by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com The Sartell City Council will not be discussing chickens in the city limits – at least not anytime soon. At its Sept. 23 meeting, members voted unanimously not to pursue that topic at upcoming meetings. Mayor Ryan Fitzthum and council member Mike Chisum said that issue – whether to allow chickens in yards of city residents
City to contract with Sourcewell for planning
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com The city of Sartell will contract for city planning and other related services with a consultant company named Sourcewell, based in Staples. The City Council agreed unanimously on that decision at its Sept. 23 meeting. Sourcewell helps governmental units in its customer cities, counties and townships to do such tasks as land-use planning, development assistance and
McGee and Glomski welcome St. John’s Prep students and staff in the new school year
by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com St. John’s Prep’s 281 students in fifth-grade to 12th-grade were welcomed by new leadership for the 2019-20 school year. Jon McGee was named the new head of school in March. He is the first lay leader of the school following 29 monastic members of St. John’s Abbey, who have led the school since it was founded
$3,000 donated to fire, police departments
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com The Sartell police and fire departments now have $1,500 each to add to their equipment funds, thanks to a donation from Country Financial of Sartell. At the Sept. 23 City Council meeting, three representatives of Country Financial presented a check for $3,000 to the equipment funds, half for the police department, half for the fire department.
Demolition likely for east water treatment plant
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Sartell’s east side water treatment plant will likely be demolished in spring or summer of 2020. However, in the meantime, the Sartell City Council at its Sept. 23 meeting requested city staff to do a “parallel study” of the plant that would include the value of that building, the cost of tearing it down and the
City pushes ‘pause’ for R-5 PUD zoning
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com A moratorium of up to one year on certain developments in Sartell is now in effect. At its Sept. 23 meeting, the Sartell City Council, on recommendation from city staff, voted unanimously to impose an interim ordinance (temporary moratorium) on developments within the city’s current R-5 Planned-Unit Development zones. Currently, the R-5 PUD zones allow for
City to partner with Nordic ski club
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Sartell’s Public Works Department will join a partnership to give a boost to the Sartell Nordic Ski Club for trail grooming. The City Council approved the partnership at its Sept. 23 meeting, which was attended by many parents of ski-club participants. The Sartell-Cathedral Nordic Ski Team won the state championship in February this year at Biwabik,
Bearson died of asphyxia, medical examiner rules
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Tom Bearson, the young Sartell man who was murdered five years ago in the Fargo-Moorhead area, died of asphyxia, according to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office, but the killing remains unsolved. The autopsy results were just recently released to the public. Asphyxia, death through lack of oxygen, can be caused by manual strangulation or another