In last week’s Big Lake City Council meeting, a couple of Powell St. residents voiced concerns over the street improvement plan during open forum.

Open Forum

Cory Gardner

Cory Gardner, a resident of Powell St. N, recently inquired about whether parking would be allowed on Powell St. after projected construction and the addition of sidewalks. He was told the answer was no, residents and guests would not be able to park on Powell after the construction. Gardner says the issue should have been brought up during the planning stages and that information should have been made clear to residents.

After speaking to his neighbors, Gardner found that many who had been in favor of, or indifferent to, the addition of sidewalks were against the idea when they found they would no longer be allowed to park on the street. He also noted that many people used Powell St. as parking during events such as parades and Spud Fest.

“I don’t want my 80 year old mother-in-law walking from a cul-du-sac,” said Gardner.

He then asked that the council and staff be more transparent with business going forward.

Rob Olson

Rob Olson, another Powell St. resident, began by thanking city engineer Layne Otteson for the open houses regarding the street improvement project, but he agreed with Gardner that the issue of parking was never addressed. Residents have, up to this point, been allowed to park on either side of the street, and it’s a significant change to take that away in order to have sidewalks.

Olson and his wife host holiday gatherings every year, with around 35 people attending, which is very impractical when guests have to park two blocks down the street in a cul-du-sac, especially when other people will try to use that space at the same time. He expressed concern at the lack of government transparency, and said residents only found out about the parking changes recently, despite the fact that the final decision for the project will be made March 10.

Ordinance Amendment

Staff proposed an ordinance amendment regarding small cell wireless facilities. Small wireless facilities house equipment for cellular service. Minnesota law allows cities to impose additional aesthetic requirements.

Staff composed some standards for small cell wireless facilities so the equipment would not become an eyesore in single-family housing developments.

Mayor Paul Knier stated that he has never been a big fan of 5G technology. He has read articles claiming that 5G can damage the human body on the cellular level.

“I think the citizens of Big Lake should be very concerned about this,” he said, noting that the state has mandated that cities allow 5G infrastructure in their jurisdictions.

Mayor Knier wants to charge companies the maximum amount of fees possible.

Council member Ken Halverson pushed against this idea, saying that when big companies face taxes and fees, they find a way to pass those changes on to the consumer, which, in this case, would be the Big Lake taxpayers.

The motion to change the ordinances carried, and council will revisit changing the fee schedule at a later time.

Finance Department Update

The city was audited during the first few days of the month. Final 2020 Financial Statements will be available April 28.

Deb Wegeleben, finance director, went over a finance recap for 2020 for the benefit of the council.

Community Development

Hanna Klimmek reported that 18 single-family permits had been awarded so far in 2021. Music in the Park, Spud Fest and farmers markets are being planned for the summer.

Administrator’s Report

Administrator Clay Wilfahrt encouraged residents to go to the City of Big Lake’s social media pages or website and take the survey for Framework 2030, to ensure that their voices are heard as the city grows over the next decade. Framework 2030 is in its final stages, so now is the time to fill out the survey.

On Tuesday, the city held an open house regarding Red Oak Dr. The residents discussed possible plans for widening the street, adding sidewalks, and making it a through street.

Mayor’s Updates

Mayor Knier says he will be bringing back coffee with the mayor, which will take place every other month. The first will be March 13 at 9:30 a.m. The location is yet to be determined. He also is hoping to bring back a citizen volunteer of the year award, and is working with the clerk to implement it.