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The Chisago City Council on July 23 approved up to $70,000 to blacktop the hockey rink in Chuckie Lundquist Park. This will allow the rink to be used for pickle ball courts in the summer months. The money will come from park dedication fees paid by the developers.

Park Superintendent Doris Zacho made the request on behalf of the city’s park commission saying, “One of the park commission’s dreams was to have some kind of surface for the hockey rink.” Zacho added that the city  also received several requests for pickle ball courts, “so we thought, what if we put the pickle ball courts inside the hockey rink.” 

The commission visited blacktopped outdoor ice rinks at Wyoming City and at Woodbury, which had installed pickle balls courts in its rink. Zacho said the park commission felt confident the blacktopping could be done successfully and would not cause the ice on the rink to melt faster than usual.

She said local pickle ball groups are enthusiastic and have offered to provide a lock box and paddles for the facility. There should be enough space for four or five pickle ball courts inside the hockey rink, which was updated with new “used” boards last year. The pickle ball courts will use rollaway nets to protect the blacktop.

For blacktopping the rink, Zacho said the park commission recommended accepting the $63,950 quoted by Interstate Companies LLC. The company surfaced the hockey rink in Wyoming. The city had received four quotes. 

In other business, the council:

- approved spending up to $1,250 from the park dedication fund to install signage at the entrance of the new disc golf facility opening soon at the Chisago City compost site and wastewater facility. 

- authorized plans, specifications and advertising for bids for improvements to Kichisaga Industrial Park on 16 acres of land next to Karmel Avenue and Liberty Lane. City Engineer Nate Stanley of Bolton & Menk estimated the cost at $437,000, which includes grading, storm water ponds and construction of Kenbrook Drive, a 300-foot cul de sac in the new industrial park.     City funds will be supplemented by a $214,270 grant from the the Minnesota Department. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Bids will be opened Sept. 15 with work to take place this fall.

- made a conditional offer of employment for the Parks II position pending a successful background check. This is the second conditional offer the city has made for the position.

- reviewed and voted unanimously to approve the final plat for Chisago Lakes Apartments, 121 units in three buildings (story in Press July 4) to be constructed as part of a planned unit development on the north side of Highway 8. No public comments were heard at the July 11 hearing where the planning commission recommended approval with a number of conditions and variances. The planning commission said that housing is needed, and the final plat “improves the overall value and quality of the city and its citizens.” 

The only comment came from a Minnesota Department of Transportation review of the project, dated July 18.  MnDOT stated the development would add significant traffic to the US 8/Sportsman Drive intersection which “already has safety and delay issues.”  MnDOT said it is starting a study that will be looking at future needs along the Highway 8 corridor and “will specifically look at the US 8/Sportsman Dr. intersection.”  

MnDOT also pointed out that traffic noise from Highway 8 “could exceed noise standards established by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and other agencies. MnDOT policy regarding developments adjacent to highways “prohibits the expenditure of highway funds for noise mitigation measures.” MnDOT stated that “the responsibility to assess and minimize the impact of highway noise lies with the project proposer.”  The project is being developed by Steve Kuepers of Kuepers Inc.

- extended the timeline for the city to approve or deny Chris and Sheila Baldwin’s request for a variance for side yard setback and expansion of a nonconforming structure at 28845 Park Place. The proposed side yard setback is three feet rather than the required 10 feet. 

Following a July 11 public hearing, the planning commission voted to deny the variance stating they questioned how a foundation could be dug for the proposed hallway/bedroom addition without encroaching on the neighboring property. The property owners then requested, and received, a 120-day extension to explore other options based on feedback received from the planning commission.

- discussed the need to update the ordinance restricting use of all-terrain (ATV) and off-road utility vehicles (UTV) on city streets in Chisago City, and, on recommendation of the chief of police, to coordinate the ordinance revision with the City of Lindstrom if possible.  Council Member Craig Meyer pointed out that the cities of North Branch and Forest Lake revised their ATV ordinances. North Branch offers a sticker which ATVs display. To get the sticker, ATVs must be licensed. Chisago City held a work session to discuss the issue back in April 2021 but took further action. Meyer said, “The city ordinance is just preventing people from getting to our businesses. We’re getting a lot of phone calls. We don’t want to be an island where our restaurants are skipped.”

When asked for his opinion Lakes Area Police Chief Bill Schlumbohm said, “Consistency (among neighboring governmental units) is important. 

My suggestion is do what you want to do, but know what your intent is and then spend a lot of time drilling down and getting the ordinance well written, and consult with Lindstrom, too.” He suggested bringing the issue to the joint police commission for input and then bringing it back to the city councils.

- heard Grant Prentice of K&G Prentice LLC voice concerns regarding the council’s decision to employ Paradise Lawn Service to finish out this season’s mowing of city property. Previous contractor, A-fordable Lawn Care quit midseason. Paradise had been recommended to the city by the previous lawn care provider.

Prentice, who owns a lawn care business, said issuing the remainder of this year’s mowing contract to Paradise was unfair, and the work should be put to bid. City Attorney Patrick Doran explained that, because the remaining value of this season’s mowing contract amounted to less than $25,000, the city was not required to seek bids. “The council’s decision was to let (Paradise) finish out the year and not continue the existing (multi-year) mowing contract beyond this year,” he said. 

Acting Mayor Jeremy Dresel told Prentice, (The mowing) “will be going out to a bidding process at some point” but that would not be right now.

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