AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
JANUARY 13, 2010
7:00 PM CITY HALL
JANUARY AGENDA
1. Call the Meeting to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approve Consent Agenda of…
a)
Minutes from December 9th Regular Meeting and
January 4th Special Meeting.
b)
December 2009 Treasurer’s Report
c)
December 2009 Bills for Payment from Check # 6342 to
Check # 6457 including Automatic Bank Payments.
4. Approve Resolution #1-2010 “Resolution to Adopt
Consignments for 2010”
5. Approve Resolution #2-2010 “Resolution establishing
procedures relating to compliance with reimbursement bond
regulations under the internal revenue code.”
6. Approve 2010 Commissions/Commissions will stay “As
Is” for 2010
7. Approve Monthly Transfer for the Year of 2010 for
Professional Fees as Allowed:
·
$500 from Liquor Fund to General Fund
·
$120 from Park Fund to General Fund
·
$400 from Sewer Fund to General Fund
·
$200 from Water Fund to General Fund
8. HRA Update – Bruce Patton
9. Approve 2010 Mileage Rate
10. Approve Refunding City 1996 Water Revenue Bond
11. Review Liquor Store Pull Tab Rent % to go to Liquor
Store and to Community Fund
12. Bob Winner – Liquor Store Report
13. Frank Thelin – Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report
14. Eric Klein – Police Report
15. Old Business
16. New Business/Public Forum
17. Adjourn
AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
JANUARY 13, 2010
7:00 PM CITY HALL
The Akeley City Council met in a regular meeting Wednesday
January 13, 2010 at 7:00 pm. Mayor Jennifer Mitchell called the
meeting to order. Council members present were: Cliff Johnson,
Jon Johnson, Troy Hegg and Terry Chalich. The Pledge of
Allegiance was recited by the Council and attending audience.
Motion by Cliff Johnson seconded by Terry Chalich and carried to
approve the consent agenda consisting of the December regular
meeting minutes, the January 4th special meeting
minutes, the December 2009 treasurer’s report and the December
bills paid from check #6342 to check # 6457 including automatic
bank payments.
Consignments to be approved for 2010 are as follows:
-
First National
Bank of Walker as Depository
-
Steve Bolton as
City Attorney
-
Northwoods Press
as City Newspaper
-
David Johnson as
City Assessor
-
Mathias C.
Justin, LTC as City Auditor
-
Pederson, Smith,
and Roehl as Payroll Auditor
-
Headwaters Animal
Shelter as Official Dog Pound
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to
approve Resolution #1-2010 “Resolution to Adopt Consignments for
2010.”
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to
approve Resolution #2-2010 “Resolution establishing procedures
relating to compliance with reimbursement bond regulations under
the internal revenue code.”
Department Commissioners to be approved for 2010 are as follows:
-
Acting Mayor –
Clifford Johnson
-
Fireboard – Troy
Hegg and Frank Thelin
-
Public Works &
Safety Commissioner – Terry Chalich
-
Personnel,
Finance, Administration – Jennifer Mitchell
-
Liquor
Commissioner – Terry Chalich
-
Economic
Development Commissioner – Jennifer Mitchell
-
Park & Recreation
Commissioner – Jon Johnson
-
Public Streets
Commissioner – Clifford Johnson
-
Ordinances
Commissioner – Terry Chalich
-
Public Events
Commissioner – Troy Hegg
-
Paul Bunyan Days
– Troy Hegg
-
Audrey’s Purple
Dream – Jennifer Mitchell
-
Hay Days, C&C –
Troy Hegg
-
Horizons –
Clifford Johnson
-
Civil Defense
Director – Clifford Johnson
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Cliff Johnson and
carried to approve the 2010 Department Commissioners.
Motion by Troy Hegg seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried to
approve a monthly transfer for professional fees for the year
2010 as follows:
-
$500 from Liquor
Fund to General Fund
-
$120 from Park
Fund to General Fund
-
$400 from Sewer
Fund to General Fund
-
$200 from Water
Fund to General Fund
Bruce Patton and Bruce Beckley were present on behalf of the
Akeley HRA to address blight control. Bruce Beckley said a big
part of what the HRA does is rehab and feels a bigger picture
needs to be looked at rather than just individual properties.
