In District 2-43, Westwind 4 Houses and Grow Perham Apartments will be expanded. Westwind 4 will consist of approximately 30 single family homes. The buildings are fallow, which allows the city to form a new TIF district. The plan is to develop six properties per year until May 2026.

The Grow Perham group, which aims to increase the number of housing units for the benefit of more jobs in Perham, is planning its third building with 24 apartments. They have two apartment buildings near Mark’s Home and More near Highway 10.

The district also includes plots from Districts 2 through 27 and 29 that were “inactive” and will be on the market again, as Ehlers Public Finance Advisors Senior City Councilor Todd Hagen said.

“I think that brings us, the city, where they need to be to move forward with upcoming housing projects,” Hagen said.

The district is formed for a maximum period of 25 years.

Ehlers received no public comments prior to the meeting, and no community member commented in person or online during the public hearing.

The board also approved project bids for the Westwind 4 development for $ 683,477.33. The contractor, RL Larson of St. Cloud, has also worked on projects such as the NE Industrial Park and Second Street SW. City engineer Jade Berube noted that the project’s bids and appraisals fell short of expectations.

Other business discussed by Perham City Council:

• The council approved an updated fundraising plan for the TIF 2-24 district. The district includes the Westwind 2 addition and expands the district for an additional 10 years.

• Council approved the purchase of a house near the Perham Area Community Center to facilitate traffic. The city paid $ 190,000. The renovation project made it the perfect time to finalize the purchase, although PACC and the city have been discussing the option for at least 25 years, according to Smith. The house will either be moved by an interested bidder or demolished. A possible opening of tenders would be decided after the city closed on the house in June.

Committee of the Whole

In a portion of the meeting where council members were meeting in committee of the whole, he received updates on the HUB and PACC projects.

At the old Perham High School, the HUB project continues to progress well, as City Manager Jonathan Smith said on March 31.

Hammers Construction is working on the ceiling and exterior insulation of the demo line area on the side of the building. The school has decided to move the greenhouse to its current property. Smith hopes the structure will be relocated in the coming weeks. The city will save about $ 40,000 without this project.

“You can actually see the spaces, what they’re going to look like, how big they are,” Smith said of the interior work. “They’re trucking.”

The development or remodeling of the PACC begins on April 12. The first space, which will be completed during the summer, is the aquatic center and the changing rooms. The aquatic center will be closed from April 9 to August 2021. The Fox Street portion of the project will also be completed by early fall. The improvements will contribute to the flow of traffic.

Other matters discussed by the Committee of the Whole:

• A legal kiosk is available at the Perham Area Library to provide information and forms for legal matters. Services include connection with Northwestern Minnesota Legal Services, legal representative or attorney, and court services. The kiosk is open by appointment.

• The library meeting room is also open by appointment for groups of five to seven people. Call the library at 218-346-4892 for more information.

• Lakeside Golf Course is open.