Blair council questioned about tractor pull cancellation

Members of the Blair Cheese Festival committee expressed disappointment regarding city’s role in the cancellation of the annual truck and tractor pull, something that made a city council member say he wanted discuss the job performance of the city’s attorney.

Questions about if the pull could be held began in July when the city council unanimously voted to require the committee sign a waiver in order to hold the pull on the newly reconstructed Broadway St. In August, committee members questioned the waiver it had been presented, but were told that the city would follow

the advice of its attorney, Mark Radcliffe. As a result, the committee followed the advice of its own attorney by not signing the waiver and the pull was cancelled on Sept. 14.

“I think these last few months, if you did a critical analysis, you’d find there are a lot of things that could’ve been done differently to maybe end with a different result,” Rich Tenneson, committee member, said.

While the council agreed on Aug. 7 that it would not consider a revised waiver, Tenneson said the committee presented one to Radcliffe on Aug. 16. The modified waiver, Tenneson said, would’ve covered all bases and referenced a state statute that showed the maximum liability the city would have to pay was $50,000, whereas the waiver required the committee to be liable for injury or damages up to $2 million.

“That could’ve made a big difference to us,” Tenneson said.

However, he didn’t think the revised waiver was ever reviewed. “It’s kind of unfortunate that, to my knowledge, I don’t think anybody in the city got a copy of that letter.”

Committee member Mary Oldendorf said she thought a resolution could’ve been reached, but the lack of communication is where it fell apart.

“We felt we had kept our end of the bargain, but unfortunately it sort of blew up in our faces,” Oldendorf said. “I hope we can have a better working relationship in the future and that you would listen to what we have to say and at least we could talk about it and that’s where I think we were failed.”

Committee member Brian Stenberg said he was told multiple council members had never even read the waiver.

“You’re elected and paid to do that,” Stenberg said. “It just failed, it’s a big down fall. It makes everybody look bad in our city. It’s going to hurt a lot of businesses and donations we make to the school the city, whatever it may be. It was a big loss.”

Oldendorf noted that the committee’s expenses were already locked in, so the cancellation of the pull was a considerable financial loss. She also pointed out that all of the money raised through Cheese Fest is donated back to the community.

“That’s where our money is spent,” Oldendorf said. “And we don’t get paid for our position, we do it out of the goodness of our hearts and because we want to serve our community. I don’t like serving my community in those negative kinds of ways that we had to deal with.”

Council member Jeremy Tranberg agreed with committee members and said he had asked for his concerns about Radcliffe to be placed on the agenda for last week’s meeting. He said they were on the original agenda, but had been taken off.

“I called (city clerk Debi Fremstad) and asked why it was not on the agenda and I was told that John (Rawson), our mayor, said it had to go to the committee,” Tranberg said. “Then, after speaking to John, he said he never said that and that Debi said it had to go to the committee.”

Tranberg said he doesn’t think the issue will ever be discussed.

“I don’t believe there will ever be a committee meeting on this topic,” Tranberg said. “I want this on record that I have major concerns with the way things are being run with our city.”

During the Aug. 7 meeting, Radcliffe told the council that they could change the waiver.

“That’s up to you guys. If you want something changed, we can discuss it — even though I’m probably going to say I don’t agree with it. But I’m just the lawyer, you’re the elected officials,” Radcliffe said at that time.

In other action, the council approved various changes to city ordinances as presented by the police and ordinance committee. The council asked Radcliffe to draft updated ordinances for approval in November.

Most of the changes will be to have the city’s ordinances align with state statutes or county ordinances.

The council approved two general obligation promissory notes. One to provide funds to pay for the Broadway St. project and the other for the Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water Fund projects. The notes will provide the city with money to pay bills related to both until long-term financing is available next year.

The council approved closing a portion of Gilbert Street for an event hosted by Soul Sisters on Oct. 14.

Alderman Paul Syverson questioned if there was a limit on how many times a business could ask for a street to be closed and was informed there is not.

“And we’re not making them sign a waiver, right? Just asking,” Tranberg said.

The council also discussed the removal of clay from a property on Olson Street. The council voted to remove the clay that the city had placed in that area at its September meeting because the current owner of the lot — Blair Industrial Development Corporation — is considering building on the lot. Fremstad brought the topic back to the council after finding out the cost to remove the clay would be between $8,000 and $10,000.

It was suggested to have the city employees dig the clay up, but council member Dennis Stephenson said there would be a potential liability issue should they not get all of the clay.

“Just make a waiver,” Tranberg suggested.

The council asked Fremstad to get more estimates before deciding on a course of action.