by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Brian Carlson and Michelle Landsverk continued their tour of government meetings Tuesday, Aug. 15 as they made a pitch for $25,000 from the City of Thief River Falls. The Thief River Falls City Council took the 2024 budget request under advisement.
Carlson, president, and Landsverk, executive director, were making the pitch for Advance Thief River. Advance Thief River has the sole purpose of economic development in Pennington County. It is focused on business retention and expansion, business attraction, and business creation. Among its recent accomplishments were a residential recruitment campaign that began in January and has resulted in eight new households moving here. It also facilitated the creation of 110 new childcare slots and assisted nine new startups. One of the startups was also awarded angel investment funds.
A week earlier, Carlson and Landsverk sought a $25,000 allocation from the Pennington County Board. Commissioners also took that request under advisement. Advance Thief River would provide the remaining $25,000 of its $75,000 budget for 2024.
Advance Thief River will have the same budget for 2024 as it has for 2023. The City of Thief River Falls declined to participate in the 2023 budget at that time since it was planning to hire a community/economic development director in 2023. That individual hasn’t yet been hired. Carlson told the council that Advance Thief River hopes to lighten that person’s load in such key areas as free business navigation, first-contact business inquiries and marketing city loans. Carlson said Advance Thief River is ready to work with the City of Thief River Falls even if the city declines to provide the organization funding for 2024.
Carlson also outlined the composition of Advance Thief River, which features 59 members with the same commitment to economic growth.
Even though the council has made no formal decision regarding the request, council member Mike Lorenson asked whether Advance Thief River ever thought about asking County Board for more than $25,000. He said city residents are basically being charged twice if both the city and county were to provide funding.
Landsverk asked what the difference would be if the organization requested $50,000 from the county or $25,000 from both. She indicated it would total the same amount of money.
Lorenson responded that a $50,000 request from the county would be spread out over a larger tax base.
Landsverk told Lorenson that Advance Thief River hasn’t discussed seeking more money from the county.
As part of its consent agenda, the council authorized Mayor Brian Holmer to sign a letter supporting an Advance Thief River grant. Advance Thief River is applying for a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Landsverk told the council that DEED may award 28 to 32 grants statewide. “It’s a very competitive grant,” she said.
If approved, Advance Thief River would receive $100,000 for a two-year project. Advance Thief River would be able to use two-thirds of the possible $25,000 city allocation toward the grant match. If the city decided to forgo an allocation, Landsverk said Advance Thief River would scale back its efforts.
If the full amount were awarded, Landsverk said the organization would be able to assist 64 businesses in the community. Landsverk said it would be able to contract with a professional marketing firm to create individual marketing strategies for 20 businesses.
Advance Thief River would also be able to provide Money Smart programming. Landsverk noticed there was a tremendous need for such programming while working with the Pennington County CARES Committee, which provided grant funding to businesses and organizations during COVID-19. Many of the business owners lacked financial understanding, she said.
City Council approved the remaining three years of a five-year contract with Hoffman, Philipp and Martell PLLC. The firm has been completing the city’s annual audit as part of the contract. The resolution reaffirmed the contract for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. The firm will be paid $19,200 for each year.
At the last council meeting, Lorenson indicated he had been asked by the public about the city’s 2022 audit. He researched the matter, finding that the Administrative Services Committee had discussed switching to a five-year agreement for city audit services on Dec. 14, 2021. However, no formal recommendation was presented to the council for consideration the following week. Lorenson assumed it was an oversight, and the matter was brought back to the Administrative Services Committee and then the council.
The council accepted a bid to repair the roof over the Turbo Room of the power plant. Herzog Roofing provided the $24,000 bid.
For quite some time, the roof has been leaking directly onto the “turbo” for the Nordberg Diesel Generator, which is the largest capacity generator at the power plant. Electric Superintendent Brian Jacobson noted the turbo is an expensive piece of the 1946, two-megawatt generator.
City Council accepted a bid to repair the west wall of the turbine head race above the water line. Ashton’s Mowing Service provided the $4,500 bid for the project at the power plant/dam.
Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission conducted a routine inspection, finding concrete spalling on the west wall of the turbine head race.
The council approved purchasing a 2022 Chevy 2500 for the Water Systems Department. The city will pay $46,000 for the three-quarter ton pickup truck from Luther Chevrolet in Cambridge. The used pickup truck has about 7,400 miles. It replaces a 1985 Dodge one-ton pickup truck.
Wayne Johnson, water systems superintendent, said the city ordered a pickup truck in November from Dodge of Burnsville through the state bid list. In January, the city was informed that the manufacturer had reached the limit for V8 motors and was asked if the city would accept a V6. At that time, Johnson said the city was willing to accept a V6. The city still hasn’t received the pickup truck that it ordered and has now decided to instead purchase this used pickup truck.
City Council approved a conditional use permit for storage units owned by Dayna and Kraig Melvie. The Melvies have purchased the former site of Northwestern Homes along Second Street on the west side of Thief River Falls.
The property is zoned General Business District (C-2) and storage units are allowed with a conditional use permit for a buffer. In this case, Second Street acts as the 35-foot buffer, and setback requirements also apply. No one from the public provided comments at a Planning Commission meeting during which the topic was discussed.
City consultant Mark Borseth said the Melvies talked about building a car wash at that location, but they have changed their plans. They still plan to market part of the lot for another commercial business in addition to the storage units.
The next council meeting is scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. A Committee of the Whole meeting will be held immediately after the council meeting.