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North Branch councilor on leave |
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By MaryHelen Swanson
In a letter to the mayor and council, North Branch City Councilwoman Amy Oehlers requested a temporary leave of absence this week “for personal and health reasons.”
She requested this action for a period of up to 90 days with the “hope and intention” of returning to her council position.
After a lengthy discussion on what to do with the vacant seat, the council moved to accept her request and declare the vacancy.
The discussion was started by Mayor Gloria Karsky, who being aware of the forthcoming request from Councilor Oehlers, told the council she had called former councilman Rod Lofquist to see if he would accept the temporary position. She also asked him if he could attend the meetings if he did accept.
But there were some issues surrounding Lofquist’s selection because he is a member of the city’s Economic Development Authority. There are already two councilors on the EDA. It is possible Lofquist would have to take a leave from the EDA. The mayor said Lofquist did assure her he could make the meetings.
Because there was much research to be done by the city’s attorney, the council took no other action on filling the vacant chair.
There will be more on this issue at the next council meeting.
A new post office is on the horizon, as the city’s planning commission and now the council have approved a site plan.
The location is on the southeast corner of the city hall parking lot. It will require that the yellow house on 6th Avenue (north of the lot) to be removed and a reconfiguration of the parking lot that will serve both city hall and the post office.
The building will be 6,462 sq. ft. in size and will be a private building leased by the U.S. Postal Service.
Expectations are that construction will begin this spring with opening at the the first of the year.
The council also approved, 3-1, a letter of support for Duffy Development, a firm which is proposing to build an affordable rental housing project in the ESSBY development.
The letter is the first step toward Duffy obtaining Tax Credit funding to help build the project. Duffy has similar developments in Wyoming and Forest Lake.
Councilor Theresa Furman opposed the motion on the letter partly because she felt there was too much changing of unit numbers. The letter stated the project would include 36 townhomes.
Trees will be planted on April 22, in honor of Earth Day. Branch Landscape Nursery has agreed to donate six trees and offered a reduced price for others. The council accepted the PC’s recommendation to accept the donation of trees and spend $1,000 from the park dedication fund for other trees. The city could use some volunteers to help with the planting.
In other business, the council:
• Approved some changes in parking along Elm Street by the Post Office and north of Nelson’s Market. By statute the city can prohibit parking in front of the Post Office for 30 feet from the stop sign. This will be a major change as patrons are used to parking there.
By council resolution, there will be no parking for a distance of 20 feet on either side of the Nelson parking lot exit off Elm. It will be marked.
There will also be no parking for 20 feet from the crosswalk at the intersection of Elm and 7th Avenue. The council did not need to take action on this.
• Approved the purchase of a public works pickup and a wastewater collection system truck, both of which were included in the 2008 budget. The public works truck will be purchased from Central Motors in NB for $35,240 and the wastewater service truck will be purchased from North Central Truck for just over $68,000.
• Approved the purchase of a community billboard sign from Minnesota Sign to include the existing logo and color board at a cost of $32,488, paid from cable franchise funds.
• Learned from liquor store manager Deb Dahlberg that in 2007 there was a 4.66 percent increase in sales and already in 2008 gross sales are up over 9 percent.
•Having been asked for assistance, agreed to fund the senior center by contract in the amount of $3,000 this year with money coming from the contingency fund and to place the future funding issue on the 2009 budget discussion.
• Discussed a special events ordinance that came out of concerns from 2007 when two entities wanted to hold street dances at the same time. Councilor Furman felt the proposed ordinance was too long and involved. Mayor Karsky said it was “too much government.” City Administrator Bridgitte Konrad said the city did not have to have an ordinance. City Clerk Ry-Chel Gaustad has put in considerable time researching and putting together the proposed ordinance. The councilors will respond to her with their thoughts on the ordinance and she will return to the council.
The council has several work sessions planned. They are set for April 17, April 30 (will be three hours long) May 8 and May 15. They are open to the public, but no public comments are taken.
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