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A proposed solar power system at Century Elementary School took another step toward becoming reality on Tuesday, May 26.
The Park Rapids City Council approved a conditional use permit (CUP) for Green2 Electric to build a 500-kilowatt, ground-mounted, behind-the-meter solar photovoltaic system at Century School.
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City Planner Ben Oleson said a little over 1,200 solar panels will be installed, measuring less than 10 feet tall.
He said the city’s planning commission recommended approval with 15 conditions, including providing information proving compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) regulations about solar panels near airport landing zones.
“They did provide some information,” said Oleson, adding that the city engineer who works with the airport wrote to him that MnDOT does not have specific guidance on solar arrays, but Airport Safety Zone C (which applies to the area) permits objects that cause glare in pilots’ eyes.
Also, Oleson reported, the engineer said the FAA has determined that solar arrays cause no more glare in pilots’ eyes than bodies of water, building glass and parking lots.
Council member Jeremy Engholm’s motion to approve the CUP passed 4-0, absent Mayor Pat Mikesh.
The council also approved a minor subdivision of a 6.72-acre parcel at 720 Western Ave. S.
According to Oleson, property owner Sarah Ann Gribble asked that it be divided into two parcels – a 4.47 acre parcel fronting Western Avenue and a 2.25 acre property fronting Larson Avenue, both already served by city utilities and zoned R-2 single-family, two-family and townhome residential.
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Finally, Oleson asked the council to approve a correction in a document that was filed regarding a minor subdivision that was approved on March 24. This was about a Minnesota DNR parcel that was divided between the owners of two adjacent parcels on the Fish Hook River, off State Hwy. 34.
He said pages from an unrelated document were inadvertently recorded and the relevant pages were omitted. The corrected filing will also include full ownership information for one of the parcels, which was not accurately stated in the March 24 filing.
The council also rescinded a previous resolution approving a labor agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers (UCFW) Local 1189, representing employees at Rapids Spirits Liquor Store, and approved a replacement contract extending through the end of 2028.
City Administrator Angel Weasner said the union denied the contract after it was approved last November. Negotiations continued and have been finalized with one change, she said.
Later, Weasner told the Enterprise that the updated contract provides a single-issue opener regarding their health insurance.
“They had negotiated an increase in their benefit, and they decided that they wanted the same as everybody else,” she said, explaining that the single-issue opener enables them to reopen the contract to discuss that one item this fall, when the city receives new insurance rates.
In consent items and general business, the council:
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The city council’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 9 at city hall.
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