49.0° Fair News ▼ About Government ▼ Residents ▼ Business ▼ How Do I? Council's Corner A bimonthly newsletter brought to you by the Columbus City Council. Welcome to the Council's Corner! Not meant to be a substitute for detailed Council minutes, this newsletter will highlight newsworthy items, actions, and future events. A new issue will be published after every City Council meeting and will be drafted by a Council member. Council Corner authors will rotate each week so that you hear from each of us in our own voices. We’d love to hear from you too! Our contact information is provided below. Also check out the Mayor’s Message on the City Website. Register to receive Council Corner messages via email on our email registration page. Mayor Jesse Preiner Term Ends: January 2023 Email: mayorjessep at ci.columbus.mn.us Phone: 651-464-3120 Council Members Rob Busch Term Ends: January 2025 E-mail: councilrbusch at ci.columbus.mn.us Phone: 651-464-3120 Janet Hegland Term Ends: January 2023 Email: counciljaneth at ci.columbus.mn.us Phone: 651-301-1757 Shelly Logren Term Ends: January 2023 Email: councilslogren at ci.columbus.mn.us Phone: 651-464-7482 Sue Wagamon Term Ends: January 2025 E-mail: councilswagamon at ci.columbus.mn.us Phone: 651-464-3120 Index Vol. 1, Issue 9 - October 27, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 8 - October 13, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 7 - September 22, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 6 - September 8, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 5 - August 25, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 4 - August 11, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 3 - July 28, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 2 - July 14, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 1 - June 23, 2021 Vol. 1, Issue 9 - October 27, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Wagamon. Lakes Center for Youth & Families (LC4YF) – Approval for a Premise Permit for Charitable Gambling The City Council approved a premise permit for Lakes Center for Youth & Families to conduct charitable gambling at Running Aces Casino Hotel and Racetrack. LC4YF is a non-profit organization offering counseling, intervention, and enrichment programs to individuals young and old in Forest Lake and surrounding areas for over 45 years. Proceeds from charitable gambling support their counseling services which uses evidence-based approaches and therapy to treat a variety of conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma-related disorders. Their enrichment program provides afterschool and summer programming to learn positive decision-making skills. Revenue sources to support their programs have changed over the years and they rely on individuals and corporations to support their programs. Waldoch Addition & Street Smart Rental Following Planning Commission review and a Public Hearing on October 6, 2021, with public input, the City Council approved the preliminary plat for a new industrial park named “Waldoch Addition” planned in the Commercial/Industrial district on the west side of Lake Drive. The industrial park will include 7 lots with a new road entering from Lake Drive and will be named “137th Avenue.” A right turn lane will be added to the southbound side of Lake Drive to enter 137th. A bypass lane will be added to the northbound side of Lake Drive to accommodate for left turns onto 137th. The City Council also approved a Conditional Use Permit for GM Columbus, LLC to allow construction of a contractor shop office/warehouse for Street Smart Rental in lot #4 of the industrial park. Street Smart Rental is a national sales and rental business for traffic safety equipment currently located in Lino Lakes. Street Smart Rental, who have been in business since 1999, will be relocating their current headquarters from Lino Lakes to the Waldoch Addition industrial park. Welcome Street Smart to the neighborhood! Residential Zoned Businesses – Ordinance 7A-806 Reviewal – Continued The City Council continued discussions regarding non-standard requests for Interim Use Permits (IUPs) for home-based businesses and the potential moratorium that is being considered to allow new businesses in residential areas until the grey areas can be defined. The City Council is taking the moratorium into consideration in order to balance potential new businesses and city staff focus on the revision of city ordinance updates. The Council requested revisions to the moratorium that would allow more flexibility for the citizens, along with consideration of city staff time for further discussion at the next Council meeting. Assistant to City Administrator – Offer Approved The 2021 budget allowed for the hiring of an Assistant to the City Administrator, which has come to fruition over the last several weeks. Careful consideration of what this new position would entail took some time to establish. The City was looking for someone who is an effective communicator, strategic and results oriented. The job description required 5 years of administrative/analytical experience within a