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NEW ULM -- The New Ulm City Council is willing to interview all eight candidates for the mayor position, with the interviews to begin Tuesday, May 25.
Originally the council had intended to conduct a mayoral interview during the May 18 council meeting, but because of a higher than expected number of candidates, the council needed more time to consider how to conduct the interviews.
The eight candidates are Michelle Markgraf, Justin Mattson, Sam Poquette, Jeremy Reed, Charalee Reinhart-Kalk, Micah Roux, Richard Seeboth and Terry Sveine.
The council has the option of interviewing all eight candidates or approve interviewing only a select number of candidates.
The council was willing to interview all eight candidates. Councilor David Christian said he did not know all eight candidates, but he wanted to hear what they had to say.
Councilor Eric Warmka agreed he wanted to hear each candidate’s stance on the issues. "I think everyone who put their name on the line deserves a shot," Warmka said.
Councilor Larry Mack was willing to interview all eight. He said "we're elected to serve the community. How are you going to serve the community if you don't take the opportunity?"
The council had the option of interviewing the eight candidates across multiple days but did not want to give later candidates an advantage. The interviews are public and if held over two days the interviewees who go on the second day would be able to hear the interview questions in advance.
With a single-day interview process, the council is looking at four hours of interviews with half an hour set aside for each candidate.
The council had a second problem with candidate availability. One of the candidates was unavailable to interview on Tuesday, June 1, the day the council intended to make the official mayoral appointment.
Councilor Les Schultz suggested conducting the interviews before June 1 during a special meeting. During this special meeting, the council would have the authority to appoint a new mayor and the new mayor would take their seat on June 1.
The council was available to conduct the interviews Tuesday, May 25. City Attorney Roger Hippert suggested the council not adjourn this meeting, but instead reconvene the meeting next week. The council believed that was sufficient notice for the interviewees.
Some of the mayoral candidates were in the council chambers for this meeting. Those who were present said Tuesday, May 25, would work.
Christian made a motion to reconvene the council meeting at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 25, with interviews to begin at 11 a.m.
Rec Center fee schedule approved on split vote
The New Ulm City Council approved the new recreation center fee schedule by a 3-2 vote.
The improved recreation center is scheduled to reopen about August 2 upon completion of Reinvest in New Ulm Ulm (RENU) construction.
The expanded facility will have many new amenities and improvements. Staff recommended new daily admission and membership fees be established and fieldhouse gym rentals revised along with different age categories.
The new age categories are Infants (under 1 year), Youth (1-11 years) General (12-54 years) and Seniors (55 and over). The recommendation is to set daily admission fees. Admission for infants is free; $7 for Youths and Seniors and $9 for General.
Ultimate daily admission is $11 for adults include fitness classes. The indoor playground admission for Youth and track use only is $3.
Rec Center Punch Cards, 3-month Rec Center membership and Annual Rec Center memberships are also available.
This fee schedule was previously approved by the Park and Recreation Commission, but with some hesitations.
Christian serves on the parks commission and said he approved the motion during the parks meeting but believes New Ulm citizens would not be happy with the new fees. Since the meeting, he has received many calls from people unhappy with new fees. He also had an issue with some of the fee categories based on age.
Schultz was also surprised by some of the age-based fees. He had concerns about charging a one-year-old child $7 to use the facilities.
"I get worried that a family--mom or grandparents--bringing two or three kids to our rec center and not being able to afford to go," Schultz said. He also wanted to see a single fee for the aquatic center because he believes that was the main reason people would visit the facility.
Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz said the rec center tries to maintain a single fee for use of the facility. Once a person comes through the front door it is difficult for staff to control access to other parts of the facility. The rec center does charge a single rate for only track use and will continue to have a $3 fee for the track and also have a separate $3 for the new playground.
Schmitz said the reason for the $7 for one-year-olds is toddlers put the same if not more strain on the sanitation system at the pool. He disagreed toddlers cost maintenance less.
Twelve-year-olds were included under general admission because they could use all the same amenities as the adults. Staff selected 12 years because this is the age students enter seventh grade and start joining sports and likely fitness equipment.
Christian said this is a new facility and the council knew it would cost money to operate it, but he worried about the ability of low-income families to pay. He said it might take raising taxes to cover operations, but the city voted for RENU and knew this was a possibility.
Christian said he understood how the fees were determined, but it bothered him that a family with three kids might not be able to afford to send the children to the rec enter more than a few times a week.
