Council debates addition of battery pack storage

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Better-than-expected bid prices could result in a rather large expansion of New York Mills’ solar project at city hall.  ¶  During its regularly scheduled meeting last week, the NY Mills City Council heard that favorable bidding prices for an expansive solar project led by West Central Initiative throughout the region has resulted in additional funding that is available for a number of communities. Due to this additional funding the organization identified a few communities, like NY Mills, that could potentially benefit from a battery pack to store solar energency as part of the project.  

¶  The battery pack would allow the city to store electricity it collects to use in the event of a power outage, or excess electrical use. The cost for the battery pack storage would add $40,000 to the project, of which grants would bring the cost down to NY Mills to just $7,500.

However, city clerk Julie Roberts said the city council did not get the potential change to the solar project until just before the meeting last Tuesday night and the council opted to hold off on the project as a whole to answer a number of questions, including: whether the battery pack would be used by the city, making sure connecting the solar panels into the electrical system was included in the report, a copy of the engineering report to ensure the solar panels would not be too heavy for the roof and several questions regarding the annual maintenance agreement that shows a potential annual three percent increase. 

NY Mills is one of several communities across the region that is looking at a solar energy project, which is being spearheaded by WCI. Including the battery pack, the overall cost of the solar project would be $145,556.70. With incentives and grants, the cost to NY Mills will be just $14,400. 

In order to help local communities fund the project, WCI is offering zero percent loans to fund the city’s portion of the project that will be paid for through the cost savings generated by the solar energy. NY Mills is expected to save approximately $4,800 annually by utilizing the solar energy.

While the city held off on the project as a whole in order to get more information about the solar battery pack, it did approve the funding package presented by WCI that featured a zero percent loan from the organization and the grants as a whole.

The city council said it will seek the information regarding the battery pack and act on the solar project at an upcoming meeting.

In addition to the solar project, the city council heard a report from the public works committee in regards to the future of the city sidewalk snow removal service. The council has heard that the program, which provides snow removal service for downtown NY Mills businesses for as little as $1.25 per linear foot just six years ago, was losing money as the city needed to make repairs to the public works department’s equipment. 

As a result, the city has increased the cost of the program to $2.50 per linear foot last year and is proposing $5 per linear foot with a minimum of $170 charge next year.

The public works committee recommended three different options for the city council to consider:

• Provide snow removal service at no cost to affected businesses in the downtown NY Mills area at the city’s discretion based on traffic priority basis

• Offer the program with the increased fees of $5 per linear foot and $170 minimum charge

• Discontinue the program if 90 percent of the businesses do not participate in the program. 

While a vast majority of the businesses in downtown NY Mills have participated in the program in the past, the city council has said in the past it may be in favor of discontinuing the program if not enough businesses participate in the program due to the increased costs. Should the city discontinue the program, businesses in the downtown area would be responsible for removing their own snow from the sidewalk in front of their property, or hire a private contractor to do so. 

Letters will be sent to businesses in the downtown NY Mills area who have been served by the sidewalk snow service program to gauge the interest in the program moving forward, along with the new cost structure. If not enough interest is received in the program it could be discontinued as soon as this winter. 

In other news

• Heard the monthly liquor store report for Mills Liquors, which showed a decrease in net revenues year to date of 110.59 percent over last year. The liquor store has lost $1,255.02 before transfers in 2025, which includes a $7,696.04 loss on the off-sale side. The on-sale portion of the liquor store has made a profit of $6,441.02 prior to transfers. 

• Heard the monthly public works report from public works director Kyle Mattson who said the department collected lead and copper tap water monitoring samples last month. Two of the locations in town exceeded copper levels so the utility department is working on a solution to mitigate the issue and provide education to all drinking water customers. Mattson also told the council that the public works department has installed one of the three walking trail shelters on South Point and the department is hoping it can install the rest of the shelters in the next few weeks and then get concrete pads installed after that is completed.

• Approved a $350,000 bond at an interest rate of 4.5 percent to finance a new heating system and elevator panel upgrade at the City Center building and to pay costs associated with issuance of the certificate. 

• Acknowledged a grant the city has received from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, age friendly Minnesota program. The $32,000 grant will assist in making public shelter improvements to the South Point Walking Trail. 

• Approved a housing tax rebate application from Ben Lindroos for a new single family home in NY Mills. The housing tax rebate application is part of the city’s new housing tax rebate program aimed at spurring new house construction within the city limits.