Frazee mayor submits monthly report

File photo
The Frazee City Council heard that the sale of the city-owned Eagle Lake Park property is nearly completed.

By Robert Williams

Editor

The Frazee City Council is closing in on finalizing the sale of Eagle Lake Park to the Eagle Lake Park Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation made up of area homeowners. The agreement was made in 2022 after much discussion but a formal approval of the sale for $190,000 was never signed.

A 45-day purchase agreement extension was granted to complete all surveying to avoid any title issues going forward with one neighbor of the property.

“It’s slow, a lot slower than I thought it would be, but hopefully we will be done with it in the next month,” said city attorney Thomas Winters. “The buyers have been awesome. They’ve been checking in with me. They just want to get it done.”

Survey costs for the city were $3,000, according to mayor Mark Flemmer, leaving the city with a profit of $187,000 from the sale, minus recording and attorney fees. That money has been verbally earmarked as potentially being used to improve Town Lake and the beachhouse there. The city needs to come up with $250,000 to match a grant for that future project.

Multiple options for the Eagle Lake property were discussed between Eagle Lake landowners and the city, before coming to an agreement on the sale to the association in late summer last year.

MnDOT

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has granted approval for the city to construct a railway quiet zone. City Engineer Kris Carlson is completing the permitting process to allow for the construction of the quick curb system. Becker County has also approved the project.

The city plans to tear down the old Sanders building and put in a new parking lot. A crosswalk was discussed from the property across Lake Street, but added expenses and concrete work negated the plan, especially with a crosswalk at the intersection less than a block away, according to Flemmer.

The proposed truck route around downtown that was brought up along with the quiet zone construction was also approved by MnDOT. 

The space allowed for the turning radius of large trucks and semis at Highway 87 and County Road 10 will present challenges to drivers of both the trucks and oncoming vehicles. The goal is to not have trucks make turns at that intersection.

The truck routes will include County Road 29 to Main Avenue and County Road 87 directly to Highway 10 and vice versa.

Daggett trucks and other semi traffic coming from County Road 10 or Highway 10 will be encouraged to use Fifth Avenue to Birch to get out of town on Highway 10, Highway 87 or County Road 29. 

Speed limit warning signs will also be added to Highway 87 near the school. All above projects will be completed once the ground thaws for construction.

Donations

The council approved the acceptance of two donations to the Frazee Fire Department. The Frazee Sled Dog Club donated $2,062.08; Lake Region Electric Trust donated $500. The money will be used to purchase equipment for the fire department.

Mayor report

A new addition to the first council meeting of the month is the Mayor’s Monthly Report. 

Mayor Flemmer reported on separate meetings he had with the owners of the post office building and representatives from Northern Dental Access Center.

The city would like the post office to move from its current location to allow for the planned demolition of the Sanders building, the former Seip building and the post office.

According to the postal building owners, it may take two years to move the post office.

“They indicated they may repair, but I do not think they have looked at the extensive repair needed,” said Flemmer. 

Northern Dental Access Center (NDAC) recently notified the city of its plan to build an estimated $9 million dental facility next to the clinic.

NDAC is exploring a temporary move to the new retail space next to the current Seip Drug until the facility can be built.

According to Flemmer’s report, the timeline for construction to begin is two years.

Another option is exploring an expansion of the downtown building to create more space.

As part of his Economic Development Authority report, the EDA is ready to accept bids for the Sanders demolition. The parking lot that will be put there is for the businesses that lost parking areas in front of the old bank and across Lake Street from the All-in-All pumps due to the Highway 87 improvements.