---

The three city council members who are exiting city government were on-hand last week for the last council session of 2022 at Taylors Falls. Troy Aanonsen and Larry Julik Heine were absent.
Mayor Mike Buchite acknowledged some losses of friends and colleagues at the outset of the 15 minute meeting: Steve Heth, in city zoning, and community pillars William ‘Doc’ Young and Clarence Nelson recently passed away.  

County Commissioner Rick Greene, re-elected to the County Board,  said thank you to the council trio for decades of service and said Taylors Falls was enjoyable to work with,  and council thanked Greene for being a successful advocate for the city.

The hotel proposed for a city owned lot on main street and a scheduled follow-up on a pending purchase agreement, was not acted on.  The Dec 26 deadline for the buyer to close was technically in default, the mayor said, but the exiting council wished to leave  any action on a $10,000 down payment for the incoming new mayor and council members, being sworn in in early January.

A license for a wine bar at the former Bitworks business site in town was approved, pending background checks. The place on the application is named Mystic Travelers Oasis.

Council also voted to expend the most recent round of American Recovery Program Aid to get sewer lift station pumps.  The city got $56, 498 in ARPA funds and the pumps (2) are $67,776, and the gap will be covered through the sewer fund.  Public Works liaison Council member Ross Rivard said the fund is healthy at $80,000 approximately,  and will easily handle the difference.

The 2023 levy was adopted 3-0 just as presented in the public hearing earlier this month. (Story Press December 15)

The tax rate will dip one more time, from about 58 percent to just shy of 50 percent. Spending is going to be $739,430, up from 2022 spending at $703,750.

---