Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Business Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Isanti committee agrees to waive January late fees, suspend penalties through June for Little Norris Suites
Summary
The Isanti City Committee of the Whole reached consensus to remove late fees charged in January and to suspend penalties through the end of June 2025 for Little Norris Suites after staff relayed the business owner's request tied to a plumbing issue.
The Isanti City Committee of the Whole reached a consensus to remove late fees applied in January and to suspend penalties through June 2025 for Little Norris Suites, a small business that reported a sustained plumbing problem that increased its bill.
Mike, a city staff member, told the committee he had heard from the Little Norris Suites owner that a leaky toilet "ran up the bill for a few months" and that she asked to have January fees waived. "She said, yeah. I just wanna get the fees waived for January," Mike said. Mike told the committee he recommended a broader accommodation: "let's just give this 6 months of no penalties because the bill is [a] reasonable amount."
That recommendation would remove late fees already applied in January and suspend penalties through the end of June 2025 to give the business time to catch up. A separate speaker on the dais said a committee consensus would be sufficient to enact the waiver at the committee level; the comment was followed by an acknowledgment from staff that removals of incurred monthly charges beyond late fees would require a different action.
Council members present expressed support for the staff recommendation, noting small businesses often experience seasonal cash-flow swings. The committee did not record a formal roll-call vote on the waiver; minutes indicate the committee reached consensus to direct staff to implement the late-fee waiver and penalty suspension as described.
The meeting then recessed discussion of remaining old-business items to the next Committee of the Whole, since two members were absent. The committee adjourned after a motion to adjourn by Council Member Holmgren, a second by Council Member Peterson, and a voice vote that passed 3-0.
The committee's action affects only the late fees identified by staff; staff said any additional removal of charges on a monthly bill would need to be added explicitly to a request for committee or council action.
