Posted: 8/1/07
Stacy's cleaning up mobile home park
 A view of the mobile home park storm shelter that needs to be brought up to code. |
By Anne Thom
Stacy building inspector Jack Kramer made his second council appearance in two months. Kramer told the council he has been busy in the Sunrise Mobile Home Park handing out citations for violating city nuisance ordinances. Kramer reported that he, Deputy Cliff Sheppeck and the Chisago County Attorney's office have now successfully taken at least one case through court to get a problem property cleaned up. Kramer promised there were more to come.
"I think that word is now getting around the park that there's penalties to pay," he said. Kramer explained that a few other property owners in the mobile home park have responded to his letters and are complying rather than risking a court appearance.
Someone who did respond to a letter from Kramer was park owner John Ulvin. Kramer told the council he has been contacted by Ulvin about hiring contractors who could construct a new storm shelter in the park.
In a page and a half letter to Ulvin dated July 6, Kramer cited a laundry list of violations he found on the current structure. The shelter is not up to current state codes.
"The state law requires a licensed Minnesota architect be contacted to develop a plan to meet the requirements of the code," Kramer wrote. City engineer Chuck Schwartz told the council Ulvin had contacted him as well looking for contractor names.
Among the deficiencies cited by Kramer in his letter were size, accessibility, ventilation and lighting. The shelter by law must accommodate a minimum of four square feet per person. At the current 1,248 square feet, capacity is 312 people. Kramer was unable to verify the total population of the park and suggested Ulvin would need to take a census to prove that the structure is large enough.
The law requires that a shelter have a minimum of two exits. The shelter has only one exit and is accessed by a staircase that is open and of questionable stability given the number of people that would use it. The staircase is not handicapped accessible, and there is not other access that would make the shelter usable for residents of the park who may be in a wheelchair or have trouble walking.
The interior of the shelter is dimly lit by single fixtures on either side, making it difficult for anyone who may have trouble with his or her eyesight. No emergency lighting system exists either. If the residents were in the shelter and the power failed, they would have no choice but to leave an outside door open leaving them vulnerable to flying debris. The shelter has no ventilation system.
Park residents have long complained that neighborhood kids are using the shelter as a party destination. The councilors who reside in the park have mentioned repeatedly at council meetings there is a terrible stench caused more than likely by itinerant partying youth who urinate and smoke on the premises. The letter advised Ulvin that state law requires park shelters be upgraded to comply with current law and codes. Shelters are not "grandfathered in" with their existing features and size.
Councilor Tony Olivolo, who has been lobbying for improvements to secure a safe location for park residents in the event of an emergency, along with Councilor Avalos and Councilor Bud Wilson, was pleased. "If a new shelter is built, that indicates they (the Ulvin family) will not be selling the mobile home park," he said hopefully.
In other news:
• The off sale liquor store "did really well" in June. According to accountant Amy Joslin, Stacy Wine and Spirits posted a $15,000 profit. Councilor Mel Aslakson was looking for a million dollar, or at least a $50,000 answer. "The one question I have is do we have enough money to make the bond payments that are due?" he asked. A primary concern at the previous council meeting and at a special meeting in July was paying a $50,000 bond on that comes due in August. Joslin responded, "It will be tight, but yes." To boost the numbers on the balance sheet, liquor operations manager Brian Hachey reduced inventory by approximately $25,000.
In between this council meeting and the special meeting to address liquor operations issues held on July 6, a work session was held. Progress was made as Hachey presented a form that has been created to present questions or comments to the Liquor Operations Committee, which also underwent a makeover at the work session. The new Liquor Operations Committee will consist of two council members and city accounting clerk Lynda Schmidt. The liquor operations management will attend meetings but will not be on the committee. First though, the council had to pass a motion to disband the current committee. Councilor Barbara Avalos made the motion to disband the current operations committee without hesitation and that motion passed. Aslakson then, on the advice of city attorney Peter Grundhoefer, made the motion to establish an internal liquor operations committee. Because there will be two council members seated on the new committee, they will be able to bypass the law mandating the meetings be public.
The Stacy Bar and Grill lost approximately $5,000. The city and the liquor operations team have been struggling with how to make this end of the operation more profitable. They hope that a revamped committee and process will generate ideas and in turn, profit at the bar.
• City clerk Sharon Payne announced that financial advisor Richard Hill has taken a job with the city of Dayton. Hill's departure comes at a less than perfect time, as the city is about to start the budget discussions for 2008. Payne would like to replace Hill and have someone hired by mid-November as setting budget and finalizing those documents consume a significant amount of time through the end of the year. The council looked a bit shocked to learn that the going rate for a financial advisor is $46,00-$49,000 annually according.
Auditor Dennis Oberloh has recommended that the city retain a financial advisor as part of a check and balance system for the city budget, accounting practices and financial affairs. Hill has also been working for the city of Harris. A suggestion was made to approach Harris about possibly sharing a financial advisor. It was also suggested that accountant Joslin may be able to pick up some of the slack in the meantime.
• The council passed ordinance 2007-7-2. The ordinance was drafted in response to complaints from residents and concerns on the council about second water meters. This ordinance requires the installation of a second meter for irrigation purposes on all new residential construction.
Second meters are generally installed for outdoor irrigation purposes. Water discharged through those systems does not flow through the city's sanitary sewer, incurring no extra use on the city's system, but resulting in a charge for just that to the property owner. The ordinance provides for installation of a second meter for irrigation or other business purposes where water will not enter the sanitary sewer system. The owner will pay for the water, but the additional charge for sewer will not be assessed on those meters.
• A closed meeting was called for Monday, July 30, the purpose remained a mystery however but there were whisperings of allegations regarding the performance of an employee. City personnel advisor David Clark has been requested to attend. Councilor Wilson said, "One of the concerns is retaliation or statements people have made. I promised some of these people not to give out their names." Grundhoefer said, "you could invite witnesses and provide written statements, that's part of the investigation." The council then authorized Wilson to speak to Grundhoefer outside of the meeting. "Some of it's very serious," said Olivolo.
There was no further information made public, and even Mayor John Daher seemed mystified. "I have no idea what you guys are referring to and it would be nice to know before the meeting," he said.
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