CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

Sandi Behrens, City Clerk

 

The City Clerk is responsible for recording and maintaining all official Council actions in her role as Secretary to the City Council, records management, election administration and issuance of permits and licenses.  The office performed 1203 assessment searches in 2001 for a total charge of $6,040.

 

The following is a breakdown of the staff services for the City Clerk's Office for 2001:

 

                                                                    2001                2000                    1999                    1998              1997             

Council Activities                                    50%                35%                    50%                    35%              50%             

Election Activities                                      0%                30%                      0%                    30%                0%             

Licensing Activities                                 15%                  5%                      9%                      5%                6%             

Assessments                                            30%                25%                    29%                    25%              28%             

Records Management                               5%                  5%                    12%                      4%              14%             

Code Book Revisions                                0%                  0%                      0%                      1%                2%             

 

City Code

 

There were no amendments to the City Code in 2001.

 

Council Actions

 

Accepted Long Range Planning Board’s orders for 15.62 acres and 26.36 acres adjacent to the City Arena, 55.35 acres and 8.23 acres adjacent to the Home Depot property, and 2012, 2014 and 2016 Southeast Marshall.

 

Authorized closing of Second Avenue access to West Main Street as part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s planned replacement of the West Main Street viaduct scheduled in 2002.

 

Granted a variance to Sanderson Auto to permit five for-sale cars at 131 West College.

 

Authorized purchase of Freeborn Bank Building/Jacobson Apartment Building for $75,000 as part of Tax Increment Finance District 5-9 and purchase of 10-acre Palmer property parcel for $25,000 adjacent to City Garage.

 

Approved Tax Increment Finance District 8-1 and Development District 8 for housing project adjacent to Highway 13 and TIF District 5-12 for Mrs. Gerry’s expansion.

 

Authorized use of Beach Tennis Courts for skate park.

 

Approved $1.6 million Water Revenue bond issue and $2.8 million Permanent Improvement Revolving Fund bond issue.

 

Accepted dedication of 16th Street.

 

Authorized a 3-year Law Enforcement Center transitional agreement with Freeborn County and a joint powers agreement with the City of Austin for the bike trail extension.

Approved contracts with SEH for $100,000 for Phase II Environment Site Assessment and $80,000 for Farmland asbestos evaluation at Farmland Foods plant site.

 

Extended an offer to Farmland Foods for new plant site and assistance.

 

Accepted turnback of a portion of T.H. 16 in the Trails Travel Center area because of urban nature.

 

Approved a proposal in support of a request for legislative authority for a one-half cent sales tax.

 

Authorized purchase of five additional warning sirens at $90,391 from Federal Signal Corporation for extended limits.

 

Authorized new water tower in Home Depot area and purchase of land from Chadwick Development.

 

Vacated the north/south alley in Block 2, Original Plat (former East Clinic site).

 

Rezoned area south of County Road 46 and east of Township Road 105 from B-2 to PD and R-1 (Chadwick Development property).

 

Elections

The City Clerk conducted no elections in 2001.

 

Meetings and Minutes

During 2001, there were 25 official meetings of the City Council including 24 regular meetings.  The Council held one meeting as a Board of Review, at which 4 complaints were heard.

 

Resolutions and Ordinances

                                                            2001                    2000                    1999                    1998                      1997

 

Resolutions adopted                         297                      248                      279                      294                        270

 

Ordinances enacted                               6                        14                          8                        14                          14

 

Total number of

Public Hearings                                  45 41                      39                        43                        38

 

Total number of

notices to affected

property owners                               1148                    1122                      593                      816                        493

 

Number of assess-

ment hearings                                       14                        25                        17                        16                          14

 

Number of assess-

ment notices                                     1117                    1095                      571                      789                        469

 

Dollar amount

levied                                          $408,937.42        $709,112.65        $722,653.60        $961,865.42       $1,013,328.97

 

 

Permits, License and Park Reservations

 

The following is a tabulation of the issued licenses, permits and park reservations for 2001 and a comparison to the previous three years:

 

                                                   2001                       2000                               1999                           1998                   1997                         

Arcade Amusement Center            3                              4                                      4                                    5                        4

Billiards/Pool Tables                     10                            11                                    12                                  13                      12

Boat Docks                                   201                          229                                  234                                228                    208

Bowling Alley                                   1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

Cabaret                                              9                            11                                    10                                  10                        9

Cigarette                                          49                            59                                    56                                  58                      57

Consumption and Display              1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

Dance                                               18                            37                                    73                                  44                      43

Dealer in Secondhand

  Gold/Silver/Jewelry                        2                              3                                      5                                    6                        5

Dogs/Cats                                   1003                          808                                1021                                853                  1068

Second Animal                                 0                              0                                      0                                    0                        6

Food Establishment                     120                          133                                  122                                121                    115

Food/Beverage Temporary          21                            20                                    21                                  34                      35

Food Catering                                   4                              3                                      5                                    5

Food Vehicle                                     9                            11                                      9                                  11                      10

Gambling                                         20                            22                                    17                                  17                      25

Hotel/Motel                                      9                            10                                      9                                  11                      10

Intoxicating Liquor

  Club On-Sale                                   6                              6                                      6                                    6                        6

  Off-Sale                                            7                              8                                      9                                    9                        9

  On-Sale                                          14                            13                                    13                                  13                      12

  Wine On-Sale                                 3                              2                                      2                                    1                        3

  Sunday On-Sale                           17                            18                                    17                                  16                      16

  Off-Premises                                 11                            16                                    17                                    8                      10

Lodging & Boarding Houses         8                              7                                      7                                    5                        5

Masseuses                                        0                              0                                      0                                    0                        0

Mechanical Amusement Device

  Operator                                        15                            16                                    15                                  16                      16

  Owner/Distributor                          3                              4                                      4                                    4                        4

3.2 Malt Liquor

  Off-Sale                                            4                              4                                      4                                    4                        4

  On-Sale                                          11                            11                                    12                                  11                      13

  Temporary                                       1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

Park/Pavilions/ Bandshells         247                          197                                  228                                219                    219

Plumber                                            19                            24                                    24                                  18                      21

Refuse Hauler

  Residential                                      2                              3                                      2                                    2                        2

  Commercial                                      2                              3                                      1                                    1                        1

  Industrial                                         1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

  Recycling                                        1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

Sauna/Massage Parlor/Spas          0                              0                                      0                                    0                        0

Sign Hanger                                    15                            17                                    15                                  18                      16

Swimming Pools                               8                              7                                      6                                    7                        5

Tattoo Artist/Establishments        0                              3                                      1                                    1                        1

Taxi                                                     2                              2                                      2                                    2                        2

Theatre                                              1                              1                                      1                                    1                        1

Tree Trimmer                                     7                            11                                      6                                    6                        8

Water Softener Installer                  3                              3                                      3                                    5                        5

 

TOTALS                                   1,887                      1,740                              1,998                            1,794                1,991