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The Lindstrom City Council last week accepted a couple final wage contracts that had been anticipated and budgeted for. With Council member Roger Lindgren absent, council unanimously adopted union compensation for public works staff for 2011. The public works supervisor gets a one time two percent of annual salary cash payment because he was not included in performance pay last year. Otherwise the union staff see zero wage hike in 2011. There are performance or Step Pay increments that continue to be in the wage contract.

This is just a one-year contract, previously the city had negotiated a three year contract in public works.

The city administrator and other city hall staff are not unionized. The administrator will see a one percent hike and others receive a two percent Cost of Living Adjustment hike for 2011. Council noted this group saw a zero increase last year.

Engineer Chad Setterholm of SEH went over some early project costs for improving the small road behind Quick Stop, off Lake Lane, and for work done to improve the East Lake Lane segment behind Lindstrom Foods and Thrifty White. Lindstrom has long sought to improve Moberg Lane, (the 300 foot road west of #14) so it can sufficiently serve as a route for cars when the Hwy. 8 and County 14 intersection rebuild is underway.

The two combined are about $200,000.

There is a special agreement with Chisago Lake Township on funding for the East Lake Lane and Minnesota Avenue related work-- which is by far the majority of cost for the projects.

The city administrator added he is hoping improvements estimated about $19,000, to prepare and pave "Moberg Avenue" (to the west edge of Quick Stop) with a work zone of 300 feet by 24 feet, can be done under assessment waivers. Administrator John Olinger is still talking with three affected parcel owners. (If the owners agree to waive rights to appeal the official assessment process, the city's project costs are reduced.) 

Council unanimously voted to accept the "feasibility report" on the two projects and ordered plans and specs. If the waiver forms are secured for Moberg Ave., only the Lake Lane East project will proceed to the public hearing stage to solidify assessments.

Setterholm also reported the Hwy. 8 one-way pairs and associated work by MnDOT is nearing final design stages. "It's about 98 percent complete," he advised. City responsibilities and utility projects being done in concert with the state project have been coordinated by SEH and are also nearing finalization.

Council tentatively scheduled a day long workshop for April 30, starting at 8 a.m. at city hall, so council can formulate some goals and priority tasks for Lindstrom.

In reviewing claims: Council member Joe Wishy highlighted the costs to run a sewer connection into the Allemansratt/Norelius homesite. The septic system failed soon after the city acquired the land around Bull lake, east of #20, to preserve as a passive park. Renters were no longer able to live in the home. Sewer was bored in underground and the well had to be eliminated because the city couldn't meet the required 50-foot separation required between the two services. The cost was more than the $15,000 Wishy had thought the project would cost. Wishy added this is money the city doesn't have to spend. City Administrator Olinger countered that the city had no option, the sewer separation rules had to be met and the site isn't income-producing without sewer service.

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