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The Chisago City Council on Dec. 12, adopted a final 2024 tax levy of $3,747,987. As the result of a tax abatement approved near the end of the year, the final levy is just slightly less than the proposed levy certified to the county auditor on Sept. 30. (A city’s proposed levy could decrease, but not increase, after that date.)

As reported in September, Chisago City’s levy is up 6.23 percent from 2023 but is within the city’s goal of holding the levy increase under 7 percent. While the city’s proposed 2024 budget calls for operating expenses to increase $293,848, the city tax rate will go down due to a 13.43 percent increase in the city’s net tax capacity.

In other business, the council:

- after considerable discussion and one failed motion to deny, approved a 25-year Interim Use Permit (IUP) for a five megawatt community solar garden at 8920 275th St. The IUP, requested by Michael Cathcart of Sunrise Energy Ventures, had been tabled at the council’s November meeting. At that meeting, adjacent property owner, Alisa Ridler cited the need for a longer berm for screening purposes and better water runoff control based on her experience with a pre-existing solar garden on the same property.

The IUP requested by Cathcart calls for several variances to zoning requirements including “screening shall be placed in such a manner to fully screen the facility from surrounding properties and streets as viewed from eight feet above ground level with two rows of evergreen trees and one row of shrubs providing year-round screening.”

The 96-acre property where the solar garden will be located is used primarily for agricultural purposes. A one megawatt solar garden, approved by the city in 2020, currently occupies about eight acres.

Prior to a Nov. 2 planning commission hearing on the project, the Department of Natural Resources stated that it had no concerns, and two neighboring property owners said they were in favor of the variances and the IUP.

Because a solar garden already exists on the property, and an easement for 

overhead power lines runs through it, planning commissioners felt it made sense for additional solar to be installed there.  However, the existing solar garden is not screened well, and planning commissioners agreed it would be ideal if additional screening for the existing solar garden could be included with the new project. 

They also wanted reassurance from Sunrise Energy Ventures that Chisago City community members would see a financial benefit in the form of discounted energy rates or other tangible benefit. The planning commission recommended approval of the IUP and proposed variances under the condition that a landscape plan and a storm water plan be provided, reviewed and approved.

When the IUP first came before the full city council on Nov. 28, the neighbor Ridler told the council that the berm and screening for the existing solar garden needed to extend to the end of the property line. She also mentioned water drainage problems on her property after the first solar garden was built. 

Councilmember Craig Meyer asked in November that the IUP be tabled to the council’s December meeting to give the applicant time to provide “to-scale plans” showing the site layout and proposed screening.

When the IUP came back before the council Dec. 12, Mayor Bob Gustafson, who has consistently opposed solar projects moved to deny it. To facilitate discussion, Council Member Jeremy Dresel seconded the motion. 

Discussion then focused on the need for screening the facility from public view, with Mayor Gustafson emphasizing that he didn’t want to be able to see it.     

Cathcart explained that Sunrise Energy could not berm the entire facility, but did propose to provide an eight-foot berm, two rows of trees and a row of shrubs in those areas where their project could be seen by neighbors or passersby, In addition he said they would plant one row of trees to help improve screening of the earlier solar project, which everyone acknowledges was poorly screened.

After lengthy discussion the mayor’s motion to deny the IUP failed, 4-1. A motion to approve the IUP then passed with Councilman Dresel adding the planting two rows of trees and a row of shrubs in areas where only one row of trees was proposed, as well as extension of an existing berm to help screen the preexisting solar garden. Dresel also added that all plans will be reviewed and approved by city staff whose recommendations will prevail. The city engineer suggested that the project can be scheduled for regular updates before the council.

Administrator Pechman said that a building permit will not be issued until city staff and engineer have reviewed and approved plans for the project.

In other council actions:

- set the first council meeting of 2024 for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9.

- authorized the Chisago Lakes Joint Sewage Treatment Commission to issue a $1,019,000 General Obligation Sewer Revenue note to finance the fourth stage of planned capital improvements to the area’s joint sewer system.    

All members of the Joint Sewer Commission must adopt the resolution in order to proceed. In addition to Chisago City, the Joint Sewer Commission includes the cities of Stacy, Wyoming, Lindstrom, and Center City, and the South Center Sanitary Sewer District.

- on the recommendation of the Chief of Police, denied an application for a license to sell tobacco products at 29575 Sportsman Dr., No. 102, submitted by Courtney Kujala. It is the third time a tobacco license has been denied for the same business at that location. 

The investigative report submitted by Police Chief William Schlumbohm stated, “The applicant admitted to the investigator that they are acting as a front person or agent for William Shocinski in filing this application. Mr. Shocinski is the person leasing the Sportsman Dr. location, and has previously applied through other people in two other applications for the same business at this same address on Sept. 26, 2022, and Aug. 9, 2023. 

The investigative report stated that Shocinski repeatedly has “a lengthy history of tobacco sales violations,” operating under the name Cloud X, and has had licenses revoked locally in Forest Lake and North Branch.

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