The Crookston City Council met in the City Hall Council Chambers at City Hall on Monday evening. City Councilman Steve Erickson was the only council member not present after a heart attack last week and had surgery on a blocked artery on Wednesday and another precautionary surgery on a partially blocked artery on Friday. Erickson is doing well and will be home this week.
The meeting started with Libby Boucher, representing the Ox Cart Days committee, thanking the City of Crookston for the support and manpower they give preparing for and during the upcoming Ox Cart Days Festival.
NEW FLYER EXPANSION –
New Flyer in Crookston is looking at expanding in Crookston and is asking the City of Crookston to help them with a Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) grant application through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The expansion would add 35 new jobs to Crookston, and they are applying for a $280,000 forgivable loan. “Tonight, city council approved setting the public hearing that is part of the application process,” said Crookston City Administrator Amy Finch. “Our finance director Ryan (Lindtweed) has been working with their plant manager on getting that application finished. We have to supply the public hearing notice in the minutes, which will be set for September 23. This is the first MIF application the city has been a part of, and we are excited to bring new jobs to the city.”
The council gave it unanimous approval to move forward.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT MONEY –
The City of Crookston will receive an estimated $821,500 in COVID money from the American Rescue Plan Act and voted to accept the money. The city will have until 2024 to spend the money on certain projects, equipment, and the like. “We have received the first installment of that, which is $410,000, and we are allowed to spend those dollars through 2024, and we are evaluating at staff level what are eligible expenses, costs, or projects,” said Administrator Finch. “We are looking at some infrastructure and upgrades and finding ways to make improvements to our community.”
EPITOME ENERGY BOUNDRY APPROVAL
The council unanimously approved the boundaries for the Epitome Energy land at 60.01 acres. “The intent was always to have that boundary be 60 acres, and that is how the purchase price was calculated on that,” said Administrator Finch. “The original drawing was only 55.51 acres, and Mr. (Dennis) Egan, in submitting his air permitting, the 60 acres was important.”
CENTRAL PARK RV PARK –
The council approved plans and specifications and the calling for bids on the Central Park Campground improvements. Crookston added four more pull-throughs for a total of seven, and that knocked down the total RV spots from 33 to 28. The board gave unanimous approval to ask for bids on the project. “The project has to be completed by June 30, 2022, so fiscal impact and time are of the essence right now,” said Administrator Finch.
WATER USE RESTRICTION AMENDMENT –
The council voted unanimously to change the hours of operation at the splash park at the Ray Ecklund complex from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. to accommodate more time for families to use the park after work and dinner.
JACOB SOLBERG NAMED NEW PARK AND REC DIRECTOR
Jacob Solberg was unanimously approved as the new Crookston Park, and Rec Director after the Crookston Park Board approved him last week. Solberg will start on September 2. For the story from the Park Board meeting and more about Solberg, click here.
NEW STUMP CUTTER –
The City of Crookston will be getting a new stump cutter after unanimous approval by the council. A quote for a new stump cutter came back cheaper than expected, and the council approved increasing the budget for the Street Department to purchase a new cutter. Crookston Public Works Director Brandon Carlson said they are replacing a unit that is unfixable.
ENGINEERING FOR UNSAFE SANITARY LIFT STATION VENTILATION IMPROVEMENTS –
The council received some disturbing news that the four sanitary sewer lift stations in the city ventilation units are at the point of disrepair and creating dangerous conditions for employees. Any City of Crookston employees who need to go in the lift stations have to air out the building for about 15 minutes and then enter with gas reading meters to make sure it is safe to go in. The council unanimously approved that it wasn’t acceptable and approved the $20,000 for an engineering study for improvements. “Our new Public Works Director Brandon Carlson is going around and putting his hands, eyes, and ears on everything, and he came to me recently and did a good job of articulating the seriousness of the situation,” said Administrator Finch. “Sanitary sewer lift stations are a confined space, and they should have ventilation systems in all four of them that keep the air quality and oxygen in all four of them safe for all employees. They are using a temporary fix, and that is not a good permanent solution. It is regretful that we have to have this discussion where we have systems that are completely not functional. Some have deteriorated and have fallen off the walls. That is not how we will be moving forward. Deferring things and quick fixes are never a substitute for safety and doing things the right way.”
OXCART DAYS FIREWORKS MIGHT BE POSTPONED –
Crookston Fire Chief Tim Froeber gave a report and said they had offered four paid-on-call firefighters to get the staff back to full strength. Chief Froeber also reported that if we don’t get any more rain by Ox Cart Days, the fireworks on Saturday, August 21, will likely be postponed to a later date because of the drought conditions.
MEADOWS LLC SUBORDINATION –
The Meadows LLC, the newer apartment complex by Drafts Sports Bar and Grill, is looking to refinance and is asked the City of Crookston if it could approve a subordination agreement. The council approved the agreement unanimously, and it will help the Meadows refinance their property.
OXCART DAYS/LIQUOR RELATED INFO –
The council approved the Ox Cart Days dance permit at the Downtown Square/Ash Street. They also approved the Irishman’s Shanty and Drafts Sports Bar and Grill to sell liquor at Ox Cart Days. They also approved the Crookston Inn and Convention Center to sell liquor (a two-hour wine tasting) during Ox Cart Days.
The council also approved a liquor license for Happy Joes Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor.
CHARLES H. CASEY DAY PROCLAMATION
Crookston Mayor Dale Stainbrook read a proclamation that will make August 17 Charles H. Casey Day. Casey was chancellor at the University of Minnesota Crookston for seven years from 2005 to 2012.
The next meeting will be Monday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m.
