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Taylors Falls Council members this week,  fully supported proceeding on the sale of lots the city owns in the business park, west of downtown, to Hursh Ironworks.  The east side of the area laid out for business/industrial uses is sought by the company, which is seeking to move from the edge of Center City.  Its iron fabrication practices there are situated on small acreage within a residential area,  and neighboring properties have expressed complaints about operations.  Plus the business growth plans call for a larger site.

Hursh could qualify for acquiring Taylors Falls lots for $1 each, if the city and business can come to terms on criteria such as job creation and property tax estimated revenue.

City Zoning Administrator  Elizabeth Haas cautioned “there’s a lot of paperwork to do yet” on the proposal but the 5-0 vote Monday night this week cleared the way for Hursh to be the subject  of the public hearing needed to provide the city subsidy.  

~ Other proposals for the city industrial park lots were tabled, however.  

King Kind, a national marijuana cultivation and processing company, proposed acquiring lots on the west side of the industrial park for a greenhouse distribution facility (no retail) that council agreed to table a decision on.  This vote was 4-1 with Council member Troy Aanonsen preferring to just deny the acquisition request altogether.

The vote to table will leave the window open for King Kind to flesh-out its plan with more detail, and allow the State of Minnesota to adopt licensing and regulations for potent marijuana growers (industrial hemp is already an accepted crop here). The council also wants to see more information on methods the greenhouse could incorporate like water capture systems and reclamation, solar powered systems, etc.  While grow sites can be desirable as job-producing, quiet and unobtrusive operations, they also can be energy use intensive.

And, another proposal to locate heavy equipment used by an excavating company, at the industrial park, was also given more time to fine tune its needs and business plan. Owner Andrew Nick will need to meet with Haas and have a site visit for determining exactly which area of the city owned property is available.  Nick sought the site towards the northwest corner of the industrial park for equipment only in the first year of operation and wouldn’t build a structure right away, he said.

Haas explained to council that one of the steps to be able to sell the lots for $1 (city subsidy) is that the planning commission must review and recommend the proposals as being in compliance with the city comprehensive plan. Potential buyers also must comply with criteria and outcomes which Ehlers finance consultants are drafting agreements to address.  There are lot combination measures that the developers have been made aware of and surveying costs the buyers will be asked to pay for.

Another idea the council is looking into for revenues is automatic kiosks for renting kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and the like.  This was tabled.

Mayor Brandon Weiberg  has met via the Internet with Rent.Fun LLC a supplier of the kiosks.  The mayor said the point is to get more people enjoying the area around Lions Park, upstream of where the state parks and Wild Mountain now provide recreational equipment rentals.  The company hires a local kiosk manager, the mayor said.  The rental fees are shared and depending on where the kiosk is located usually pays for itself in several years.  The initial investment is $19,000.

Dominick Radaeke, with Wild Mountain, told council  getting more people out on the river, is a good thing but the city should be aware of National Park Service fees, red tape and standards guiding which activities can go where.  He added that any use of the riverway calls for “active management” meaning there are detailed reports and record-keeping involved.

Council tabled this agenda item for an undetermined length of time to do more research.

The council a while ago had approved purchase of audio-visual equipment to be able to provide meetings on-line.  

Council chamber sound quality was needing enhancements and the synchronization of systems was lacking,  among other logistical  things. The goal remains to get a decent production quality onto the Internet, but there is a snag.

The mayor explained the equipment acquired/ordered through Music Connection in Forest Lake is inappropriate for current uses,  and  installation is a question. The city has touched base with EMI Audio in Robbinsdale MN and has a revised proposal.  EMI can use some of the existing wireless microphones, hearing assist, camera, etc.  Other items like speakers, however, will need to be returned to the first supplier.

Again, council tabled action until the city can get some professional advice on fitting the system and training if needed.  Taylors Falls is not a member of the local area’s cable commission, but the commission may be asked to consult. 

 There will be an update later. 

Discussion ensued on the phase of research for extending city utilities out Briar and Locust.  The mayor commented on rumors that a project was going through that would require hook-up, without citizen input and stated we “are not hiding anything.”  

Haas added the city right now is just looking at numbers and there would be a public meeting before anything advances.  This effort on planning could be eligible  for a grant program Taylors Falls council supported  applying for to help with engineering costs.

Taylors Falls does not chlorinate its water system, but the fluoride testing equipment needs replacing.  Council approved about $2,400  to be expended to acquire the necessary devices, etc.  Council was told the city has borrowed needed items from the City of Shafer for doing sampling previously.

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