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City OKs conditional use permit for ethanol cooperative LITTLE FALLS CITY COUNCIL Staff Writer LITTLE FALLS -- The Central Minnesota Ethanol Cooperative in Little Falls received approval for a conditional use permit to move forward with its biomass gasification system.
The Little Falls City Council approved the permit Monday with 10 conditions the plant must follow when it converts the facility's energy source from natural gas to waste wood products.
The biomass gasification system will generate fuel for pollution control equipment at the ethanol plant, it will get rid of bacteria and other compounds when making ethanol, and it will reduce odors.
The conditions of the permit include: The plant must comply with federal and state pollution control agencies' rules on air quality; the ash generated from the process must be disposed of according to law, either in a designated landfill or spread on soil with approval from the Minnesota Department of Agricultural and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; and the wood chips must be stored inside the plant.
In other action, the council:
Set a joint public hearing with the Economic Development Authority for June 6 to discuss a request for tax-increment financing for Valley Hardwoods.
Ken Witucki, the owner of Valley Hardwoods, requested the financing option to expand his business. The expansion project is estimated to cost $650,000.
Witucki currently operates the business out of a building at his rural residence south of Little Falls. He is requesting to expand to a 20,000-square-foot facility in the Chief Hole-in-the-Day Addition.
Witucki would like to add 6-12 new employees and pay $9-$10 an hour plus benefits and health insurance.
Valley Hardwares manufactures millwork, molding and cabinet doors.
Approved a request to create a JOBZ business subsidy at PRO-FECT Automation Cooperative, a start-up business that manufactures specialty robotics machines for other major companies.
Before taking action the council held a joint public hearing with the city Economic Development Authority on the JOBZ request. No one spoke against the request.
The JOBZ program is designed to stimulate economic development activity in distressed areas of the state by providing local and state tax exemptions.
Accepted a petition in support of the construction of a skateboard park in Mill Park, the former Hennepin Paper site.
Granted a license to the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce for the 33rd annual Arts and Crafts Fair Sept. 10-11. Deb Boelz, chief executive officer of the chamber, said there are 817 vendors so far for the fair and of those, 140 are new vendors.
Boelz said one change this year is that the fair will open at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.
Approved a fireworks display permit to the Little Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau for fireworks at the Dam Festival on June 25.
Received a letter in the city council packet regarding the Larson Motor Service annexation into the city from Jim Hilmerson Jr. of Hilmerson RV and Marine. Hilmerson was upset that Larson Motor Service was annexed into the city and given a loan.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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