City to increase cost to downtown businesses

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A long-standing snow removal program in the downtown business district could be on thin ice if participation does not increase in the near future. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Tuesday night the New York Mills City Council discussed the downtown snow removal program, which will see a dramatic increase in price for participating businesses over the next two years. City staff said earlier this year that the increase in price is necessary to cover the city’s cost for future maintenance and staff time to offer the program, but has also seen push back from some of the participating businesses who have said they will seek other options for snow removal this winter.

As part of the snow removal program, the participating downtown businesses pay a flat fee for snow removal each winter to the city. City staff members then remove the snow from the property as part of the usual snow removal process following a snowfall. However, some of the city’s equipment is beginning to show its age and the fee charged to businesses no longer covers the cost to provide the program. 

City councilman Jerry Nesland said he spoke with one downtown business owner recently who share they were no longer interested in having the city remove snow in front of their business due to the increased cost and will make arrangements on their own.

“The person said I would take care of it so it won’t be a problem,” he said.

However, Nesland said the individual raised another question that will also likely need to be addressed in the future. He said the person asked why the downtown district was required to follow city ordinances revolving around removing snow, but that same ordinance was not being enforced to clean the sidewalks throughout the city in the residential district.

In February the city council agreed to a step increase from just $1.50 per linear foot to $5 per linear foot within the next two years to cover future maintenance costs and staff time to provide the service. The cost for removing snow was increased to $2.50 per linear foot with an additional increase during the 2025-26 winter to $5 per linear foot.

Part of the discussion revolved around the best way to increase revenue for the program that is reportedly losing money due to labor shortages and necessary maintenance and upcoming repairs that will be needed on equipment, and yet not have businesses opt out of the program in favor of other snow removal options. 

If a business does not participate in the program the snow must be removed within 24 hours of a snowfall. If the snow is not removed the business could be subject to a fine under city ordinances, similar to the fine that could be imposed should a residential property owner not remove the snow from their sidewalk. This could be done by the business owner or a private contractor. Prior to this winter almost all of the businesses in the downtown business district participated in the city snow removal program. 

When the city council agreed to increase the price of removing snow in the downtown business district in February the council had discussed needing a minimum amount of participation that would be needed to continue the program. 

City councilman Richard Grotheer asked if removing the snow in the downtown district was contingent on a minimum amount of participation, or if the city would remove the snow regardless of participation this year in front of the businesses who wanted to participate in the program. In a letter to downtown property owners the city alluded to offering the program for the next two years, before potentially discontinuing the program if there is not enough interest in the program. 

Since the city has heard from about 1/3 of the businesses who could participate in the program, the city council said it will wait until November to make a final decision regarding removing snow from the sidewalks in the downtown district.

In other news

• Approved a request from the NY Mills Fire Relief Association to increase pension pay by $300. 

• Approved a request from the NY Mills Softball Association to pave the batting cages at Lund Park. The total cost of the project will be $13,650 of which $5,000 will be funded through a donation by Lunds, $5,000 will be covered by the Mills Softball Association and the remaining funding will come from the softball booster club and summer softball funds. The city council also heard that there are plans to look into safety netting between the two fields as well.

• Approved a request to use General Fund dollars to match the CDA Grant Application.

• Acknowledged a cash donation of $5,000 to the City of NY Mills from Arvig for the pool restoration project. 

• Heard the public utility department recently completed the Natural Gas System Leak Survey. There are over 600 services that equate to over 11 miles on top of 18 miles of main line the city staff walked during the process. 

• Heard the monthly call report from the NY Mills Police Department that showed 142 calls for service in September. There were six citations issued, 27 warnings and one arrest was made. 

• Heard the NY Mills Fire Department responded to 17 calls of service during the month of September, of which 13 were medical calls. The department also responded to a mutual aid for a wild land fire assist with the Perham Fire Department and two calls to investigate the smell of propane in the community. 

• Heard the monthly liquor store report from Mills Liquors which shows that sales were down seven percent as a percentage of sales from last year and net revenue is down 5.15 percent as a percentage of sales from last year.