Staff asked to reconsider ordinance on signs

The Brainerd City Council on Monday denied a request from Jimmy John's restaurant to put a drive-through sign in the city's right-of-way.

Jimmy John's, however, will probably be allowed to install the small sign as the council also asked staff to reconsider the ordinance prohibiting signs or fences in city right-of-way and ordered staff to not enforce its current ordinance for up to 90 days, while the ordinance reconsideration is taking place.

Two other requests to allow privacy fences on South 10th Street were also tabled.

In other action, the council:

Ordered in assessments for the downtown reconstruction project, South Eighth Street project, sidewalk reconstruction, North Ninth Street project and northeast Brainerd street projects.

One resident on the South Eighth Street project, Mary Stoffel, complained that she was never given updates on when work would be done. She also said on two occasions she had to stay in a hotel because her home was not accessible because her driveway wasn't finished and rain had turned into a "mudslide."

Her assessment was lowered from $2,000 to $1,917, but she said it wasn't enough.

"I was expecting a lot more than that for what they put me through," said Stoffel, who walks with a cane.

The council, in a 6-1 vote, approved reimbursing Stoffel the $127 it cost her to stay two nights in a hotel. Voting against was council member Anne Nelson Fisher, who was concerned about setting a precedent.

Steve Miller, a resident on 14th Avenue Northeast, said the city did a "fantastic" job on his street project.

The council also received a letter from downtown property owner Randy Moores, who wrote his assessment exceeded the benefit to his property.

Adopted an ordinance regulating specialty food shops in B2 zones in the city.

Grab-A-Java owner Scott Stall, who is considering opening a coffee shop in northeast Brainerd, said the ordinance would limit businesses, such as coffee shops being able to grind coffee beans in a B2 zone.

Council member Kelly Bevans asked why Stall didn't apply for a B4 zone, which would allow grinding. Stall said he did, but was denied.

Council member Bonnie Cumberland said the ordinance was not specific to Stall's, or anyone's, coffee shop and is being put in place to protect abutting neighborhoods.

Council president Kevin Goedker said if the ordinance failed, Stall wouldn't be able to open the business at all. Council member Lucy Nesheim made a motion to waive rezoning application fees for Stall but her motion died for lack of a second.

Approved closing city hall at noon on Christmas Eve.

Was given a report by Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, on his frustration with the last legislative session and on the $5 billion to $7 billion deficit the Legislature will be facing in the next session.

Adjourned to 6 p.m. Monday for a budget workshop at Brainerd City Hall.

Approved conditional job offers for five men to fill vacant paid on-call firefighting positions.

Discontinued issuing parking passes for downtown Brainerd.

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