School building purchase rejected

The Waldorf City Council gathered for its first meeting of 2023 on Monday evening, January 9. Mayor Rob Wilkening presented the council with his thoughts on purchasing the school building, currently owned by Minnwest Bank. The city has been given the option to purchase it for $150,000; the building is also publicly listed for sale at $399,000. Wilkening proposed that the city could rent out parts of the space, establish city offices and give the public library room to expand, and provide daycare in the building. His estimates showed a potential monthly income for the city of $1,310 after the mortgage payment and utility costs. He also informed the council that, prior to the bank taking ownership of the building, significant work had been done and very little would be required to bring the building into compliance with fire codes. An appraisal one month ago valued the building at $700,000. Members of the council were not in favor of the purchase – several expressed concerns about whether maintenance costs would accrue beyond the city's means. Also a concern was that several attempts to renovate the building for use by various entities have failed, and that selling the building has proved difficult each time. The council agreed without a formal vote not to move forward with the purchase at this time. Wilkening was in favor of establishing a public hearing on the matter, but members of the council did not arrange anything formally. If community members want the city to purchase the school building for this purpose, they agreed, those citizens would have to inform the council on their own initiative. 

Cheryl Martin, who works for the U.S. Census Bureau with a service area centered on Waldorf, presented the council with plans to purchase two properties behind the church, and move a house onto the site to live in. The structure is a “tiny house,” legally defined as less than 400 square feet. Martin's house is 10’ x 12’; she has been living in it for six years. It would be brought into Waldorf on a trailer, and set up on a cement foundation on the property and connected to city utilities. Martin hopes to expand her space, either by building an addition as building codes allow, or by adding a separate structure. If permitted, she intends to carry out her plans within the year, with the actual placement of the structure taking place in late spring to account for softening ground. Due to the potential impact on property values, a public hearing on the matter has been scheduled for next month's regular meeting on February 13 at 7 p.m. 

At the beginning of the February meeting, Wilkening will give an official State of the City Address. Three public hearings are scheduled to follow. In addition to the hearing for Martin, there will be one to discuss renovating the football field into an apartment building and park, and another to discuss the alleyway vacate requested by citizen Dave Bottin. Both of the latter hearings had been placed on the calendar last October. 

The council also discussed the issue of vehicles not being moved after snowfall for street cleaning. A review of the ordinances showed that the city currently has no official requirements and has relied on common sense and goodwill to ensure streets can be plowed. Similarly, there are no ordinances requiring residents to clear the sidewalks on their property. Bottin expressed concerns about the lack of cleaning on both streets and sidewalks this winter, telling the council that he recently fell and sustained a significant injury. Council member Missy Sorbo agreed that it's become a problem as some areas of sidewalk are entirely impassable, especially to those in wheelchairs. Council member Carrie Ferch expressed her own concern, as a number of fire hydrants throughout the city are buried in snow. Wilkening said there is “no easy answer,” especially this winter when snowfall events have been extreme. The council intends to remind residents about the importance of these issues through the city newsletter or water billing. If problems persist, they may consider creating ordinances covering one or both issues. Wilkening informed the council that, if the city decides to take responsibility for sidewalk maintenance, there is an appropriately-sized plow for sale. However, Wilkening is involved in the sale of the plow and could not be a part of discussion or voting on the matter. 

Waste Management has discontinued its “yellow bag” service, a program Waldorf residents took advantage of for disposal in which bags were purchased from Waste Management in place of a monthly fee and weekly pickup. To manage the city's trash and recycling, the council voted in favor of a new contract proposal for carted trash services from Waste Management. Prior to their vote, the council reviewed the Waste Management proposal as well as a proposal from Thompson Sanitation Services. The Waste Management proposal amounts to $16.50 for a 64-gallon trash cart or $17.25 for a 96-gallon cart per month, plus an additional $5 per month for recycling. Trash pickup will occur weekly and recycling pickup biweekly. These prices include a $0.25 administration fee for Waste Management to handle billing, a service the council stated their intention to use. The contract also includes free walk-up services for any residents with disabilities which make it difficult for them to put their trash on the curb, provided their driveway is less than 100 feet and the cart is visible from the road. The proposal also includes service to two municipal locations, typically City Hall and the City Shop, free of charge. The contract guaranteed 12 months at these rates with an annual increase of 5%, with a provision for fuel surcharges if the cost of diesel fuel reaches $5.00 or more per gallon. The proposal from Thompson Sanitation was less detailed, stating a monthly rate per home of $15.00 for a 35-, 64-, or 96-gallon cart plus an additional $5.50 per home for a 96-gallon recycling cart. The proposal also included a discounted rate for a yearly City Clean-up where Thompson Sanitation would provide a truck and driver. At least two other companies were considered, but were unable to service the Waldorf area. Once the city's contract with Waste Management goes into effect, it will supersede any individual contracts within the city's service area and those customers will receive the new monthly price.