By Robert Williams

Editor

Vergas Mayor Dwight Lundgren discussed the possibility of a Sanford Clinic in Vergas with Perham Health Chief Executive Officers Chuck Hofius.

“He was not against it,” said Mayor Lundgren.

The mayor will be meeting again this week to continue discussions exploring multiple options of a potential two-day to five-day per week operation.

The city office will be updating council members post-meeting.

Lundgren also discussed a potential solution to getting around stopped trains by utilizing an underpass on Townline Road after discovering potential grant funds available for such a project.

Discussions will need to take place with Canadian Pacific Kansas City, then the county and townships.

“The railroad will have the final say,” said Lundgren.

Lundgren identified enough elevation on a Townline Road to put a 12-foot underpass.

“The only problem I can see is a driveway at the top of the hill,” he said. “I believe that can be remedied by building them a new driveway because that hill will disappear.”

The project would limit the traffic that could utilize the underpass to passenger cars and emergency vehicles.

“Then we would have a way to get around the railroad when they go through, but it will not be big enough for semis,” he said.

Perry noted her approval with concerns as a local business owner.

“I’m completely for it,” said Perry. “It’s a huge issue not being able to get rescue, especially, across there. It would massively increase traffic on that road, which will need to be considered. You’re going to have a lot of people that will take that way to go through town to avoid it if there is a train here.”

Perry also mentioned the potential effects on downtown businesses with people avoiding downtown to circumnavigate the trains, although noting it is a necessity.

Mayor Lundgren hopes to have an answer within 90 days with a potential wait of up to two years before the project could be completed, if approved by all parties.

“At least we’ll get started and get something going and moving in the right direction,” said Lundgren.

City employees are planning to divert runoff that is causing ice issues on the sidewalk at the hardware store through a pipe to the back alley, according to Lundgren. 

Earlier plans were to pipe through the basement and then directly to the storm sewer, but the hardware store is concerned about inventory stored in the basement potentially being ruined if a leak were to occur.

Utilities Superintendent Mike DuFrane expressed his concern that the same issues will occur behind the building that is already happening on the sidewalk. Further discussions will be had by the Streets Committee.

Cannabis

City Council and the Vergas Planning Commission have continued talks on the coming Cannabis ordinance. Vergas has adopted the county’s ordinance with one change, the removal of a 500-foot buffer in the following clause and replacing it with the business must be in a commercially zoned portion of the village.

Otter Tail County prohibits the operation of a cannabis business within 500-feet of an attraction within a public state, county or city park or trail that is regularly used by minors, including a playground, lake public access, or athletic field.

The council approved scheduling a public hearing on the cannabis ordinance for Monday,  March 31, at 6:30 p.m.

EDA/HRA – Daycare

Bruce Albright, council liaison to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) / Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA), reported that nearly all the lots in the Sunny Acres division are sold. There are three county-owned lots that are earmarked for senior housing in the future. One of the two remaining lots has a difficult topography to utilize for residential development and the remaining lot was discussed as a possible home for a daycare facility in Vergas.

While the EDA/HRA was ready to bring the daycare recommendation to council to pursue the efforts, discussions with outgoing County Auditor Wayne Stein revealed a few more complications changing the status of the lot for development into a daycare.

Those discussions will continue with Stein reporting he would have an answer by the end of March, prior to his retirement.

“We definitely need it,” said Mayor Lundgren.

The EDA/HRA’s second request was to extend the contract with CEDA Regional Director and Vergas resident Jordan Grossman. Grossman has spearheaded the search for a daycare in Vergas, along with contributing with grants that have benefited the village over the past calendar year.

Grossman’s work was provided because of a $15,000 grant and 150 work hours of her time.

She gave a review of her efforts over that year and discussed the potential viability of aligning Vergas’ daycare needs with a childcare economic development grant and other financial options.

“Although my time is up on a grant basis, I wanted to provide you with an opportunity to continue services and continue the EDA’s goals helping them compartmentalize goals and move things along,” said Grossman.

