MHD City Council April 28, 2014

The Mayor and City Council received the requested update on the vacant property at 1014 19th Street South, which was the home of the non-profit organization Centro Cultural. Discontinued operations of the facility resulted in legal action. The court hearing on the dissolution of the non-profit organization Centro Cultural is scheduled for May 19, 2014, at which time a receiver or recipient is expected to be appointed.

As no non-profit agencies were interested in serving as the receiver or recipient of this property, the Attorney General’s office is attempting to identify a receiver or recipient for the property. Mayor and Council had previously discussed correspondence from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office on the possible reuse of the building. The City Council at their March 10 meeting declined to incur costs to continue the evaluation of the acquisition/donation of the building; however, Council Members asked that staff reach out to FM metro area nonprofits.

Kurt Wenzel, City of Moorhead Building Official, has inspected the building a second time. He reported there has been no change in the building condition. Fortunately, there is no apparent structural damage. Therefore, an order for demolition is not appropriate at this time. The ice in the basement needs to melt and water pumped out to fully evaluate the foundation, but Mr. Wenzel noted no structural issues with the building and only minor physical damage. The mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems have not been fully evaluated, as there is no electric or water service to the property. After a lengthy discussion of options, it was decided the best course of action was to allow the Attorney General’s process to be completed as scheduled on May 19 before taking action.

Moorhead Public Service transfer update-

It is estimated that approximately one-third of the City’s revenues comes from the MPS, which is budgeted in 2014 to be $7.9 million. The disagreement over the Charter language for determining the formula used to determine the transfer amount is at the center of discussion. It was pointed out that there has been a history of unclear interpretation of the Charter. A committee consisting of Council members and MPS commissioners has met six times reviewing the issue. It is expected that the committee will present its recommendations upon completion.

Roundabout to be considered off Highway 75-

Council member Mike Hulett proposed that Moorhead install a roundabout at the corner of 50th Ave. south and Highway 75 with high priority for a rapid completion. The speed limit has now been raised to 60 miles per hour and Hulett strongly advised his fellow council members and Mayor Del Ray Williams to take his proposal into consideration. Hullet stated “Whether you are a student leaving late at night from Trollwood practices, a fan going to a concert at the Bluestem Center for the Arts Accommodation, or just a passerby, this roundabout will ensure more safety than a stop sign, stop light, or any other traffic device.” The council moved to investigate.

Another great opportunity for the community

to experience art at the Moorhead Center Mall!

Thanks to Brad Delzer from Theatre B, Open Eye Figure Theatre is excited about bringing theatre into new spaces like The Moorhead Center Mall to provide more accessibility to the arts.

A little information about the show: The Amazing Cow Boat is about a little boy named Charlie who is playing in the bathtub. His imagination comes alive as he pretends he is the captain of a boat that is part cow, part boat, part amazing. Together Charlie and his Cow Boat meet pirates, the moon, and a nest of baby birds. This show is 30 minutes in length, accompanied by a live accordion player and appropriate for all ages.

The show starts at 11 am, May 3 in the location next to GNC.

Upcoming events at MCM:

Craft Market May 10 from 10-4. Still looking for crafters. If interested, contact Melissa at 218-233-6117

Senior Living Options Open House

Learn about options for senior living.

Carriage House Apartments, Cathy Hahn of Prudential Premier Real Estate, and Senior Connections will be holding a Senior Living Open House on Wednesday, May 14 from 1 to 4 pm at the Hjemkomst Center.

This open house is directed toward seniors and their families wishing to learn more about 55+ communities in Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding areas.

Facilities will have booths highlighting their buildings and be available to answer questions.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please call 218.299.5340.

Successful Community

Prescription Drug Take Back Program

The four year partnership between the Moorhead Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Moorhead Walgreen’s for the one-day Prescription Drug Take Back Program proved to be a success once again. Moorhead collections from Saturday April 26th weighed over 105 pounds! That brings this program’s total for the last four years to 423 pounds of prescription medications voluntarily turned in to be properly destroyed.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Twenty percent of teens say they have recreationally taken a prescription drug without having a prescription for it themselves, and five percent of teens reports abusing over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine to get “high.” Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Medicine abuse is our nation’s fastest-growing drug problem.

In the front lobby of the Moorhead Law Enforcement Center (915 9th Ave. N.), a medicine drop box for FREE disposal will continue to be available for Moorhead residents. Incineration is much safer than other common disposal methods such as flushing medicines down the toilet into the water table or putting in garbage landfills. There is no fee for this service and it is completely anonymous for everyone.