bonds and the 2010A G.O. Improvement bonds.

Robinson said the estimated tax rate for 2019 is 39.674% — .2% less than 2018.

Staff Report

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske told council of a rare opportunity he recently had to present to Gov. Mark Dayton and his staff Becker’s strategy for transitioning from a coal-based economy.

Pruszinske said his presentation was 15 minutes long and included questions and answers and gave him the opportunity to thank those who have supported Becker through the transition.

Pruszinske added that he was able to present on the Northern Metal Recycling project to the Great Northern Corridor Coalition (GNCC) Aug. 22. The GNCC is comprised of rail, trucking and ocean-going freight companies as well as state and local units of government from Chicago to the port of Seattle.

Pruszinske said the importance of his presentation was twofold: First, it was a great opportunity to bolster the city’s Chicago-to-Seattle network by showcasing everything Becker has to offer. Second, it was a great opportunity to meet Tenzin Dolkar, Gov. Dayton’s rail director, who is part of the GNCC board, who invited Becker to present at the November Governor’s Council on freight rail.

Engineering Report

Marie Pflipsen gave a preliminary engineering report and NEPA environmental narrative on the new construction of a 1.7-mile long frontage road and municipal improvements in the industrial park.

Pflipsen said staff has been collaborating with multiple stakeholders and partners including Sherburne County and the Initiative Foundation to research and apply for funding for the frontage road and underlying utility improvements in the IP southwest of Hwy. 10.

The project is meant to improve freight traffic flows and increase area safety once complete.

New Squad Car

Police Chief Brent Baloun asked council to approve a replacement of a squad car this year as opposed to next year to take advantage of the old manufacturing/engineering of the vehicles set to change in 2020.

Baloun said his department has set aside $36,000 for the purchase of a new squad car that is annually in the plan for the department. The current price with options is $28,858.45 and will be purchased from Ford of Hibbing. The additional monies would go to the rigging of the new car, pulling out equipment of old car and adding or replacing lights, graphics, etc.

Baloun says now is the time to buy since by 2020, the price for a new squad may increase by $3,000 to $7,000.

Council approved and Baloun said once the order gets placed, the new vehicle will most likely arrive in Becker by January(best case scenario).

Closed Session

Council closed the meeting to retire to another room for a closed session in regards to real or personal property sold by a government entity.

Consent Agenda

The consent agenda’s subject matter included hiring and termination reports for the community center, Pebble Creek and administration. It also included a change order for the Hwy. 24 trail project, a partial pay request to Kuechle Underground, a partial pay request for Hardrives, Inc. and a safety deposit box signature authorization for Adam Huseman.

Up Next

The next Becker City Council meeting is Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.