Forest Lake staff reports hiring progress, meeting time changes, trail updates and housing program work

Forest Lake — City staff gave a multipoint update at the council meeting covering recruitments, meeting-time changes, active construction projects and upcoming housing program work.

City Administrator Mark Stotts said the city is close to making an offer for a finance director and that reference checks were underway; staff also asked the public to help recruit for open positions including an HR generalist, building official, police officer and an assistant community development director.

Stotts and staff announced a permanent change in city meeting start times beginning with the July meetings: all regular council meetings and the workshop will begin at 6 p.m. The city will update calendars and public notices to reflect the change.

Public works staff and engineering said coordination with MnDOT on Highway 97 traffic-control changes has been active, and the North Shore Trail page on the city website is being updated regularly with a QR code and subscription link. Staff said, weather permitting, they planned to pave the base course on Headwaters Parkway during the week of the meeting and noted an open-house on the Eureka final design (state-aid project) set for Monday, July 14 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the community room.

Planning staff announced that the city’s first retail cannabis interim use permit application will eventually come before the council because those permits require council action. Staff also described ongoing work with the county Community Development Agency to finalize a repair-and-renovate loan program that could use local affordable housing aid (LAHA) funds to assist households making up to 115% of area median income; staff said an agreement with the county is nearly complete and the program could launch by fall if finalized.

Staff also noted multiple open recruitment windows and encouraged use of social media and professional platforms to advertise city vacancies.