governmental unit, along with skills in technology, decision-making, and service oriented. The current Columbus Public Communications Coordinator, Jessica Hughes, applied for the position and the Council approved to extend an offer to her. Jessica has been with the City of Columbus since 2016 and has been an asset to the city. Jessica’s unique combination of skills and educational background will greatly benefit the city. Once the offer is accepted, the vacant Public Communications Coordinator position will be posted. Congratulations Jessica! [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 8 - October 13, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Members Logren and Hegland. Running Aces to Improve Signage off I-35 The addition of a hotel to the Running Aces business during the difficult economic challenge of COVID-19 has prompted the need for bigger and better signage along the I-35 corridor. Running Aces has been an important supporter of Columbus for 13 years. The existing 65-foot-high sign is now being visually encroached upon by neighboring trees. Surrounding billboards compete for traffic attention from motorists on the highway, many of those seeking entertainment at the popular venue. Existing elevations and the facility’s distance from the highway require better visibility of a sign to direct visitors. Running Aces will be constructing an improved sign that will measure 80 feet tall, with top of the LED feature measuring 58 feet in height. EMI Signs hired by Running Aces has done extensive research to assure the community that the lights on the sign will be directed at traffic with minimum impact on the rest of the community. The sign will also be utilized to broadcast Amber Alerts and other public service and safety messaging. Residential Zoned Businesses – Ordinance 7A-806 Reviewal City Staff has noticed an increase in non-standard requests for Interim Use Permits (IUP’s) regarding home-based businesses and with complaints about businesses operating in residential zoned areas of the city. The pandemic has inspired many people to work from home or create businesses operating from their residence. If a residential zoned business does not alter the nature of the neighborhood with odors, noise, bright lighting, clutter, or traffic it is not considered a nuisance. In areas where there is ample room between properties, adequate trees and/or fencing, and storage buildings to shield the public from the on-going business there are few complaints from the neighbors. It becomes problematic in more intimate neighborhoods where the home-based business is evident or with businesses that are better suited to operate in commercial district. It is important to distinguish between a residential zoned business and a home occupation business, where residents are allowed to utilize up to 20% of their home for a home office and do not have outside employees. Similarly, working remotely from home for your employer has not been considered a problem and is usually invisible to neighbors. Residential zoned businesses typically operate out of accessory buildings such as a pole barn or garage and/or utilize a larger percentage of the residence to house the business. The current city ordinances (7 A-806) on residential zoned businesses have not kept up with this evolving home-based business concept. As an example, the non-standard request for food truck storage and or preparation of food for said truck does not easily fit into previous parameters. In addition, new parameters on what qualifies as a cottage industry has been issued by The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and need to be considered in the city ordinance updates. (See MDA notice at Columbus site 10-13-21 City Council Meeting Agenda packet 1, pages 75-77). A moratorium is being considered by the council on allowing new businesses in residential areas until these grey areas can be defined and dealt with in the Ordinance 7A-806 and providing adequate time to allow for thoughtful consideration and input of these evolving trends and regulations. Ongoing Efforts to Improve Internet Connections in Columbus The City Council and Staff have focused on leveraging grant opportunities to improve high speed internet access in the City of Columbus. Last year, Federal CARES Act funding was used to upgrade a neighborhood of just under 50 homes with access to high-speed internet. This year 16 more homes were added to that neighborhood with grant money Midco received. The City has been allocated federal ARPA funds this year and the Council committed most of it ($300,000) to broadband expansion. We leveraged those dollars with matching funds from Anoka County ARPA funds resulting in a total of $600,000 committed for broadband expansion over the next two years. The total number of homes that will have enhanced access is still being negotiated but will number over 200. NO LOCAL TAX dollars were levied for either expansion. We are engaging multiple Internet providers to assist our community, using their grant money as it becomes available. We are also pursuing the future possibility of Federal money