The Nisswa City Council agreed Tuesday, June 15, to look into a municipal water system.
The city engineer received the go-ahead to develop an initial feasibility study reviewing components and costs for a city of Nisswa municipal water system. This comes as city staff anticipates more development in the next years in the city.
City staff has had numerous discussions with developers over the past few months on potential projects coming to Nisswa. Staff anticipates that over the next five years the city could see significant development in the highway business area.
Thus, there has been initial discussion regarding whether the city should pursue establishing a water system. Staff wants to work with the city engineer to determine feasibility of a water system to serve various identified areas within the city.
The initial service area would be in the highway business district and Grand View Lodge. A second phase possibly would service downtown.
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The city engineer’s proposal should be reviewed at the council’s July meeting.
Public safety
Police reported the following activity in May: 28 agency assists, 292 calls for service, 36 traffic citations, 200 traffic warnings, nine arrests, 10 emergency medical services and 14 alarms.
Police Chief Craig Taylor said in his written report that officers completed their door-to-door contacts. If they didn’t make personal contact with residents, they left a flyer in the door inviting citizens to contact the police with neighborhood concerns or to give their opinion on how the department is providing service.
Taylor wrote that comments officers received were overwhelmingly positive. Officers did hear about some neighborhood problems that the department will work to address.
Firefighters had 32 calls in May, including four grass fires, 23 EMS calls and one each fire alarm, gas line cut, structure fire, vehicle fire and car accident.
In other business June 15, the council:
Approved proposed budget workshop dates: 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, to discuss wage and benefit expenditures plus fund balance; 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 10 and 17, to hear from department heads on budget needs; and 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, if necessary to review the preliminary 2022 budget and give direction to staff for use in preparing the preliminary tax levy, which would be approved at the Tuesday, Sept. 21, regular council meeting.
Agreed to modify two staff positions in the public works department to respond to changes and needs given the increase in development projects in Nisswa and other demands on the department. The structure change would allow Public Works Director Tom Blomer to better prioritize the administrative workload and would give other staff more opportunity to use their skills.
The changes will affect Mike Wagener, wastewater operator, and Mike Deck, lead maintenance technician, who hold those two staff positions.
Accepted donations of $3,534 from the Nisswa Lions Club to buy a Rahn groomer, $25 from Betty Fischer for the cemetery and $150 to the police department from Faith Harms.
Nancy Vogt may be reached at 218-855-5877 or nancy.vogt@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.
