Lino Lakes Ledger

By Deb Barnes

Council Moves To Adopt Liquor License Moratorium

Council held the first reading of Ordinance No. 10-08, which will place a six-month moratorium on the issuance of off-sale liquor licenses in the city. It was approved unanimously.

Recent discussions involving the issuance of a new off-sale liquor license have indicated that some cities place restrictions on the number of licenses issued and the location or proximity of such establishments.

During the six-month period, no new off-sale liquor license will be issued by the city while the council reviews its current liquor license ordinance.

According to City Attorney Scott Baumgartner, the moratorium can be dissolved if the city completes its work before six months are up.

First Reading Of Right-Of-Way Ordinance Held

Approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 09-08, amending Section 304 of the City Code to include standards for the regulation of the city's rights-of-way. The ordinance specifies permit requirements, establishes acceptable street patching and restoration standards, and requires the submission of mapping data following completion of utility and other work within the public rights-of-way.

According to a memo written by Rick De Gardner, Public Services Director, "The proposed Right-of-Way Ordinance brings all companies under one uniform set of standards, streamlines the franchising process, and removes questions about the extent of the City's authority over non- franchised utilities such as the telephone companies."

City Receives Annual Audit

At its meeting of June 9, the Lino Lakes City Council voted to accept the city's 2007 Annual Financial Report submitted by Larson, Allen, Weishair & Company, the city's auditors. The report presents the company's review of the city's transactions and financial reports over the previous year.

Auditor Brock Geyen told council members that 2007 was a "very positive year, financially speaking," for Lino Lakes. He said there was an improvement in the city's financial accounting methods over the previous year, even with the "new audit standards for 2007."

Geyen said that the city's audit revealed no reportable conditions. As of December 31, 2007, the city had $5,538,000 in cash reserves, with amounts to 62% of its annual expenditures, an amount that Geyen said is "pretty average for similar cities."

In other action, the council:

. Listened to a presentation by Rep. Paul Gardner on various issues that had bearing on the city of Lino Lakes during the last legislative session.

. Approved peddler/transient merchant licenses for H&H Restoration Services, Inc.; Hometown Restorations; Patrick Home Exteriors, Inc.; The Gopher Company, Inc.; and Michael Heidersheid Construction, Inc. These temporary licenses will permit door-to-door construction services solicitation for six months after their approval on June 9, 2008.

. Accepted an additional grant of $10,000 from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for the 2008 calendar year to defray expenses associated with assigning a Lino Lakes police officer to the Metro Gang Strike Force.

. Accepted the resignation of Recreation Supervisor Liz Benoit.