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easement agreement with First National Bank of Maple Lake. Pagel said the city was contacted by Star Bank, which is in the process of buying the Maple Lake branch. It was noticed that the sewer easement did not include using the easement for a drive-through banking facility.

August

•Conducted a public hearing on Rob and Maureen McClanahan’s petition for the vacation of a portion of North Street East that is no longer a traveled through street for vehicle traffic. No citizen spoke at the hearing, and the vacation was approved. Later in the meeting, neighboring resident Maria Metz appeared before the council with questions regarding the specific dimensions of the area to be

vacated, and was assured that the area includes only the McClanahans’ side of the street.

•Tabled a request to consider allowing vintage car sales as an interim use at the creamery building at 25 Birch Avenue North until John Northenscold and fellow planning commission member Jeff Rivers research the criteria for a more specific definition of “vintage.”

September

•The Maple Lake City Council adopted a resolution at its Sept. 11 meeting approving the 2013 proposed budget and tax levy. The overall budget requirement for 2013 is $1,445,923 –an increase of $88,503 over 2012. The overall certified tax levy for the coming year will be $793,401 –an increase of $7,088.

•Issued a proclamation recognizing the Maple Lake Lakers for an outstanding season that included their winning of the North Star League’s regular season championship and their capture of Maple Lake’s first state amateur championship since 1939. Team manager Chad Raiche and players Casey Pack, Jeremy Schmidt, Nate Johnson and Cody Decker were on hand to accept the council’s hearty congratulations.

October

•Approved an electronic/ wire funds transfer policy identifying policies and procedures for electronic funds transfer.

•Agreed to submit a letter to Wright County commissioners regarding a proposal to amend the county’s zoning ordinance to include athletic complexes under commercial outdoor recreation as a conditional use. The council members objected to a stipulation in the proposed amendment that such complexes must be within a radius of 1.5 miles of cities with populations of no fewer than 5,000 people.

November

•Adopted a resolution providing for the issuance, sale and delivery of

$1,030,000 in general obligation improvement crossover refunding bonds and awarding the sale thereof. George Eilertson of Northland Securities walked the council through details of a refunding bond he’d worked out for the city, explaining that this is a bond that refinances street bonds the city issued in 2008. During the life of a useful bond, he said, it is possible to advance-refund once, tax exempt. He called it an “advance refund” because the call date of the bonds is April 1, 2015, and said the concept of advance refunding, with current favorable interest rates, allows the city to lock into future savings that will occur after 2015. The current average interest rate on the existing bonds is 4.46 percent. By refinancing, the city will lock into a new interest rate of 1.71 percent, for almost $90,000 in savings. Though it does not create an immediate benefit, the city could potentially lower its levy in 2014, Eilertson said. The city’s good income, strong wealth indicators and general fund reserves, plus a moderate debt burden, were key factors in determining the available interest rate.

December

•Conducted a public hearing on a 2013 fee schedule amendment, at which no citizens came forward to comment, and adopted a

resolution to make reservation and maintenance fees for Community and Bolduan Park shelters nonrefundable, set street vacation fees at $350 and raise water service inactivation fees from $20 to $65 to cover city costs. The council also approved the 2013 water and sewer fund budget, increasing water and sewer rates by 35 cents and 50 cents per 1,000 gallons, respectively, to meet a 2013 increase in joint sewer treatment plant fees.

•Denied Don and Christine Gilson’s request to extend living quarters to a back, main-floor portion of the store front they own at 63 Birch Ave. S.

•Heard an update on economic activity from economic development

consultant Paul Bilotta, who reported that a film and TV rebate incentive program is now up and running and that additional contact has been made with a construction company interested in bringing its business to the city.

January

•Passed a resolution revising the capital improvement plan from a 20-year replacement plan to a five-year plan, which includes additional equipment not included in the original plan, passed in 2009.

•Adopted a resolution ordering Stantec to prepare a feasibility report on potential reconstruction of Park Avenue South, along with some utility replacement and repair between Division and First streets, as well as Linden Avenue from the north end to First Street.

•Approved the purchase of a Ford F450 from Lundeen Motors, at an estimated price of nearly $34,000 including a trade-in, for the maintenance department.