June 6th Council Meeting

Tonight’s City Council Meeting started with several concerned business owners along Main Street questioning the street improvement project. The main concern is business interruption partial caused by lack of proper signage. I stated the city should have signage stating that the businesses are open. The business owners wanted the no thru traffic signs to be changed to business traffic allowed.

The second major item was the request by two businesses to receive a Public Hearing for business subsidy in the industrial park. I again raised my concern of Isanti providing public subsidy to businesses providing $8 and hour jobs. I was also quite concerned that neither business filled out the forms fully. There was no information on the number of jobs and only after discussion were we able to get some dollar figures of pay rates.

It seems ridiculous that someone would come before Council asking for over $250,000 in subsidy and yet not complete all the paper work. I asked that this should be a requirement of the EDA and Council but received very little support for even filling out the forms properly.

The last item was not on the Council Agenda but I had asked for it to be placed on the Planning Commission Agenda. The item is the street and address number in Isanti. There is a 14 county wide grid system that is used. The City of Isanti does not fit in this system. This is of concern for everyone from emergency personnel trying to find an address to UPS trying to deliver packages. It becomes more important each day as the City grows.

I had proposed that this important City planning issue be on the Planning Commission agenda. Council Member’s Johnson, Larson and Mayor Apitz did not want it to go to the Planning Commission were I serve and none of them do. This was again another clear political power play by these three to halt City progress. Instead they want it discussed at a Council Work Session which would delay any correction of the problem. This has been an issue for years. I am trying to bring reform, and in this case greater public safety, to Isanti and they are playing political football. If they were truly concerned about this issue they could have worked on it the last 8 to 10 years they have served on the Council.

I hope this kind of ridiculous behavior will not stop other needed reforms.