Fate of Wells house is still in limbo
Wells Council gives owner one more chance to improve property

City engineer Ben Rosol updates the council on upcoming highway construction projects.
The fate of the house located at 302 First Avenue SE in Wells remains in limbo following the regular meeting of the Wells City Council on March 27.
A resolution ordering the abatement of the property, which has been declared unhabitable and unsafe, had been prepared for council members to vote on at the meeting.
However, city administrator Connor LaPointe informed the council the owner of the property, Tristan Grant, had made contact with the city earlier in the day.
“The city had been trying to reach Grant for weeks but had been unsuccessful until he contacted us today,” LaPointe said. “Mr. Grant feels he will be able to repair the house and bring it into a habitable condition.”
City attorney Pamela Whitmore could not be at the meeting but provided council members with a copy of the email she had sent to Grant earlier in the day.
The correspondence included a list of seven steps the city would expect Grant to complete in order for the city not to proceed with pursuing abatement.
Those steps include having a structural engineer evaluate the structure to see what needs to be replaced, having a professional designer involved in making any changes. The walls would need to be gutted and checked for mold, a licensed electrician would need to inspect all electrical for code compliance, a licensed plumber would have to inspect the plumbing for code compliance, the rehab of the structure will have to meet requirements for egress and energy, and finally, the city public utilities will not turn services on until the other things are completed.
“Our attorney also provided Mr. Grant with a list of some of the things the inspector found,” LaPointe continued. “You can see the sky through the kitchen and bathroom ceilings and water has leaked through the first floor and into the basement. There is black mold visible on the walls and ceilings throughout the house and mushrooms are growing out of the floors in several rooms. There is at least one structural support post in the basement which is not supported by a footing which has caused settlement due to the concrete floor breaking under it.”
Grant is to let the city know his intentions by April 3.
“He is to let us know if he is willing to remedy these issues, and, if so, state the specific proposed dates for repair or rehab of the items listed in the report,” LaPointe explained. “The city will require him to sign an abatement agreement which would outline the agreed upon repairs and timelines for the repairs, and that would represent a waiver of any challenge to the court ordering an abatement if he does not comply with his part of the agreement.”
Having been updated on the situation, the council decided not to vote on the abatement resolution and wait for an update at their next meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, April 11.
City engineer Ben Rosol was at the meeting and told council members Highway 22 between Wells and Mapleton will be closed during the highway construction project.
“Work on the Highway 22 mill and overlay project should begin around the middle of April,” Rosol said. “They will be starting on the south end at Wells and work north to Mapleton.”
Rosol also provided detour information for the project which will utilize Highway 109, Faribault County Road 17 and Blue Earth County Road 7.
“Work on Interstate 90 will also begin soon,” Rosol commented. “This is a two-year project. The west-bound lanes, ramps and rest stop will be completed this year while the eastbound lanes, ramps and rest stop are set for completion in 2024.”
Rosol also presented an agreement for professional services provided by Bolton and Menk, Inc. for the civil engineering services required for the mill and overlay of Fifth Street SE from Broadway to Fourth Avenue SE.
The council approved the agreement in the amount of $17,500.
Community Development director Tiffany Schrader reported the Housing Redevelopment Authority is closing on another lot.
“We hopefully will have another home going into the City Center Addition,” Schrader said.
Schrader also explained a proposed Housing Tax Abatement program for the city.
“The purpose of this proposal is to provide incentives to encourage the new construction of owner occupied and residential rental units for single-family and multi-family housing units,” Schrader explained. “Other cities in the county have considered, or are considering, implementing this type of policy and we are hoping the Faribault County commissioners will also consider adopting a housing tax abatement policy.”
The council voted to adopt the Housing Tax Abatement Program.
In other business:
• A resolution was passed accepting seven donations totaling $10,800 for Thompson Field baseball lights. A total of $40,400 has been received in donations so far. In addition, the city of Wells has pledged $10,000 to the project from the ARPA Grant.
• The council voted to approve the city’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Outdoor Grant application. The grant would be used to redo one basketball court and build three pickleball courts at Thompson Park.
• The opening day for the Wells Golf Course has been set for April 22.
• LaPointe reported the survey on what to do with the old football field has closed and results are being tabulated.