Council Highlights 7_26

Monticello City Council Highlights - July 26, 2021

MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTSCity of Monticello

July 26, 2021

EDA Annual Update

Economic Development Manager Jim Thares presented the annual Economic Development department update.

EDA ANNUAL UPDATE: Presentation intro slide“The 2020-2021 workplans included six components: downtown redevelopment was the top goal or priority for the EDA. Promoting industrial and commercial development was the second priority, housing development was third. The IEDC’s priorities were labor force development and business retention and expansion. In 2020 the CARES Act came to the city and money was provided to the EDA and that’s where the COVID-19 emergency response efforts were established,” said Thares.

He then elaborated further explaining that Block 52 was the top priority of the Downtown Redevelopment work plan as well as the Façade Improvement Program. One highlight was that the façade improvements to the Agosto building were completed in late 2020, with three new applications submitted this spring/summer, all of which are on Block 35.

According to Thares, there were 38 EDA CARES Act grants approved for $5,000 each. Eight additional City CARES Act grants were also approved for restaurants and microbreweries in the community.

Riverfest Recap

Riverfest 2021 was a huge success according to Riverfest City Liaison Tom Pawelk.

“Overall, it was a good turnout. Second highest gross sales that the Riverfest committee has ever seen, so that’s pretty good. Record beer sales… and duck adoptions were basically sold out, so that’s 5,000 ducks sold,” said Pawelk.

The first night [Thursday] kicked off at Pioneer Park, with a Monticello firefighter showing up strong for a second year in a row and winning the pie eating contest. Mayor Hilgart teased that may only be because he’s “not invited back” to the pie eating contest after winning twice.

“Friday night, the talent show had 22 acts and we followed it up with a wonderful fireworks display, sponsored by the City of Monticello. The Lions Bean Bag tournament on Saturday had 49 entries,” said Pawelk.

Pawelk added that while Sunday’s parade was shorter than past years, with no royalty candidates or visiting royalty; the shorter parade might have been preferable given the heat. He joked that the kids didn’t seem to mind because they still got plenty of candy.

Online Building Permits

City of Monticello is now offering online building permits for permits that do not require a plan review. Visit our website to check it out! 

Council Approval

  • Council approved Special Event Permit
    • City Council approved a Special Event Permit and temporary liquor license for the Rotary’s Taste of the Towns event. The event will be held on Thursday, September 16 in the commuter lot on Deegan Ave. 

  • Council approved new restrooms for Ellison Park
    • City Council approved the purchase of modular restrooms to replace the existing restrooms at Ellison Park. The project will also include ADA improvements in the area around the bathroom.
  • Council approved proceeding with bids for DMV relocation
    • City Council approved notifying the State of Minnesota of intent to move the DMV from its current location to the Prairie Center building at 118 W. 6th Street. Council also approved proceeding with bids for the improvements necessary to remodel the first floor of the building for the DMV. City Council will consider officially ordering the improvements at a future meeting.

WATCH A CITY MEETING

Citizens are welcome to attend City Council, Planning Commission, and Economic Development Authority meetings, but we understand that attending in person is not always an option. As an alternative, we offer the following options to stay engaged with your local government:

  • Meetings are broadcast live on cable channel 12 (FiberNet and TDS subscribers) or channel 180 (Charter subscribers).
  • Meetings are streamed live online. View the live stream on the Monticello Live Stream website.
  • Meetings recordings are available online to watch when it's convenient for you. View the meeting recordings on the Monticello Live Stream website.
  • Meetings are rebroadcast throughout the week on cable channel 12 (FiberNet & TDS subscribers) or channel 180 (Charter subscribers).

 

Oct 11

[ARCHIVED] Council Approves Adoption of ‘Chelsea Commons’ to the Monti2040 Comprehensive Plan - Sept. 27, 2021

The original item was published from October 11, 2021 11:16 AM to October 13, 2021 6:20 PM

City Council Approves Adoption of ‘Chelsea Commons’ to the Monti2040 Comprehensive Plan

The City Council approved Resolution 2021-73; approving an amendment to the Monticello 2040 Vision + Plan (Comprehensive Plan) adopting the Chelsea Commons Small Area Plan on Sept. 27, 2021.   A Small Area Plan is a detailed guide plan for a specific area of a community and becomes a part of how the city supports growth and development.

