Sleepy Eye Council tables TV petition

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- The Sleepy Eye City Council tabled action on televising council meetings Tuesday night.

The City of Sleepy Eye received a petition requesting city council meetings be televised. Sleepy Eye Mayor Jim Broich said some of the names on the petition were not valid because they were children or weren't city residents.

Councilor Harry Windschitl said televising council meetings was "long overdue." He suggested the council table action on the subject until Sleepy Eye Telephone Company implements a telephone line-based Internet and cable television system, which is expected to happen in the near future.

Sleepy Eye City Manager Mark Kober said city council meetings could be taped and played back later on Mediacom, the city's cable television provider. Live broadcasts would have to be fed to Sleepy Eye Public School where they could be sent to local cable customers because the school is the only site in town wired for live cable television broadcasts.

The council approved:

* A liquor license application, pending background checks and a new awning over the sidewalk to Yi-Xiang Zhou, dba New China Restaurant, 132 Main St. East. The liquor license fee will be determined at the September council meeting.

* An 8-foot setback for a garage on Lot 7, Block 1, Brown's Addition, owned by Craig Evans. A 50-foot setback was required since the property adjoins U.S. Highway 14. The planning and zoning board recommended approval.

* A variance application for a diesel-powered generator at Norwood Promotional Products, Inc. less than the required setback. The generator would be used as a backup power source for computer and telephone service.

Sleepy Eye Fire Chief Bob Zinniel asked about the diesel fuel tank and was told it was part of the generator.

* A request for a zoning change from residential to business industrial for the Sleepy Eye Greenhouse and lot split for Dale and Mary Jo Evers, 304 4th Ave. N.W., Balance of Outlot 28 of Govt. Lot 6, Allison's 2nd Addition.

* Learned from City Engineer Dave Palm that M R Paving of New Ulm got the low bid to pave alleys on the block containing the Sleepy Eye Fire Station, between First and Second Avenue N.W. between Willow and Elm streets; between Linden and Summit Street S.W. between Third and Fourth Avenue S.W. and between Third and Fourth Street S.E. between Summit and Burnside streets.

M R Paving's bid was $59,088.70. Hoffman Construction of New Ulm bid $67,023. The engineer's estimate was $54,936.80. If property owners so desire, a public hearing would be held in November.

Several property owners voiced opposition to alley paving. Gary Lambrecht, 304 Burnside S.E., offered to pay for all individual property owner's assessments on his block. The council approved the project pending approval of all property owners.

* Several property owners voiced concern about blight and garbage on property on Second Avenue Southwest. George Mariner was particularly upset.

"Every morning when I look out my front door, it's enough to make me vomit," Mariner said. "This has been going on for years. Somebody do something. All this money is being spent to improve the town. How about this? ... Either something is done, or you'll hear an awful lot out of me. My patience has run out."

Sleepy Eye City Attorney "Nip" Hauser said the property owner is scheduled to appear in court soon and could be fined $700.

"We've been to court with her three times and the judge just told her to clean it up," Hauser said. "We took pictures at various times. She has pled guilty in court before and cleaned up for a brief time. I will tell the judge she has been in court before for this."

Harry Windschitl suggested an ordinance for maintaining property in the city.

* Heard from Sleepy Eye Police Chief Don Mickelson that the Brown-Redwood-Lyon County Drug Task Force asked for money to help make drug buys by undercover agents.

"They (task force drug busts) cleaned up some bad places in town. I think we can find some money," councilor Dick Zinniel said.