PINE CITY
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 VOL. 132 NO. 12 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
BATTLE TO THE END: Boys fall to #4 team in state, finish remarkable season. P10
Former city planner pleads guilty BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
Former Pine City planner community development director Nathan Johnson, 39, has pled guilty to criminal sexual conduct and providing tobacco to a minor, and confessed to his acts in open court on March 16. Johnson pled guilty to one count of felony
fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count misdemeanor furnishing tobacco to a minor. As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, the two other similar charges against Johnson will be dropped. CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED The charges revolve around an incident in 2015 in which John-
son sexually touched a 15-year-old male. According to the criminal complaint, a Pine County investigator interviewed a teenage male on or about July 1, 2015. The teenage male told the investigator that he met Johnson through a mutual friend. He said that a short time later Johnson sent him a message on Facebook and
they began to send messages back and forth. The teenager’s Facebook page showed that he and Johnson began exchanging messages in July 2014. In August 2014 the teenager messaged Johnson and asked Johnson to buy him chewing tobacco. Johnson did so. The teenager said Johnson then asked for pictures of the teenager partially
unclothed in return for more tobacco. The teenager said he agreed and sent photos, and Johnson bought him tobacco in return. The teenager told investigators that in April 2015, Johnson asked him if he wanted to clean Johnson’s home for $20 an hour. The teenager SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 9
Nathan Johnson
New housing project possible BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
Sealing the deal at the Kindergarten Circus With the help of a little adhesive, these “seals” held balloons on their noses at the March 17 Kindergarten Circus.
Pine City could have a new 35-unit housing development in 2018, if a proposed project in southern Pine City receives state support. The Pine City Council approved the tentative sale of 5.85 acres of land south of Golden Horizons and the Minnesota National Guard Armory to Hilltop Cottages LLC for a workforce housing project. Hilltop Cottages LLC operates under the Commonwealth Development Corporation, and Erin Anderson – vice president of development for Commonwealth Development Corporation – described the process for the project. Anderson said the units
would be “cottage-style” wood-framed buildings. She noted that the Commonwealth Development Corporation applied for tax credits through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency last year but were turned down. However, she believes that this year the project has a better chance of qualifying. “We had a really good meeting with the state agency,” Anderson said. She said that Pine City does not fit easily into the requirements for a state-funded workforce housing project. “The threshold that the state has for that is unreasonable for a community of this size,” Anderson said. “And unfortunately, they don’t SEE HOUSING, PAGE 9
City, county plan 2nd Street SE reconstruction this summer BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
Pine City has a major street project planned for this summer: the reconstruction of 2nd Street SE from 3rd Avenue SE to 8th Avenue SE. Since 2nd Street SE is also
a county road (CSAH 8), the project will be a collaboration between Pine City and Pine County. Pine City will be responsible for replacing the water and sewer mains under the street, while Pine County will complete the street replacement and sidewalk work.
The plans include the replacement of the sewer and water mains in 4th Avenue SE east of 2nd Street SE, and replacing the pavement with a street section similar to the one used on 1st Street SE in 2015, a 20-foot wide street with ribbon curb. At the first March meeting of
the Pine City Council, City Engineer Greg Anderson said that the original plan was to have the entire project done at one time, but in meetings with the county, they decided it would be more efficient for the city to do the water and sewer mains as a standalone project, and the
county will then do the street and sidewalk replacement separately. “The county said, ‘Our process takes a while – why doesn’t the city go ahead with the water and sewer replacement now? SEE 2ND STREET, PAGE 9
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