Brainerd City Council: Purchase agreement approved for 9 acres in industrial park

A purchase agreement has been approved for the possible sale of nearly nine acres of the industrial park.

At a Brainerd City Council meeting Monday, the group unanimously approved the purchase agreement with RDC National, a Wisconsin commercial real estate development company.

According to the company's website, RDC National specializes in triple net, build-to-suit developments, and has completed projects for national corporate companies such as: FedEx, Monsanto, Phillips, and Tractor Supply Company.

This is the first time the company is revealing its name publically in regard to the sale.

In October, the council accepted a letter of intent with the company. Since then officials have been drafting the purchase agreement.

The purchase price is about $59,000 per acre, or a total of $521,560.

The due diligence process will continue until the closing takes place.

In other city council news:

Held a public hearing and final reading of an ordinance for the annexation of a piece of land adjacent to Lum Park on Wonderland Park Road. Property owner Kurt LeVasseur requested the land be annexed from Oak Lawn Township to Brainerd to connect to city services.

William Durham, a supervisor on the Oak Lawn Township Board, said the township board is not speaking out against the annexation.

The board did express concern over possible "ongoing loss of tax base," he said.

Approved allowing the current city attorney firm Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, to prepare a two-year contract draft for the city's civil legal services.

Every odd numbered year, the council appoints the position for a two-year post. Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney took over when former city attorney Tom Fitzpatrick retired at the end of 2013.

Attorney Eric Quiring, who represents the city with Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, will charge the same fees that he currently does for 2015. He will review billing to determine if there will be an increase for 2016.

He will bring a draft contract back before council for final approval.

Heard a presentation from Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU) on its budget for 2015. The 2015 capital budget is 5 percent less than last year. The operating budget is 3.5 percent higher, while the revenue side is 4.9 percent higher.

Some of the city council members didn't get the budget book until Monday's meeting. The books didn't go out with the regular council packets, but were available since Friday for the council members to pick up.

City council member Mary Koep said she didn't get a chance to go through it line by line, so she wouldn't support it.

Other council members spoke in favor of approving the budget, and a motion was made to approve the budget.

Voting against approving the budget was Koep.

Voted to send an issue to Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU) over two trees at 1223 Mill Avenue.

Resident Joan Morgan requested this fall that the city remove or trim the branches that hang over her garage, saying that they pose a danger to her new roof should the branches fall.

The trees are located in a platted alley, which means the city does not have ownership of the alley.

City staff investigated and determined since there is no hazard to the city, there is no need for the city to remove the trees, said assistant city engineer Jesse Freihammer in a statement to the council. Instead, that would be up to the property owner to remove them.

The council will ask BPU to either trim the branches or remove the trees.

Approved a salary step change for city administrative specialist Jennifer Loidolt, to step D, or 100 percent of the base pay for the position. Her new wage will be $22.40 an hour.

Approved a delay in payment of tax on a special assessment for Margaret O'Rourke, who city staff says meets the financial guidelines in the ordinance.

Accepted with regret the resignation of Transportation Advisory Committee member Cori Wrobel.

Heard a presentation from Region Five Development on adult mental health initiative guidebooks.

Adjourned into closed session to discuss union negotiation strategies.

Adjourned to a Transportation Alternatives Program meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Garfield Elementary, and to a budget public hearing at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 at City Hall.

JESSIE PERRINE may be reached at jessie.perrine@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5859. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/brainerdnews .