As a grant recipient, Vergas is eligible to receive a 20 percent discounted rate for continued CEDA services in 2025 if committing to a regular contract in 2026. 

The EDA/HRA requested a $10,000 contribution, or the 2025 rate of $12,768, from the city.

Mayor Lundgren expressed his worry of taking funds away from other budgeted programs to accommodate the request.

“It’s a tough situation for all of us,” he said.

Former EDA/HRA member Vanessa Perry spoke in favor of a CEDA contract and Grossman’s work in Vergas. She also expressed the importance of having a daycare in town.

“If the only thing that would come out with her being here is a daycare it would be well worth it,” said Perry. 

She also cited friends of hers with small children who are currently driving past Lake Park for childcare services.

“There are very few around,” said Perry.

To which, Mayor Lundgren agreed.

Reclassification of the Sunny Acres lot needs to be done by the county before anything can proceed.

The council did unanimously approve funding of $5,000 for the EDA/HRA in both 2025 and 2026.

Energy Resiliency

Daniel Handeen, a Research Fellow at the Center for Sustainable Building Research in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, gave the council a municipal building assessment and benchmarking report on city-owned buildings with the Event Center standing out as a possible means of saving money with insulation improvements and solar panels on the roof.

“As far as the complexity of the work it’s pretty straightforward,” Handeen said. 

An estimate for perimeter insulation came in at $8,000.

The solar project was ruled a low investment and not discussed further.

The Event Center, originally built as a school in 1953, has heating registers running underneath the insulated wall portion. The registers are run right underneath the concrete slab and it can be seen that heat is conducting through the edge of the slab. Heat is conducting through the ground and the slab and being lost. The proposal is to add insulation around the perimeter of the slab. The fire hall has something similar, an aggregate insulation board that runs around the edge of the building.

One thing that came out of the meeting was the need for an Energy Resiliency Committee; initial thoughts are a group of 8-12 people. Former Mayor Julie Bruhn has already volunteered for the committee and the council approved going ahead with the formation of the group.

The work is being done as part of grants that were awarded to Bruhn in 2024.

She initially applied for a Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT) grant, but was directed to a pair of University of Minnesota Extension Program entities: Empowering Small Minnesota Communities (ESMC) and Regional Development and Sustainability Partnership (RSDP).

Bruhn applied for grants from each and was awarded both.

Vergas also joined the West Central Initiative (WCI) Municipal Solar Cohort that provides free technical assistance and support to municipalities, nonprofits, cooperative utility companies, and unique public or private partnerships that serve the region to apply for state, federal, and private grant funds related to infrastructure improvements and clean-energy production and storage through local grants.

According to Clerk/Treasurer Julie Lammers, Vergas residents will be surveyed during Maple Syrup Fest about how important energy resiliency is.

Mayor Lundgren has discussed meeting with residents at the Loon’s Nest to help spread the survey and discuss the topic directly.

Insurance 

Sherri Hanson suggested increasing the city’s insurance deductible from $1,000 to $5,000.

“To write just a regular homeowners policy today the minimum deductible you can write it at is $5,000,” Hanson said. 

She then suggested raising the city’s deductible even more to $10,000.

“I guess what I’m asking the council is what you’d be comfortable with as far as savings?” she said.

Currently, the minimum is $5,000 and Vergas is paying a higher premium keeping the deductible at $1,000.

The city’s policy is not up for renewal until September, but deductibles can be changed anytime.

Liquor Store

The Municipal Building committee reviewed changing the liquor store frontage to a sitting area and discussed future plans in front of the building. The committee would like to finalize and have a public hearing in March or April to be able to start the project in either late April or early May. A preliminary estimated cost for the project is $40,500.

The timeframe of the work is approximately two weeks with potentially one to two days of a closed front entrance. 

The group discussed the difference in cost with stamped concrete versus poured, adding a Pat Shannon art piece and recommended a roofed sitting area instead of replacing the vinyl awnings. 

The committee requested that council have a public meeting to discuss the sitting area with Vergas residents. 

The public meeting will be held Monday, March 31, after the cannabis ordinance public hearing at 6:30 p.m.