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The North Branch City Council meeting last week got off on an official foot, with the swearing in of a city administrator, Linda Woulfe, hired until a permanent full time administrator has been secured. City Clerk Ragini Varma administered the oath.

Council heard there’s a hefty unbudgeted bill expected,  to cover the migration of utility billing data to a new, fully  integrated system.  Varma explained the data being collected for billing and tracking of enterprise accounts for stormwater fees, sewer and the new municipal-owned water service, will need some $48,000 in unbudgeted attention.  

The databases are not currently easily accessed and the professional services firm, Springbrook,  doing the initial implementation for a new software calculates about 200 hours of staff time will be needed, paid for by North Branch.

Council approved the $48,000 expense. 

The city has its remote read metering equipment up and running except for one tower where the cellphone gateway is down, Varma explained.   The migration to a new comprehensive billing and data storage system should not require more than 20 weeks.

The school district and North Branch Police have negotiated a new level of service for the coming school year for the School Resource Officer assignment.  The SRO program has fluctuated between full-time and part- time over the past few years. 

Chief Dan Meyer said the new language  has the district covering two of four hours per day for the officer and the city covering the other two.  

Officer hours for being at the schools were reduced to accommodate the department while it is short of personnel, the chief added.  

The school district provides the SRO with office space and basic supplies.

Administrator Woulfe explained the district has always funded its half of the bill, whether it was at the full eight hours a day or not, so the relationship is not changing fundamentally.

This four hour-per-day schedule goes to June 2025.  

Wages are under negotiations currently but the estimate is the costs will go from about $261 for covering the four hour obligation to $134.48 for the reduced SRO day.

In an aside on the personnel numbers— Chief Meyer said a new officer hire is completed but the department is still down one.  The most recent arrival should be acclimated, outfitted and on full-time regular status by October.

The Meadows North development on the west side of the freeway near 400th is entering another construction phase. An Environmental Assessment Worksheet is under review and next step will be public comment, according to zoning and parks director Nate Sondrol.  

This EAW phase is providing analysis for an anticipated 342 units being developed.  Additionally there are 110 units in a separate, but close-by,  project on Chain Lake.  The Press will let readers know when the open comment period is opened.

Council voted unanimously to change the date for August 13 (primary day) to August 15 for the council to meet.  The July 30 regular meeting also will begin an hour early— to allow for a budget workshop, to be convened at 6 p.m. 

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