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North Branch welcomed its new city administrator October 8, as the full council adopted Matthew Hill’s employment agreement  making his start date effective as of November 12.  Hill is currently city administrator for Crosby, a town of about 2,000 to 3,000 in Crow Wing County. He was one of three finalists who interviewed for the opening at North Branch.  He starts at $150,000 and after the first year the wage goes to $160,000. 

Interim administrator Linda Woulfe also had her contract extended by council to allow her to stay on until Hill’s start date.  She originally was contracted to serve during the administrator search only until  the last day in October.

Nate Sondrol was also accepted as the community development director.  His current post in parks and GIS is being restructured  and organized more akin to a city planner, with the planner reporting to the Community Development Director.  

North Branch will advertise for the planner opening as soon as employment details are defined.  Sondrol as part of his promotion will earn $123,529 until probation expires in several months, when it becomes $133,536.

Council was advised the positions are within the budget. 

The preliminary plat for a housing development near Harder Park was green lighted.  The Preserve at Spring Hill will be built in phases, with 32 lots on about 58 acres.

The rather long cul de sac in the plat was discussed briefly and council is hopeful this can be extended to a through-street at some point in the future.  The access off of Highway 95 into the area of this neighborhood was also discussed and council agreed a by-pass turn or dedicated lane might need to be looked into, just to handle the extra traffic into Harder Park, with or without the Preserve project.  Harder is North Branch’s largest park and has a disc golf course and ballfields.  Mayor Schieber added the city might wish to ask if MnDOT would analyze the speed on #95 in that vicinity.

The ordinance for honey bee keeping and housing chickens in residential lots was amended in response to some clarification concerns.

The main part of the rules remain but now the number of fowl is restricted to five and setbacks and positioning for the coop and the attached run are better defined.

The bee/chicken keeping requires a license.  There was debate on the fee and the council opted to leave it at no charge for now.  The license is important and this process was retained, however, because of the need to keep track of the beehives and fowl and where they are.

These rules apply to Residential and R-1 zones.  Commercially zoned parcels need an Interim Use Permit for the chickens and bees.

Check with city hall on coop size, feet from lot line, and the other standards now in effect.

Council agreed to allow the city to act as fiscal agent for any funding streams, a committee working on the Veterans Memorial project will apply for.

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