The Crookston City Council met Monday evening at the Crookston City Hall Council Chambers.
The meeting started with a Mayoral Proclamation declaring October 7-13, 2024, “(UMC) Maroon and Gold Week.”
WATER AND WASTEWATER RATE STUDY PRESENTATION
The Council also heard a presentation regarding the Water and Wastewater Utility Rate Study for the City of Crookston. Miranda Kleven of Nexis Group gave the presentation. Utility Director Brandon Carlson broke down the presentation. “We’ve been evaluating our water/wastewater rates to make sure we are going to keep up with future capital improvements to maintain our future systems,” says Carlson. “The biggest takeout of the rate analysis is that our base is too low.”
Carlson explains that the water base rate really doesn’t change with the rate study; it would be more of a change in wastewater rates. “The water is pretty similar to what it is right now, and I think that’s because when they bonded for the new water treatment plant, they had to adjust water rates then, so they were more in line with where they should have been,” says Carlson. “The wastewater is the fee structure that is going to see the bigger change,” Carlson says. These rates have not been adopted as this is only the first conversation about a possible rate structure change, and there are more conversations to be had.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Council moved to approve the consent agenda for the evening. The Council approved the consent agenda. The consent agenda included approving the proposed minutes from the September 9 meeting and the minutes from the special meeting held on September 16. The consent agenda also included approval of bills and disbursement for $640,575.68 and the acceptance of a donation from the Crookston Baseball Association in the amount of $12,676.65.
The final consent item was the approval of partial payment estimate number three and the final for the 2024 Street Improvements. The City of Crookston had entered into an agreement with Spruce Valley Corporation for work totaling $1,073,979.60. The final payment of $15,881.86 was approved. The original contract work is 100% complete and paid in full.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
The first public hearing was on the Housing Trust. City Administrator Jeff Shoobridge explains what this means for the process now that the ordinance made it through a public hearing without comment. “The next step in the process would be final ratification, for the city council to vote,” says Shoobridge. “The Housing Trust will enable us again to leverage state dollars to help us with our housing circumstances here in town and help create more housing for residents.”
The second public hearing was amending the City of Crookston’s City Code as it pertains to 30.02 B and C. “It is just a streamlining of our ordinance for our city council agendas,” says Shoobridge. “All we’ve done is just said we want to have our agendas in very clear formats but we want the ability to move things around so we can accommodate different scheduling without adversely impacting either staff or the public.”
NEW FIRE RESPONSE VEHICLE APPROVED
The regular agenda this evening included a resolution regarding the purchase of a fire response vehicle for the Crookston Fire Department with reserve funds. The vehicle was needed to supplement the existing fleet within the CFD. The City of Crookston received multiple quotes regarding the response vehicle and accepted Christian Brothers Ford’s quote in the amount of $48,000 for the 4X4 XL Super Crew response vehicle. In addition, to properly equip the vehicle to meet the standards of the Crookston Fire Department, response vehicle sirens and emergency lights must be purchased and are not to exceed $10,000. The purchase of the response vehicle and proper equipment was approved in the amount not to exceed $58,000. “Tonight we got the approval to replace our Unit 2, which is a pick-up you would see driving through town, the one the guys use out and about when they are not using a fire engine,” says Crookston Fire Chief Shane Helstab. “You will see it on inspections, day-to-day errands, and things like that.”
Chief Helstab was pleased with being able to source the truck locally and says that now that they have the approval, it will be added to their fleet very soon. “We are going to get our new vehicle. It should be here shortly now that we’ve got the approval, and we are going to get the lights on, we’re going to get the siren hooked up, the decals put on it, and it should be ready to go in a couple of weeks,” says Helstab. It was also noted that the Park Department will repurpose the current truck.
IT DIRECTOR CANDIDATE BACKS OUT FOR SECOND TIME
The other regular agenda item was for a resolution appointing Matthew Bussinger as the City of Crookston’s information technology director. This item was removed from the agenda as Mr. Bussinger withdrew his consideration for the position. This is the second time this has happened in hiring for the position recently.
