FAIRMONT– Several members of the community, including some from the Fairmont Lakes Foundation, Inc., spoke during open discussion at the Fairmont City Council meeting on Monday regarding the council’s reconsideration of approval on farm lease agreement terms. Specifically, the comments made were in regards to water quality in the chain of lakes.

At a previous meeting in December, the council adopted lease agreement terms that identified expectations relating to managing the property for agricultural purposes. At that meeting the council approved removing three items including to utilize no till farming practices, to establish cover crop immediately following and to work with the Martin Soil and Water Conservation District.

However on Monday Council Member Randy Lubenow, who had previously voiced to remove those three items, said he has since had conversations with some community members and had changed his mind regarding removing some of the items.

He made a motion to re-include 6.1.A but to amend it to say no till after harvest and to remove 6.1.B– to establish a cover crop immediately following ,or prior to, the harvest of row crops according to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Practice Standard Cover Crop Code 340– entirely.

Item 6.1.C would also be re-added, which is to work with the Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District to control soil erosion and storm water runoff.

Council Member Jay Maynard said that what originally got the council into discussing no till and cover crop were some small odd-shaped parcels around the airport that do not drain into the Chain of Lakes.

“We heard from a farmer who said that those provisions would be impractical at best for those properties. We’re actually dealing with two different classes of properties here, one is over by the Day Farm and other places that drain directly into our lakes and then there’s this other group of properties by the airport that doesn’t,” Maynard said.

He questioned whether the ‘no till after harvest’ bit needs to be added and Lubenow said that he didn’t think it would be an issue to add it.

“We’re trying, I believe, to hold the soil in place and that would be something that would do it,” Lubenow said.

The motion to re-add and amend the items passed unanimously.

Before approving the agenda, Council Member Britney Kawecki had asked to pull three items– 6.C.5, consideration to approve the purchase of a new pickup for the street department; 6.C.6, consideration to approve the purchase of a new pickup, dump body, hoist and snowplow for the park department and declare equipment as excess; 6.C.7, consideration to approve the purchase of a new pickup for the park department and declare equipment as excess– from the consent agenda and put them under council discussion which passed 3-2 with Councilors Hasek and Maynard opposed.

Public Works Director, Matthew York, said that the three vehicles in question are from 1993 and1994 and have some maintenance issues. He said they been put on the replacement schedule and previously put on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) by the council.

“Normal, useful life of a vehicle like this in a municipal setting is somewhere between eight and 12 years, and these are 30-plus years,” York said.

Finance Director Paul Hoye reiterated that the vehicles are both in the five year CIP and 2025 budget document.

Kawecki said she understood that the vehicles were about 30 years old and budgeted for but questioned how much use they get.

“Obviously they’re very old, but the problem I have is that we’re replacing three vehicles at the cost of $170,000… what are we using these vehicles for? Are they being used on a daily basis…?” Kawecki asked.

She questioned whether the vehicles were being used to their full extent. York explained that the vehicles would be put in a rotation with others in the fleet.

“We’re trying to get vehicles that we can not spend as much money on repairing on a monthly basis,” York said.

Park and Street Superintendent, Nick Lardy, explained some more specifics on the vehicles and what their uses will be.

Kawecki also asked whether they will get the trucks from a local dealership. Lardy said that the city has before but that they have not touched the state bid price. He said the city currently uses the state bid prices but that local companies can apply with the state to be in that process.

“We try to shoot for the least expensive truck, even on state bid, to save tax payer’s money,” Lardy said.

Ultimately the council unanimously approved of the three agenda items.

In other business, the council approved the second and final consideration of an ordinance amending Fairmont City Code, chapter 14 regarding licenses, permits and miscellaneous business regulations to regulate cannabis and hemp retail business registration and temporary cannabis events.

The following modifications were made: property line setback must be 700 ft. away from a school, 500 ft. away from a daycare, residential treatment facility, attraction within a public park that is regularly used by minors and 300 ft. away from another cannabis retail business. The hours of operation also need to be within the hours of 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The council on Monday had some discussion about limiting the number of registrations and originally considered a limit of two retail businesses within city limits with the potential of an additional municipal cannabis retailer.

However, Kawecki took issue with allowing two private businesses and said they city could always decide to allow for an additional one down the road but it could not go back.

Maynard pointed out that two businesses have already expressed interest in opening a retail store in the city of Fairmont.

Kawecki said, “There were no guidelines, expectations or promises made. As the city administrator stated during our meeting in December, it’s about what kind of city we want to be.”

She made a motion to allow for one retail business within city limits. Lubenow seconded it. The motion passed 4-1 with Maynard opposed.

In other action, the council:

— Adopted the special assessments for the Woodland Avenue improvement project.

— Elected Councilor Kawecki as the Mayor Pro-Tem; elected City Clerk Betsy Steuber as the Council Secretary; designated the Sentinel as the official newspaper; designated Bank Midwest as the official depository of city funds.

— Approved an update to the Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST)/ sick leave policy.

— Approved 3-2 to have Councilors Lubenow and James Kotewa serve on the new Charter Review Team.

— Approved authorizing staff to seek two volunteer citizens interested in serving on the Charter Review Team.

— Approved council assignments as liaisons to city boards and commissions.