Wastewater Treatment Facility receives compliance award

By Robert Williams

Editor

Frazee City Council Member Andrea Froeber had some fresh words rebutting resident comments made during the open forum of the May 14 Council meeting regarding the downtown infill project at Wednesday’s meeting 

Froeber was not in attendance at the first meeting of the month as she was attending a workshop. She began by stating she was reluctant to share her views on the comments that were made about the building, ADA compliance and the tax abatement bond to fund the final interior construction to allow waiting tenants to move in and open for business. Froeber spoke out against the negative talk about the building. 

“It isn’t getting any positive traction and I think we should be very happy that we are moving forward with it,” she said. “It was a rundown building and then it sat and sat and we’re making traction and we’re doing, as a council and committees—I feel that we have done our due diligence with what we’ve been handed. It was frustrating to read in the paper—the way I read it—it made it sound like we did not have an accessible building.”

The American Disabilities Act compliance of the building was brought into question by a resident on May 14.

“I looked it up yesterday and the Minnesota Accessibility code says the fundamental philosophy of the code on the subject of accessibility is that everything is required to be accessible,” she said. “At least one accessible  route shall connect each level that is open to the public.”

Froeber explained that the ramp indeed makes the building compliant and suggested that the back doors were likely intended as service doors when the building was designed, thereby, not requiring another ADA accessible ramp.

“I just want to try to be a little bit more positive about this project,” she said. “It’s going to be a great building. We’ve got some great tenants.”

Froeber reported on Tuesday’s EDA meeting where it was clarified that there will be three tenants.

“I would like to go on record that we are handicapped accessible and that we’ve got great tenants and a good building and we have a lot to be happy about,” she said. “We’re not sitting there with an empty lot. We had to do something. We did something and it was a hard call but I think there should be a positive recognition that we did the best we could under the circumstances.”

Fellow council member Jim Rader concurred with Froeber.

“We did the best we could with what we had,” he said. “It’s time to move on.”

Conversation on the building has been brewing since early spring. One issue that is rarely discussed is that the building design and exterior construction was completed by a completely different Economic Development Authority group and City Council. 

Froeber’s comments are indicative of a group that has been pushing forward despite facing backlash from members of council and Frazee residents.

Both Mayor Mike Sharp and Financial Consultant Jason Murray have related in the past month that the key to success of the building and paying off the bond is to fill the building with tenants, keep it filled, and get it performing as expected to help reduce the annual levy pledge.

By adding three new tenants, as Froeber discussed, that is what both the EDA and city council will have done once the interior construction is completed later this year.

Assessments

A public hearing will be held Wednesday, July 9, at 6:01 p.m., at the Event Center to hear from residents about the proposed assessments for the street and utility improvement of C.S.A.H. 30 (East Main Avenue), between the Otter Tail River bridge crossing and northeast to the south line of Trunk Highway 87 with watermain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street and sidewalk improvements; and to improve Rivercrest Drive between East Main Avenue and northerly 400 feet to the end of pavement on Rivercrest Drive with street improvements; and to improve 8th Street SE between East Main Avenue and easterly to the intersection with Cherry Avenue with street improvements; and to improve Cherry Avenue between 8th Street SE and southerly 150 on Cherry Avenue with street improvements; and to improve the alley way one block north of Main Avenue West between 2nd Street NW and 3rd Street NW, and the contract (bid) price (estimated cost) for such improvement is $865,319.34, and the expenses incurred or to be incurred in the making of such improvement amount to $251,855.00 so that the total cost of the improvement will be $1,117,174.34.

The portion of the cost of such improvement to be paid by the city is hereby declared to be $830,970.93 and the portion of the cost to be assessed against benefited property owners is declared to be $286,203.41.

Donations

Erie Township donated $10,000 to the Frazee Rescue Department.

Hobart Township donated $500 to the Frazee Fire Department.

Frazee Sportsmans Club donated $150, Hank Ludtke donated $100, Blue Line Farm donated lunch, snacks and drinks, OK Lumber donated bike helmets, bicycle headlights and tail lights, and Becker County Public Health donated bicycle helmets to the Frazee Police Department.

Eagle Lake

Delays continue to hamper the finalization of the sale of Eagle Lake Park from the City of Frazee to the Eagle Lake Association. Becker County Commissioner Phil Hansen attended Wednesday’s meeting looking for an update. 

According to City Administrator Stephanie Poegel, the representing attorney of the buyers’ has resigned his position and the group will need to get a new attorney to complete the sale. 

“It’s gone through the court and we’re at the point where their attorney needs to finish the review,” Poegel said.

Once the attorney signs off on the sale it will be complete.

Hansen mentioned he has spoken to the Department of Natural Resources at the state level and the regional director from Bemidji and they are interested in keeping the property a public site. The Lake Association has the same goal. A pending sale between the Association and the county or DNR is plausible, but has not been discussed on an actionable level due to the court’s delaying the sale from the city.

Fire

May Fire Calls – 8; 1 – Structure Fire; 1 – MVA with Life Flight, Hwy 29; 6 – Grass/Wildland Fires; 1 – Alarm call at the school, cancelled en route.

Funding

The council ratified the bond, authorizing the issuance, sale and delivery of $2,065,000 tax abatement bonds. Closing is scheduled for June 11.

The council passed a resolution to request 2026 state bonding funds for the River Drive North Loop project from County Highway 29 to Minnesota Trunk Highway 87. 

Liquor

Manager Amanda Young reported increased revenues at the municipal liquor store and bar. Sales in 2024 from January 1 to May 21 were  $238,916.70, the same timeframe in 2025 was up to $269,799.85.

Young is pricing a kegerator to bring tap beer back to Third Crossing. She is also in the process of changing food vendors.

Police

The police department will be addressing a dozen homes with unkempt yards this week. Some chronic offenders will receive a state citation, others will receive.

Public Works

The Public Works department completed the annual city clean up. The department, led by Superintendent Larry Stephenson, received an operational award in recognition of exceptional compliance with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in 2024.

Rescue

Total calls in April – 26; City of Frazee 14; Burlington 6; Height of Land 4; Erie 1; Silver Leaf 1.

The council approved Matthew Johnson as Rescue Chief after a unanimous vote from the squad. 

A second response vehicle was approved, a 2025 Ford Utility V6 (Consumer Explorer) for a cost of $43,480.94 with all necessary modifications for rescue work. Funds are available in restricted savings to cover the entire purchase.

The purpose is to extend the life of the current rig used by the department. The second vehicle provides an opportunity to utilize a specific vehicle for specific cases rather than just one for all.

Johnson reported about adding a new member to the squad in Makayla Herbst, 17, who is currently working as a CNA at the Frazee Care Center. Both her parents were former members of the Rescue Squad.

“It’s somewhat exciting from the aspect of the EMR certification that our responders have you can get at the age of 16,” said Johnson.

Herbst will be the youngest member of the rescue squad in Frazee’s history.

Johnson hopes Herbst’s example will open doors for more younger people to join the squad.

The council approved adding Herbst to the roster and to begin training.

Wannigan Park

A video monitoring system for Wannigan Park will be installed for $5,695. Power and WiFi are already set up at the park. The setup contains four 4K cameras in one housing with day and night recording capabilities, along with video motion detecting and POE support. Power over Ethernet (POE), is a technology that delivers electrical power, along with data, over standard Ethernet cables.