A new year, new council and new purpose had guests at city hall packing the seats with smiles and applause Tuesday evening. The members conducted business, posed for photos and did a little meet-and-greet afterwards.

 

It didn’t hurt the fact the meeting lasted a mere 24 minutes.

 

Scores of Becker High School students were also in attendance as they quizzed city staff, the new mayor and even family members of council for their government classes at school.

 

Tracy Bertram, Mike Doering and Todd Hanrahan said their pledges before the audience before taking their seats behind the city hall bench. Bertram was sworn in as mayor following her victory in last November’s election over Lefty Kleis with 54% of the vote  and Doering and Hanrahan won the two open council seats over Dennis J Rzeszotarski in a close race.

 

Committee Appointments

Council reviewed and approved the new 2017 organizational and committee appointments. The list goes as follows: Acting Mayor -Rick hendrickson; Annexation and Joint Planning Board - Hanrahan and Bertram; Budget and Finance - Lori Keller and Hendrickson; City Attorney - Scott Lepak of Barna Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.; City Auditor - Abdo, Eick & Meyers; Consultant City Engineer - Randy Sabart of SEH; EDA - Keller and Hendrickson.

 

Fire Fighter’s Relief Association - Hanrahan and Marilyn Danielson; Fire Joint Powers Board - Bertram and Hanrahan; Golf Management - Keller and Hanrahan; LPI Advisory - Hendrickson, Doering, Greg Pruszinske and Dave Pesola; Parks and Recreation - Doering and Keller; Personnel Committee - Hanrahan and Bertram; Police Management Committee - Hanrahan and Hendrickson; Planning Commission - Doering and Bertram; Public Works Committee - Bertram and Doering; Xcel Advisory Board - Hendrickson and Doering.

 

Council meetings will continue to be held every first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Council executive sessions (workshops) will immediately follow  city council meetings.

 

EDA will meet the second Monday of the month at 5:30 pm. Parks and recreation/BCC advisory board  meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. The planning commission will meet the last Monday of the month at 6 p.m.

 

The city’s official depository is Sherburne State Bank and the official newspaper is the Citizen-Tribune (alternates - West Sherburne Tribune and St. Cloud Times).

 

At the last executive session in December, Hanrahan led a discussion on season pass rates for the upcoming season. He proposed adding a senior season pass, resident season pass and also to allow pass holders to make payments on their season passes.

 

Pruszinske and Troy Malo had put together a proposed fee structure that included Hanrahan’s requests, but the agenda item was tabled until the next city council meeting so a public hearing could be held to receive public input.

 

Pruszinske spoke on behalf of Jamie Cassidy, who was not able to make Tuesday’s meeting.

 

Pruszinske reminded the audience since the City of Becker has a community-wide trail and sidewalk plan as well as a Safe Routes to School  (SRTS) Plan, Cassidy was asking the city council to approve a resolution allowing staff to apply for a grant with MnDOT.

 

Pruszinske pointed out a key segment of the city’s trail and sidewalk system on Sherburne Ave. from Central Ave. to Bradley Blvd. is older and in need of repair. He also said that sidewalk is  only 4-5' wide and trail segment on both sides of this proposed updated section are 10' wide bituminous trails.

 

“The grant would provide funds to assist the city in providing a safe and connected trail and sidewalk system for our community;” Pruszinske said.

 

The availability of funds won’t be until 2020/21 for the trail and sidewalk infrastructure projects, but Pruszinske said city staff is working closely with Sherburne County as their sponsor and supporter — (along with Becker Schools) — on this project to complete the trail and sidewalk system in due time.

 

City staff is working with Randy Sabart from SEH on this project for preliminary project expenses expected to be around $50,000. The entire project is expected to cost somewhere around $500,000 and the grant is an 80/20 grant, meaning should the city be awarded the grant, Becker will be responsible in matching 20% of the overall project cost.

 

Manufacturing Partner’s Inc. (MPI), currently located in Big Lake, is applying for financial assistance for their business expansion project and move to the old Vertex building in the industrial park in Becker. 

 

The company has outgrown their current building and the City of Big Lake has written a letter of support acknowledging that MPI found a location in Becker and will be relocating. 

 

The company, in partnership with the City of Becker, was awarded a loan of $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 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. The loan will be paid back to the city over 20 years at three percent. 

 

Sherburne County EDA will also be lending $100,000 to Manufacturing Partner’s Inc. The City of Becker and the Sherburne County EDA will need to sign an intercreditor agreement for a shared collateral position in the case of a loan default. In order to complete the funding request, the city needs to execute the grant contract, loan agreement, and intercreditor agreement.

 

Community Development Coordinator Marie Pflipsen said this project will not only bring a new business to Becker, but 37 fulltime employees, an additional 16 fulltime job opportunities, and is anticipated to increase the value of the parcels by up to $100,000, resulting in an increased tax base.  

 

Furthermore, obtaining MIF funding will allow Becker to replenish their revolving loan fund, providing the city with the capability to assist future projects and maintain competitiveness as compared to surrounding communities who offer revolving loan funds.  

 

Mayor Bertram requested a discussion with the new council in regards to how city council, executive session and committee meetings should be conducted with respect to community interaction.

 

Bertram suggested council move to one open forum opportunity at the start of all council meetings instead of two. She also suggested they keep committee reports on the agenda, but let council members decide if reports are necessary depending on items discussed at these committee meetings. 

 

She also suggested scaling back community events to appropriate events and have a consistency in presentation of information to council.

 

Bertram also suggested the executive session meetings to be run by staff and in other committee meetings, to improve communication on "other" committee meetings that take place.

 

For better community interaction, Bertram suggested there be a quarterly blog or letter on the website,   a citizen spotlight, better organization  and  recognition of volunteers and the bolstering of the website and the city’s Facebook presence.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.