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Pequot Lakes: Council paves way for another highway billboard

Highway 371 in Pequot Lakes may get another billboard to promote city businesses and events. The Pequot Lakes City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 4, approved an ordinance amendment to expand the offsite sign overlay district to include an 11.27-acre pa...

Motorists traveling south on Highway 371 in Pequot Lakes are reminded they can still exit to get into town.
Motorists traveling south on Highway 371 in Pequot Lakes are reminded they can still exit to get into town. Echo Journal file photo.

Highway 371 in Pequot Lakes may get another billboard to promote city businesses and events.

The Pequot Lakes City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 4, approved an ordinance amendment to expand the offsite sign overlay district to include an 11.27-acre parcel of commercially zoned land that Robert Rickard, of Stellar Properties, LLC, owns along Highway 371. The planning commission recommended approval.

Rickard said by phone Monday, Dec. 10, that he plans to erect a 10- by 40-foot digital sign for local businesses to advertise, and for the city to advertise local events to draw business and people into town. He said it's an effort to help Pequot Lakes.

The sign would be on the east side of Highway 371, north of County Road 112.

Council member Mimi Swanson cast the only "no" vote after asking whether Rickard intended to erect an offsite sign.

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Rasmussen Road

Tim Houle, city engineer with Widseth Smith Nolting engineering firm, reported the city received a mix of comments at the open house regarding potential improvements to Rasmussen Road. In summary, he said residential areas had concerns about width because the street was shown in the study to include paved shoulders for pedestrians and bicyclists.

"The general comment was, 'Please narrow the road to what it is today. Do curb and gutter but provide a place for pedestrians behind the curb,'" Houle said, noting the city received good feedback. "Some said it would be a benefit for the city to have road improvements. Others said that's a lot of money."

The council has not taken any action on Rasmussen Road improvements beyond the initial study WSN completed. Roadwork could be done in phases.

In other business Dec. 4, the council:

• Adopted the 2019 fee schedule with council member Jerry Akerson opposed. He questioned increases in the water and sewer fee schedule. The city reviews the fee schedule each year to ensure fees charged cover the city's costs to render the services.

• Accepted the 2019 agreement for professional services with the Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corp. for $8,500. Sheila Haverkamp, BLAEDC president, cited BLAEDC's help with the 80-acre business park (Heart of the Good Life development), as well as The YARD (Young Athletes Reaching Dreams), which is under construction in Pequot Lakes. She explained other ways BLAEDC helps Pequot Lakes and other communities.

• Learned the police department reported 219 calls for service in October.

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• Approved the 2019 agreement for prosecution services of Mallie Law Office for $875 per month.

• Learned city clerk/treasurer Deb Marty resigned effective Dec. 10 after working for four years with the city. The city will hire for the position.

• Acknowledged hourly rate changes from city attorney Flaherty & Hood in St. Paul that show $5 per hour increases starting in 2019.

• Changed the regular January city council meeting from Jan. 1 (New Year's Day) to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8. The council also agreed to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, to discuss project priorities with department heads and committee/commission chairs.

• Established the Cole Memorial Building as the city's official polling place.

• Learned health insurance renewal premiums for employees will increase 15.66 percent in 2019. The increases are included in the budget. The city pays 85 percent and employees pay 15 percent of premiums.

• Council member Scott Pederson thanked Mayor Nancy Adams and council member Randy Loukota for their service on the council as neither will return to the council in 2019.

Nancy Vogt is editor of the Pineandlakes Echo Journal, a weekly newspaper that covers eight communities in the Pequot Lakes-Pine River areas — from Nisswa to Hackensack and Pequot Lakes to Crosslake.

She started as editor of the Lake Country Echo in July 2006, and continued in that role when the Lake Country Echo and the Pine River Journal combined in September 2013 to become the Pineandlakes Echo Journal. She worked for the Brainerd Dispatch from 1992-2006 in various reporting and editing roles.

She covers Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Lake Shore city councils, as well as writes feature stories, news stories and personal columns (Vogt's Notes). She also takes photos at community events.

Contact her at nancy.vogt@pineandlakes.com or 218-855-5877 with story ideas or questions. Be sure to leave a voicemail message!

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