Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The New Ulm City Council met in its newly remodeled council chamber Tuesday. Among the more visible changes is a full to the floor desk for councilors to sit behind. The remodeling included a number of security features throughout the lobby and first floor.

NEW ULM — The New Ulm City Council Tuesday ordered the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance to dissolved the New Ulm Board of Zoning Adjustment. The city council approved a recommendation from the Zoning Board to dissolved itself and transfer the duties and responsibilities of Zoning Adjustment to the New Ulm Planning Commission.

In the last few years, the Zoning Board has held monthly meetings before the Planning Commission meeting. All of the members of the Zoning Board also serve on the Planning Commission, creating an overlap. This change of responsibilities is not expected to have a significant impact on the city.

“Honestly it would be simpler if the two entities were the same,” City Manager Brian Gramentz said.

There are several communities in Minnesota with a single governing body handling both zoning and planning. It is believed this change will streamline the process.

All-Stor zoning

change approved

The council approved a request from Scott Dreckman, on behalf of All-Stor Inc, to amend the city’s comprehensive plan to allow business land uses in place of Medium Density Residential Land Uses at 2122-2136 N. Highland Ave. and rezone the property.

The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the approval at its last meeting and the City staff recommended the approval of the comprehensive plan change and the rezoning request.

The change was deemed consistent with the comp plan’s goal. The rezoning request would return the land to a Business (B-2) district. The property had previously been zoned B-2 but was changed to residential to facilitate a potential housing project that never came to fruition.

The request did have push back from residents in the area. Elaine Paulson and her husband purchased a home near the property four years ago under the impression the land would remain residential. Paulson did not favor the installation of additional storage units as it would change the value of the neighboring properties. Paulson had presented a petition signed by 50 neighboring residents who favored keeping the property residential.

The council accepted the Planning Commissions recommendation. The section being rezoned is a triangular section of land on the corner of Highland Ave. The property directly across from the parcel is owned by August Schell’s Brewing and is undeveloped.

Councilor Larry Mack said the planning commission viewed this section as better serving business need. In addition the proposal from All-Stor would not require any additional driveways and would not increase traffic to N. Highland.

Phone System

Conversion Planned

The city authorized the City Manager to request bids for a city owned telephone system, which would include new phone numbers and convert to a new internet domain name by the end of the year.

IT Director Nate Beran informed the council that New Ulm Telecom is discontinuing its centrex phone serviced used by the city. This requires the city change to a new system. The city has an option to changing to Telecom’s FlexVoice phone service. This option would allow the city to keep it’s current phone numbers, but a city owned phone system would provide additional communication features and would cost less than the NU-Telecom option.

The estimated the cost of the city owned system is $69,000. The council authorized moving forward with the lowest bid if it came in under $70,000.

This change would also allow the city to acquire a new internet domain name.

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In other news, a public hearing was held on the final assessment rolls for the 2016 MSAS Improvement Project. The project include road improvements for German St. from 16th S. Street to 19th S. Street and 17th S. Street from German Street to Minnesota Street. No comments were received at the council unanimously approved the assessments.

The council also approved three alley improvements after receiving petitions from residents. The first alley improvement was for an alley located between Franklin and Jefferson from 10th to 11th Street. The petition for this alley improvement was signed by 42.8 percent of the property owners. There were no calls or comments opposing the improvements.

State Statute requires 35 percent of property owners to sign a petition in order to receive a public hearing.

Councilor David Christian said in the past the city only ordered in the improvement if 50 percent signed the petition.

Councilor Les Schultz was willing to approve this request because there were no comments against the improvements.

The council voted to order in this alley improvement by a four to one vote with Christian voting against.

The second petition for an alley between Valley and Front Street extending from 10th S. to 11 S. Street was approved unanimously by the council. Christian said there were property owners who objected to the improvements, but the petition did have over 50 percent approval from property owners.

The third alley improvement between Jefferson and Franklin and extending from 1st S. to 2nd S. Street had 67.9 percent approval among property owners and was approved by the council.

The council tabled a decision approving the transfer of funding of public safety lighting form the Public Utilities to the City of New Ulm and authorizing the PUC to add a line item on the utility bill to charge for Public Safety Lighting.

PUC Director Patrick Wrase said lighting on public right-of-ways is typically seen a safety expense and funded through the city budgeting process. Previously the street lights were funded through the city budget, but in 2004 this change to a PUC responsibility as method of saving funds. For the last 12 years PUC has funded all expenses associated with street lights.

Wrase said with increased pressure on electrical rates the PUC was requesting the City take over responsibility again. This change would not effect the cost to residential users, but would change which entity collected the money.

Council Lisa Fisher was concerned that this was technically a way of taxing without calling it a tax.

City Attorney Roger Hippert agreed. He said anytime an expense is paid to the city it is typically classified as a tax. Hippert had not research the legal background on this change and was uncertain if their could be a legal issue.

Councilor Schultz suggested the issue be tabled to allow the City Attorney to confirm how to classify this expense.

Tuesday marked the first city council meeting held at City Hall since the completion of security renovations.

The council thanked New Ulm Public School for lending its board room to the city during the upgrade process.