New Waseca city council sworn in

Waseca city council members Daren Arndt, Jeremy Conrath, and James Ebertowski were sworn in Tuesday, January 3. Mayor-elect Randy Zimmerman was not present, so after being selected unanimously, Jeremy Conrath took over mayoral duties for the meeting.

The main topic of discussion was the approval of acquisition of real property near the city wastewater and treatment plant from Conagra foods. Interim City Manager Carl Sonnenberg explained that at the February 21, 2022 meeting, the city passed a motion to allow Mayor Roy Srp and former City Manager Lee Mattson to sign a purchase and sales agreement with the company. The action was “required to be memorialized by resolution.”

The land, which is three parcels of land near the treatment plant, cost $100. Sonnenburg clarified that in 1947, Birds Eye owned and operated the land and the lagoon. “The reason for the transfer is when they decommissioned the lagoon to build the new pond south of town, the state restrictions to decommission a wastewater lagoon for a private business are less stringent than for one owned by a city.”

Conagra and the City of Waseca arranged a trade knowing that the city would want to purchase a portion of land from Conagra in the future. The land can be used for future expansion as well.

Sonnenburg explained that an easement area near the land wasn’t marked on the map handed out to the council and that an access road to the new land would be needed. “We can’t just cross over from the treatment plant directly south, because there’s a high pressure gas line there,” he added. “It’d be much more expensive to build an access road there than to build a longer road.”

Council member John Mansfield asked about the tax revenue on the property, but Sonnenburg said that it wasn’t in city limits. “Will we bring it into city limits?” Mansfield questioned.

“That is currently in conversation,” Sonnenburg responded. “The treatment property is not in the city limits.”

Public Comment

Michelle Oswald brought up the Gaiter Lake project, urging council members to seek public opinion about the project. She reminded the council that any land development at the site is restricted by the state department of natural resources in “such a manner that 30 acres of it needs to be green space.”

Oswald suggested making it a park, more specifically a disc golf course. “It’s a rare, golden, once-in-a-hundred-year opportunity for us to have one,” she explained. “The current plans don’t allow that. I feel like the public was ignored by the land developers.”

Council member Jeremy Conrath agreed that a disc golf course would be a great idea. “It’s one of the good parks to have down there because we have so much area that can’t have development.”

Oswald said that it needs to be in the development plans from the very beginning. “You can’t add to the development later,” she said. “The in-permeated surface will be already set at the maximum once every inch of permeable surface is designated where it’s going to go. Once that’s happened, you can’t make changes.”

Conrath understood Oswald’s concerns. “Everyone wants to get it right the first time,” he said. “If it takes longer to do it, well, we really want to do it right because it affects a lot of people.”

Reports and Announcements

Sonnenburg informed the council that on Dec. 30, the State Employment and Economic Development awarded the city a reclamation cleanup grant of $102,297 for the old Corchran building. It was a pass-through grant for warehouse storage LLC, matched 30 percent by GT Express with 70 percent of it reimbursed by state deed. He informed the council he did not have instructions for how the council can use the grant at this time.

Conrath announced that the Waseca Fire Relief Board was inviting the entire council to attend their annual meeting. He added that the council will have to vote on a representative for the city’s airport board at the next meeting.

The meeting adjourned at around 7:25 p.m. Ebertowski opposed adjourning, something former council member Allan Rose would do as a joke.

“Sorry, I had to,” Ebertowski chuckled. “I’m in Al Rose’s former seat now.”