Boosting Sewer Capacity

At the December Council meeting Joe Zierden, the Sewer Department Manager, discussed with the council managing the sewer system in a different way in the future.  Our treatment system is designed around a series of ponds that hold the influent stream of wastewater.  The ponds treat the wastewater and eventually, when fully treated, the water is irrigation discharged into the forest.

In managing the system we have two thresholds to worry about.  One is the irrigation discharge amount.  This amount is set by the MPCA at 72 million gallons.  In the non-winter months we can discharge effluent up to that amount in the forest irrigation fields.  The other threshold is the winter storage capacity of the ponds themselves.  Because we can’t discharge in the winter, the ponds need to be able to hold all the winter flow from the sewer system.  This is currently set at 30.7 million gallons.  This is the more critical factor in managing our system. 

With the high precipitation amounts we have seen in the past couple of years the pond capacity has been challenged to some extent.  Generally evaporation and precipitation are about equal but not so in the recent past.  In reviewing the situation some fairly simple things are thought could be done to improve capacity.  Currently we draw down the ponds in the summer to a three foot level for winter storage.  With some changes in piping we hope to be able to draw them down to a two foot level before winter sets in.  This would pick up 4.34 million gallons of additional storage.  Using the aeration ponds to the fullest capacity will also increase storage but may be a bit trickier.  The aeration pumps would need to be set at a different level to manage the drawdown of pond depths.  If this can be managed effectively this would give us an additional 5.1 million gallons of storage.  Making these changes will increase total capacity to 40.14 million gallons or about 30% more. 

These changes may not be required if precipitation trends return to normal.  However in making these changes, regardless of weather, it will delay the expansion of the treatment system.  It gets down to when the system needs to be upgraded, in the next five years or after a decade.  Delaying large capital expenses gives us more time to deal with them.  Thanks to Joe Zierden for taking another look at what can be done. 

Runway Plowing

We all recognize that in the center of Breezy Point we have an airport.  This is a private airport being owned and managed by an association of individuals that use it.  Periodically it is used by other pilots who are visiting.  It is also periodically used for emergency medical transports.  Breezy Point has a paramedic program with two of our police officers providing this service.  The area is also served by North Memorial Ambulance service.  Both of these emergency responders have an occasion to call for air transport. 

With air transport the helicopters will land anywhere they can but they prefer to use the airport.  It has adequate space, good access, and is centrally located.  The association has been generous in allowing this use. 

Recently the airport association asked for help in plowing the runway.  They were willing to pay to have the city provide this service.  Their concern is with large snow events.  They have been plowing with a pickup truck.  With deep or heavy snows it becomes more difficult to move it away from the runway.  A pickup truck with a plow doesn’t have enough weight or power to manage large events.  Keeping the runway open and adequately wide is important for the safety of pilots.  With landings, wings need to be kept as level as possible and high snow banks next to the runway can be dangerous.

The City Council did have concerns about providing this service.  Competing against private industry was one.  They also had concerns about what liability the city would incur.  They wanted to be held harmless from the airport association concerning the plowing.  They also wanted an agreement with them detailing these issues as well as the cost of providing the service in a written form.  In the end a majority of the council voted to work with the airport in plowing.  The airport will pay a minimum of $150 per time or that rate per hour if it takes longer than an hour. The airport will request plowing when desired.

Region Five Development Commission Appointment

The Region Five Development Commission has its offices in Staples, Minnesota.  This Commission serves communities in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena Counties.  The development commissions were established in 1969 to provide regional planning efforts throughout the state.  Some of these commissions were abolished while others have thrived. 

 

The commission is made up of 23 representatives from throughout the region.  The commissioners have varied backgrounds.  One commissioner is a city representative from each county.  That representative must be an elected Mayor, Councilmember or Clerk.  The current representative has not run for reelection and has resigned his seat opening up this position.  