directed to Columbus to improve infrastructure. The parameters used to determine where the monies will be used to expand access are predicated on providing access to unserved or underserved (by Federal definition of speed) areas, serving the most homes for dollars spent, and where the Internet Providers are willing to expand their services. Fall Fest Future As we all know, Fall Fest was cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic. In the past, the Lions Club organization has contributed much of the effort involved in organizing and providing food/activity options, along with volunteers from the Senior Center and the local Elementary school organization. These entities supported the Fall Fest as a fundraising opportunity to benefit their respective endeavors. In addition, the car show and demonstrations from local law enforcement, fire protection and the boy scouts occurred based on invitations from the city. Volunteer contributions funded the pie/ice cream social and petting zoo. The city contributed tax dollars for the organizational meetings, setting up of the site, on-site sanitation stations, traffic control and clean-up. Discussions are now being held to determine if the Fall Fest should continue in its present format. A renewed focus on community building and outreach has been discussed. Seminars on septic maintenance and Arbor Day demonstrations/raffles are examples of community gatherings in the past that spoke to our needs and interests. A combining of educational and community building activities on a chosen day PLUS the fundraising efforts from various entities might provide a better balance and increase interest from the community. Citizens could be informed about our local businesses to support and businesses could be encouraged to fund some activities at the event. Educational booths could be set up from local services (University of Minnesota, Carlos Avery, Anoka County Extension, Water Management Organizations, etc.) addressing septic maintenance, tree care, well considerations, livestock questions, gardening around wildlife, noxious weed control, and/or poisonous plants in the area. Other cities have successfully hosted community events that are supported by a large group of volunteers. That is what is needed to bring a community building event to fruition in Columbus. The question is: do we have enough volunteers who want a Fall Fest or an annual community event that will reflect the unique nature of Columbus or do we want to continue to enjoy a small celebration that has a few entities’ fundraising at its core? If we want the former, we need sincere, dedicated volunteers that will be responsible for the planning and execution of the various functions of the celebration. Stay tuned for more on this topic and potential opportunities to volunteer! [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 7 - September 22, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Wagamon. St. Clair Lakes Final Plat & Development Agreement An application for a Final Plat approval to allow on a twenty-one (21) lot development for market rate detached single family dwellings development to proceed was approved by the City Council on September 27th. The developer, St Clair Terrain Company, has indicated that they would like to begin construction of a model home as soon as this year. The name of the new development is St. Clair Lakes, and will be located just south of Howard Lake and north of Lake Drive, off the recently extended Zurich Street. The development will be served with public water and sewer and receive it’s access from a private drive. City staff have worked diligently with the developer over the last couple years throughout the process of land purchase, permits, contracts, and preliminary & final plat. We are very excited all their hard work has come to fruition! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Johns Black Dirt Wetland Bank The multi-year wetland mitigation project for Johns Black Dirt is complete. In 2012, a local mining company had a wetland mitigation plan approved to mitigate the disturbance the business had on the wetlands on the property. Once their mining operation had ceased in 2018, the company began taking steps to execute the mitigation plan. Final Site restoration was completed in 2018. The final restoration resulted in the creation of 80,570 square feet of wetlands. In September of 2021, representatives from Anoka Conservation District, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, and wetland consultants with the City of Columbus, acting as the Local Government Unit for the Sunrise River Water Management Organization, conducted a final review and determined that the mitigation area is intact with no erosion issues and has been appropriately plants with wetland seed. The City Council approved this final decision presented by the wetland professionals. