by Dave DeMars
news@thenewsleaders.com
Two primary issues – the 2017 Governor’s Fishing Opener and the community solar subscriptions with the Geronimo Energy Co. – were the many topics discussed during the May 23 meeting of the Sauk Rapids City Council.
John Libert, St. Cloud City Council member from Ward III, appeared before the Sauk Rapids council to inform its members that the greater St. Cloud area had been chosen as the site of the 2017 Governor’s Fishing Opener to be held on three different areas of the Mississippi River. While the city of St. Cloud has plenty of motel rooms to accommodate the governor, his staff and the host of fishing guides and media personnel, help from other cities such as Sartell and Sauk Rapids is going to be necessary in order to make the opener a success.
Hosting the Governor’s Fishing Opener is expected to pump between $2.5 to $4 million into the greater St. Cloud-area economy.
“It’s a huge money-maker,” said Mayor Brad Gunderson in comments after the council meeting.
Hundreds of guides and professional anglers will be fishing in three areas on the Mississippi River for the 2017 opener. They will fish from the Sartell dam north toward Rice, from Sauk Rapids between the Sartell dam and the St. Cloud dam, and below the St. Cloud dam south toward Clearwater.
Libert explained the hundreds of anglers will all have boats and trailers in tow and that finding a place to launch and then park the empty trailers will be a major challenge. Much of what is now a baseball area at Sauk Rapids Lions Community Park will be used as a parking lot.
In addition to the fishing opener, the area will host a large baseball tournament that weekend – a tournament expected to bring ESPN2 into the area for broadcasting of the games. That will mean lots of national media and press exposure, Libert said. It will spotlight the city of St. Cloud and the entire area, so it’s imperative all the cities highlight what makes the area unique.
Libert also asked for volunteers to help in planning and carrying out much of the supporting work to show off the area and come up with activities to occupy anglers and media personnel during the downtime when they are not working directly on the fishing stories or broadcasting the games.
One suggested idea was a fishing tournament for kids, probably at Lake George in St. Cloud, with the fishing pros giving guidance and tips on the best ways to lure and land fish. With all the media attention spotlighting the area, more ideas and planning need to be done, Libert said.
Community solar
Sauk Rapids Community Development Director Todd Schultz informed the council about a proposed solar garden by the Geronimo Energy Co., a solar-energy developer based in Edina. Geronimo is working in conjunction with Xcel Energy and has been authorized by the state legislature.
“They are offering communities the chance to subscribe (to a solar-energy development program),” Schultz said, “ and looking at the deal, it really seems to fit the old adage of a free lunch in the sense that it doesn’t seem there is any risk on our part, yet there is something we are getting in turn.”
Schultz went on to say the “free lunch” aspect of the proposal is what has caused concern. In reality the “free lunch” is a subsidy offered by the state and the federal government to become involved in the solar-development program.
The program would run for 25 years and throughout the course of the contract the city would be paid between $250,000 and $470,000 for allowing the solar garden to be placed in the city. The best site for the solar garden, a site of 10 to 40 acres, is not in the city proper but in proposed annexation tracts from Minden Township.
That raises a potential conflict of interest, Schultz said, but Geronimo has said it would try to find another solar-garden subscription site in Stearns County of which Sauk Rapids could be a part.
Council member Kurt Hunstiger said in his opinion it would be a conflict of interest and that while he personally likes the idea, he would be very uncomfortable in pursuing that option. He suggested the city pursue an alternative path to working with Geronimo in order to secure some of the benefits of a solar garden.
Council member Steve Heinen agreed with Hunstiger, though he too said he saw the potential benefits.
Hunstiger spoke again, saying he’s not against the idea of the garden, but he’s against the idea of proceeding when there is a potential for a perceived conflict of interest.
Hunstiger made a motion the council move forward with the pursuit of an agreement with Geronimo for a solar subscription but pass on approving a site for the solar garden within a Sauk Rapids’ jurisdiction. The motion passed unanimously.
Background on the solar gardens
In background conversation with Schultz, the Newsleader learned the city entered into an annexation agreement with Minden Township in 2002. As part of that agreement, the city agreed to be governed by a joint-powers agreement that determined how decisions were going to be made. The joint powers created a board made up of two city representatives and two township representatives. In essence, the joint-powers board serves as the administrative arm for annexation.
Geronimo will ultimately have to apply to the joint-powers board for approval of the solar-garden permit under the terms set up by the joint-powers board. Presently the joint-powers board has adopted a moratorium in order to work on creating ordinances and regulations dealing with solar gardens. Assuming the permit is granted, the agreement stipulates the city will be responsible for enforcing land-use permits in the annexation area.
Schultz said neighbors in the area of the proposed solar garden have already raised objections.
“They are very much opposed to the solar garden,” Schultz said. “They don’t want it at all.”
And that brings the story ’round to the perceived conflict of interest. According to Schultz, if the city had a financial interest in the garden being located in the annexation area, it’s feared the perception will be the city is making decisions based on its financial interest rather than the residents’ interest.
In this case there would be a direct financial benefit ($250,000 to $470,000).
“It isn’t a clear legal conflict of interest,” Schultz said. “It’s more of a a perceived conflict of interest.”
The city could pursue siting the solar gardens, but they would be open to criticism from residents who live in the area of the proposed site.
Other items
Most other items of importance were taken care of in the consent agenda, which included:
• Approval of an amusement park permit for the Rapids River Food Fest.
• Approval of a temporary on-sale liquor license for Rapids River Food Fest.
• Approval of 2016 plumbing contractor license, authorization of new digital upgrade purchases.
• Approval of Dynaform software purchase.
• Approval of amendments to the liquor licensing code dealing with on-sale wine and 3.2-percent malt liquor.
• Approval of replacing existing iPads.
• Approval of Rapid River Days Parade route and city participation.
• Approval of an order to abate a hazardous house at 1045 10th St. N.
• Approval of changes in collective-bargaining agreement
• Approval of purchase of a ground-tank mixer.