The Breezy Point City Council nominated Tom Lillehei for this position.  When the nominations were received the Mayors in Crow Wing County were asked to vote to select the individual to serve on the Development Commission’s board.  Tom Lillehei was elected to fill that position.  He will serve a 3 year term beginning in 2015.

Golf Carts After Dark

The city has a long tradition of allowing golf carts to drive on city streets.  This is done with the applicant getting a permit.  To qualify for a permit the owner of the cart must prove they have liability insurance that covers them for use on public streets.  Many people think they have insurance for this but in close review of the policy it may only cover the vehicle on private property or have limited coverage.  The minimum coverage required would be the same as provided a motorcycle that uses public roadways.   

The use of golf carts on public roadways is provided for by Minnesota Statutes.  With that a city needs to provide enabling legislation to provide for the use within a city.  The city can prescribe many restrictions on the use.  Some cities will provide for the use to be only to and from the golf course.  Some may prescribe what streets they are allowed on.  In Breezy Point they are allowed on all roadways controlled by the city except Buschmann Road.  The use of golf carts are prohibited on County Roads.  This would include County Roads 11, 39 and 4. 

Minnesota Statutes previously prohibited their use after sunset or before sunrise.  The rules of the city mirrored that regulation.  There was however a change in the statue to allow the use in non-daylight hours if the golf cart was equipped with original equipment headlights, taillights and rear facing brake lights.  The city council recently changed the code to allow use during the non-daylight hours if the golf cart is so equipped.  So with the golf cart season of 2015 this provision is available, but only if the golf cart has the required equipment. 

In discussing this change the city council had concerns about their use after dark and the possibility of drinking too much.  Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) laws extend to users of golf carts under state law.  They were also concerned that some drivers may think with the ability to drive after dark, they don’t need the prescribed equipment.  This too will be enforced.  Owners are reminded that an annual golf permit is required.  The format of the permit has been changed so a different color permit will be issued annually.  Those drivers with no or a non-current permit can also be ticketed. 

The city continues to be open minded about golf carts with the change in rules and hope that golf cart owners will be respectful of their obligations in operations of these. 

2015 Final Levy

At the December city council meeting the review of the 2015 budget was conducted.  The good news is the levy rate decreased slightly, 0.223%.  The rate for 2014 was 44.389%.  For 2015 the estimated levy was determined at 44.166%.  This may not seem that significant but it means the tax capacity of the city has increased.  This is a far cry from the last 4 years where we saw the decreasing of tax capacity on an annual basis.  The tax capacity moved up from $3,945,459 in 2014 to $3,976,874 for 2015. 

Another important accomplishment noted included the early redemption and pay off of two bonds.  The debt instruments included the 2005 and 2008 Improvement Bonds.  With these bonds being paid off the city retains only one debt instrument, the 2012 Advanced Refunding Bond.  This bond was used to pay off the 2004 and 2007 bonds held by the city.  In doing so the bonds were combined and refinanced to achieve a lower interest rate.  

The city developed a public works project in 2014 that included sanitary sewer and road construction and rather than incur debt we used existing funds on hand.  A “loan” from the sewer fund was used for construction and the costs were assessed to benefiting properties.  These assessments will be used to pay off the loan.  It is also the intention of the city to move forward with improvement projects without incurring debt.  This may mean slow progress when it comes to paving roadways but it also saves the cost associated with debt service.  

In terms of expenditures, Public Safety carries the highest cost at 31%.  Other General Government comes in second at 23% and Public Works carries 17% of the expenditures of the city.  Debt service was 20% of expenditures in 2014 and for 2015 it will go to 12%. 

In reviewing tax rates for area communities, Breezy Point is somewhere in the middle of the pack.  Those communities with higher property wealth see a lower tax rate.  Those communities with low property wealth see higher tax rates.  With Brainerd estimated at 71.17% and Baxter at 53.23% I think Breezy Point at 44.17% is doing well.  

The final levy was adopted at $1,758,080.  This is $5,000 higher than the levy made for the 2014 budget.