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sandberg Driveway The City Council, acting as the Local Government Unit for the Sunrise River Water Management Organization, voted and approved a wetland replacement plan for a property owner in northwestern Columbus. The Property owner was proposing to impact 0.2122 acres of wetland to construct a driveway to City Standards that would access the Property Owner’s proposed single-family dwelling. The Property had approximately two upland areas in which to build on, however, the upland area that did not require any impacts to wetlands was too small and constrained by setback requirements to accommodate the proposed build. The replacement of wetlands will be through a banking system, with the Property owner purchasing 0.4244 wetland banking credit. Forest Lake Cable Commission (FLCC) Budget Approved Paul Peterson, FLCC Access Coordinator, presented the Forest Lake Cable Commission 2022 budget, which the City Council approved. Lakes Area Community Television (LATV) serves as the area’s public access television station providing communication and entertainment choices for the communities of Columbus and Forest Lake. Forest Lake and Columbus have established the 4-member Forest Lake Cable Commission (FLCC) that sets policy for the station. LATV covers Forest Lake area sporting events, City Council meetings, and special events. LATV partnered with Forest Lake Area High School and Forest Lake Police Department to produce a short film called “Mock Car Crash – 2021.” The film depicts how the combination of high school students, partying, and vehicles can turn into a tragic situation. It’s a must see! Go to Lakes Area TV - Home (latvten.com). 2022 Preliminary Levy The City Council has held meetings over the last several weeks to determine the 2022 preliminary levy for the 2022 City Budget. As a new Council Member, it was a great learning experience in understanding everything that needs to be factored into the final numbers. There is much more to the equation than personnel, services, equipment, and supplies. I believe that myself, along with all council members, took a serious conservative approach in looking at all aspects of the budget, from the cost of inflation and balancing the needs of a growing city. The City Council voted on the 2022 levy with a relatively flat tax rate (2022 = 48.34%) compared to last year (2021 = 48.28%). The final tax levy for 2022 will be voted on at the City Council meeting on December 8, 2021. There will be a public open forum for Columbus residents and property owners to comment on the 2022 Budget and Levy during that City Council meeting. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 6 - September 8, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Busch. Columbus EDA Meeting 9-8-21 The Columbus EDA met on 9-8-21 prior to the City Council meeting. As a group we discussed our list of goals we would like to obtain. The goals were as follows: Addressing fiscal disparities legislation, New messages on City billboards, Concept plans for NW and SW I-35 quadrants in our freeway district, Plantings in the roundabout at Kettle River Blvd. and Broadway Avenue, Landscaping at the new Lake Drive roundabout, Attracting new businesses to Columbus and how to retain current businesses, o After the pandemic subsides, we plan to visit businesses to show appreciation and gather feedback, In 2022 we look to continue our ColumBiz event, time and date TBD. City Council Meeting 9-8-21 The majority of our City Council workshop and regular meeting on 9-8-21 was spent talking about our city budgets – weighing what the residents need to keep Columbus a fun, safe, and inviting place to live, play, and grow. Many factors have come into play with lengthy conversations on whether to decrease police staff, add extra code enforcement through our sub-contractor MNSPECT, reinstating the tree board, as well as allotting funding for Arbor Day and Fall Fest. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 5 - August 25, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Logren Improving Internet Connectivity in Columbus Internet service has been increasingly important to all of us. Working from home because of COVID-19 demands and the salability of our properties in a competitive world are only two of the reasons we desire and need better internet service. Internet service in Columbus is generally poor and inconsistent. In the past, internet providers have given our community wide berth because it has been insufficiently profitable to solicit in our area. This was due to our five-acre minimum lot size and an abundance of wetlands. It was simply too expensive to run cable for long distances between residences. One option was to pay for connections ourselves through coordination of neighbors. This method was expensive and difficult to coordinate even if a provider and the neighborhood was willing to participate. Recently, through City efforts, we have been able to procure government funds to encourage internet providers to infiltrate parts of our City. Requesting substantial ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds from Anoka County and contributing ARPA funds received by the City has enabled us to contract to connect 196 homes to high-speed internet in Columbus through Midco. CenturyLink/Lumen has also expressed interest in