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Center City Council met October 4 for a regular meeting.  All members were present with five in attendance.

Council began the meeting with open forum.The council was asked about a current lawsuit against the city in regards to the old jail property on North Center.  Mayor Jill Behnke told the audience the city has been served and the League of Minnesota Cities will represent the city in the matter.  There is a group of neighbors that have filed a lawsuit disputing the number of homes allowed on the piece of property.  Center City has been sued along with High Pointe Land Development LLC, by a group of eight property owners.  The suit filed September 24, alleges Center City Council’s actions awarding the housing developer variances and a preliminary plat should be reversed. Council failed to make findings or otherwise address in its resolution of approval, the requisite practical difficulties for the granting, the complaint alleges.  

This four-home proposal is on the old county jail property in a Shoreland District and is a little under one acre in size. The ordinance calls for a “minimum" lot size at 15,000 square feet and the lots that were proposed and approved are 9,184, 9236, 9,230 and 11,820.  Their front yards will be closer to the street by five feet, if built at a 15 foot setback instead of the required 20 feet.  The bluff setback (from the water) is required to be 30 feet, but the plan calls for setbacks of less than 30 feet on two of the four homes sites.

Without special variances in setbacks and lot lines closer to the lake bluff than what’s normally allowed, the site supports only two code- compliant lots, the lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs also ask for the judge to award their reasonable legal expenses to be paid by the defendants.  

In old business, Behnke told the audience that Hursh Ironworks has been sent a certified letter detailing all of the violations of their site.  The company has until November 5 to answer or fix the violations.  The letter also asked for a timeline for the company to relocate to Taylors Falls industrial park.

Council member Sally Swanson told the council the paperwork has been completed and filed for the land swap with Marine Dock and Lift for the Swedish Immigrant Trailhead project.

Council next discussed the park renovation at Water Tower Park.  Council has agreed and asked the contractor to fix timbers installed around the swing set and also has questioned the amount of mulch that was installed.  Clerk Dana Miron agreed to call the contractor again on the matter.

Council next heard from Center City Fire Department’s Finance Officer Dan Twohy who told council he has received an application and all paperwork from Mezcal Mexican Restaurant in the Center City Mall for pull tab sales.  Council agreed on  the application which will need a resolution approved in order to file with the state.  Council passed the application and will have a resolution at the next council meeting.

In his report, Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Anderson informed council the generator at lift station number 4 will not start.  He has contacted a repair company to come out for an estimate this week.

Council once again discussed a downed light pole in downtown.  On a motion by Lloyd Vetter, council voted to purchase a single pole from the original company that supplied all of the downtown lights.  The cost of the new pole is $3,179.  Council approved a fee of $100 for maintenance worker Mike Kriz to attend a U of M  tree class that will qualify him as a tree inspector.

Council briefly discussed a League of Minnesota Cities safety audit completed recently.  Most items on the audit are easy fixes, but council did agree to get estimates for an exterior door on city hall that has trouble closing and is very drafty.  Clerk Miron told council grants from the League will pay 50 percent of the costs.

Council, with the help of Fire Chief Travis Greene, discussed the city’s pension fund for the fire fighters.  Center City pension fund currently sits at 139 percent of being fully funded. A city is expected to be closer to 100 percent funded.  Greene pointed out if the city were to up the PERA annual payout to $4,300 , it would bring the percent to 112 percent.  Council agreed to address the amount at the next council meeting.

Council adjourned at 6:41pm.

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