The Crookston Ways & Means Committee met on Monday night to discuss updates to the City Ordinance for distilleries and brewpubs. An additional discussion was also had regarding bonding.
The discussion around bonding was started as a result of a request for some additional information and the City of Crookston’s language for a client of the Small Business Development Center interested in opening a new business in Crookston. Acting City Administrator Angel Weasner told the committee she used the City of Hutchinson as a template for some possible additional language to add to the City’s ordinance. “I did receive information from Christine Anderson from the Small Business Development Center requesting this to be included in the City’s ordinances,” said Weasner. “We’re adding some definitions because we are looking at making it accessible for entrepreneurs to do microbreweries, taprooms, and micro-distilleries depending on what they’d like to for an entrepreneurship business.”
Weasner provided the council with information taken from Hutchinson’s ordinances, and Councilman Steve Erickson asked if the changes would incorporate a mix of the current ordinance and the language from Hutchinson. Weasner affirmed that it would. Bobby Baird also wondered if there were any restrictions to be put in place for these types of businesses, and Weasner said the current ordinance does have restrictions such as not being within 75 feet of a church.
Councilman Jake Fee asked if there were any ideas for the fees for these types of businesses, and Weasner explained that she thought a $150 fee, which matches what is already in the City ordinance for other similar businesses, would be appropriate. “We would be adding to possible new fees regarding brewpubs and taprooms,” said Weasner. “We would do that to recoup the cost of having to do the background check and application fees.”
Added to the agenda was a discussion on the City of Crookston selling bonds to generate the match required for a State Capital Bond in which the City of Crookston is asking the State of Minnesota for $7 million in bonding. As was presented to the Senate Capital Investment Committee, the City of Crookston and Epitome Energy would provide $7,216,626 in matching funds. Weasner said she plans to meet with Senator Mark Johnson and Representative Deb Kiel in January to discuss bonding. Weasner said she doesn’t believe the City of Crookston’s request is included in Governor Tim Walz’s budget, which will be presented on January 15. “Council has requested that I continue moving forward, speak with the State Legislature, and gather the information that is needed in order to proceed with possibly bonding in the future,” said Weasner. “It should’ve been included with the Governor’s Budget on January 15, but I don’ believe we are included in that. I have not heard. I am not meeting with our state representatives (Senator Mark Johnson and Representative Deb Kiel) until a later date.”
Acting Mayor Dale Stainbrook asked if the City of Crookston would need to hire a lobbyist, and Weasner said she’d like to hold off on that topic until she’s met with the state representation to know more about what is needed. Fee asked who would pay off a bond, the City, or Epitome Energy. Weasner said that ultimately the City makes the payments but that there could be required payments towards a bond by Epitome Energy to the city for bond payment. Fee, and Erickson both expressed the need to be aggressive with this as time is running out to get bonding done for the 2020 legislature. Weasner said she and Stainbrook would meet with the state representation to gather their thoughts on bonding and determine where to go from there. Fee suggested that if Stainbrook and Weasner feel the need to call a special meeting regarding bonding, they should do so the process can continue to move forward. Weasner also added that by missing the Governor’s Budget, a bonding request would have to be put forward by Johnson and Kiel on behalf of the city, “Mark and Deb could bring it forward separately if they choose.”
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