By Aaron Vehling

The Rush City Council continued discussions on the new community center and senior housing development Monday night, tackling a name for the place and going over some design specifications with meticulous care.

As the council was presented some fairly completed plans, a few members had some concerns.

ìEarly on we talked about having storage lockers in the garage units,î said councilman David Bengtson as he noticed a lack of any storage in the designs for the garages.

City administrator Daniel Hoffman said the lockers were removed.

ìYou can get storage containers at Menards and places like that,î he said.

Bengtson said that sort of storage does not compare to the sort that was removed.

ìWeíre giving up a lot here if we give up these storage lockers,î he said. ìI just wish theyíd give it a little extra thought.î

Hoffman said it was most likely a financial decision. The space in the garages is still there, he added, so if a tenant needed some sort of storage they would have the room for it.

Councilman Mike Louzek was concerned about the age requirement. Hoffman said that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that tenants be aged 62 years and older. Louzek wondered about that requirement and its relation to vacancies.

ìIf it sets half full, what sense does that make to keep it at 62,î he said. ìI am hoping we donít have a problem filling it, but Iíd hate to see four or five (units) sit vacant because of age requirements.î

Hoffman told Louzek that HUD does provide a little leeway. ìThey donít want you to go broke.î

Mayor Mike Skalsky was not as concerned as Louzek.

ìIt shouldnít be a problem to fill up the apartments,î he said.

Hoffman mentioned other design elements of the community center and apartments that he discussed with the architect.

ìThere will be no pets allowed,î he said, noting a problem because some people are tied to their pets. ìThe design people are telling me that the whole community center, except for the kitchen, should be carpeted.î

Councilman Jerry Janssen said that carpeting can greatly reduce the amount of noise generated by movement.
Hoffman also recommended that somewhere in the community centerís largest room there should be tile instead of carpeting for dancing purposes.

ìDancing on carpets is not good,î he said.

Hoffman and the council also looked at possible names for the facility.
The Chisago County Housing and Redevelopment Authority recommended naming it ìMeadow View.î Hoffman suggested that ìIrving Additionî could be a possibility.

ìI thought that Meadow View kind of touches on the fact that you see a lot of open land,î he said.
The council decided to look at getting members of the community to offer their opinions on what to name the facility.
ìSomeone may have a clever idea out there,î Louzek said.

Other council news:
In order for Rush City to have a tax board of review after Jan. 1, 2006, the state is requiring at least one voting member of the council to attend a training session that is designed to improve the councilís understanding of the process.

Hoffman said that if no one attended the training then the city would relinquish its ability to have a tax board of review. That power would be turned over to Chisago County.

Janssen, Louzek and Skalsky will attend the meeting.

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