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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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| | Email this article • Print this article | Center City council wins Community Growth Options Grant
BY COLLEEN KASTANEK
Monday evening Center City council members were excited to learn about the Community Growth Options Grant that the city has won. The four-member council unanimously accepted the contract, subject to the city attorney's approval, after hearing the details from Sally Wakefield, CGO Project Manager.
The project is a six-year program intended to assist communities in guiding their development patterns to accommodate long-term balanced growth. The grant provides supplemental funding to growing communities such as Center City to hire from a select pool of planning firms to provide an array of services in developing a city development plan. CGO also provides additional support services, evaluation, and workshops for city representatives.
A cold cash analysis of the award is $20,000 each for the first two years and $12,000 each for 2009 and 2010 for Center City to hire one of the planning firms in the CGO pool. Wakefield said CGO could help Center City select a planning firm that best meets the city's goals. The three firms working with CGO provide a mixture of issue and policy expertise, according to Wakefield. She reiterated the strengths of each of the three firms; Boonestro, Municipal Development Group and Community Growth Institute.
Center City is one of 10 small, growing communities surrounding the metro area that was selected to participate in this six-year project funded by the McKnight foundation. Mayor Wolcott reviewed that last year Center City had researched and intended to hire a planning firm for $18,000 with a $5000 grant. He commented to Wakefield that Center City is very honored and fortunate to receive this grant. Wakefield responded that the consistent and enthusiastic attendance by so many city representatives at the informational meetings "did not hurt" the city when it was being considered for this grant.
In other business, the council unanimously approved the election results as presented from the county. Jill Behnke was elected mayor, Mark Wolcott, Will Pennings and MaDonna Higgins were seated on the council. Center City is still short one council member due to Barry Moe's resignation, that arrived too late to put his seat on the ballot.
City Attorney Peter Grundhoefer advised that there is a statute that says the current council cannot make an appointment to the open council seat. The council can however, make a temporary appointment to the vacant seat for November and December he said. Council members voted unanimously to follow the city attorney's suggestion to have the new council appoint the fifth council seat at the January 6 meeting and decided to leave the council seat vacant for the final two meetings of the year. The council agreed to extend the application period for the vacancy to January 2.
Mayor Wolcott and City Clerk Terrie Trudeau briefed the council on the League of Minnesota Cities Regional Round Table Discussion they attended in Mora October 22. An example of information that was shared, Wolcott reported, is that the sewer commission has a cleaning truck that may be helpful to area cities.
Trudeau reviewed an alternative for collecting delinquent sewer and water accounts that she learned about at the roundtable. Typically large utility bills in arrears are certified to taxes, however, when a house is in foreclosure, the city often loses the collection. Now cities can register delinquent account holders with the State Department of Revenue. The city becomes a claimant when there is a refund or rebate due to an account holder.
The council unanimously approved the Chisago Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce's request to designate North Center Lake in Center City as host site for the 18th Annual Celebration of the Lakes, the weekend of January 30 to February 1.
Center City's EDA is offering area businesses a free link from the city website. Contact City Hall to have your business linked to http://www.centercitymn.us.
Concern about safety and snowmobile traffic across Highway 8 was discussed briefly. Behnke volunteered to discuss these concerns with the Wild River Snowmobile Club.
Behnke also reported on the walk-through safety meeting with the League of Minnesota cities. There are a few minor purchases of safety equipment that the city needs to make to meet OSHA standards. Behnke reported that a grant can be obtained to meet half the cost.
The Parks Committee had to cancel the hayride planned for November 7 due to weather conditions. The committee will have its next meeting at 4 p.m. December 31.
In other business the council:
*Unanimously approved the deposit disbursement and security agreement for the Freundschuh property
*Renewed the city's safety contract with Hennepin Technical College under the same terms as last year
*Discussed but took no action on questions from Go-Boat Motel management regarding water and sewer billing
*Appointed Behnke to the personnel committee
Mayor Wolcott volunteered to represent the city at the November 13 library meeting
The Center City council will have its next monthly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. The council will also meet on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 in a working session for the 2009 budget. The Annual Truth in Taxation Hearings are December 8 and 15 at 7 p.m.
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