Schmitz argued that the daily admission was more likely to be used by people visiting New Ulm. He believed locals would buy memberships or punch cards. The punch card has a 25% discount and the memberships are tiered for individuals and families. The annual memberships can be paid off in monthly installments. Other scholarship programs are available for families and the United Way has also assisted lower-income people.
Council President Andrea Boettger said her family has used membership in the past and this was an increase, but it is still less than $2 a day for a family of four. She said this could be difficult for some, but is reasonable for other gyms.
Boettger did state she was against charging toddlers $7 to enter the facility. She said free for three and under was more appropriate. She believed that if parents took two toddlers to the rec center and had to leave immediately because one of the kids had a meltdown, the family is still being charged $14 for a few minutes. She was concerned that could sour a family on using the facility in the future.
Schmitz said staff looked into other rec facilities for comparison. Currently, Redwood Falls charges more at their facility and does not have a swimming pool.
City Manager Chris Dalton said a quick search of water parks in Minnesota and the average price is between $10 and $15. These fees are below that admission.
"We're going to have the second indoor aquatic ninja cross in the country," Schmitz said. "How do we compare that with others?"
Mack was against raising fees. He said the city survey indicated some people were already having trouble affording rec center fees. He believed it needed to be affordable for all kids under 18 to make it a destination for youths.
Warmka said also favored letting 3-year-olds and under in for free, but believed the rec center fees were reasonable with memberships.
Park and Recreation Commissioner Bev Luneberg attended the council meeting and said she was opposed to higher fees. She said she had a hard time asking two teenagers $18 to enter the facility.
Schultz suggested setting the fees now and reviewing at the end of the year for possible changes. He made a motion to adopt the fee schedule, but with the change that would make admission free for kids 3 and under with second from Warmka.
The motion passed 3-2 with Mack and Christian voting against it.
Airport flight pattern to remain same
The city council will make no changes to any flight patterns at the New Ulm Municipal Airport, based on recommendations from the Airport Commission.
The city council and city staff have received complaints about the noise from the airport due to increased usage. The city discussed the complaints with North Star Aviation staff and discussed operational alternatives to lessen aircraft noise for the neighboring properties during the April 20 work session. The top suggestion was to change New Ulm airport from a left-hand approach to a right-hand approach.
Staff later received numerous calls and emails from local pilots sharing their safety concerns with the proposed right-hand traffic alternative.
City staff took decibel readings near the airport on May 6. The readings were taken along North Highland Avenue near 11th North Street. No readings came back greater than 69 decibels. This complies with city code requirements.
The airport commission considered alternative options to address the noise concerns brought forth by neighboring residents of the area near the New Ulm Municipal Airport on May 11 but chose to make no changes. The commission was concerned a right-hand pattern would create a blind approach for most aircraft users due to the way cockpits are set up and lack of sightlines out of the aircraft for a right-hand pattern. The commission also felt changing the approach would not impact noise enough to justify the change.
Schultz said during their April 20 work session, the commissioners discussed a particular yellow plane that was responsible for several noise complaints. Schultz said he received a call from the owner of this plane after the meeting and he was unaware he was causing a disturbance. Schultz said the plane owner was willing to fly in a different direction to reduce noise.
Schultz said the airport is in his ward and he receives many calls about plane noise but said over the last few weeks he has noticed the planes have been less loud.
City Engineer Joe Stadheim said he believes airport users are now aware of the problem and the pilots are putting in greater effort to be good neighbors.
Schultz agreed and applauded local pilots for doing this and recommended making no change at the airport.
Mack said he received a call from a retired pilot who opposed the change. He also reminded the council the airport has been in New Ulm longer than the homes in that area.
Christian agreed the council should simply file the report. The council could make revisit the issue at a later date. He said the airport talk could remain in a holding pattern.
Public hearing draws no comment
The council held a public hearing on the proposed 2021 surface reconstruction project. No comments were received on the project and the council unanimously ordered in the project.
The project provides removal and replacement of the existing surface in areas where no underground utility work is planned and minimal subgrade correction will be required. The engineering report recommended that the benefit of the surface reconstruction be specially assessed at the rate of $1,620.00 per residential parcel to the benefiting property.
This project includes 3rd North Street from Garden Street to Washington Street; 8th North Street from Franklin Street to Washington Street; 18th North Street from Broadway to State Street; 20th North Street from US Highway 14 to North Broadway and Franklin Street from 17th North Street to US Highway 14.
A total of 12 blocks will be reconstructed. The estimate for the 12 blocks is $489,720. It is funded by the Street Department Budget. The estimated to be assessment is $115,668.