FAIRMONT — The final installment of the 2019 “Saturday Morning With the City” conversation series brought up questions about Fairmont’s 2020 budget, trains blocking the roadways, snow removal, street construction, the tree dump and the city’s leaf pickup. The events offer Fairmont citizens the opportunity to ask questions of city staff and elected officials in an informal setting. The gatherings are held four times a year at various venues such as park shelter houses or SMEC, the site of the latest meeting.

Paul Hoye, city finance director, highlighted Fairmont’s 2020 budget and the lengthy process involved in designating the funding and expenditures.

“It’s almost a yearlong process,” he said.

The city acquires funding through a tax levy paid by local property owners, local government aid from the state and separate enterprise funds such as profits from the municipal liquor store. The city’s general fund uses money from the levy and state to pay for most aspects of city services such as streets, snow removal, police and fire departments. Liquor store proceeds allow for hundreds of thousands of dollars for “extras” each year.

“Every penny that we make at the liquor store goes right back into the community,” Hoye said.

Most recently, proceeds have been used to help pay for the accessible playground at Gomsrud Park, expanding the trail system, the new mini-golf course by the Fairmont Aquatic Park and upgrades at the pool. Next year, liquor store funds have been earmarked for the Margaret Street trail extension to the hotels, repairs on the Ward Park shelter house, swimming pool resurfacing, a new T-hangar at the Fairmont Municipal Airport and a design for a potential campground in the city.

“That liquor store money won’t be here forever,” cautioned Councilman Bruce Peters.

He noted that Minnesota is the last state in the union to sell beer with 3.2 percent alcohol, the level of beer that is sold in grocery stores and gas stations, and it is anticipated that brewers will soon discontinue making a beer for only one state. When that happens, grocery stores and gas stations likely will make a successful push to be able to offer “strong” beer as well as liquor and wine. The increased availability of spirits would have a direct impact on liquor store sales and profits.

Hoye said the city will set the property tax levy following a public hearing at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at City Hall.

Other topics discussed on Saturday included:

q Trains blocking the roadways for an extended period of time. Recently, there have been instances of trains blocking city streets for up to an hour, creating a legion of disgruntled motorists.

Troy Nemmers, interim city administrator, said the city partnered with Mayo Clinic Health System and 3M to notify the railroad of the displeasure over the extensive blockage, but there seems to be no recourse.

“It’s a challenge, but we really don’t have control over that,” he said.

Fairmont Police Chief Mike Hunter agreed with the futility of the effort. While there are state statutes that limit blocking times, there are no federal limitations, and federal rules override state laws. Citations written to conductors and the director of the railroad were fruitless.

“That went nowhere. It’s frustrating,” Hunter said.

q Snow removal. One resident expressed concern about plows pushing snow into driveways, thereby blocking them, especially on the south side of Blue Earth Avenue where snow is plowed onto the sidewalk due to the narrow boulevard. Nemmers said the plow drivers do their best, and crews try to clean up the excess piles at the corners two or three times a winter.

q Street construction. Mayor Debbie Foster said she and Nemmers met with representatives from Bean Town, the Ranch, Eunoia Counseling and Fairmont Estates to explain the short-term and long-term construction work on Winnebago Avenue east of Highway 15.

“Those businesses really had a struggle,” she said.

“All our construction got messed up pretty bad,” Nemmers said. “Forty percent of the working days for 2019 were rain days.”

He said the road would not be fully opened this year, but temporary driveways would be operational through the winter.

q Tree dump. The city’s tree dump, paid for by Fairmont Public Utility customers, provides a place for citizens to dispose of leaves and tree trimmings at no charge. However, recent storms have generated a high amount of usage as residents dump yard waste after cleanup. The site is getting congested, and Councilman Wayne Hasek brought up the issue at a recent city council meeting.

Nemmers has considered bringing in another wood chipper to work with the one already in place, but he said the likely outcome would be “a big bonfire this winter” to clear the site.

When Foster asked the residents if they had any suggestions, one quipped, “bring marshmallows.”

Councilman Tom Hawkins said he received several calls on the matter and offered some suggestions. Have the city invest in a wood chipper and operator and sell the product ourselves. Hire people to check that users are only Fairmont residents. Partner with the county to create a county dump site. Relocate the tree dump next to the new park and street department maintenance building to be constructed on Margaret Street so the site could be monitored more easily.

“These are all things that we could look at,” he said.

q Leaf pickup. Each year, city crews divide the community into three zones, and vacuum leaves off the boulevards in the three weeks prior to Thanksgiving, but the work stops if it snows as it did this year. Nemmers said two of the zones have been completed, and crews will be attempting to clean up the final sector from Blue Earth Avenue/Lake Avenue to Lair Road this week.