Posted: 7/11/07
Konrad is official as NB administrator
 Bridgitte Konrad, City Administrator |
By MaryHelen Swanson
You know how it goes, you miss a meeting and your cohorts elect you chairman of an important committee.
It wasn't exactly like that Monday night, but in her absence, due to a vacation, the North Branch City Council adopted, 3-1, a formal contract with Bridgitte Konrad for the position of city administrator.
Konrad, who served as clerk of the city, and most recently as interim administrator, was given the permanent position after the council discussed a contract during closed meetings June 11 and 25.
The contract has a three-year term at which time it will be renegotiated.
Councilor Amy Oehlers was not yet at the meeting Monday night, so the vote went like this: councilors Larry Erickson and Kathy Blomquist and Mayor Gloria Karsky - aye - councilor Theresa Furman - no. Furman said the salary was too much.
The agenda memo noted that the salary range for the position is $72,108- $95,285. The city offered Konrad $80,000.
She will receive annual cost of living adjustments as well as annual raises dependent upon the results of a performance evaluation.
The city will continue with a clerk position, with some job description revisions, that were approved Monday night, and is now advertising for the position. As the position will include duties in human resources, councilor Blomquist wanted it required that the applicant have a background in human resources. To compromise, at the suggestion of the mayor, the ad for the job will state that a background in human resources is "strongly recommended."
A bachelor's degree in administration or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience is also required.
In other business, the council:
• Held a public hearing on a proposed 10th Avenue project as petitioned for by Horizon Bank. The request is to widen 10th Ave. from Hwy. 95 to Elm Street and install curb and gutter. Total estimated cost of the project is $103,500, which would be covered 100 percent by assessment to affected property owners. They include Horizon Bank (50 percent), Merchants State Bank and Tony and Lisa Braun. There were no public comments, and the council ordered the preparation of plans and specifications for the project.
• Approved a conditional use permit for the NB Rotary to hold a circus in the NB middle school parking lot Aug. 3.
• Approved a variance for minimum sideyard setback for Wayne and Dawn Blodgett to allow them to add their existing garage on to their home.
• Approved a revised final plat for Wildridge Plat 4, taking 24 of the original 47 single-family lots and turning them into three large outlots. The developer, Fernwood Developers LLC, plans to come back at a later date to replat the outlots into new building sites. At the June 18 city planning commission meeting, the developer, Steve Vanden Heuvel, indicated this action is due to the decrease in the housing market. Also at the planning commission meeting, Vanden Heuvel expressed an interest in the housing part of the ESSBY project. When asked why by planning commissioner Doylene Voligny, he said it is a different type of work with smaller housing with multifamily and subsidies, a different mix than he can offer in Wildridge.
• Approved calling for a public hearing on Aug. 13 regarding the granting of a business subsidy to Norlite, LLC, a steel fabrication company who wants to purchase a lot in the industrial park. They are requesting pay-as-you-go Tax Increment Financing (TIF).
• Approved calling for a public hearing on Aug. 13 regarding the granting of a business subsidy to Topline, an automotive parts distributor who wants to purchase a lot in the ESSBY Business Park using the JOBZ designation.
• Approved the installation of underground electrical at Harder Park and awarded the low bid to A/C Electric at a cost of $23,400. The council previously approved spending $110,000 from the park dedication fund and park improvement fund for installation of lights and poles at the ballfield.
• Agreed to spend up to $5,000 for materials for a park shelter at Wildridge Park, while home builder Larry Beach has agreed to build it volunteering himself and his crew for the work. Funds to come from the park dedication fund. The council also agreed to pay up to $10,000 for installation of basketball hoops, concrete trail connections, horseshoe pits, benches and other site amenities at Wildridge Park, funds to come from the park dedication fund.
• Approved spending up to $7,000 of park dedication funds for fencing of Harder Park fields #2 and #3 as well as Tower Fields north and south. The job was awarded to Oberg Fence.
• Concurred, after having city financial consultants review the Water and Light Commission's bond sale for $7.25 million to construct the water treatment plant and 1 million gallon water storage tank, that all is in order. Councilor Blomquist had issues with the city needing to review the bond sale when water and light had its own consultant's approval. The city review was at the request of councilor Erickson. The project has already been started.
• Changed the speed limit to 30 mph on the following streets: G&K Plat 3: 381st St. and Henna Avenue; G&K Plat 6: 382nd Street; and Wood Duck Ponds Plat 3: 381st Street, Gerald Avenue and Harvester Avenue.
• Accepted the bid of Griffin Sign & Awning of $19,850 for installation of a freestanding sign for the NB library, funds to come from the Library/Community Center fund. The council will also be discussing using those same funds to install blinds, or tinted shades for the library at an upcoming work session.
• Learned, from the building activity report, that there were three new home starts in the first quarter of 2007. In 2006, there were 8, in 2000 that number was 78 for the same time period.
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