Community-owned grocery on council agenda

WILLMAR -- The Willmar City Council will receive a presentation Monday night on the community-owned grocery being planned for the city. The presentation will be given by Mary Catherwood and Russ Bennett.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. in the chambers at the Municipal Utilities Building, 700 Litchfield Ave. S.W.

The council will receive reports from the Finance Committee, Public Works/Safety Committee, and Community Development Committee, and will consider exemptions for agricultural lands.

The council will consider a request by West Central Industries to have the city act as a conduit for the agency to refinance and reduce the interest rate on a loan that financed doubling the size of a licensed commercial kitchen to serve the Meals on Wheels program.

The interest rate on the original 20-year, $1.1 million loan was 5.338 percent. The agency is asking the city to act as the conduit to refinance the loan for $500,000 for seven years at 2.35 percent.

Finance Director Steve Okins said the note would not constitute a debt of the city and the city would not be obligated in any financial way.

The council will consider a request by Don Williamson to approve the final plat of Fairacre Addition, 2721 15th St. S.W. The addition is an 11-lot, single-family subdivision with a private cul-de-sac. A conditional use permit for a planned unit development was approved by the Planning Commission for the private street.

The council will consider the Quinn Addition preliminary plat. Kvam Implement has requested approval to subdivide five parcels into four lots on property located at the corner of U.S. Highway 12 and Industrial Drive Southwest as well as Trott Avenue Southwest.

Also, the council will consider setting the Board of Canvass meeting for 3 p.m. Nov. 9 to declare the results of the Nov. 6 council election.

David Little