After a failed attempt this year, the League of Minnesota Cities is trying to gather momentum in a renewed push to allow cities to designate their websites to publish public notices.
A resolution to do that, though, was voted down on a split 4-4 decision at Monday’s Little Falls City Council meeting.
Currently, state law requires cities to publish public notices in a designated official newspaper.
“It doesn’t say that this may be the only way of publication, but it would be potentially to publish certain notices on your website instead of, or in addition to, the official newspaper,” City Administrator Dan Vogt said, opening the door that the city could continue publishing notices in a newspaper while also doing so on its website.
However, that would probably lead to the eventual discarding of the newspaper, Mayor Cathy VanRisseghem said, with several residents who don’t have Internet access left out.
“I would just like to say that – granted we can do both – but it’s a situation that then you just have the option of getting rid of the paper completely, which would be really difficult for a lot of individuals in this area that don’t have computers,” VanRisseghem said. “If we went specifically to just website advertising, there are going to be a lot of people who are not going to get these notices.”
VanRisseghem was joined by Council President Don Klinker and Council Members Leeann Doucette and Frank Gosiak in voting no.
Voting yes for the resolution were Council Members Loren Boyum, Jeremy Hanfler and Greg Zylka and Council Member At Large Brian-Paul Crowder.
The issue is not likely to go away anytime soon, Vogt said, perhaps not until it is passed.
“It is dead for 2014 but they plan to bring it back in the 2015 session,” Vogt said.
In other business Monday, the Little Falls City Council:
•Accepted letter of retirement from Stephen Mahling, water treatment facility;
• Received an update on municipal state aid street revisions, subtracting certain streets to allow for the designation of others;
• Approved new land use regulation that clarifies between apartments and dwellings;
• Agreed to advertise for up to four seasonal summer laborers;
• Appointed Peter Balaski the city’s street and park foreman;
• Accepted public donations from Little Falls Dray of freight hauling to transport playground equipment and from Sears of $2,490 for the Fire Department.
• Established the expected number of vendors for Arts and Crafts Fair, Market Place Fair and West Little Falls Antiques and Collectibles Fair;
• Heard from Tim Terrill about grants available to “MS4” cities, which are cities located near the Mississippi River headwaters.
• Listened to a presentation from the Boys and Girls Club about converting approximately half of the current parking stalls into green space for their West Side location;
• Chose to hold to precedent set in 2010 and not accept a request to waive a building permit fee by Alliance Church; and
• Approved an agreement with the county regarding construction, operation and maintenance of roads and public utilities within the Little Falls city limits. The Morrison County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the agreement Tuesday.
The next Little Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.
