WILLMAR -- The Willmar City Council has approved a resolution recommending the Legislature and Gov. Tim Pawlenty approve a bill during this legislative session that permanently increases transportation funding.
The resolution was recommended by the council's Public Works/Safety Committee. The resolution supports funding options such as a gas tax increase, increases in vehicle registration taxes, bonding and new funding tools such as local option sales tax and authority to establish street improvement districts.
The resolution was proposed by the Minnesota Transportation Alliance. Among other things, the resolution estimates an additional $1.5 billion per year for the next 10 years must be spent on highways, bridges, county roads, city streets and rural transit systems.
A bill passed by the 2007 Legislature but vetoed by Pawlenty would have given Willmar an additional $229,513 in transportation funding over 10 years, according to a chart presented to the council by Public Works Director Mel Odens.
Odens said Willmar and 142 other cities with a population over 5,000 are members of the Transportation Alliance.
ADVERTISEMENT
City Administrator Michael Schmit said chambers of commerce, and road building and construction companies are also members.
The resolution was approved 4-2. Voting in favor were Bruce DeBlieck, Denis Anderson, Cindy Swenson and Rick Fagerlie.
Voting against were Ron Christianson and Jim Dokken.
Council members Steve Gardner and Doug Reese were absent.
Christianson said he's never been an advocate of supporting these resolutions. "We have elected people that should be doing the job,'' he said.
In other business, the council approved a change in liability insurance requirements that will allow a $2,500 deductible in insurance coverage for an event sponsor that has been in existence for more than five consecutive years.
The Jaycees and Willmar Fests requested the insurance change to allow their insurance coverage to be more affordable and to allow the Jaycees to continue to sponsor the Downtown Block Party.
Previously, the city would require a check for the amount of the deductible, which the Jaycees said would create a hardship this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Anderson said the city is not aware of any insurance claims that have been filed against the city during the past five to 10 years.
"This is done primarily in the spirit of trying to help these organizations make it affordable so they can continue to sponsor these community-wide events,'' he said.
The council also:
- Approved the following mayoral appointments: Paul Borgerding to the Planning Commission; Lowell Fostervold to the Police Civil Service Commission; Steve Salzar to the Municipal Utilities Commission; and Ross Magnuson to the Zoning Appeals Board.
- Approved an ordinance amendment that eliminates the requirement that Civic Center lessees be organized under the laws of the state or registered to do business in the state. City Clerk Kevin Halliday said the amendment will allow out-of-state groups to serve alcohol during group events at the Civic Center.
- Approved an agreement with Ridgewater College to provide motor vehicle drug interdiction training to 12 department officers.