working with us on other parts of the City. We have all seen the federal infrastructure bills being introduced which may provide more funds in the near future to increase availability of improved internet service in other parts of Columbus. Incrementally, we will achieve our goal of universal connectivity. There is an interesting sidelight to our efforts. Suggestions from Columbus City Councilmember Janet Hegland influenced Anoka County to use previously undedicated ARPA funds in Columbus and surrounding communities to improve internet availability. Her request encouraged Anoka County to direct county ARPA funds in a specific direction to benefit us all. Thanks Janet! Improving City Communications Having City announcements sent to your e-mail has been available for several years. Originally it was designed to alert you to what was submitted as an official notice in the local paper. As we all know, newspapers are falling out of use and e-mail became an inexpensive way to inform citizens of City business that might affect their lives. Every time we sent a notice through the U.S. mail it costs the City (and you, through your taxes) approximately $1,500. Recently, changes in privacy laws have made it possible to send you many types of communication without sharing your e-mail address with others. We encourage you to follow the link on the Columbus City home page to update or sign up for e-mail communications. We are all too busy to attend every Planning Commission or Council meeting. Circumvent meeting attendance by receiving e-mail updates. The old saying “Vote or give up your right to complain” is becoming more poignant in these trying times. It could also be said to “Be informed or give up your right to complain.” Please consider providing your e-mail address, and if you have already done so, still update your preferences on what you wish to receive. Go to “Register for Email Updates” on the City's website, and choose what type of communications you would like to receive. Be sure to respond to the e-mail you receive requesting that you VALIDATE your e-mail, or changes/additions will not occur. If you encounter problems with registering or receiving your e-mail notices, please call the City Offices at 651-419-9014. Budgets, Budgets, Budgets The City Council and Staff are having budget meetings now and through the Fall. Just as you must budget for everyday expenses and save for future expenses, so does the City of Columbus. Our City Administrator, Elizabeth Mursko, guides the City Council in separating the wants and needs of Columbus which is not an easy task with members of the Council changing every four years. Newbies learn the state-mandated costs and regulations while all members grapple with decisions made in the past by other administrations. All decisions are open to public scrutiny. This is where you will discover where your tax dollars are spent on the local level. We all know that police protection (in our case the Anoka Sheriff) and fire protection are necessary expenditures but a large cost comes in the form of road maintenance. Maintaining 66 miles of asphalt and gravel for a community of 1,500 households is a challenge to say the least. Equipment, maintenance of that equipment, manpower for snowplowing, salt distribution, patching, resurfacing, grading, calcium chloride application, mowing, and roundabout maintenance cost more every year. This is a short explanation of a portion of the expenditures that are reviewed annually. All budget meetings, also billed as special meetings, are announced on the City's website. Notifications can also be sent to your e-mail address. You are welcome to attend but these meetings are not interactive with the citizens until a public hearing is held for the final budget. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 4 - August 11, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Busch. Camp 3 Road Temporary Closure After multiple discussions with Anoka County the City Council has approved a temporary closure of Camp 3 Coad at the intersection east of Kettle River Blvd. The County had recently presented crash data from the intersection that has led to this. The temporary closure would not likely happen until fall. There will be public interaction and mailings sent out to inform the area's residents about this taking place. The temporary closure would direct traffic to the south intersection of Kettle River Blvd. and Lake Drive. At this point it would only be a temporary measure to collect traffic data and study traffic trends. Continuation of Community Center Closure Due to increased infection rates and the delta variant strain of COVID-19 the Council voted that the community center will remain closed through January of 2022. If rates of COVID-19 transmission subside the council will revisit the matter before January 2022 to see if it may be possible to open the community center for the Lions pancake breakfast fundraisers as well as the senior's meetings. 