Caledonia Argus

City will upgrade electrical system

Posted: 2/3/04

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The cityís electrical service will receive a needed upgrade thanks to an extensive electrical improvement project approved January 26 by the city council.

The project will be funded at 75 percent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the remaining 25 percent, about $60,000, to be paid from city enterprise funds.

During the course of the project, 1.5 miles of underground service will be installed to replace a portion of the overhead system in the city. Fifteen poles will be removed. According to Brian Guenther of PowerPlus Engineering, the upgraded service will provide reliable electrical service for the South Industrial Park and in the future to the area south of Adams Street which is not yet developed.

The estimated total cost of the project is $238,000, of which 60 percent will be used for actual construction. The rest includes material, design, easements, and administration.

Police Chief to retire

In other news, the city council learned that Police Chief Duane St. Mary intends to retire at the end of this year. He will have vacation time to use, so his last day on the job will be prior to his December 31 retirement date.

The chief answered some of the councilís questions on practices of the police department regarding call time and stand-by time for officers.

Officers are paid for a minimum of two hours if called back to work, but it is unclear whether they get the entire two hours if their shift happens to start within that two hours.

The council also had questions regarding payment of officers who were brought in to sit in on interviews with police officer candidates and on overtime policies.

St. Mary told the council that most of the membersí questions are not within his control since they are contractual issues governed by the labor agreement the city has with the police association. The items will be discussed at a future meeting with a member of the association.

New developments planned

More development may be in the works for the former elementary school, now owned by Mike and Dawn Nanof. Gymanstics classes are already being held, and the Nanofs have plans to develop more of the building for office space and retail space for up to 10 stores.

Community development director Joyce Iverson appeared with the Nanofs to discuss the Small Cities Development Program which could offer some financial assistance. Under the program, the developer must come up with 40 percent of the cost of the program privately. The next 30 percent is a deferred loan which does not have to be repaid as long as the business is still operating in 10 years. Another 30 percent is a loan which must be repaid starting six years after the project.

A public hearing is scheduled for February 23 for zoning purposes since the building is in an area which is zoned residential. A school is a permitted use in a residential area, but a commercial business is not.

On another development issue, the council approved preliminary plans for a residential development by Warren Wiebke which would be located east of the cemetery on Adams Street. The 40-acre development is not in the city limits, but any development within two miles of the city is subject to approval by the city.

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