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The Lindstrom City Council is setting a redevelopment plan in motion that could create some revenue to help fund future Highway 8 improvements. Council last week set November 15 as the date for two public hearings for council to consider establishing TIF Districts in the city.

The Tax Increment Financing Districts are small pockets of "blighted" property that, when they are re-developed, will allow the city to recapture some of the increased property tax. This "increment" is usually the difference between the old land use taxes and the tax on improved property value.

One proposed district contains the old Stock lumber yard/Holiday station/veterinary hospital parcels and the other TIF District consists of the dilapidated alternator repair shop and to its south, a rental home.

Council will hold the public hearings at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 for the TIF Dist. creation.

Lindstrom City Council last week also sold $400,000 in 15-year bonds for improvement projects on Terryll and Newlander streets. The best bid was by Cronin & Company with Lake Area Bank for an interest rate at 4.1405 percent.

As part of the Terryll St. project council also needed to finish a street vacation left incomplete from a number of years ago. The city unanimously voted to vacate the part of Terryll that runs along Tom Sherman's lots. Half of Terryll showed on legal documents as vacated but for some reason the legal description and paperwork hadn't been completed for the whole route.

Council also voted to not assess a parcel overlooked in original assessment proceedings for the Terryll St. project.

Jason and Angela Genung's access is off Newlander but the new and improved Terryll will run alongside the edge of their parcel when the project is done. The city is moving Terryll within a lot the city owns. The Genung property line runs alongside the city-owned property. The couple did not have the street right next to their lot before. They had not been notified (as is required) of the assessment hearing held weeks ago.

City Administrator John Olinger explained that there never was any right-of-way dedicated for old Terryll and the gravel road sort of informally aligned itself through use, diagonally, across the city lot.

When setting the assessment roll Terryll's lack of formal status didn't trigger the right bureaucratic alarms and Lindstrom accidentally overlooked notifying the Genungs of the pending assessments.

Council member Curt Flug said when the city goofs up it needs to "own up" and help rectify things, in this case by not assessing Genungs for their new "corner lot" on the project. Council member Steve Hartman and Jim Singer also supported waiving the assessment in this case. Mayor Carlson and Council member Joe Wishy voted no.

Council also heard about the benefits of adopting a new Health Savings Account for city employees, but took no action. The insurance rep will supply more detailed information and council will act in October. The renewal on the healthcare policy isn't due until the year's end.

Council voted unanimously NOT to release some of the monies the city holds on The Ridges.

Developer Wesley Investments, of Stillwater, has been notified and given ample time to complete unfinished items in the housing development, on #20 north of town. Council felt the city needs to retain funds in case the city must step up and complete the work.

A few Minnesota Avenue property owners (behind Snyders) attended the council meeting with questions about plans for their township neighborhood. The city is considering annexing areas that will need to get city sewer and water soon, and there are requests from a couple parcel owners off the south end of Minnesota Ave. to come into the city.

Kevin Kirvida, owner of an undeveloped tract and a homesite there, said he has no desire to be be annexed. He mentioned a cost study for extending services and said Lindstrom shouldn't estimate costs for extending city services based on dense development on his tract. He hopes to plat maybe 2-acre lots, but that would be sometime in the future. Other neighbors said they have expensive, working septic and water systems and they don't need city services.

Council explained the city is doing long term planning and this is one of many spots identified as possibly needing services, mostly for lake water quality concerns. There was no action this was information only.

Council then agreed to an annexation request for the Swanson parcel on Glader Blvd. The laws now require the township and city to meet and mutually handle orderly annexation requests. This meeting will be scheduled.

Eli Johnson of Montclair Drive spoke with council about the earlier discussion on making North Olinda one-way, by default channeling traffic onto Montclair.

Johnson was assured there is no longer any interest in creating the one way segment. Council member Steve Hartman said this was just an option he asked to have reviewed by the city and other pedestrian and biking safety enhancements are being looked into now. Mayor Carlson also said council will not be acting on a one-way on north Olinda, up near the Cedar Ridge neighborhood.

A request to abate an old drainage landform was okayed by council.

As part of the on-going Terryll St. project the contractor is now authorized to use recycled fill and level an old swale in that area. The street improvements include curb and gutter and stormwater collection system so the swale (which was an easement) isn't needed anymore.

And, what's a Lindstrom Council meeting without discussion about Morningside Court and its chronic water/flooding issues?

Last week was no exception.

The neighbors again pleaded with council for action and were told the city is working with McCormick Place developers to install required erosion controls and amenities designed to handle stormwater run-off. The neighbors and the city engineers will talk some more about maybe locating a new culvert and pipe on private property or other interim measures. The perennial sticking point with improving Morningside CT. is that the largest parcel on it is still township. The city can't assess project costs against township land.

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