Voting

With all the campaign ads and lawn signs around we know it is election season. The general election is November 2nd from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. For Breezy Point residents voting takes place at city hall. This is located at 8319 Co. Rd. 11, across from the airport and south of the Public Safety Building.

If you have recently moved or become eligible to vote you will need to register. Advance registration can be done at the county offices. There are forms available at city hall as well. You’ll need to provide some identification information such as a social security number or driver’s license number. The form can be mailed in. The last day to pre-register is October 12.

You can also register on Election Day at the polls. You will need to provide information such as a current MN Drivers license or MN Photo ID card showing your current address in the precinct. A tribal ID or prior registration with a change of address or name in the same precinct can also work.

If your ID does not show your current address someone who is registered in your precinct can vouch for you. You can also use a current utility bill and photo ID to prove residency.

If you can’t make it to the polls on Election Day you can vote in advance with an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be received at the county courthouse. If you are registered, an absentee ballot can also be sent to you if there is sufficient time to receive the ballot and mail it back. In any event you’ll need to contact the County Auditor’s office to arrange for an absentee ballot. The Auditor’s office is also open on Saturday October 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for absentee voting. The last day an absentee ballot can be accomplished is Monday November 1st.

Election Day is November 2nd, please exercise your right to vote.

Housing Starts

We all have experienced the result of the declining economy but recently we have seen a small uptick in new housing starts. Building permits have creped along this year much like last year and we’re now seeing a few single family homes come in. We have 4 single family home starts so far but we also have 2 more in the wings with another 3 rumored to come in. Two 2 quad homes are in the works for construction adding to the building of housing in Breezy Point. A number of these single family homes are tear downs of seasonal structures with a rebuilding of a new year-round home. This sometimes means a change in population while it is an increase in taxable valuation.

Throughout the summer we saw a fair amount of decks, porches, garages, and additions. Remodeling of existing structures was also prevalent as property owners work to better their housing conditions. Construction typically picks up this time of year as builders need to get some things in the ground before winter freeze up. All this brings new hope for change and things to come.

This is truly good news as we haven’t anticipated the housing starts we have seen. The evidence of properties changing hands is apparent in assessment searches and septic tank certifications gives further pause to consider that perhaps things are stating to turn around. We’re a far cry from the housing boom of the past but seeing housing starts again is certainly welcome. We can only hope the change continues through next year.

Off Season Recreational Vehicles

Is it time to store your boat for the winter? If you’re like many fishermen that doesn’t happen until you have hard lakewater. There are however a great number of boaters who retire their boats after Labor Day or when the weather starts to turn. That brings up the question of storage. Where do I store the boat until spring?

Many of you take them to storage facilities. Some people have garages that are available and others store them outside. The outside storage issue was one that the Planning Commission and the City Council had worked on for almost a year but finally been adopted. This ordinance attempts to keep Breezy Point free of the clutter of boats and trailers but recognizes the need for common sense, use and storage of these. As a recreationally orientated community it can be hard to keep things in balance.

One stumbling block was that of storage. What is storage? Moving trailers in and out on a regular basis such as that of a contractor is not storage. Regular use of your boat parked in the driveway is not storage but when the use ceases for the season, parking becomes storage. Then we get into time periods and sizes of recreational vehicles. If it is over 30 feet in length outside storage is limited to 21 cumulative days per year. If it is under 30 feet in length, parking is limited to 21 consecutive days however storage of these types of recreational vehicles does have specific caveats and exemptions.

Storage over 21 days can occur if parked on the side or rear yard of a property but must be at least behind the front wall of the principal structure and must be less than 30 feet in length. The recreational vehicle must have a current license and/or watercraft registration.

Exceptions include units that are maintained for year round usages. Water craft under 9 feet do not have to meet regulations and if your property is in excess of 1 acre or there is no visibility from other properties, such as screening, these rules don’t apply.

This may seem confusing but if you have questions feel free to stop by. Copies of the change in ordinance are available. Questions are also welcome.

Men in Tights

I generally have reserved this blog for city matters but have been getting a number of requests to post pictures of me at my daughters Katelynn's wedding. She had a grand idea that weddings should be fun and wanted something different. In keeping with that spirit she chose a theme wedding. A Renaissance wedding was her choice along with a picnic dinner of a hog roast, grilled corn on the cob, and cole slaw. The wedding was short, the dinner was great and a good time was had by all.
Lady Ginger and I are the proud parents.

Its been a Summer!

This summer season has been a bit different than many past summers. We have seen a good deal of rain which has helped address the drought conditions of many years and brought up lake levels. It has also created different sets of problems for city crews and their activities over the summer season.

With each rain, particularly large ones we see drainage issues. We have some areas with adequate paved roads and drainage but much of the city is served by gravel roads with little or no drainage facilities. Each rain brings erosion on these roadways that carry materials of sand or gravel to low lying areas. Public works spend a large amount of time dealing with these in some fashion all over the city. Roads are graded, shaped, and crowned. Ditches are installed and after a few years they fill up with sand or gravel and we start all over again. Gravel roads are less costly to install but far more costly to maintain. It does keep staff busy in many ways.

Another issue we’ve had this year with the rains has been mowing. Roadside mowing is a large task that occurs all season long but this year has been difficult to keep up with. We try to stay ahead of it but in the spring there are calls to limit mowing to save the wild flowers and then very quickly it gets out of hand. In most years we manage to keep pace but this year the rains just kept coming. Calls come in asking for mowing as we continued to mow with as much equipment and manpower we have. As I understand it in most years the rain relents in August and we finally catch up, but that didn’t happen this year.

Summer is the time we clean out, fix up, and expand facilities. The clean out and fix up happened but very little expansion occurred. A good part of this was budget constraints, but we also saw the reconstruction of Co. Rd. 4 occur which displaced some of our activity. This certainly falls into the fixed up category but was very disruptive for many people who rely on this roadway. As we always say “short term pain for long term gain”. This project as I understand it will have its first lift of asphalt installed by the middle of October. That will bring some relief to many.

With Labor Day weekend upon us, many of us focus on family, the end of summer, and the start of school. The city starts to focus on the coming season. Irrigation lines need to be blown out. Plows and equipment is readied for the “S” word. Final pumping of the wastewater at the plant occurs so that adequate storage exists for winter use. Those items needing repair and winter work are readied. We shift our focus and resources to a new season.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend and enjoy the last hurrah of summer as the seasons are a changing.