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March 25, with Council Member Nikki Battles absent, the four-member Chisago City Council moved swiftly through its agenda with one exception. 

Mayor Jeremy Dresel balked when Michael Cathcart of Sunrise Energy Ventures asked the city to remove requirements for a 1,400-foot long, eight-foot high berm and planting of 6 to 8-foot trees to screen an expanded community solar garden at 9210 275th St. The screening requirements were part of a variance for an Interim Use Permit (IUP) issued in 2023. The IUP permitted expansion of a solar garden that had drawn neighborhood complaints for inadequate screening in the past.

Sunrise Energy plans to expand the one-megawatt solar garden to five megawatts. When approving the IUP for the expansion in December 2023, the city increased screening in response to neighborhood concerns; however,  the project did not move forward.

In a Feb. 11 letter to the city, Cathcart stated that rising costs have prompted Sunrise Energy to seek an amended variance for the required screening. The letter stated that entirely removing the eight-foot high berm from the eastern boundary and planting shorter trees “with a taller mature height of 20 feet,” would “still effectively conceal the site from passersby” and would reduce the overall project cost by at least $150,000. His letter described the area in question as “behind transmission lines and far from any road or dwelling.” 

Citing skyrocketing construction costs and financial issues, Cathcart in March had asked the city planning commission to approve amending the original variance in order to reduce cost. The amendment he sought would have reduced the minimum height of all trees planted for screening purposes to four feet and entirely remove 1,400 feet of 8-foot berm from the eastern side of the property. 

After receiving comments from nearby property owners at a March 6 public hearing, the planning commission recommended keeping the1,400-foot long berm on the east side of the property but reducing the height of both the berm and trees planted for screening to four feet.

At the March 25 city council meeting, Mayor Dresel took exception to both Cathcart’s and the planning commission’s proposals. “My one concern is that (in 2023) we worked very hard on this variance, and screening was the main reason,” said the mayor, adding “I would rather see tall trees, a tall berm, or both.” 

Cathcart then emphasized that the reduction in height of trees was the “planting height,” not height at maturity. 

After considerable council discussion, Council Member Craig Meyer moved for a compromise to reduce the height of trees on the southwest side of the property to four feet planted on an eight-foot berm, and to reduce the height of the 1,400-foot long berm on the east side of the property to four feet while keeping the height of all remaining trees planted for screening purposes at six to eight feet as stated in the original IUP. The motion passed unanimously.

In other business, the council:

- set a workshop meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, to review and discuss the history and issues surrounding plans for a new Chisago Lakes Area Police Department building. Lindstrom’s city council recently completed a study of potential use of their existing city hall as a police department structure as an alternative to the long-debated construction of a new joint police headquarters. 

Administrator Pechman said that he and Mayor Dresel had met with Lindstrom’s mayor and city administrator to review results of that study. Pechman suggested a workshop be held to review the issue with the entire council. A portion of the April 8 workshop meeting will also be devoted to discussing city sewer construction as part of the Highway 8 project.

- approved Fire Chief Zach Reed’s request to use $125,000 from charitable gambling Fund 23 to make the Chisago City Fire Department’s water rescue/dive team “100 percent response ready.” The funds will be used to purchase a used rescue vehicle at a cost of up to $54,000, a dive boat and trailer for up to $35,000, and dive gear and equipment for $25,000. 

Chief Reed explained that the truck will store gear and fill air bottles at a fire scene as well as at water rescues, and the dive boat will be equipped with a center console and side-scan sonar. City Administrator John Pechman confirmed that Fund 23 can accommodate the request as the balance is more than $300,000.    Reed said that the department has four certified divers, two undergoing training and two technical operators. The dive team is available to assist the Chisago County Sheriff’s Department with water rescues throughout the county. In moving to approve the expenditure, Council Member Craig Meyer stipulated that annual costs of operating the water rescue team will be subject to the review by the city finance committee. Chief Reed estimated annual operating costs of the team at less than $10,000. 

- learned that City Attorney Patrick Doran is leaving Miller and Stevens, the law firm which has served as Chisago City’s legal counsel for almost 30 years. As a result, the firm will no longer be able to serve the city.  Pechman said staff has begun drafting a request for proposals (RFP) for a new city attorney that will be sent to law firms. The council authorized Pechman to proceed in the hope of having a recommendation for a new city attorney by the April council meeting. Miller and Stevens will  support the city during the transition.

- on recommendation of City Engineer Nate Stanley of Bolton and Menk, awarded the bid for this summer’s Old Towne Road Trail Extension Project to the lowest bidder, Dresel Contracting, Inc., and authorized the mayor and clerk to enter into a contract with Dresel Contracting to complete the improvements along Old Towne Road and Lofton Avenue. The half-mile trail extension is partially grant funded and must be completed this year to receive the funds.

Dresel Contracting’s bid of $286,579.64 was more than $57,000 lower than the other four bids received, which ranged from $343,707 to $365,934. Those bidders included Shoreline Landscaping & Contracting, Peterson Companies, Inc., Winberg Companies LLC, and Bituminous Roadways, Inc. Mayor Dresel, who is vice president of Dresel Contracting, abstained from the vote.

- amended Chapter 4 of the city zoning code to add an “Industrial” district.  According to Associate Planner Leah Nelson, the purpose of the new zone is to provide land “to serve industrial, manufacturing, and warehouse needs that provide vital services and increase the tax base of the city.” This zone will accommodate uses that are generally prohibited in other zoning districts and also reduces restrictions on exterior construction materials.  

“The intent is to attract business  proposing buildings that may not fit in with the aesthetics of lighter industrial and commercial zoning districts but whose uses may be of benefit to the community,” Nelson stated.

No public comment was heard at a March 6 public hearing on the amended zoning ordinance. A printed copy of the approved ordinance listing the types of buildings permitted in the new zoning district is available to the public at the Chisago City offices during normal business hours.

- received comment from a resident of Ridgepoint Townhomes on two topics. The first was to report they had recently spent $40,000 removing ash trees affected by ash borer and would welcome information on any potential funding as there are more to be removed. The second was to suggest that repair/resurfacing be done at the new pickleball court at Chuckie Lundquist Park as a dip in the middle of the court causes water to collect.

- acknowledged receiving the annual report of the Lakes Center for Youth and Families. No representative was present at the meeting.

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