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Politics & Government

Excelsior City Council Briefs: Election Boundaries and Finances

The Excelsior Brewing Company and the Third Street fire lane were among the topics covered during March city council meetings.

The continues to move forward in its plans for a summer opening. The company is working on changes to its logo and choosing the names and type of their starting beers.

“We love to work with the heritage of Excelsior,” said John Klick, president, as he responded to the city council members about beers the brewery will offer.

The council approved a conditional use permit for the establishment of the brewery. Klick said that they plan to make some design changes to the building, which the city council and appropriate commissions will review at a later date.

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City Finance Communications

The city council and the charter commission have been in discussions over a financial reporting document that the charter commission has proposed. The document would address communication to the public about the city’s budget and finances. City council members commented on the clarity of the document and that it is more broad than specific. Previous drafts were so complex that the council had concerns that future laws and regulations would render the document obsolete.

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If the charter commission proposes the document to the city council as an ordinance, the council could adopt it as an ordinance with a unanimous vote.

Third Street Fire Lane

City Attorney Kevin Staunton gave a presentation about the current state of the fire lane and future plans to address improvements to the area.

“The area has fallen into disrepair,” Staunton said.

He said that during the summer of 2011, neighbors complained of criminal activity occurring around the fire lane. Police responded to the issue and the city had the area fenced as a temporary fix.

A meeting in February on the fire lane revealed community members’ concerns about possible loss of access to the lake, cost of the project, and criminal activity. To receive the range of feedback and opinions, city staff will facilitate a community engagement process. Meetings with stakeholders will examine concerns and develop potential solutions. The city council will then have the opportunity to consider the proposed solutions.

Staunton estimated that meetings would begin by mid-April. The city would like to start work on the project sometime this year.

Other Notes

The 4-ton weight restriction on Excelsior city streets will be changed to 7 tons. The ordinance will be read and adopted during the Apr. 2 city council meeting.

Excelsior’s election boundaries and polling locations have not changed.

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