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Cityís 2004 top goal is bridgeBy Barbara Brown North Branch officially has five goals for the year 2004 after the city council approved a list at the Feb. 9 council meeting. It was voted unanimously that the top goal for the city is design and construction of a new bridge at Hwy. 95 over I-35. The city has been pushing for years to gain the attention of state and federal agencies to finance the $9 million project. City Engineer Julie Dresel updated the council on the search for money for the bridge. She said the city has applied for a federal funding program from the Transportation Equity Act (TEA-3). The bridge project was the highest ranking road project for the region that includes North Branch for consideration in TEA-3. However, the project was second on a list to be forwarded to the Region 7E board because a new bus for Chisago County Heartland Express is needed, Dresel said. The No. 2 priority is to plan for new public facilities including a community center, new police station, new city hall, sand and salt storage building, new Public Works facility and a possible fire station expansion. City Administrator Joe Lynch said the council is not saying it wants to build those projects soon. He said the goal list not only examines immediate needs, but has the council and staff looking 20 years into the future. A capital development plan, which would explore future personnel needs, also made the cityís goal list. The council also wants to develop and adopt a storm water management plan. At the Feb. 9 meeting, the council adopted a comprehensive sanitary sewer plan that shows expansion of the system over the next 20 years. The plan joins the cityís recently adopted water system comprehensive plan that also shows potential 20-year expansion locations. Finally on the cityís goal list, is a plan for the cityís newest industrial and business park ñ between CR 30 and I-35 north and 400th and 410th streets ñ is expected. New road The council voted to approve the feasibility study for the construction of Golden Avenue running on the west side of the new Andersen Windows site in the cityís expanded industrial park and to the east of CR 30. Golden Avenue would be built from the driveway of the Kelly Bros. apartments on Ash Street north through the industrial park to 400th Street across from Country View Estates. The project is expected to cost about $4 million. It would include the new road, storm drainage a trunk water main and a trunk sanitary sewer line. Funding is expected from state aid, the cityís trunk water and trunk sewer funds, assessments and infrastructure grant money. A public hearing on the road plan is scheduled for March 8. Water meter ordinance At the last city council meeting, developer Larry Beach asked the city to reconsider its requirement that all new construction have outside water meters installed. The water coming into a house is measured by one meter and a second meter measures the water that is expelled, either through outside faucets or into the sewer system. Residents using an outside meter are not charged for water that is not processed in the treatment plant. Beach said installing the meters on his 64-townhouse project - Wildridge North Pointe - would be too costly at $15,000. The council approved a change in the ordinance to state that multi-family developments would not have to install the meters if they have a communitywide central irrigation system that is metered and if the neighborhood is managed by a homeowners association. MIF grant The council agreed to hold a public hearing on the acceptance and use of a $500,000 federal grant through the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF). At its January meeting, the council agreed to develop a revolving loan program through the Economic Development Authority as part of a deal that the city receive the grant. In order to receive the grant, the EDA must manage the money and the city must set up the loan program. When money is paid back to the fund, the city can loan it to businesses in North Branch ñ or those interested in locating here ñ at interest rates determined by the city. The grant public hearing will be March 8. Also at the meeting, the council: ï voted to allow the Chisago County Housing and Redevelopment Authority/ Economic Development Authority to issue bonds to own the new library building. Chris Eng, with the HRA/EDA said the group would own the buildings and lease them back to the city; ï received a tally of costs for the start-up of the cityís K-9 unit. Chief Jules Zimmer submitted a statement that showed the trained dog-police partnership cost $2,016.31 for 2003. The statement showed estimated cost for the program in 2004 would be $1,000. The program is funded through the police department forfeiture fund; ï voted to seek bids on an equipment certificate to pay for two new police department squad cars and a new grader at a cost of $248,500; ï approved a new fee schedule for the city. The schedule is available at the city clerkís office; and ï voted 3-2 for an extension of a variance request for Marlin and Lois Ness. The Nesses want permission to build a single-family home on part of a lot owned by their son and daughter-in-law Eric and Shelli Ness. Eric Ness owns about 12 acres on the north side of Hwy. 95 east between Grand Avenue and Hemingway Avenue. The land is divided by the north branch of the Sunrise River, with about 10 acres on the west bank and 2 acres on the east bank. Eric Ness wanted to divide the land to allow his father to build a home on the smaller portion. Councilmember Rod Lofquist moved to allow the variance, although he said normally he would not go against city staff recommendation. Lofquist gave several reasons for his motion including his opinion that the cityís ordinance of not allowing lots smaller than 10 acres without city water and sewer may not apply in this situation. Lofquistís motion, which required 4 votes for approval, failed with Kathy Blomquist and Amy Oehlers voting against it. Oehlers said the request cannot be approved because it goes directly against the cityís 10-acre requirement. Blomquist was concerned about pollution of the Sunrise River. The council will study the issue further and act on the request by mid-April. ©ECM Post Review |