Votes at a glance: Brainerd City Council approves Country Manor conduit financing and multiple personnel, policy and project items

The Brainerd City Council on March 17 approved a series of motions and resolutions covering conduit financing for a senior-living campus, personnel and union contract matters, infrastructure project hearings, grant applications and smaller city business.

Major vote: the council adopted a resolution approving issuance of conduit revenue bonds of up to $50,000,000 for Country Manor Campus Brainerd LLC to finance a senior living campus. The council held the required public hearing and, by roll call, voted unanimously in favor (Bevans: yes; Chesak: yes; Johnson: yes; Stunich: yes; Jaeger: yes; Erickson: yes; O’Day: yes). Bond counsel and staff said the bonds are conduit debt for which the city is not obligated to repay principal; the issue counts against the city’s $10,000,000 annual bank-qualified bond threshold and includes a BQ fee agreement requiring the borrower to compensate the city for the estimated present-value interest-rate differential.

Other personnel and labor actions: the council ratified a tentative agreement and an arbitrator’s decision for the IBEW Local 31 contract covering public-utilities employees (2024–26) and adopted a resolution setting the represented wages for that contract (roll call vote recorded as all yes). The council also ratified the hiring of Courtney Deshane as Police Records Management Technician (effective March 5 at $25.32/hr), reclassified Aaron Anderson to Technology Coordinator (placed at step 7, $60.46/hr), and ratified the arbitrator’s decision implementing wages described in the agreement.

Committee and finance items: the Personnel & Finance Committee motioned to withhold a portion of the 2024–25 cable franchise fees (approximately $37,000) to offset technology-department integration costs; the motion passed. The council approved amending a 1997 policy to eliminate the rural service district for future orderly annexations of the Riverside Drive area and to set connection fees for that area.

Grants, donations and development programs: the council authorized the HRA to submit a Small Cities Development Program grant application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and approved related citizen-participation paperwork and a public hearing scheduled for April 7, 2025. It authorized development-opportunity letters to underutilized rental-property owners and approved a $500 donation to the Crow Wing County Historical Society from the city’s special projects budget line.

Public hearings and public works: the council called for a public hearing on April 21, 2025, on the feasibility report for Improvement 20314 (Hawkins/Joseph/Ronald resurfacing and alley/water-line work). Staff explained the project scope includes water-main work in the alley between Josephine and Paul and potential street resurfacing tied to trenching for utilities.

Land use and zoning: the council adopted a resolution denying the zoning change and text amendment request for Paradigm Auto; staff said the denial implements findings discussed at the March 3 meeting.

Other notable votes and direction: the council authorized the police department to apply for the Lucas Project grant (an automatic chest-compression device), approved sending a priority-status monthly summary item to future agendas, and directed staff to proceed with repairing the annex elevator (Larson Elevators contract executed for $5,146, paid from the annex capital fund). Council also moved to discuss and finalize council priorities (including airport matters) at the April 7 meeting.

Many of the listed motions passed by voice vote; where roll-call tallies were recorded the article lists them above and in the structured actions array. Several actions noted that additional approvals, contract documents or outside-agency approvals will be required before implementation (for example, conduit bond closing documents and potential grant awards).

Votes at a glance (selected items): - Country Manor conduit revenue bonds (up to $50,000,000): motion by Gabe Johnson; second by Chesak; roll call unanimous yes; outcome: approved; note: conduit debt, city not obligated to repay; borrower to pay BQ fee agreement. - IBEW Local 31 tentative agreement and wage resolution (2024–26): motion by Gabe Johnson; second by Stunich; roll call recorded unanimous yes; outcome: approved. - Withhold cable-franchise funds (~$37,000) to fund tech integration: motion by Gabe Johnson; second by Stunich; outcome: approved (voice vote). - HRA Small Cities Development Program application (streetscape): motion by Chesak; second by Johnson; roll call recorded unanimous yes; outcome: approved; required public hearing set for 04/07/2025. - Paradigm Auto zoning/text amendment denial: motion by Bevans; second by Stuenich; roll call recorded (Bevans: yes; Chesak: yes; Johnson: yes; others yes); outcome: approved (denial). - Improvement 20314 (Hawkins/Joseph/Ronald resurfacing): motion to receive feasibility report and call public hearing for 04/21/2025; motion by Johnson; second by Erickson; roll-call yes; outcome: hearing set. - Police department application for Lucas Project grant (automated chest-compression device): motion by Erickson; second (unnamed); outcome: approved (voice vote). - Ratify hiring of Police Records Management Technician (Courtney Deshane): motion by Johnson; second by Stuenich; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Reclassify Aaron Anderson to Technology Coordinator (step 7, $60.46/hr): motion by Johnson; second by Bevans; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Repair annex elevator (Larson Elevators, $5,146): motion by Chesak; second by Johnson; outcome: approved (voice vote); funding: annex capital facilities fund.

Several items noted further staff work or outside approvals (bond documents, grant awards, public petitions, engineering feasibility steps).