A marathon city council session saw the first step taken toward allowing additional off sale liquor stores to operate and approval of a request from the Staples Historical Society involving a grant application.

Meeting in their final session for 2009, the full council approved a resolution of support for the Staples Historical Society’s application for a federal Transportation Enhancement Act (TEA-21) grant for restoration work on the depot building. In connection with that, the city was also asked to okay a Todd County requirement for a written city agreement to partner with SHS for maintenance of the depot over a 20-year life of the grant improvements.

The city council okayed the resolution without a problem but questioned how the maintenance agreement would affect the city. Council Member Stan Carlson voiced reservations, saying he was unwilling to put the city at risk of financial expenses for maintaining the depot.

Tom Crawford, SHS secretary, explained details of the grant application, that the total was just over $500,000, with a 20 percent local match ($100,000) for the federal 80 percent ($400,000). He listed five areas of work expected with the grant money. When asked what would happen if the city turned down this maintenance agreement request, Crawford responded the SHS grant application was dead.

City Administrator Nate Mathews and Jerel Nelsen, who worked out the language of the maintenance agreement, spoke in support of it. Council members Joel Quance, JoEllen Einerwold and Mayor Chris Etzler all voiced support. “We have to sometimes step out on a limb,” JoEllen said.

Crawford stated the SHS had raised over $40,000 in the first 15 months of depot ownership and spent it on electrical improvements, electric heat, insulation and other improvements to the building. The society has also received three smaller grants this year and is applying for others.

The council eventually rejected Carlson’s motion to table the motion to approve the SHS request on a 5-2 vote. The council then voted on the resolution and SHS city maintenance agreement and approved it 5-2. Stan Carlson and Roy Miles opposed the motion.

The council voted to instruct the city attorney to draft a new ordinance that would provide for up to four (stand alone) offsale liquor licenses for the city.

The city’s current ordinances limit to six the number of off-sale licenses, and those are all taken. The new Ernie’s Food Market store has plans for a package liquor outlet as part of the construction, with Al and Barb Erbe from Ernie’s attending the meeting and seeking the change in the ordinance.

Also present was Ron Hreha, owner of Staples Off Sale. He questioned the need for another off-sale license, saying the market was already too small to support the two off-sale outlets plus the four bars with off sale permits.

The council’s original motion to remove the limit on the number of off-sale licenses was, after discussion, defeated on a 6-1 vote. Rather than go that route, the council voted 5-2 to go with a new ordinance entirely, to be written by the city attorney. The new ordinance would allow up to six stand alone off sale outlets, the same number of licenses now for the on and off sale combination.

In another matter involving the new Ernie’s store construction, the council rejected a request from Al Erbe to move the new site’s main entrance a few feet to the north.

Erbe stated their building permit application had the entrance off 14th Street N.E. about 40 feet further north than the city’s easement agreement calls for. The city want’s the Ernie’s entrance and the road to the Staples Veterinary Clinic to be opposite each other, creating a four-way intersection. Erbe’s request would offset his entrance by some 20 feet or more.

“We didn’t get this notice until we were under construction,” Erbe said, noting the entrance is some 40 feet further south than they had planned. Now, he said, “We’re asking the city to move half way, to move it 21 feet to the south.” He said the parking lot’s traffi c pattern had been determined using the northerly entrance location. Now they will have to shift their parking arrangement to the south, losing parking spaces.

This item came from the council’s Public Works Committee, which had a split vote on the request. Public Works Director Don Klein said the city staff recommendation was not to amend the access easement agreement with Staples Food Corporation.

Mayor Etzler strongly opposed making the change, saying the city’s responsibility was the safety of public roads. He said doing what the store wanted would create a possibly hazardous traffic situation he called a left hand lock.

Following much discussion, the council voted 5-2 to keep the grocery store’s entry driveway aligned with the veterinary clinic road. The council also directed staff to work with the store on keeping the entrance as wide as possible and as far north as possible.

In other matters, the council:

o GAVE second readings and adopted two separate ordinances; one establishing a natural gas franchise fee, the other granting Todd Wadena Electric Coop a franchise to operate an electric distribution system in the city.

o APPROVED membership in and a Joint Powers Agreement with Lake Country Service Cooperative for group employee benefits, including health insurance for city employees.

o APPROVED a memorandum of agreement with the AFSCME Union No. 65 approving a phased retirement agreement with the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and also a resolution okaying the PERA phased retirement option. This benefit, only available to qualifying workers, will be used to provide a gradual retirement plan for one employee.

o APPROVED a maintenance agreement with Wadena County for the city to plow snow on Airport Road (Wadena County Road 30) in the city limits.

o APPROVED four recommendations from the Community Services Board, including renewing rental arrangements with Kinship of Todd Wadena Counties and LSS Senior Nutrition Program; and Community center user fees for 2010.

o LEARNED that Brian Niemann, chair of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, had resigned, citing differences of opinion with city officials.

o WERE TOLD that city crews had been busy that day repairing a water main break at Fourth Street and Dakota Avenue. The break had been spotted overnight when city water plant operators noted a loss of water pressure in the system.

O LEARNED the city electric department had signed a lease agreement on a new digger/derrick truck