The Chelsea Commons Small Area Plan reimagines how a large land area in the core of Monticello will develop over time. It takes into consideration the changing ways people want to live, work, and play, creating a unique place which combines economic development opportunities, residential living, and public recreation. Chelsea Commons is intended to accelerate quality private development in the area and act as a catalyst for additional growth and community connection.

Chelsea Commons is centered on a series of small, interconnected lakes. The water is surrounded by a variety of pathways and public spaces for discovery.  Surrounding these public spaces will be a mix of commercial and residential environments.

A Joint Public-Private Venture

The plan is designed to inspire exceptional private development that values and builds on Chelsea Commons’ distinctive public areas. The final concept for Chelsea Commons capitalizes on the City’s existing land and infrastructure investments, preserving areas with the best potential for private development and creating public spaces for the benefit of the entire community.

PARC Recommendation

The PARC gave a unanimous recommendation to adopt the Chelsea Commons Small Area Plan, noting the public space in the plan area  fills a current park gap, benefiting existing neighborhoods and the greater community. The plan also incorporates a continued emphasis on community culture and authenticity.

City Administrator Rachel Leonard highlighted the fact that this plan is meant to play on the City’s strengths.
 
 “The City of Monticello has some amazing parks, it’s one of our strengths. We want to take that strength and apply it here as well,” said Leonard.
 
 The PARC agreed, adding that the Chelsea Commons plan fits into the fabric of the City’s significant investments in its Downtown, parks and pathway system, and in the Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park.

Planning Commission Recommendation 

The Monticello Planning Commission held a public hearing on Sept. 27, 2021. Public concerns related to the closure of Dundas Road were noted to the Commission, with business owners requesting additional involvement as plans progress. Community Development Director Angela Schumann explained how the plan and planning efforts addressed those concerns to-date.

“There was a specific traffic workshop that was held, and we did invite a certain radius area, including the Oakwood Industrial Park, to attend that workshop. In addition to that workshop, there was a follow up overview workshop which included a traffic analysis component,” said Schumann. “Regarding the information on the traffic analysis, that is an appendix, and is fully available as part of the Small Area Plan online,” she noted.

Another concern expressed to the Commission was that Chelsea Commons would take away from Monticello’s existing parks. Planning Commission member Eric Hagen addressed the concern.

“This [Chelsea Commons] is in addition to those existing parks. We’ve had a lot of similar questions about this like, ‘is this going to take away from our Downtown small area plan?’ Or ‘Why here?’ This is a great spot that’s close to I-94, it’s close to a lot of amenities, shops, and thoroughfares that drive a lot of traffic into this area. And why this area specifically for a park? Because of the living aspect,” said Hagen, “We want to fund this area [Chelsea Commons] with this feeling, we want to focus on downtown with its own special benefits; and… It’s not going to take money away from other parks,” he added.

The Planning Commission ended the meeting with a unanimous recommendation to adopt the Chelsea Commons Small Area Plan, noting the plan meets 13 of the Monticello 2040 Vision + Plan  strategies and goals.

Connecting the Community

“[Chelsea Commons is] an ambitious plan representing consistency with Monticello’s 2040 community vision: supporting sustainable growth while maintaining the character of the community and promoting a prosperous economy,” Community Development Director Angela Schumann stated.

Chelsea Commons is distinctive from other projects in the community but remains connected to each. This plan will be a central component of how Monticello sees itself in the future and a statement of Monticello’s commitment to creating a sense of belonging and connection as the community grows.

Chelsea Commons will be a magnet for the Monticello community and beyond. Please note: Chelsea Commons is a working title, City Council will discuss a final project name after receiving public feedback.