CROSSLAKE
— The Crosslake City Council approved organizational appointments for the coming year at its Monday, Jan. 8, regular meeting.
The council appointed David Fuhs and Joel O’Leary to the planning and zoning commission; Ann Schrupp, Heather Jones and Mary Jo Fritsvold to the parks and recreation/library commission; Dave Schrupp to the public works commission; and Roger Roy to the Economic Development Authority.
The council gave special thanks to Mark Wessels, Mark Lindner, Joe Albrecht and Mic Tchida for their past work on city commissions.
The council appointed the following entities for legal services: Ratwik, Roszak and Maloney (civil), Madden Galanter Hansen (labor), Crow Wing County (prosecuting), Taft Law (bond counsel) and David Drown Associates (bond adviser).
Joseph Langel, of Ratwik, Roszak and Maloney, in St. Paul, attended the meeting online via Zoom. Langel had interviewed with the city council for city attorney services at a special meeting held Thursday, Jan. 4.
The council previously had Breen & Person, with an office in Crosslake, as its city attorney.
Council members agreed to keep council meetings scheduled for the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m., and the Echo Journal was appointed as the official newspaper.
Council member Marcia Seibert-Volz was again appointed to serve as acting mayor in the event of Mayor David Nevin’s absence.
The council appointed Bolton & Menk as city engineer, and approved Frandsen Bank and 4M Fund as the city’s official depositories.
The council heard from Robin Sylvester and Sonia Slack regarding the city’s intention to pursue local ballot control.
Sylvester and Slack gave an update on deadlines that need to be met for the Tuesday, Aug. 13, primary election and outstanding questions that need to be resolved with Crow Wing County.
I think that in order for this to work at all, it needs to be Char and staff. What staff? I have no staff. It’s Char. Period.
Char Nelson
City Clerk Char Nelson voiced concern regarding the city’s lack of staff available to conduct the ballot control.
“I think that in order for this to work at all, it needs to be Char and staff. What staff? I have no staff. It’s Char. Period,” Nelson said.
Nevin said he would hold a town hall forum to discuss the local ballot control issue at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, at Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant and Bar.
In other action Jan. 8, the council:
- Accepted two donations to city accounts totaling $5,452.65, including $300 from the PAL Foundation and $5,152.65 from the Crosslake Firefighters Relief Association for a battery-powered fan.
- Approved an increase in wages for two Crosslake police officers that had been agreed to at a prior meeting.
- Approved adjustments to the planning and zoning fee schedule.
- Approved an ordinance amendment setting the rural residential R2 zone lot minimum to two acres.
- Approved a revised job description for the city’s planning and zoning administrator position to include additional tasks.
- Passed a resolution approving waste hauler licenses for 2024 and agreed to publish notice of licensed waste haulers in the city’s official newspaper.
- Approved the preliminary review of a pay equity report for city employees and authorized submitting the report.
- Made an amended offer for the Crosslake fire chief salary due to the position’s duties regarding emergency management.
- Approved the Crosslake Nordic Ridge non-motorized trail permit.
The council also heard from Mike O’Connell and Mike Stone of the LAKE Foundation regarding traffic and safety issues created by unloading and after-school pickups for the Crosslake Community School on the northbound side of County State Aid Highway 66.
They requested support from the city in working with the county and engineers and moving forward with restructuring either CSAH 66 or Swann Drive near the Crosslake Community School.
The council agreed to pursue adding a loading zone along Swann Drive, south of the school.
During the public forum portion of the meeting, Dan and Betty Soller, owners of Crosslake Ace Hardware, spoke about their difficulties in getting a permit to fix the roof of their business.
The Sollers initially had the issue placed on the meeting agenda; however, the item was removed.
I do want to apologize for your delay, as you know. We’ll get back to you. We’ll all take a close look at it.
David Nevin
Council member Aaron Herzog said he had mistaken the Sollers’ request to have the council consider compensation to Crosslake Ace Hardware as possible litigation, and the issue needed review by the city attorney.
Nevin apologized for the trouble the Sollers experienced in trying to get their permit.
“I do want to apologize for your delay, as you know,” Nevin said. “We’ll get back to you. We’ll all take a close look at it.”
Find recordings of Crosslake City Council meetings on the city’s YouTube channel.
