Council seeks citizen input on cuts

Task force will look at how to handle loss of state aid

By Sarah Stultz | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Monday, February 23, 2009

The Albert Lea City Council on Monday will appoint a 10- to 12-member task force to come up with strategies for tackling an expected loss in local government aid from the state.

Albert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen said councilors came up with an initial list of about 60 people whom they had considered for the task force. She looked at that list and tried to narrow it down, taking into consideration several criteria such as ward the people lived in, their age and their ethnicity.

She tried to get a mix of people, including small and large business owners, education leaders and parents with children, she said. She tried to eliminate people who had a potential conflict of interest or people who were already on city committees.

There is a pretty much equal representation of people from the six wards in the city.

The task force will select a chairperson to facilitate the meetings and present their recommendations to the council and media.

The mayor will attend all of the meetings, along with two city councilors at each meeting, Simonsen said. The councilors will determine if they want two specific councilors to attend all of the meetings or if they will take turns two at a time to each attend one meeting.

The first meeting date is tentatively scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. on March 2. At that meeting there will be an overview of local government aid and potential cuts.

Other meetings will be on March 16 and April 6 with times yet to be determined.

The second meeting will consist of discussing scenarios of cuts, and in the third meeting the task force members will give their recommendations.

All meetings will be in Room 109 of City Center.

The people on the task force will be finalized during the meeting.

During the meeting, the City Council will also:

Vote to confirm the 2009 capital improvement projects for the year.

Proposed construction projects include four for the Albert Lea Airport, neighborhood improvement projects, state-aid street overlays, Wedgewood Road construction, North Shore Avenue redevelopment, and Sunset Street Extension grading and emergency access.

Projects that staff have proposed to remove from 2009 are the Doyle Avenue construction, the replacement of the William Street and St. Mary Avenue parking lot, Lakeview Boulevard concrete repairs and Freeborn County Road 45 sewer and water extension.

Projects council has yet to decide are Willamor Road reconstruction from Lakeview Boulevard to Crescent Drive, U.S. Highway 69 street, sewer and water for properties annexed into the city; and the installation of sidewalk on Minnesota Highway 13.

Hear a request to have the second annual April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon on July 11. The race route would be the same as 2008 with the race starting at Country Inn & Suites, going around Albert Lea Lake and ending in Hayward. In addition to the half marathon, there will also be a relay race.

Vote on whether to approve a request to allow overnight parking in front of 121, 127 and 129 Elizabeth Avenue from April 1 through Nov. 1.

The same request was approved by the council last year.

Simonsen said the police and street departments noted no issues with this last year.

Vote on whether to approve a temporary portable sign on the sidewalk of Stadheim Jewelry from March 3 through 6.

Have a public hearing to receive input regarding miscellaneous assessments for unpaid utility bills, refuse removal and mowing costs that payment has not been received for.

Vote on whether to re-assess special assessments in the Pro Trucking Plat because of the land sale to ITC Midwest.

Recognize centenarian Alvert Streyle, whose 100th birthday was on Feb. 13.

Respond to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners regarding the inquiry into a Bath Road interchange on Interstate 90.

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