City of Detroit Lakes

The agenda for the meeting included multiple public hearings. One public hearing addressed receiving comments on the issuance of an Intoxicating Liquor License and a Sunday License to Detroit Lake Front Lodge LLC. Another public hearing was scheduled to receive public comments on the Rossman Ave Street and Utility Improvements, with consideration for authorizing the preparation of plans and specifications. Committee reports covered various items, including acceptance of annual reports from Community Development and Public Works, review of building permits, discussion on replacing the West Lake Drive boat landing, approval requests for special events like Polar Fest Plunge and Polar Bar, consideration of approving a Union Contract with MPEA for 2026-2028, and approval of the 2026 Budget and Rates for the Detroit Country Club. The Mayor's agenda included presenting the "State of the City" Address and considerations for reappointments to the Arts & Culture Commission and Park Board.

The Detroit Lakes City Park Master Plan outlines future park improvements and investments, focusing on balancing recreation, accessibility, and historic preservation. Key initiatives include developing new facilities such as a pavilion, bathhouse, event lawn, and hillside playground, alongside enhancing existing recreational amenities like tennis and basketball courts, and creating a Miracle Field for inclusive play. The plan also involves modifying the disc golf course, introducing a natural-surface path network with historic interpretation, and upgrading the bandshell, all guided by community input and designed for phased implementation.

During the annual meeting, the City Council addressed procedural items. Key actions included the appointment of an Alderman as the Vice Mayor for the year 2026 and the adoption of the 2026 Rules of Decorum. The Mayor also announced the scheduled dates for the 2026 Joint Governance Meetings and the regular 2026 Council Meeting dates.

The Planning Commission meeting addressed several public hearings regarding conditional use permits for short-term rentals and plat approval for a storage facility. The first item involved a request for a conditional use permit for a short-term rental consisting of a two-bedroom home and a one-bedroom guest cottage at 907 Northshore Drive, which was approved with 13 conditions, including limiting the number of boat slips to two per unit, following discussion about parking and unit capacity. The second item was a public hearing for a conditional use permit for a four-bedroom home short-term rental at 1162 Southshore Drive, which also proceeded after discussing parking requirements and public concerns regarding noise and traffic from other rentals. The final item was the preliminary and final plat approval for Lakes Toy Storage at Little Detroit Community Number 94, which involved a six-unit building and a three-unit building, with the chair abstaining due to a conflict of interest. Procedural notes included conducting the meeting electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic and planning for a potential meeting in January.

The meeting addressed procedural matters for hybrid attendance and public comment submission. Key discussion items included the approval of the minutes from the August 27, 2020, regular meeting. A primary focus was a public hearing regarding a request to rezone property at 717 Elm Street West from R-2 One and Two Family Residential District to B-2 General Business District. Neighbors voiced concerns about the potential negative impact on residential property values and increased traffic, specifically mentioning the possibility of future uses like an auto shop. The commission ultimately denied the rezoning request. Another public hearing concerned a variance request for an eight-foot fence at 704 Shorewood Drive to mitigate deer damage, which staff recommended denying based on the ordinance; this item was still under discussion at the end of the provided transcript.