2020 Financial Books Audit The Council voted to accept the audit report after a presentation by Andy Hering of RedPath. EDA Presentation by Anoka County EDA and Connexus Energy Samantha Markman of Anoka County Economic Development presented collaboration opportunities as well as target industries in our areas of development. Bruce Saylor of Connexus EDA spoke of marketing the Minnesota Technology Corridor, which includes parts of Columbus where they could help attract data centers etc. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 3 - July 28, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Hegland. Recreational Supply Corp. Expands Business Recreational Supply Corporation (RSC), an aluminum and steel trailer distributor that serves the immediate five state area, has operated in Columbus’ freeway district since 1996. The owners recently approached the City with plans to expand their business to increase trailer assembly capacity and efficiency. The company primarily serves powersports and boat dealers (boat, ATC, motorcycle, snowmobile retailers) and also carries open and closed utility trailers. RSC is committed to providing unmatched service not only to dealers, but also to the retail customer. Their expansion includes a large addition (3,360 sq. ft) to the current building’s footprint, increasing the size to just over 10,000 square feet of warehouse/storage, assembly, and office space. The expansion will also increase their staff to twelve employees. The current Hornsby Street access driveway will be moved to the south and an additional exit and gate will be installed onto 152nd Ave. A small display area of finished product will highlight seasonal trailer lines and newly introduced models. RSC has been a valued Columbus business for 25 years and the Council was pleased to approve their permit to expand. Construction will begin Spring 2022. Muddy Paws Daycare, Boarding, and Grooming to Change Ownership Muddy Paws opened its doors at 15120 W. Freeway Drive in June 2012, to provide a home away from home for pups of all shapes and sizes while mom and dad are away. The current owners operate a Muddy Paws facility in both Columbus and Andover and are in the process of selling the Columbus location to a long-time Muddy Paws employee. Dog daycare, boarding and grooming will remain the core business focus, and an expansion of pet retail offerings, a change of the exterior color and signage and a sprucing up on the interior aesthetic to create a more welcoming environment for the dogs and their owners was proposed. Future plans may include adding cat boarding services and partnering with other Columbus businesses to offer pet care services to compliment their core business. Earlier this Spring, the Council approved a zoning change to include small animal boarding, daycare and grooming as a conditional use in this area of the city and recently approved a text amendment to the current code to allow for this business to operate under a Conditional Use Permit as a bridge until the new zoning ordinance is adopted sometime later this year. With that administrative step taken and with review of the application, the Council approved Muddy Paws’ Conditional Use Permit at the July 28th meeting, paving the way for the transfer of ownership. We welcome the new owners to Columbus! Clear Channel Outdoor, LLC Billboard Upgrade Due to concern regarding the number and appearance of billboards along the I35 freeway leading into Columbus, a moratorium on Billboards was established through the end of 2020 to research and review the current standards and specifications for billboards in the City of Columbus. To balance property owner’s interest in leasing land to billboard companies with maintaining a visually pleasing appeal at the freeway gateway to Columbus, the City Council amended its Billboard ordinances to include: the requirement for column support improvements, decreasing the length of an approved Interim Use Permit (IUP) from 20 years to 10 years, increasing the spacing between billboards, and creating a sunset date for all billboards approved via IUP. As a result, Clear Channel Outdoor, LLC, removed 11 billboards from the freeway corridor and submitted for review and approval, four IUP applications for seven of the twelve remaining billboards that had IUPs due for renewal. The new billboard column enclosures consist of a six-foot wide by twelve-foot-high base, constructed of a steel frame surround by a cultured stone veneer. On top of the base there is to be four-feet wide by fifteen-feet-high stucco panels set in a steel frame. In addition, a “Columbus” sign in an oval metal pan style, with the color and font to match the new Columbus bridge, will be affixed to the stucco panels. The Council approved all four IUPs at their July 28th meeting. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 2 - July 14, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Wagamon. 