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Center City Council met July 1 for a regular meeting.  All members were present.  Council member Sally Swanson updated the council on the Hursh Ironworks potential move to Taylors Falls.  Swanson said she spoke with the clerk from Taylors Falls and was told Hursh notified the city their company was in a better money position than it has been and they assured Taylors Falls the process should move along quicker than it has.  A member of the audience who lives near the Hursh Ironworks property in Center City told council they need to set a hard deadline and stick to it.  Council agreed to wait until the August meeting to see if any headway is made in Taylors Falls and if not, discuss taking action on complaints then.

Mayor Jill Behnke reminded the council the County received a $2.4 million grant in May to be used towards the Swedish Immigrant regional trail.  Behnke said the county is hoping to meet with all council members very soon to discuss plans.  Behnke added that the county is hoping to put the Center City portion of the trail out for bids in early November.  Council agreed to meet July 28 with the county. Council also agreed to send any questions, concerns they may have to council member Swanson and she would submit them to the county prior to the meeting.

Council then heard from Chisago Lakes Superintendent Brian Dietz. Dietz gave an update of the Chisago Lakes School District, stating his schools are made up of great educators that help students put their best foot forward.  He then spoke of the school’s partnership with Bethel University. The university now has a practicum with Chisago Lakes allowing college students to teach and assist in classrooms.  Dietz said it allows the schools to basically assess (hopefully)  potential Chisago Lakes teachers in a classroom setting.

Dietz told the council Chisago Lakes ranks 311 out of 328 schools in the amount of basic pupil funding from the state and they have had to make three million in cuts over the last few years.  Dietz added, however, the school is financially in the best position it has been in years.

Center City engineer Marcus Johnson of Bolton & Menk told the council the city has received another grant to assist with the lead  service line problem.  The city received $75,000 last year for the project and has used around $40,000.  

City clerk Dana Miron told the council the city received a call for a leaky meter and when the maintenance department located the meter, the water had been bypassed around the meter.  The leak couldn’t be shut off due to the meter location and being bypassed.  The resident will have to call a plumber to get the situation resolved.

Council then heard of a shared Lindstrom-Center City manhole near the Middle School that is deteriorating.  The city received a quote from Hiperline for fixing the manhole, which is imperative for firefighters for both cities.  Council approved fixing the manhole while splitting the cost with Lindstrom.

Clerk Miron told the council the water meter at the jail is not reading and a new battery is needed.  The cost for a new battery is $4,500.  Miron told the council the city has been billing the jail using averages from the last two years.

Council then discussed a home next to the Middle School,  but located in Lindstrom. The owners are inquiring about hooking up to the city sewer. If the owners were to hook up to Lindstrom’s it would require the installation of a lift station and would be quite costly.  If the home were allowed to hook up without annexing into Center City the homeowners would be billed three times the normal rate for sewer. 

The home is already hooked up to Center City’s water and pays double the normal rate.  

The council asked Miron to contact the owners to discuss annexation.

Council then learned former Mayor Larry Houger passed away. Council agreed to purchase a tree to be installed at the Swedish Immigrant Trailhead when it is built.

Mayor Behnke told the council the public is invited to a picnic at the future trailhead to be put on by the Rotary Club.  (See below for graphic) The picnic will be on July 17 at noon.

Council adjourned at 8:40pm

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