Mayor Tim Goenner opened a public hearing to hear from residents about a variance Lakes Gas applied for in order to  install a private well and septic system for their business.

 

One unidentified citizen spoke up and said he “doesn’t like the idea of a private well and septic when everybody else in the city has to pay city water and sewer services.”

 

Public Works Supervisor Dustin Luhning said he researched alternatives to “plugging into” the city water and sewer services but said it deemed too expensive and complicated since it would have to run under the BNSF railroad tracks.

 

Mayor Goenner chimed in and said “it’s just not feasible to run city water and sewer to Lakes Gas.”

 

Since the area where Lakes Gas is located is technically a dead end, council felt comfortable there will be no future development in the area and thus approved the variance in a unanimous vote.

 

Tom Walker, developer of a proposed four-plex apartment complex building was set to present his fourth concept to council in the last seven years and wanted to discuss a lowering of the SAC/WAC charges the city would charge for such a development.

 

Walker was not in attendance even though Clerk Kari Mechtel had invited him to the meeting, so council decided to table the issue until the next meeting that Walker could attend.

 

Council discussed the possibility of purchasing  new playground equipment for the park in the amount of $10,000.

 

Mechtel said the vendor she found gave her a quote of $10,862 for the equipment if the city placed the order by August. The city has $10,000 reserved for the purchase of the apparatus, so would have to find another donation or so to cover the added expense.

 

Mayor Goenner was sure if he approached the Lions (who already had donated more than half the money the city needed) they would most likely oblige the city and pay for the extra cost.

 

The city wanted to nail down the price of the equipment before any unforseen charges get added to the total.

 

The equipment would most likely not be constructed and placed at the park until next spring, so Member Claudia Page suggested the city go ahead and pay for the equipment, then ask the vendor if they could store it for Clear Lake until a spring shipment.

 

Council approved a Minnesota general records retention schedule resolution as well as a gambling resolution for the Clear Lake Lions.

 

Luhning said his crew is working on weed control at the present time and is also putting together some water samplings for the possibility of installing a new well.

 

Luhning said because of the rain, the grassy areas in the city are exploding so he and his crew are busy mowing continuously.

 

Mayor Goenner asked Luhning to check into the condition of streets along Front Street (by Amoco) and streets along the railroad that appear to be wearing on the edges. Goenner said because many big rigs park along the road outside the gas station, it is causing unforseen deterioration to the roads.

 

• A round table meeting has been scheduled for July 22 at 6 p.m. to discuss the 2015 budget;

 

• Goenner and the mayor of Clearwater attended a hearing to help lobby for a $2 million bonding bill — which has the full support of Rep. Jim Newberger and Sen. Dave Brown;

 

• The sheriff’s department said Clear Lake saw 50 calls for service come through their department in June with 25 of the calls being for traffic and two being for accidents.

 

The next Clear Lake City Council meeting is Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.