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By Lynda Jensen
Editor
DASSEL, MN – A public hearing regarding the city owned liquor store attracted comments at the Dassel City Council meeting last Monday.
The hearing is required by law, if the store loses money two of three years in operation.
Business owner Paul Haekenkamp wanted to know where the profit was going from the liquor store. “I don’t think I’ve seen savings (on taxes),” he said. “I want taxes to go down. That’s what I would like to see.”
Haekenkamp said that during the council meetings, the liquor store report is usually given in general, without any specific numbers to the public. “I’d like to hear those actual numbers,” Haekenkamp said. Administrator Myles McGrath said they were available at city hall and he could have them any time.
Haekenkamp also indicated that the liquor store competed with private businesses and should be privately owned itself, producing property tax income for the city.
Mayor Mike Scanlon noted that the liquor store was hurt by the empty side of the building that currently needs a renter. If a commercial renter could be found, this business would pay property taxes, McGrath noted.
Scanlon noted that the liquor store actually does make money, but that depreciation shows what is called a paper loss. The Municipal Liquor Store 2010 budget shows generation of approximately $8,000 in net operating profit after all expenditures, McGrath commented in the past. “This is on a sales estimate of $980,000. This is a very modest profit for that level of sales. The thing we need to bear in mind is that the store had been generating $1.1 million to $1.2 million in sales (prior to the recent recession),” he added.
In the end, the council agreed to continue the liquor store and review quarterly reports in 2010.
Juvenile troubles
Officer Sara Miller attended the meeting to report troubles with juveniles between the ages of 11-13 who were throwing things such as eggs, apples and tomatoes at vehicles driving through town.
“We’re having a lot of vehicles hit,” she noted. The incidences appear random, and it is unlikely that the kids know who they are hitting since many drivers are from out of town. She advised parents to check if they’re missing any of the listed items, and of course, check where their kids are at night. Some houses have also been egged.
The council talked about enacting an earlier curfew that would help, but Miller said it gets darker early and that it wouldn’t help. On the bright side, Halloween went better than expected despite a few pumpkin incidences.
If anyone notices even little things, Miller asked them to call the sheriff’s department.
Odds and ends:
In other business, the council:
• assigned Benzing to the personnel committee, and as the liaison to the Dassel Area Historical Society Committee.
• approved the concept, but did not commit funds, toward the idea of a study of the Little Crow Transit Way, which would make use of existing railroad tracks for use toward citizen transportation. The study is being supported by State Rep. Dean Urdahl and would eventually reach from the Twin Cities to Willmar. Benzing voted against the measure because he thought it would eventually increase taxes and not help the city, since the population density wouldn’t work for this idea. Those in favor were Scanlon, Pat Haapala, Alesia Warner, and Bob Lalone.
• set a work session to discuss the water rate study, along with other subjects, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. Engineer Chuck DeWolf will be present at that time. A detail of the utility rate study will be listed.
• heard from Museum Director Carolyn Holje that the Smithsonian exhibit will have 900 school children see it on scheduled tours. It’s attracting a wide-ranging audience, including 25 German exchange students from Litchfield who wanted to see it before returning to their homeland. She also received a call from 3M, who is offering a grant.
• heard from Holje that an All School Reunion is being scheduled for Red Rooster Days 2010 on Labor Day. It has been 10 years since this has happened, and when it did years ago, it attracted 1,000 people.
• heard from Holje that the museum is applying for a grant from the Southwest Arts Council for a $10,000 grant, this year and next. It is architectural in nature, or could be used toward landscaping.
• heard from Dave Scepaniak of public works, who noted that parking restrictions will take effect Nov. 15.
• it was noted that the chlorine in the city water system is still a problem, as pointed out by Council Member Pat Haapala. Scepaniak said that the city needed have enough in the system “to do its job, and also satisfy the health department.”
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