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The Lindstrom City Council, after an expedited review of new plans submitted by St Bridget’s Church for a parking lot expansion, voted to rescind the January 19 council permit denial and okayed the parking lot project permit unanimously last week.  

The stormwater handling design was tweaked in response to MnDOT’s refusal to allow church parking lot run-off to go into its highway drainage system.  Council denied the permit January 19 because the state Dept. of Transportation permission was one of the conditions for approving this work.

Council was told this plan underwent revision and the highway drainage system is no longer involved. This is the first permit review utilizing the list of “minimum impact standards” that cities in the Chisago Lakes watershed are piloting.  The church engineer described how and where the stormwater is to be held, the relocation of a couple lights and landscape highlights and council then approved the permit.
In other matters-- Lindstrom Engineer Jon Herdegen reported to council the 288th improvements plan is going in for state approval by April 1.  The trail portion can be eight feet wide instead of 10 feet, which can create some project savings, he advised.

Council approved hiring Independent Testing Technology for project geotech services for $5,930.

MN Police Chiefs’ Association President and Chief of Police for Savage, Rodney Sawyer, presented Kevin Stenson with a token of the association’s appreciation for Stenson’s service. Stenson is now on the Lindstrom City Council having won election just before his end of 2016 retirement as chief.

Improvements to the park at the Veterans Memorial and to the public space beneath the coffee pot watertower (Kaffe Kanna Park) were authorized to be let out for bids.  The work will need to be done by Karl Oskar Days, engineer Herdegen was reminded.  Kaffe Kanna is to be a pocket park of green space, making pavement removal necessary,  and a sitting area.  Grounds at Memorial Park (see graphic) will be getting a bicycling repair station and hydration stop (city got a grant for this) and other minor improvements.

The city EDA is holding its next business breakfast April 19 at 7 a.m.  The downtown area gets discussed, business people get a chance to network, and other issues like a possible Chisago County hotel tax will be on the agenda.

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