The Crookston City Council met Monday night approving a lease agreement with the University of Minnesota Crookston to use the Crookston Sports Center. They also approved a transfer of funds to the Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority and passed an electronic meeting ordinance.
SPORTS CENTER LEASE WITH UMC
Crookston City Administrator Amy Finch said UMC would make a payment for this past year once they have received the signed lease agreement from the City of Crookston. “Through much work between our City Attorney’s office and the UMC legal team, we have reached an agreement that was passed this evening,” said Finch. “As Corky (Reynolds, City Attorney) stated during the meeting, it is the University of Minnesota’s policy not to make a payment until they have a signed lease. It is our understanding that once they have an executed lease, they are prepared to make a payment to cover the last year.”
The previous lease agreement with UMC for the use of the Sports Center expired on March 31, 2014. Crookston City Attorney Corky Reynolds said he was currently unsure of any payments for the university’s use of the facility from April 1, 2014, through July 31, 2020. “I don’t know that for sure,” said Reynolds. “But we will be checking now into our records to see what the terms of those leases were and how we should address that.”
In addition to UMC’s hockey team using the facility, it also gives UMC access to the turf in-season. “It includes a locker room, some coaching facilities, and other items,” said Reynolds. “It also includes the ability for the university to use it for soccer, baseball, softball, that kind of thing when it can be arranged through the city. The city and the high school are given priority.”
The lease agreement covers a term from August 1, 2020, through July 31, 2025, at $50,000 with an annual two percent increase.
FUND TRANSFER
The City Council also approved a transfer of $17,572.44 to the Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) from the sale of 10 acres of the Colborn Property to the Ag Innovation Campus. This is the second fund transfer, following the one on March 23 (here) Crookston Jobs share.
Finch told the City Council she was unaware there had been separate agreements for CHEDA and Crookston Jobs relating to the Colborn Property before the prior meeting. “At the last meeting, the transfer that was done stemmed from Crookston Jobs, Inc. that transferred their assets to CHEDA when they dissolved,” said Finch. “What I was not aware of and learned after the meeting through a CHEDA inquiry with a staff member was that there were actually two contribution agreements. One was from Crookston Jobs, Inc. for one-third, and another from CHEDA for one-third. This is just a cleanup. The contribution agreements were written exactly the same. Once we discovered that, we did notify the chairman and executive director of the error and committed to having it on the first agenda item today. Now Crookston Jobs, Inc. through CHEDA and CHEDA both received 33.33% of the net proceeds of the 10-acre sale of land to the Ag Innovation Campus.”
ELECTRONIC MEETING ORDINANCE PASSED
The City Council also had the second reading and passage of an ordinance authorizing electronic participation in City Council meetings and procedures for that participation. City Councilwoman Kristi Jerde stated she hoped it would not be overused and that Councilmembers would continue to attend meetings in chambers. She also added that she hoped those not attending in-person would do so via video rather than phone unless they had exhausted their resources for attempting to connect via video.
Mayor Dale Stainbrook said he hadn’t seen any problems with council member’s use of the previous ordinance for electronic communication. Finch said there is still an obligation and priority for City Council and staff to be present in person at meetings. “We talked a little bit at the meeting tonight that this was in response to that we were extending our emergency resolution that allowed for a council member to participate electronically if they happened to be home on quarantine or something like that,” said Finch. “That’s what triggered the discussion. Our IT Director and City Attorney reviewed this to make sure that what we were saying in the ordinance we could actually facilitate. This will allow for if a council member is not present to participate by video/audio means and covers the gap if telephone participation is needed. We discussed tonight that this would certainly not be the preference. And having this availability does not lessen the obligation and priority we have to be present with each other for the public at the meeting.”
The ordinance does require a quorum of City Council members to be present at the meeting’s anchor location, which is most commonly the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Also passed were resolutions approving the rezoning of 334 Crescent Ave from industrial to residential as recommended by the Planning Commission; entering a cash farm lease through November 30, 2023, with C & D Reitmeier Inc. for farming at the airport; and calling for a public hearing to update the City of Crookston Wellhead Protection Plan at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 26. The items on the consent agenda were also passed unanimously by the Council.
Finally, the City Council received an overview of Clean-Up Week on April 26-30 and the City’s nuisance and debris ordinances from Reynolds and Fire Chief Tim Froeber.
The City of Crookston also broadcast its first live meeting via YouTube on Monday night. Watch the City Council meeting below –
