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There was a 10 minute North Branch Water & Light utility commission meeting last week.  A majority voted to rescind a prior contract action and then re-adopt the same action— only this time with three members voting of the five-member commission.

As reported by the Press,  the hiring of the Chair of the Water & Light commission Nathan Keech for professional services for the upcoming ballot question dissolving the utility, was approved by two members.  Members Folstad and Baxter were absent.  Chair Keech had stepped down August 24 to avoid involvement in action hiring himself— leaving only Commission members Patrick Meacham and Phil Carlson on hand to vote.

Keech submitted a multi-phased proposal on behalf of “Kreative HQ” (formerly Keech Media) with an address at a shared-space commerce center in Woodbury.  

The firm was contracted for $3,000 for a first phase; presented as potentially a three-phase referendum marketing and information plan.

The utility commissioners adopted the same services agreement last week that was acted on by the two members last month.  A memo in the Sept. 6 meeting packet only explained the first vote “per se” was not in error but legal consultants advised the action should be rescinded and re-approved with three of five members present, due to financial gain for a serving commissioner.  

The Kreative HQ proposal was the only marketing package seen or solicited by the commission.

There was no discussion among the three members in the 10 minute session.  

The referendum is two questions:  should the utility commission be abolished and should the water division of Water & Light be shifted to the city as a whole with oversight by North Branch elected officials?  The precincts will be open November 7.

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