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The Blaine City Council unanimously approved a cooperative construction agreement with MnDOT for improvements to Trunk Highway 65 at its April 6 meeting. Director of Engineering Daniel Schluender said that the project would reconstruct a portion of Trunk Highway 65 through the heart of Blaine from 93rd Avenue to 121st Ave. The project will also add a frontage road to the west side of Ulysses St, which will be constructed from 99th to 109th Ave. ...

The Blaine City Council rejected a proposed Pulte Homes development near the Lakes neighborhood April 6, with a majority of members saying the project did not fit the city’s long-term vision for the area even as two council members argued that vision no longer matches market realities. The comprehensive plan amendment failed on a 5-2 vote. Council Members Chris Ford and Tom Newland voted in favor. Community Development Director Sheila Sellman said the developer sought to rezone property at 3700 and 3900 125th Avenue NE from farm residential to development flex. The amendment would have changed the site’s guided land use from planned industrial/commercial and low-density residential to low- to medium-density residential. ...

The Blaine City Council approved financing April 6 for a $15 million parking ramp tied to the 105th Avenue redevelopment project, despite objections from three council members who warned the cost could fall on taxpayers if other revenue sources do not materialize. The 4-3 vote advances a 600-stall ramp city officials said is necessary for the west side of the development. Mayor Tim Sanders and Council Members Jess Robertson, Chris Massoglia and Terra Fleming voted in favor of the property tax abatements. Council Members Tom Newland, Chris Ford and Leslie Larson voted against. On the same 4-3 vote, the Council also approved the sale of bonds for the abatements, subject to conditions tied to ramp construction. ...

Six weeks after hearing local bands wanted to raise money for a mutual aid fund supporting Columbia Heights residents affected by Operation Metro Surge, Rail Werks Brewing owner Denise Roberts helped organize a benefit concert at the brewery. The April 4 event, dubbed Heights Aid, featured performances by Purgatory Creek, Dean, Mick and Carla, TW and the Dustbowl Daisies, and Plumstar. Proceeds were set to benefit the GoFundMe campaign “Support Local Columbia Heights Families.” ...

On April 4, the East Bethel Fire Department was dispatched at about 11:25 a.m. to the 19900 block of Austin Street Northeast for a reported structure fire, according to an April 5 press release. Initial crews found a large pole barn with heavy smoke and fire showing on all sides, the release said. Firefighters made entry before shifting to a defensive attack. The building and its contents were a total loss, though no civilians were injured, according to the department. Two firefighters requested evaluation by Allina Ambulance. One was taken to a hospital in stable condition, while the other was treated at the scene and released. ...

Allina Health announced on April 2 that it and the Doctors Council SEIU, that represents clinicians for the hospital in primary and urgent care, had reached a tentative agreement that was subject to ratification by union membership. “The tentative agreement reflects the priorities of both parties and supports Allina Health’s ability to continue caring for our communities well into the future,” Allina wrote in a press relase. “This important step forward allows us to focus on caring for patients and supporting the teams who provide that care every day.” ...

Representatives of West Oak Grove Cemetery told the Oak Grove City Council on March 30 that worsening health issues among the cemetery’s aging board have accelerated the need to transfer operations, leading council members to begin exploring whether the city or another entity may need to take it over. The council took no formal action, but members agreed to gather more information, including checking with other cemeteries in the city and with Anoka County, before a possible work session on the issue. ...

The East Bethel City Council unanimously approved a contract March 23 to switch city attorney services to Berglund, Baumgartner and Glaser, replacing Eckberg Lammers. The change makes Mark Berglund, who also serves as Ham Lake’s city attorney, the new city attorney for East Bethel. The two firms submitted competing proposals at the council’s previous meeting. Berglund, Baumgartner and Glaser’s proposal was lower in every category except for a reimbursable developer rate of $325 per hour. ...

When people think of chimneys, they typically think of a passage for fireplace smoke. They do not typically think of a croissant-like dessert that can be filled with fruit, ice cream and other sweets. But owner Adam Almasri has brought that dessert to Chimney Cake House, 4110 Central Ave. NE in Columbia Heights, introducing customers to a treat popular in Hungary and other parts of Eastern Europe that takes its name from the household structure. ...

The Columbia Heights City Council unanimously approved a sustainable purchasing policy at its March 23 meeting, moving the city to Step 3 in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. City Planner Ursula Brandt said the policy was developed with the Sustainability Commission. Bri LaPlante, a member of the Sustainability Commission ,said that advancing Columbia Heights in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program had been one of the commission’s goals. The program, run through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, gives cities a framework for improving infrastructure, policies and other practices with sustainability in mind. ...