City contracts to receive Wannigan Park funding

By Robert Williams

Editor

A June report of a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) public water system test to monitor for lead and copper at a specific number of drinking water taps found the city of Frazee to have excess copper. 

A system is in excess if the concentration of lead or copper in more than 10 percent of the samples collected in a monitoring period exceeds the 90 percentile level.

The system was monitored from January 1 to June 30 with results showing the water system exceeds the copper action level of 1300 µg/L (micrograms per liter).

Of 20 samples collected the reports were:

• Lead Level: <2 µg/L

• Copper Level: 1610 µg/L

Water systems that have exceeded the copper action level are required to provide the MDH with an optimal corrosion control treatment (OCCT) plan by December 31, 2023.

Systems with an existing corrosion control inhibitor (such as a phosphate-based inhibitor or si inhibitor) will provide MDH with the most current information on target dose, distribution residuals (if available), and product being used.

Systems proposing adding treatment may be required to submit plans to MDH for approval.

The Lead and Copper Rule requires systems to follow a timeline for updating their corrosion control treatment and conducting sampling to re-optimize its corrosion control for maintaining the action level for the future. 

The water system will continue a required six-month monitoring for lead and copper with the next collection date scheduled for October 2023.

Wannigan 

Regional Park

The city entered into a contractual agreement with the state to receive grant funds from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for the park.

Under state statute, the Department of Natural Resources is empowered to enter into grant agreements.

The city will receive $727,000 for the Wannigan Regional Park Land Acquisition Phase I from the trust fund to the commissioner of natural resources for an agreement with the city of Frazee to acquire land for protecting and enhancing natural resources and for future development as Wannigan Regional Park, where the Heartland State, North Country National, and Otter Tail River Water Trails will meet. Initial site development or restoration work may be conducted with this appropriation.

Police

In June, officers issued 10 property code violations.

Council member Andrea Froeber led a lengthy discussion, citing the city’s comprehensive plan and resident’s desires for the city to continue addressing blight in the community and ordinance enforcement.

“As I spent the time going through each of the sections, it talks over-and-over, the number one thing, my takeaway from this plan was that the residents would like to see our city ordinances enforced,” said Froeber.

The council also discussed a process for tracking the status of properties in violation.

Given the extra traffic from the Highway 34 detour, Police Chief Tyler Trieglaff conducted a study on speed zones on Highway 87 coming into the town near the school, leaving the town by the Otter Tail River bridge and coming into town at the beach.

Trieglaff noted a general compliance to the marked speed and stated the most likely zone for speeding offenders is coming into town and leaving on Highway 29.

The public safety committee will be discussing adding more speed limit signage for budget year 2024.

Fire

The Frazee Fire Department has responded to 35 calls this year, which is about average. The annual average is between 60-70 calls.

The department is currently selling a Jaws truck (1991 E One F-600). That truck will be replaced by the new utility truck on order. The box that was built for the new utility truck is completed and is waiting for the trucks to be manufactured by Ford.

In June, the annual pancake breakfast for the community was held. 

“We would like to express our appreciation and gratitude for everyone that came out,” Fire Chief Nathan Matejka said in a written report to the council. “It was a good turnout; we estimate around 820 people showed up to partake in great pancakes and sausage.”

The fire department is actively recruiting new firefighters. Apply online at frazeecity.com.

Resident input

Don Trieglaff appeared during the meeting’s open forum to discuss and add his opinions on the preliminary plans for the new park that will be in place at the Seip/Sanders location, parking in town, the difficulty of timely educational opportunities for students at Wannigan Regional Park, the river-spanning sewer pipe removal, and moving the little turkey.

Mayor Flemmer thanked Trieglaff for his feedback and noted it will be useful in the further discussions scheduled for the multiple plans, some of which are still in preliminary phases of discussion, like the downtown park area. 

Turkey Days

The council discussed improving the communication process for necessary road closures and event information being submitted to the city in a timely manner prior to the annual festival.