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The North Branch City Council meeting last week started off with presentations of honors to police staff for outstanding public service, for valor in the line of duty and a letter of commendation from Chief Dan Meyer.  The plaques and certificates went to: Randy Coe, Jesse Zajak, Tyler Lawson, Kyle Lund and to three members of the police reserves.  Their service was met with audience applause and congratulations and the council meeting moved on into regular business.  

Mayor Kevin Schieber attended remotely. Vice Mayor Robert Canada had the gavel.

~ Council approved extending an agreement on the pending purchase of two tax-forfeit lots the city acquired in July 2023.   Interim City Administrator Jason Ziemer explained in a memo to the council that the purchaser,  developer Sunrise River Commons LLC,  requested a little more time to finalize sales of the lots, which are west of the freeway in the commercial area.  The extension goes out to September 2024.

~ Council voted 5-0 to sponsor a vintage airplane flyover during MidSummer Days Parade, for $100.  The request came through the mayor who said the Legion Post, which organizes MidSummer Days, asked him if council would help out. 

~ A permit was granted for a carnival event on the property at Cartful, retail store, for June 7, 8 and 9.

~ Council received a first quarter 2024 fiscal update, but heard there will be more in depth information presented at the June 11 meeting.

Finance Director Sharon Wright was asked questions about the municipal liquor store by Council member Kelly Neider. Wright responded that the municipal liquor stores reports are not complete yet.  Wright said she estimates the two stores will end the year in the black with about $40,000.

Neider claimed she was concerned about lackluster retail activity at the two off-sales.  

According to the 2022 Minnesota State Auditor’s Reports and Data page on the agency website, North Branch ranked 120th in profits as a percentage of sales for 2022.  

This is out of 176 municipal liquor on and off sale operations in Minnesota.  

For comparison, Lindstrom was ranked 129th and Stacy ranked at 133rd.  Both Lindstrom and Stacy have on-sale operations and North Branch does not, however.

Neider and Council member Peter Schaps questioned financials connected with the utility situation. The complete picture of the fiscal impact of selling the city’s electric assets is coming later.  There is a “generation” line item for the first quarter,  showing a “net loss” at this time,  Wright explained.  The true budget and costs for the five diesel generators that the city did not sell, should “level off” over a certain time and become clearer.  She said the power agency the city has a long term contract with, SMMPA, is reliably contributing its obligation of $30,000 each month to have these generators on-call when electricity demand is spiking. 

In a work session before the council meeting, four members (Council member Neider arrived as the work session was adjourning) selected three search firms that the council will interview for services in recruiting candidates for city administrator.  

The council will speak with the firms June 4 starting at 3 p.m. at city hall.  Selections for interviews are:  Baker Tilly, GMP Consultants and South Central Service Cooperative. 

Council member Schaps suggested the council simply bring interim city administrator Jason Ziemer on board as a permanent hire.  Schaps said search services are costly and North Branch has a good candidate now in Ziemer.

While Ziemer expressed that he will apply for the position full-time, other council members said they prefer to hire the search advisor and benefit from the expertise they will bring to the process.

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