Developer presses for signed agreement; Rockland schedules special meeting and utility eyes full-time public works hire

At the Feb. 11 meeting the Village of Rockland agreed to hold a special meeting on Feb. 25 after developer Justin Birdd requested the developer agreement be signed so construction could begin this spring. The trustees said they need a clearer description in the agreement that spells out Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 before executing the document.

Board members recorded a special meeting for 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 25 to revisit the developer agreement. The board directed staff to prepare language that describes each development phase for consideration at that session.

Separately, the Rockland Water & Sewer Utility convened after the village meeting and discussed hiring a full-time public works employee. Public Works Keegan Erickson told the utility board that operating with a single person is difficult because that person is on call 24/7, cannot take vacation easily, and must hold licenses to operate both the wells and the wastewater treatment plant. A person has expressed interest in the position; Keegan will ask the candidate to submit a resume and the board plans to conduct an interview before the Feb. 25 special meeting.

The village also handled routine maintenance contracting and neighborhood concerns: Keegan reported he repaired the generator and presented three lawn-maintenance quotes to address sandburs; the board approved the quote from Spartan Outdoor Services and designated it as a TIF-covered expense. Keegan asked that staff send a letter to a resident who uses the alley behind Stop and Go to move garbage to the street after the village noted the garbage truck is damaging a manhole cover.

What happens next: staff will prepare a developer agreement that defines project phases for the Feb. 25 special meeting; Keegan will collect the candidate's resume and schedule the utility interview prior to that meeting.