Sabart gave an overview of the projects and answered questions from council for the following projects: 

 

• Rebuilding of a section of Liberty Lane from Hwy. 10 to Sherburne Avenue South and improving the street from a nine-ton to a 10-ton road; 

 

• Reclaiming and overlaying Industrial Boulevard from Industry Avenue to industry Avenue; 

 

• Reclaim and overlay of Industry Avenue from Industrial Boulevard to Industrial Boulevard;

 

• Hard surfacing Hancock Street from Hwy. 10 to Industrial Boulevard;

 

• Seal coating Sherburne Avenue from Industrial Boulevard to Liberty Lane;

 

• Seal coating  Sherburne Avenue from Liberty Lane to Co. Rd. 11.

 

Council approved the plans and specs and gave Sabart permission to solicit bids.

 

Mark Ebensteiner from Abdo, Eick & Meyers presented his company’s findings from the audit and highlighted the financial summary.

 

Ebensteiner noted the city was in accordance with the city’s adopted fund balance policy at 40.3%. He also said the total revenues had a positive budget variance of $264,558, attributed to licenses and permits and special assessments being over budget.

 

He also said the transfers out exceeded the budget by $680,000 as a result of additional transfers to the Revolving Capital fund in accordance with the city’s fund balance policy.

 

The city has a $2,895,000 outstanding bond debt balance.

 

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske said recently he sent out a RFP on insurance agency representation last year and as a result, the city changed their carrier to Northern Capital Insurance Group for their services.

 

Agents Ron Youngdahl and Carl Bennetsen were on hand Tuesday to present the renewed policy and answer any questions from the council.

 

Pruszinske said since the city normally renews in February, he thought it would be a good time to better organize the city’s schedules prior to the renewal thus delaying the 2014 insurance renewal.

 

Youngdahl and Bennetsen said overall the policy will be about the same with a slight decrease in the premium cost and modifier factor.

Council approved the renewed policy.

 

Pruszinske handed out a sheet that contained the City of Becker’s 2014 goals and beyond.

 

Pruszinske read aloud the city’s vision, mission statement, key objectives and core values associated with the goals, then discussed individually what the goals are and what the action plan is.

 

Under financial substantiability, the city’s goal #1 was to have strong financial management by adopting a two-year budget cycle and begin working on a long-range financial plan. Also under financial substantiability was for the city to effectively and efficiently make use of area resources. that includes partnering with the county, the school district and state when possible and to partner with the private sector also.

 

Under economic development, one of the goals is retaining and diversifying the city’s business base. Actions for that include continuing the city’s business expansion and retention program, aggressively market the city’s diverse transportation opportunities, aggressively promote low tax rate, bolster the network (site selectors, St. Cloud partnership, county), aggressively pursue manufacturing and to establish a public/private partnership that improves connectivity.

 

The city also wants to improve their industrial park infrastructure by improving Liberty Lane to a 10-ton road, improve the rail crossing at Liberty lane and Sherburne Ave. South, improve Industrial Avenue and Industry Blvd. and improve Hancock Street South.

 

For community growth and public safety, one of the city’s goals is to improve drinking water needs by identifying and securing an additional well site and update the wellhead protection plan. The city also wants to define and execute a comprehensive communication strategy by being accurate and up-to-date on the city website, cable broadcast and social media as well as have a presence at Freedom Days and the Business Expo.

 

For city pride and volunteerism, the city hopes to foster a community of volunteers by providing residents opportunities to participate and volunteer and reinforce the business expo, Freedom Days and the History Center.

 

Becker would also like to create community pride and safe transportation alternatives by working with the county to design the Hwy. 24 bridge, work with city engineer to develop plan to link current rail system and to work with elected officials to approve final projects.

 

Another goal is to augment the city’s image as a brand by marketing the city as a place people want to be, improve sanitary sewer services to the industrial park and to push forward with the comprehensive parks and trails plan.

 

Following the regular council meeting, the Pebble Creek golf task force committee met to discuss old business from their April 15 meeting and to go over the pros and cons of the final three scenarios including a sale of the golf course, a lease of the golf course and the hiring of a management company to take over operations.

 

The task force plans to meet again in two weeks and find a consensus on what scenarios are still worthy of exploration and what scenarios can be tossed out. It will also be an opportunity for the public to engage in conversation and give their input for the task force to consider.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is June 3 at 5 p.m.