Posted: 5/26/04
By MaryHelen Swanson
Watch for hanging plants. Downtown North Branch will get beautified soon when 20 hanging baskets are placed along Main Street.
The City Council gave approval Monday night for two individuals to have the plants put up to improve the downtown scene.
Discussion centered around the cost, which is estimated to be $2,500, and where the money could come from.
City Administrator Joe Lynch said $10,000 is in an equipment certificate and budgeted for street lights for downtown beautification.
City Planner Alan Cottingham said he polled members of the cityís beautification committee and they had no problem with the baskets but they wanted to see all of the $10,000 go toward street lights. Lynch said street lights were the only thing the money could be used for.
Barbara Burrington, one of the people asking for the basket approval, said donations have come in.
The baskets, she said, which would be purchased at North Branch Floral this year, could be reused next year. Burrington said she would talk to the Chamber of Commerce and possibly get the cost covered next year, without city contribution.
No one on the council was opposed to the plant project, but Councilman Rod Lofquist asked how they would get watered. It was noted that in other towns with plants on main street, the city workers take care of the watering.
The council agreed to allow the hanging baskets with funds to come out of the general fund. Mayor Gloria Karsky is encouraging the group to continue to seek private donations to help return the funds to the general account.
A public hearing was held about the sidewalk replacement in front of North Branch Floral.
In 2003, the city began a replacement project paying for residential sidewalk improvements with funds from the liquor store account while requiring business owners along Hwy. 95 to pay for replacement of their stretch of sidewalk.
NB Floral is the only business that has not replaced sidewalk in this project.
Don Wheeler, owner of NB Floral, was at the meeting Monday saying the sidewalk damage is mostly due to traffic, which includes large trucks hauling to the gas station next to him. He agreed, after doing some research with the state, that the city has the power to maintain the sidewalks in the manner that it wishes. That includes assessing property owners.
But Wheeler said the damage to the sidewalk by his business is out of his control and that the city should have funds to cover the sidewalk in such situations.
He produced pictures of the crushed sidewalk and curb caused by traffic and possibly chemicals splashed up from the state highway.
The council agreed to order the sidewalk improvements done at this time at an estimated cost is $2,000 and the city will pay for it and hold a second public hearing on assessing Mr. Wheeler.
According to the staff report, the city would recommend a two-year period for Wheeler to pay the city back. City staff also is recommending that no interest be charged for the cost of the improvements.
In other business, the council:
ï Ordered an appraisal be made on the present library building. The city does not want to wait until the building is vacant, noted Lynch, and since there are two private parties showing some interest in purchasing the building now, he wants some kind of figure to use in possibly negotiations. Lynch intends to seek a ìless technicalî appraisal that would provide a ballpark valuation on the building rather than full details;
ï approved the revised AUAR study report with comments from the DNR, MPCA and Mn/Dot included. This new document is available for public review at City Hall or at the library for the next 10 days. Public comment on the new document will be accepted in writing. The AUAR is a study of the nearly 400 acres to the northwest of downtown which is under consideration for development by the city. The areas is being planned for residential, industrial and commercial uses. The city has hired a financial consultant and master developer to help with this project.
ï approved new fire contracts with Oxford, Fish Lake and North Branch townships;
ï accepted the feasibility study and called for a public hearing on 392nd improvements, in connection with the new Abundant Life church building project. The public hearing will be June 14;
ï accepted the feasibility study and set a public hearing for June 14 for Industrial Estates 3rd Addition street and utility improvements;
ï approved the purchase of 21.5 acres of land from the Olson Trust for $41,000/acre. The city will pay $150,000 down. About 2 acres will be used for the Golden Avenue project. The city will purchase remaining acreage from the trust as land is sold to developers. At the end of five years, the city will have to buy any remaining land from the trust. Assessments for the Golden Avenue project will be paid by new industrial development in the park. The purchase was approved contingent upon an OK from the EDA on Tuesday; and
ï approved a conditional use permit (CUP) for the new library building. Some discussion centered on the color of the building. No one from the library task force saw the final documents before they went out for bid. The city received the final bid documents only last week. No one knew the color of the exterior. Another issue that was unsettled was the $250 fee for the CUP application. City Attorney Tom Miller told the council the city would get a set amount of money from the county for the library building project. Costs, including fees, that came over and above what the city receives will have to be covered by the city, he said.
During the public comment period city resident Jerry Long asked why the audio equipment could not be fixed so audience members can hear better. Lynch said because of the layout of the room there are feedback issues and technical problems. He also noted that most of the system, except for the podium mike, has been working for a couple of months now.
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