Brainerd is ‘open for business’ – Brainerd Dispatch

BRAINERD — Brainerd is ready to accept new businesses.

That’s one way to look at the city’s newly approved

central business district incentive

policy.

“The warm fuzzies we get by having this kind of a program in this area, I think it’s a big ‘open for business’ sign on our community,” City Council member Tiffany Stenglein said Monday, July 16. “And I think it’s worth it.”

Approved by a council vote of 6-1 Monday night, the new policy will provide incentives for new businesses to come to certain commercial districts in Brainerd.

It is essentially an expansion of the 2019 River to Rails initiative, which focused on revitalizing the core area of Brainerd’s commercial district between the Mississippi River and the Northern Pacific Center, and between Washington and Oak Streets. Sewer and water availability charges for building projects are waived in that district, as part of the initiative, as are building permit and inspection fees on projects less than $150,000.

With the central business district incentive policy, that area now includes all properties along Washington Street/Highway 210 from the eastern limits of the city to the western limits, and those along South Sixth Street to Buffalo Hills Lane East. Council members discussed these new parameters during their July 1 meeting, and city staff drafted a final policy to bring before the council Monday.

The same River to Rails incentives are in place for the expanded area through 2029, which is when the original initiative was meant to expire.

Brainerd Public Utilities Commission members expressed concerns about forgiving the sewer and water fees in such a large area, as the city has aging infrastructure on which those fees could be used, but the commission made no recommendation on the policy.

Council member Jeff Czeczok made a motion Monday to deny the policy, but his move failed for lack of a second.

Based on the roughly $138,000 worth of fees waived on the 359 business permits issued in the River to Rails district since 2019, each business saved an average of about $385. Czeczok said that’s not an amount that will stop anyone from doing business.

“And yet it just kicks the can down the road for further need for money to do our infrastructure,” he said.

Council member Gabe Johnson, who also sits on the Economic Development Authority, said he appreciated Czeczok’s concern about missing out on revenue, but one of the factors he said the EDA considered was the age of the infrastructure in these commercial districts.

“The infrastructure in these districts is not going to need to be upsized any time soon, and SAC and WAC money must be spent on expanding our infrastructure,” Johnson said of the sewer and water availability charges. “So it’s edge of town development; it’s putting in bigger pipes. This district isn’t going to require that for decades.”

Stenglein said the policy isn’t necessarily about whether a business can start up with the lower costs but about incentivizing businesses to be located where the city wants them to be and where they might be the most successful.

Mayor Dave Badeaux said he appreciates the project is in an area with infrastructure that will not need upgrading soon, as Johnson noted, and the council should be sure to only direct these types of initiatives to those areas. He said he also appreciated Czeczok’s concerns about the loss of revenue.Czeczok was the sole vote against the policy. Badeaux does not vote in council matters except in the case of a tie.

In other business Monday, the council:

Approved a lawful gambling application for exempt bingo submitted by Lower South Long Lake Improvement Association for an event Sept. 1 at Jack’s House Bowling.

Approved an event application for Brainerd Night Out, set for 5-8 p.m. Aug. 15 at Gregory Park. Juniper Street will be closed between North Sixth and Seventh streets for first responder vehicles.

Approved an event application for the First Lutheran Church summer picnic/night out, set for 5-7 p.m. Aug. 6. Norwood Street will be closed between South Seventh and Eighth streets. Sidewalks and adjacent streets will remain open.

Approved an event application for the Onyenstalk 2: The Ripening Return outdoor concert set for noon to midnight Aug. 3. South 10th Street will be closed between Laurel and Front streets.

Approved the final pay request for last year’s

Southwest Fourth Street storm sewer outfall repair project

in the amount of $1,537.98. The total project cost $157,397,80.

Approved the final pay request for last year’s Lum Park reconstruction project in the amount of $12,227.38. The total cost of the project was $262,973.11, and it was partially funded through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Park Road Account grant.

Awarded the contract for engineering services on the Lowell Elementary Safe Routes to School project to WSB in the amount of $105,980. Construction on the project is expected to begin in summer 2025.

Authorized staff to advertise for bids for a Laurel Street bridge repair project. The project includes repairing the joint gland to prevent stormwater from entering the abutment as well as repair of the washout below the bridge adjacent to east abutment.

Authorized staff to advertise for bids for an exterior repair project in the police department. Included in the project is repair of the exterior insulation and finish system, window and door replacements, roof replacement and other miscellaneous repairs.

Accepted the resignation of two electrical lineworks from Brainerd Public Utilities.

Accepted a city flag from the Historic Water Tower Preservation Committee and agreed to fly it on top of the water tower.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at

[email protected]

or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa

.