2021 Recycling Program Update The City Council approved a larger single-sort recycling receptacle at City Hall for all residents to use. Due to the increase in cardboard collections the City staff explored the option of a “cardboard only” dumpster on the premises. After further review they determined that a larger single-sort receptacle would not increase our current cost. The receptacle will be placed along the fence next to the organics collection. Reminder of upcoming recycling events: Bicycle Collection Event on September 8, 2021 from 8am – 5pm Recycling Drop Off Event on September 11, 2021 from 9am – 1pm Free Fix-It Clinic on December 4, 2021 from 10am – 1pm Questions? Contact us at: 651-464-3120 x1010 Speed Limit Policy Speed limits are designed to enhance safety, and safety is a high priority for City Staff and Council. The City Council reviewed and approved a proposal from the City Engineer partner Bolton & Menk to establish guidelines for setting speed limits on City streets. Speed limit data, traffic volumes, crash data, and adjacent land use will inform the development of a Speed Limit Policy. The policy will identify changes to City street speed limits using a consistent approach that is data driven. Outfront Media LLC Billboard Upgrades in I-35 Corridor Outfront Media LLC currently owns and operates 5 billboards in the City of Columbus. Two of the 5 have been in place for 20 years and have come up for permit renewal. The City Council approved a new Interim Use Permit that will reflect amended requirements in the City Code. The billboards will be updated with a stone column covering and a Columbus logo sign. [ Return to Top ] Vol. 1, Issue 1 - June 23, 2021 This edition is provided by Council Member Hegland. Moody's Upgrades City of Columbus Bond Rating The City Council passed a resolution at the 06.23.21 Council meeting, awarding the sale of a General Obligation Street Reconstruction Bond that will be used to finance the reconstruction of Hornsby Street South and to refinance prior bonds at a more favorable interest rate, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in interest over the life of the bond. On June 4, 2021, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the city's general obligation unlimited tax rating to Aa3 from A1. Moody’s noted the City’s credit strengths of robust operating reserves and liquidity; growth tax base; and above average resident wealth and income profile. The City’s financial advisor, Northland Securities, communicated to the City Council that in these uncertain financial times rating agencies have been hesitant to upgrade municipal bond ratings, so it is a strong statement of confidence in Columbus’ creditworthiness to receive this upgrade! It also meant receiving a very favorable interest rate, significantly lower than what was planned, resulting in savings to our taxpayers. EcoFun Motor Sports to Relocate to Columbus Since 2008, Ecofun Motor Sports has been selling and servicing motorized recreational vehicles, steadily growing their business while earning a reputation for saving their customers money (Eco); and adding some fun into people's daily lives (fun). On June 23, 2021, a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for Ecofun Motorsports, currently located on Lake Street in Forest Lake, was approved to build and operate a new facility next to Viking Industrial on the north side of Lake Drive, just 400 feet east of Zurich St. Ecofun currently sells scooters, mopeds, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, electric bicycles and side by sides. The proposed facility will be approximately 28,000 sq. ft and will include a vehicle showroom area, service area and warehouse space. Their design includes room for future expansion. Construction of their beautifully designed building is planned to begin yet this season. Ecofun is excited to relocate to Columbus, having outgrown its existing space in Forest Lake, and we are excited to welcome this family owned and operated business to our community! City View Electric, Inc. to Expand Business Since 1986, City View Electric, Inc. has provided a wide range of electrical services for the greater Midwest region, including design build, plan and spec, renovations, tenant improvements, maintenance, and low voltage technology. City View Electric will soon be expanding its services to include assembly and installation of security shades, used to protect property from vandalism and theft. A new 21,000 square foot building will be added to the City View Electric campus, located at 14309 Lake Drive, NE., to house this new business venture. The building exterior will match existing building finish colors and will include office space, a reception area, warehouse and assembly. The City Council approved a Preliminary/Final Plat to add 18.5 acres to the City View campus and a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to construct the building and operate the new security screen business. City View has been a valued anchor business on Lake Drive and we welcome the planned expansion to their portfolio of services! [ Return to Top ] Official Website of Columbus, Minnesota © Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved City Hall Address 16319 Kettle River Blvd. NE Columbus MN 55025 Phone 651-464-3120 Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 – 4:00 Wednesday 8:00 – 5:00 Site Map | Contact Us | Accessibility Statement Government Websites by GovOffice