---

Chisago City is preparing for future industrial development along East Viking Blvd. The Chisago City Council on May 27 agreed to spend approximately $50,000 from the city’s Capital Street Fund to purchase a strip of land south of East Viking Blvd./CSAH 36. The city had purchased 5.75 acres from the same property owners, Steve and Pamela Holmquist, in late 2024. 

City Administrator John Pechman explained that it was decided to purchase additional land in order to resolve a right of way issue along East Viking Blvd. and to facilitate future industrial expansion and  may help provide additional easement property for a future road and utilities. 

In other business, the council:

- accepted with regret the resignation of Deputy Clerk Paula Oehme, who is retiring after nearly 25 years of employment with the city. An open house in her honor was held June 2. Current Executive Assistant Alisa Bodell has been promoted to replace Oehme as Deputy Clerk. 

Administrator Pechman explained that Bodell will be taking some of her current executive assistant duties with her to the Deputy Clerk position. As a result, the former Executive Assistant position is being reduced from full time to three-quarter time, and the job title changed to administrative assistant. The new administrative assistant will serve “as the primary point of contact at city hall for customer service, answering phones, processing mail,  managing email and assisting the public.” 

-   Tim Cryer, the new executive director of Lakes Center for Youth and Families, told the council that the organization “plays a role at pivotal moments in lives of young people” and their families. The agency works closely with local schools and police departments, in cases of youth substance use, chronic truancy and misdemeanor offenders.

Cryer said truancy is a significant problem and is often linked to broader family issues. Lakes Center can offer programs after a truant student has three to five absences. Cryer said 30 percent of the agency’s counseling clients are from the Chisago Lakes Community. 

“Money is tight; we lost $50,000 due to federal cuts,” Cryer told the council. “You’ve supported us in the past. What you give makes a huge difference. It’s important.”  Lakes Center for Youth and Families has received $2,500 a year from Chisago City in the past. Council will consider the request in doing budgeting.

-  approved an application received from Waste Management for a license to haul commercial and residential refuse within Chisago City. The license is good for five years.  According to statute, the city may issue no more than two exclusive licenses to collect refuse from all commercial properties in the city and not more than three exclusive licenses to collect refuse from residential properties in the city. Administrator Pechman indicated just one commercial license was currently open.

Also per city statute, all licensed haulers must use the county’s Mora landfill and/or transfer stations, and residential haulers must provide recyclable collection service. 

After moving to approve the license for Waste Management, Council Member Craig Meyer amended his motion to specify that Waste Management must use the waste disposal site used by Chisago County. (Currently, Waste management uses its own landfill.)

- approved two variance requests and an interim use permit (IUP). The IUP allows Sean Johnson of Lakes Area Golf Carts, LLC, to sell, service, repair, rent and customize golf carts and (low speed vehicles) on two adjoining lots at 29800 Habel Lane. Chisago Lakes Golf Carts, LLC, has been operating at Isabel St. in Chisago City for the past six years and has outgrown its current location.

The Habel Lane property will be used for outdoor display and sales of new vehicles on one parcel with vehicle repair taking place inside the building on the adjoining lot. The interim use applies to the applicant, not the land. If Lakes Area Golf Carts, LLC, closes or moves, the IUP is terminated. 

The two variances involved unique property requests. Tim Libertini and Rachel Lukasik were granted a variance to remove an existing house and build a new house on the edge of a bluff at 27930 Kent Ave. Normally, the required setback from the top of a bluff is 30 feet. The property owners were requesting a setback of zero feet. 

At the May 1 planning commission hearing, neighboring property owner Pete Lukasik, stated he and the other neighbor are in favor of the variance. It appears all of the houses will line up. It was noted that while the Department of Natural Resources had recommended pushing the new house to the east, add to distance of  the variance, it did not oppose approval.

Tim and Anita Whalen of Parkview Circle were granted a variance for a new deck designed to overlook a nature area at the rear of their home. The deck will overhang an existing drainage easement, which is owned by the city. Footings for the deck will encroach on the easement. The council granted the variance on the condition that if any work is ever required within the public easement, the deck would be removed or relocated at no cost to the city.

Council members commented that variances are often requested for small lots on the lake that were once used for cabins.

- after a brief discussion, tabled the City Park staff’s request to approve a new city logo and set a workshop meeting to discuss the logo for 5:30 p.m. June 24, one hour before the next regular council meeting. 

After working on a new logo for the past year, park staff recommended a circular logo with a stylized image of a loon on waters of the lake with northern lights and the North Star in the background with the words “Chisago City” at the top and “Gateway to the lakes” at the bottom.  

Council Member Meyer questioned the need for a new logo saying, “Do we really need to change the logo? It seems like a lot of money to rebrand everything just to have a new logo.”  

Administrator Pechman said the current logo showing woods and water was created in 2003. Prior to that the city used a leaping bass outine. He said city staff have wanted an updated logo, and park staff had looked at a variety of logo designs before making this recommendation. The council wanted time to consider options before making a decision and tabled the discussion to June 24. 

    

---