Posted: 6/14/05
By MaryHelen Swanson
There was a disruptive force at the Monday night North Branch Council meeting, her name was Mother Nature.
She didn't get up to speak at the podium, but she did require a break in the action and swift retreat by the council, city staff and audience to the basement when the severe weather siren blew.
While the rain pelted the outside, inside the board room the council was listening to a citizen with many complaints about a neighbor who, he claimed, was violating codes, conducting a home business without a permit, shooting off illegal fireworks and causing other problems.
His claim was that calls to the local police department were not heeded, that some city staff members had not treated him fairly and that after 8 years of residency in North Branch, people still treated him as an "outsider."
Responding in part to his comments, City Administrator Joe Lynch said there had been a turn over in code enforcement staff, but that is settled now and that Mark Jones, code enforcement officer, has been out to the property and is prepared to inform the homeowner of code violations.
Lynch also reminded the citizen in the council chambers that law enforcement must catch people in acts if they are to address criminal complaints. There has to be visible evidence, he said.
The property owner in question will have to clean up his site, Lynch said. "We're on top of this now," he said.
Street projects
A public hearing was held on the Cherokee Avenue/Fletcher Avenue projects. Cherokee is an existing street and Fletcher will be a new road in the city's new development project northwest of town. Total estimate cost of the two projects is $1,040,300.
The projects will also include construction of watermain, sanitary sewer, drainage improvements and urban section roadways.
WSB and Assoc. will be the designated engineer for this improvement project. The council called for specifications and plans.
There was no one speaking to the project during the public hearing. It was noted that the 400th Street/CR 30 project, which leads into this new development area, is already out for bids.
Cherokee will become a 32-foot wide urban street. Fletcher is designed with a roundabout entrance into the ESSBY development with colored concrete crosswalks and median, street lights and a bituminous pathway. The project will be paid for by assessing the benefiting properties.
Tax abatement approved
The council also approved a five-year tax abatement with Custom Headed Products for a parcel in the industrial park formerly owned by Mike Murphy.
CHP manufactures a variety of bolts used by various industries. They will be bringing 15 full-time jobs to the area and will add 3-5 new jobs over the next 12-18 months. Since the building has been vacant for over four years, about $40,000 worth of improvements to the exterior, landscaping and parking lots are planned. The company asked for $20,000 in tax abatement to assist them in these improvements. The city will abate $1,000 a year for 10 years. CHP also received a tax abatement from the county for $2,000 for five years. The council requests that the new positions be full-time and that site improvements be done in two years.
In other business, the council:
ï appointed Christopher Lorey, Ryan Coleman, Dean Mitchell, Timothy Burton and Mitch Holmes as volunteer firefighters for the city.
ï accepted the resignation of Amanda Dudrey and approved advertising for her liquor store cashier position.
ï approved a conditional use permit for Trinity Lutheran Church for secondary and post-secondary education classes in their education building. It is anticipated that night classes will be held in connection with Pine Technical College and Anoka-Ramsey Community College - Cambridge Campus.
ï approved a conditional use permit for the NB Rotary to hold a circus in the Primary School bus parking lot June 27.
ï approved the application for a state infrastructure grant in the amount of $495,000 to be used in the construction of streets and utilities in the new industrial area northwest of town. The amount being asked for is about half of the cost of the Fletcher Avenue project.
ï approved the purchase of playground equipment from Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground for the Roger Johnson Memorial Park in the amount of $25,000. Staff has also worked with t he company to add equipment for 2-5-year-olds for a total cost not to exceed $36,000, funds to come from the park dedication funds.
ï gave approval to Living Branch Lutheran Church to use City Hall parking lot for their annual Kid's Carnival held in September and approved a fireworks permit for the church for July 4.
ï approved a feasibility study for construction of a salt storage shed with WSB doing the work for a cost not to exceed $3,500.
ï learned there had been 302 applications for the building department assistant position. Christy Kamholz was approved for the position. She is currently working for the city of Oakdale. Because of her years of government experience, she was given a bank of 40 hours of PTO at the onset of her employment. Kamholz is a resident of NB.
ï voted 4-1 to approve the final plat for Wildridge Place, a development of 58 townhomes and a senior cooperative for Dalmark Development. Steve Mork was on hand to address questions about this development. The site is on Falcon Avenue across from 383rd Street. The extension of municipal utilities will be at the expense of the developer and the developer must contribute $1,800 per lot to the park dedication fund.
ï approved an application for a park and pool site at the Williams Park location. The project would include 75 spaces for daytime use.
City staff doesnít think it would interfere with evening events held in the park area. The project would be funded by the Rush Line Corridor task force.
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