Monticello City Council Highlights - July 26, 2021

MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

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. 6^th 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).

Feb 08

[ARCHIVED] The Pointes at Cedar Project Updates - January 31, 2022

The original item was published from February 8, 2022 11:06 AM to April 13, 2022 8:11 AM

The Pointes at Cedar Project Update: January 2022 Recap

The Pointes at Cedar Project kicked off the new year with a lot of brainstorming, teamwork, and discussion. Our teams discussed activities, design elements, and the physical building characteristics of The Pointes. Now that our committees have a more developed concept, we’re ready to bring those ideas to you!

Stay Up-to-Date and Share Your Ideas!

We want to hear your ideas for how The Pointes’ public spaces will look and feel. City representatives will be at the MonticellGLOW Parade on Saturday, Feb. 26, and at the Indoor Farmers Market on Saturday, March 12 to hear more from the community on activities and design elements for the park spaces within the project. The Pointes at Cedar project page will also have opportunities to share your ideas and offer feedback on the project as it progresses – stay tuned for those updates!

Zoning Work Group

The Zoning Work Group is charged with supporting the development of a zoning ordinance specific to The Pointes at Cedar. Zoning provides the standards for the types of uses and site design that will occur in the project area.

The Work Group met Tuesday, Dec. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 4 to identify specific characteristics for building materials, landscaping, signage, and design for the private development areas at The Pointes. The characteristics outlined are reflective of the three biomes in The Pointes – north, central, and south. The group stressed that the characteristics should be a guide and provide development flexibility in the final design. The Work Group also expressed thoughts on the review process for projects proposed for The Pointes.

The group met again on February 7 at 5 p.m. at the Monticello Community Center. The Zoning Ordinance Work Group includes a City Council, Planning Commission, and PARC representative. All of the board representatives are also Monticello residents. A property owner from The Pointes area is also a member of the group. An upcoming joint Planning Commission and City Council workshop is planned to review the work to-date.

Compass Committee

The Compass Committee is helping create and guide the public spaces at The Pointes. The Committee is made up of a cross-section of Monticello community members.

The Compass Committee has not met since the time of the December Pointes’ update. They will meet next on February 16 at 5 p.m. at the Monticello Community Center. The next Compass Committee meeting will be focused on prioritizing the committee’s ideas for places, activities, and programs that will make The Pointes a welcoming place for the entire community.

Tag(s): What's the Pointe, The Pointes at Cedar, The Pointes, Small Area Plan, Project Planning, Planning, Monticello 2040, Monti2040, Economic Development, Development, City Planning