Water user fee decision finalized

By Robert Williams

Editor

Liquor Store Manager Amanda Young reported on her attendance at the Regional Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA) meeting where overall sales were discussed.

Most liquor stores are down 1-2 percent for the year, Young stated. However, year to date sales at Third Crossing are actually up.

Highlights for November: 

• Combined Sales up 2 percent 

• On-sale sales up 6 percent 

• Food sales up 37 percent 

• Off-sale THC up 59 percent 

Young reported that alcohol sales are down the most they have ever been since prohibition. 

“A lot of the beer and liquor companies are freaking out right now,” she said.

Young stated the increase in food sales has been the biggest benefit to on-sale numbers.

The big increase in THC products, beverages, gummies and other low-potency products are helping out liquor stores across the state and have been since legalization in 2022. The products are currently facing a potential federal ban, included as a provision in a recent U.S. government funding bill, which could outlaw most existing hemp-derived THC products nationwide if it goes into effect in late 2026.

The state did begin a recent licensing program for low-potency THC product sales. Third Crossing is registered.

“Like many other stores we expect there will need to be changes made to the application,” Young said in her report. “The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will review the applications and notify us. The MMBA expects the number of sites that will be allowed to sell THC to significantly decrease because of the application process. Minnesota Municipalities were extremely close to not being able to register with the OCM. The hard work from MMBA board members finding a work around made this possible.”

“That’s really the only reason most liquor stores are down only 1-2 percent, because of that THC—it’s kind of bridged the gap,” said Young. “If there isn’t that THC—the sales are definitely going to see a big drop.”

Young is also expanding the non-alcoholic selection at the store.

The liquor store will be hosting its first Bourbon Raffle on Saturday Dec. 6., during Merry Frazee Christmas. 

“Because these skus can be very hard to find, most stores don’t just put them on the shelf,” said Young. “The raffle will allow you the chance to purchase one of these rare bottles.”

Council member Andrea Froeber complimented the efforts of Young as manager of the liquor store.

“You’re doing a really good job and we appreciate it,” Froeber said.

Young has managed both the store and bar since Nov. 1, 2023.

Ordinance 181

A revision of City Ordinance No. 181 was completed after discussions of the Planning and Zoning Committee, former Mayor Ken Miosek and City Engineer Chris Thorson.

“We talked about how that user fee was set up for the well house and it was the general consensus that the fee was set up on the number of meters,” said Mayor Mike Sharp.

Following that logic, users that do not require a meter would not have to pay the user fee.

Council member Jim Rader agreed based on that parameter was how the fee was based.

Past charges will still apply.

Admin

Town Lake Beach – The Declaration of Restrictive Covenant was approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the City Council, but was declined by the County’s Recorder’s Office on a mapping technicality. A revised version has been sent for approval by City Administrator Stephanie Poegel. Once approved, the last piece of financial disbursement for the project will be released to the city.

Eagle Lake Park – According to City Attorney Patrick A. Bakken, no claims were made by deadline, so he will be filing a motion of default and setting up a closing date on the long-awaited sale later in December.

“Hopefully, it will be done,” Bakken said.

The council will need to approve a formal resolution accepting the offer and authorizing the sale.

FCDC

Becker County Commissioner Phil Hansen proposed that a city council member join the monthly meetings of the Frazee Community Development Corporation (FCDC).

“You guys are the elected officials; everything that we do has to go through you; just my opinion, nobody asked me to say this, it would be really nice to have one of you on the board so that they know what’s going on,” he said.

Mayor Mike Sharp is meeting with FCDC board members later this month and will discuss if there is a mutual interest of having a council representative on the board.

“From my perspective, the relationship between the city council and FCDC board has been great. There is a lot of trust back and forth and I think it’s been good,” said Sharp.

Hansen cited certain projects like the future paving of North River Drive, which is a city-owned road, as one example of how a council member’s input would be helpful in FCDC decisions.

Fire

The Frazee Fire Department will be losing three of its 22 active firefighters to retirement in 2026 and will be holding a recruiting event in the coming months.

“We’re losing three, quality, long-tenured guys this year,” Fire Chief Adam Walker said.

The department does have two probationary firefighters who will join the force after completing training this winter. Both have prior experience of six and 18 years, respectively.

Calls for service this year to day are 66 with eight in October. 

Police

Chief Tyler Trieglaff reported on code violations of property by quantity and status between Sept. 18 and Nov. 19, including 11 new ordinance violations and one letter sent for violating properties, including a fine of $350.

Citations have also been issued for parking in a front yard, inoperable vehicles and too many vehicles.

“We appreciate the continued enforcement of ordinance violations,” said Council Member Jim Rader. 

Trieglaff also reported seeing people living in tents with winter approaching. 

“We’re going to start cracking down on that,” he said.

One of the tents has already been taken down.

Public Works 

Supervisor Larry Stephenson and his team are pivoting to winter operations.

Public Works is in the process of installing the holiday/Christmas decorations for the season. Once the ground freezes, the flooding of the skating rink will take place.

Stephenson reported on a large improvement in water usage after he and his team serviced multiple system leaks over the past year. 

“Last month was the first time I’ve ever seen less than 3 million gallons treated at the plant in a month’s time, so it’s been a major move in the right direction,” he said.

“That’s awesome,” said Rader.

Recycling

Hansen announced the county landfill’s upcoming mattress recycling event. Hansen has been a big proponent of utilizing the landfill for additional return days outside of the special wastes program.

Hansen spearheaded a successful free electronics recycling drop-off event in early October and is following up with December’s free mattress recycling event Friday, Dec. 5 through Monday, Dec. 8, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Osage Landfill.

“Just trying to clean up the county a little bit,” Hansen said.

Mattresses must be recyclable-not wet, no mold, no bed bugs. There is a limit of two units (mattress or boxspring,  mix and match) per dropoff.

Most landfills won’t take mattresses due to the sheer bulk of them. In a partnership with Better Futures Minnesota, the landfill dismantles the mattresses piece by piece, breaking them down to more manageable pieces to dispose of.  

To dispose of a mattress (in the trash) it will cost up to $23 each unit. To recycle them, it is up to $15 each unit.  

Hansen noted there will likely be another free recycling event coming this spring.

Rescue 

Rescue Chief Matt Johnson reported October as his department’s busiest month of 2025 handling 37 calls, 14 in the city and the remainder in Burlington (12), Erie (5), Height of Land (3) and Silver Leaf (3) townships. September was the next highest month with 32 calls.

Total calls for the year are 264 with a 98 percent response rate. There have been 66 days with multiple calls.

Streets

The city and Ulteig agreed upon engineering services to kick off the field survey. The streets project has been approved for Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (MPFA) funding.