Equipment approved for civic center

The Brainerd Area Civic Center will get new compressors and a heat exchanger that could save the city as much as $8,000 a year.

The Brainerd City Council on Monday approved hiring Commercial Refrigeration Systems of Virginia at a cost of $28,770 to install the equipment.

While council members were in agreement on the need of the equipment, the vote for approval was 3-3, with Mayor James Wallin casting the tie-breaking vote for approval. Voting in favor were council members Mary Koep, Anne Nelson Fisher and Kelly Bevans. Voting against were council members Bob Olson, Kevin Goedker and Bonnie Cumberland.

The issue for council members against was where the money would come from to pay for the equipment.

Council member Bob Olson said the arena had a 2008 profit of about $66,000 but once $33,000 in deficits are paid back to the city and $25,000 in arena revenue is transferred to the general fund as part of the 2009 budget cuts, there wouldn't be enough money left in the arena fund to purchase the equipment.

Council member Mary Koep said the purchase had nothing to do with the budget cuts made earlier, but was based on the $66,000 surplus currently in the arena fund. In a phone interview Wednesday, she explained the budget cuts made Tuesday didn't involve revenues and could change any time.

What was accomplished with the vote was balancing the arena deficit of $33,000 and purchasing equipment that was needed, Koep said.

"It's the city's money and if we need to transfer it the city can transfer," Koep said. "What we did with the budget cuts were guidelines, they were not set in stone."

In other action, the council:

Set the Board of Equalization meeting at 10 a.m. on April 23 at Brainerd City Hall.

Set City Administrator Dan Vogt's annual performance evaluation at 5:30 p.m. on March 3 in a closed session at Brainerd City Hall.

Referred a revolving loan fund request from Senior Class Home Health Care LLC to City Attorney Tom Fitzpatrick for an opinion on whether the Economic Development Authority properly recommended the project for approval to the council. Koep said in reading state statutes, a unanimous vote of approval was needed but not received by the EDA because one member, though abstaining from voting, is also involved with a bank working with funding for Senior Class Home Health Care.

Was informed Street and Sewer Department Foreman Andy Swift, who'd been with the city for 28 years, will be retiring effective April 30.

Approved a conditional use permit request from St. Joseph's Medical Center for a cardiovascular services addition to the hospital.

Received a request from resident Jeff Czeczok for transparency and full disclosure on any plans or requests from the city to the federal government concerning grants or other funding for projects. Czeczok noted a year ago the council decided against an $800,000 federal grant that required a $200,000 local match for a corridor study of Highway 210 that included a bridge across the Mississippi River. Czeczok said Wallin initiated the grant request without council approval or public input. The Personnel and Finance Committee will consider a policy for such requests.

Adjourned to a closed session regarding union negotiations and the annual retreat at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Brainerd City Hall.

Set pricing for all lots in the Brainerd Industrial Park at $55,342 per acre.

Approved by a 6-1 vote replacing the storm and sanitary sewer, some of which dates back to 1921, on South Eighth Street from Willow to Oak streets as part of the downtown reconstruction project. Voting against was council member Kelly Bevans. A public hearing was set at 7:30 p.m. on March 16 at Brainerd City Hall.

Set a public hearing for the sidewalk reconstruction project at 7:30 p.m. on March 16 at Brainerd City Hall.

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.