Hugo Bits & Pieces
No Improvement For Goodview
For months, the city of Hugo, along with White Bear Township and Washington County, has been working with the city of Grant on crafting a Joint Powers Agreement to improve and pave the stretch of Goodview Avenue extending south from Hugo’s city limits.
But those efforts were quashed by the Grant City Council on July 1 as council members voted against approval of the agreement as part of the consent agenda. No discussion of the issue took place.
At its July 7 meeting, the Hugo City Council approved a motion directing the Public Works Department to forward complaints about the road to the city of Grant, and also directed staff to inform White Bear Township, Ramsey County, and Washington County that Grant had declined to enter into the JPA.
Sign Hazards To Be Removed
In other action, the council:
• Approved an amendment to the city’s Zoning Ordinance relating to home occupations that will allow home occupations in rural areas of the city on lots 10 acres in size or greater to store two business-related vehicles on site. Previously, home occupation owners could only store one business-related vehicle on their property. The vote was 3-2, Miron and Haas voting against.
• Formally accepted a $2,700 facsimile check for the Hugo Relief Fund from Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus, following a donation ceremony with the mayor at the track on June 27.
• Authorized staff to replace two population signs at the entrances to the city to reflect the city’s current population, which is believed to be over 12,000. The new signs will cost the city $289.98 each. An additional population sign will be placed on CSAH 8.
• Approved a resolution requesting that properties damaged by the May 25 tornado be reassessed so that affected residents located within the Disaster Area can receive a return on property taxes paid or scheduled to be paid while their homes are uninhabitable. The resolution will must next be approved by the State of Minnesota Executive Council. (For the Disaster Area map, see Page A9.)
• Directed staff to begin civil enforcement proceedings against the property owner at 6192 - 147th Street North over a driveway that the city says does not conform to ordinance.
• Directed staff to schedule the city’s mid-year budget workshop for Aug. 5 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, and to make the budget available to the public one week in advance.
• Appointed Mayor Fran Miron to vote on the appointment of a Washington County official to the GEARS Board on July 21 at the State Capitol.
• Awarded the 2008 Bituminous Road Repair project to Northwest Asphalt at the bid price of $125,570.
• Approved the Washington County Parks Department’s application for the official use of the Hardwood Creek Trail for the Wilson Tool 5K Fun Run, scheduled for August 9.
• Approved a one-year extension for the Oneka Square Preliminary Plat and PUD General Plan. The development is located at 120th Street and Hwy. 61.
• Approved a revision to the city’s Personnel Policy that will provide Public Works employees with an allowance of $100 for the purchase of safety work boots.
• Approved an amendment to the city’s Nuisance Ordinance regulating all noise emanating from car stereos, not just music.
• Approved an amendment to the city’s Nuisance Ordinance relating to junk cars.
• Approved the fourth pay request from Arnt Construction for work completed on the Rice Lake Soccer Complex project, in an amount of $345,578.13.
• Approved a resolution authorizing payment to exempt employees for tornado disaster work.
• Approved the adoption of a new mileage reimbursement rate at $.585 per mile.
• Approved the North St. Paul Fire Department Relief Association’s application to hold an event with charitable gambling at Wild Wings on Oct. 10.
• Approved the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association’s application to hold an event with charitable gambling at Blacksmith Lounge on Sept. 27.
• Terminated the city’s contract with LightEdge Solutions internet provider and authorized the city to enter into a contract with Comcast Business Internet, for a projected 30% savings in cost.
• Approved the hiring of Jesse Seeing as a probationary Hugo firefighter.
• Authorized staff to advertise for the sale of the city’s old fire trucks—a 1974 International Tanker and a 1974 International Pumper—due to the pending arrival of the HFD’s new 2008 tanker pumper truck.
• Scheduled the next I-35 W/E Coalition meeting for Sept. 11.
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