EDA Minutes 10-17-2001
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MINUTES
MONTICELLO I,:CONOMIC DEVI,:LOPMENT AUTHORITY
Wednesday, October 17,2001 - 4:00 p.m.
City Hall - 505 Walnut Street - Academy Room
Members Present:
Chair Bill Demeules, Assistant Treasurer Ken Maus, Clint Ilerbst, Ron
Hoglund and Darrin Lahr.
Members Absent:
Roger Carlson and Barb Schwientek,
Staff Present:
Executive Director Ollie Koropchak. Treasurer Rick Wolfsteller and
Recorder Lori Kraemer.
Guests:
DA T Chair Pam Campbell
Block 35 Business Owners Karen Schneider and Nancy McCarty
I. Call to order.
Chair Demueles called the meeting to order at 4 PM.
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Consideration to approve the August 21. 200 I EDA minutes.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY RON HOGLAND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF
TilE AUGUST 21,2001 EDA MEE"rING. CLINT IIERBST SECONDED THE
MOTION. Motion carried unanimously.
3. Consideration of adding or removing agenda items.
Ollie Koropchak added discussion regarding amending the EDA guidelines as well as an
update regarding the Wright County Partnership.
4. Consideration of an update for revitalization of Block 35.
Ollie Koropchak, Executive Director, provided the staff report advising the status of the
alley catch basin and alley easement, advising that the City had been unable to find any
record of recorded alley casements. The only reference found was a letter dated January
1978. Legal descriptions don't identify easements: however, individual abstracts would
note recorded easements. It's been a general understanding between the property owners
and the city that this area was recorded as an easement for the purpose of a public alley to
be maintained by the city. "rhe Public Works was not interested in removing snow from
private property. The alley and public parking lot will be plowed simultaneously and as
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quickly as possible. John Simola, Public Works Director, advised Koropchak that the
City should obtain written casements from the property owners.
b) Estimated costs to correct alley drainage.
Based on the drainage concerns raised by the property owners at the last FDA meeting,
Koropchak requested the Public Works Department take a look at the area. Public Works
Director John Simola reportcd that thcre is one catch basin located to the easterly side of
Block 35 alley and the depth of the catch basin is approximately 2.85 feet which perhaps
indicates the catch basin freezes creating thc lack of drainage. The storm sewer line on
Walnut Street is about 15/16 feet deep. Upon request, Simola prepared a cost estimate to
correct the problem: Remove and replace the concrete alley at a lower elevation to
improve drainage (drop (1 to 8 inches), and remove the existing catch basin and install two
catch basins at a lower level (drop to 5 to 7 feet). Simola's estimate is $48,817 which
does not include engineering costs nor the cost to slope the private surface to match the
new alley elevation.
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Karen Snyder, business owner, stated that drainage may not be a problem if the alley was
plowed in a timely manner and asked if they could try that first before putting in new
catch basins.
c) Review cost estimates previously provided by Planner Grittman.
At the July meeting, Planner Grittman presented two cost estimates for parking and trash
improvelllents. One estimate with no concrete sidewalk and curb ($50,000) and another
estimate with concrete sidewalk and curb ($75,000). The EDA offered financial
assistance in the amount of 75% to 100% of the cost to develop. At the August meeting,
a third concept to provide two rows of parking divided by the alley to accommodate the
request of the property owners for convenient, back-door parking was agreed upon
between the FDA and property owners. Grittman was to review this with Public Works
and they did discuss this briefly at site review.
Herbst added that maybe for this year the owners should try plowing the alley and see if
that alleviates the drainage problem. Koropchak noted that Simola was not interested in
starting to clear snow from private parking areas, even though the City owns a portion of
the alley, and the business owners are stating they are willing to take care of the plowing
as long as the City removes the snow from the parking lot whieh is City owned. Karen
Snyder stated that she did get some bids already and will talk to the other business
owners.
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Ken Maus stated possibly asking Simola to trade olTthe hours ofp]owing for hauling.
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Wolfsteller noted that there is prohahly more hours involved in hauling the snow than in
plowing. Herhst stated possihly the snow could be stored in the empty lot for this year
and when it's full, the City could come in and haul it out. When it's full, it could also he
piled in the City's parking lot and hauled away.
There was also a consensus that the husinesses did not want the alley torn up at the same
time that Broadway was torn up. They would prefer to handle the snow plowing this
year. Snyder also commented that in talking to her renters they were not interested in
hauling the garbage any further out to a dumpster as they would not want to leave the
business unattended, although it was stated that most businesses do this at the end of
business hours.
Ron Hoglund stated that perhaps John Simola should he contacted for further options.
Rick Wolfsteller added that perhaps the husinesses could contract a private party to plow
and haul, and they bill the City for the percentage of what is City owned. At this time
they will pile the snow in the empty lot as they have been doing in the past, until it is
sold.
It was the consensus of the mem bel's and the busi ness owners present to take no action on
the parking/trash improvements until 2002 when the Broadway project is completed.
Karcn Snyder will contact the other business owners and discuss contracting a private
party to plow and remove snow from the private property and alley, billing the City 1'01' a
porti on 0 I' the cost.
5.
Consideration of Executive Director's Report.
Koropehak provided the executive director's report, adding that Redwing Foods is
possibly leasing space in Big Lake.
All EDA loans are current.
6. Other Business
AmendinQ the FDA Guidelines
Koropehak provided a copy and the current guidelines noting that the FDA had talked
previously about extending the boundaries and adding language such as "upon review,
case by case, unique situation" ete" stating the EDA could consider adding additional
blocks. Per the EDA attorney, this can be done. Lahr stated that they may not want to
change the guidelines at this time but to wait until someone approaches the FDA. It was
the consensus to stay with the current guidelines, but encourage anyone to present a plan
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LDA Minutes - 10/17/01
to the OAT and ED^- Ken Maus also stated there should be some distinction between
routine maintenance and upgrading a building.
Wright County PartnershiD
Koropchak provided infimnation regarding the Minnesota Community Capital Fund,
a soon-to-be non profit organization offering local communities an opportunity to
participate in innovative new development financing resources. Koropchak and Lahr
provided a brief description of how this program works, stating they provide the initial
loan and stating that this is an alternate financing vehicle. Members were encouraged to
read the information and to note the resource as an additional funding option for the
EDA.
7. Adjournment.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY CLINT IIERBS"r TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT
5: 15 PM. MOTION SECONDED BY RON HOGLUND. Motion carried.
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