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).

Jul 14

[ARCHIVED] The Pointes at Cedar Project Updates - June 2022

The original item was published from July 14, 2022 10:18 AM to July 14, 2022 3:10 PM

The Pointes at Cedar Project Updates - June 2022

The Pointes at Cedar is intended to be an all-season destination featuring a mix of housing, commercial business, and public amenities where you can live, work, and play. The Master Plan for The Pointes is taking shape based on the feedback from all of you! We’ve had over 450 responses to our seasonal amenity and activity surveys and great responses to our in-person activities at the Farmers Market, MonticellGLOW parade, and the Senior Center. We can’t wait to show you how your ideas have helped inform the plan for the public spaces at The Pointes!

Walk & Rollers got a first glimpse of the draft Master Plan on June 11, 2022. There was great feedback on what residents are most looking forward to and what may still be needed to make this another great Monticello park.

Master Plan for The Pointes’ Park & Open Space

Visit us this Wednesday at the Community Block Party at the MCC to see the completed draft Master Plan for The Pointes! We’re excited to share the plan and ask for your thoughts on which amenities at the park space should happen first.

The Block Party happens this Thursday, July 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Monticello Community Center. The Block Party offers free food, fun and now a chance to see how The Pointes will look!

Looking to the future, it’s anticipated that the Master Plan will be brought to a joint workshop of the Planning Commission, Park Arts & Recreation Commission, and City Council on August 8, 2022, followed by formal Council review and consideration for adoption in September.

Compass Committee

The Compass Committee met on June 15, 2022 to review the draft Master Plan for the Pointes at Cedar. The group reviewed the overall draft plan and individual “vignettes” with images and concept drawings for small spaces within the planned park area. The group discussed how ideas from prior Compass Committee meetings and the public engagement have been incorporated into the plan itself.

The Master Plan reflects the character themes for each of the three biomes within The Pointes at Cedar: Populus, Tilia, and Quercus. The Compass Committee had the opportunity to provide additional feedback on how to strengthen the plan’s relationship to those themes, providing additional suggestions for the more detailed project plans.

The Compass Committee is helping to create and guide the public spaces at the center of The Pointes. The Committee is made up of a cross-section of Monticello community members. Their next meeting will occur on August 17, 2022 at 5 p.m.

How Can I Participate?

If you are interested in participating as a volunteer on the Compass Committee, you can also reach out to us at info@ci.monticello.mn.us. You can also give us additional feedback on our Draft Master Plan, by filling out the Design Features Survey!

Watch for more details on future events on the City’s social media and blog!

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