He said that it is a much bigger task than what the HRA can do
by themselves and they are looking for the Council’s
participation. A meeting with two council members in the future
was suggested to discuss it further. Jennifer Mitchell said she
would love to be part of it and since Troy Hegg is
Vice-President of the HRA, he was the other council member
chosen to meet with the HRA on Wednesday, February 3rd
at 6:00 PM at City Hall.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to
approve the 2010 mileage rate of 50¢ per mile.
Jennifer Mitchell said she received information from the MN
Rural Water Association regarding the City’s Water Revenue Bond
which is up in 2024. If the City would refinance right now
there would be an approximate savings of $20,000 over the next
14 years. Jennifer said she was informed that if the rates were
to change while they were getting the ball rolling that this
would be placed on hold until the rates would go down again.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Cliff Johnson and
carried to approve refunding the City 1996 Water Revenue Bond.
Motion by Troy Hegg seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried to
approve to place 20% of the Liquor Store Pull Tab rent into the
Community Fund and 80% into the Liquor Fund.
Liquor Store Report – Bob Winner
·
Four part-time casual bartenders have been hired
and all have been trained in to fill in when needed.
·
Bob said the security cameras are all working and
the one has been replaced.
Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report - Frank Thelin
-
The street light
is working on the corner of 2nd Street and Park
Avenue.
-
Frank said there
is a waste water refresher course offered in St. Cloud on
March 3rd that Tim Scouton would like to attend
and then take the Class D Waste Water Test on March 4th.
The cost of the course is $75 and the cost of the
application for certification is $32. Frank said that Tim
would be driving back and forth so there would be no motel
expense.
Motion by Troy Hegg seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried to
allow Tim Scouton to attend waste water training and to take the
Class D Waste Water test in St. Cloud on March 3rd
and 4th with the City paying the costs of the course,
application for certification and for mileage.
-
Frank would like
to get together with the Council to work on a Capital
Improvement Plan for the roads.
-
Frank said the
City needs an internal Emergency Management Plan which
should be coordinated with the fire department and local
police department.
-
One other plan
that Frank felt was necessary to have is a department plan
in case of emergencies such as main breaks and sewer back
ups. He felt that something should be put in place in case
he was gone and someone else would have to step into his
position to determine what is required to be done.
-
There are
concerns with plowing the county roads (Graceson and
Pleasant) in town due to the number of cars that are parked
on those streets. Frank said in the past he has spoken to
people who live on these streets to see if they could move
their vehicles so that the streets could be plowed. He was
told that the County would clear those streets again if the
City would get people living on those streets to cooperate
and make sure their vehicles are moved. Jennifer Mitchell
asked if something could be placed in the water bills to
notify the residents and Frank replied that it had been done
in the past but it didn’t work. A suggestion was made to
put up snow emergency route signs. Jennifer asked Frank
what he wanted to do and Frank said he would talk to the car
owners first and he would stress to them the importance of
moving their cars and that if talking to them doesn’t work
the next step would be to tow the cars.
-
Frank said he and
Cliff Johnson had spoken about salt/sanding the
intersections in town. Frank said he got a quote from Levi
Holsapple of $85/hour for his truck and $32/yard of
salt/sand which would cost about $260 to salt/sand the
intersections. Frank said if you would take Tim’s and his
time to fill up the Dodge truck and go to each of the
intersections to shovel the salt/sand it would cost about
the same as for Levi to spend 2 hours doing a job that would
cost Frank and Tim all day to do. Frank said he didn’t have
any problem grabbing a shovel and doing it but in situations
like this it’s tough to know what to do. Jennifer Mitchell
asked Frank if he would be willing to try to get a few more
quotes. Jon Johnson questioned whether the job needed to be
hired out.
-
Frank has the
light for the water tower but said he has not been trained
to climb the tower to put it in. He said the
person/business that put the light in last did not have any
interest in doing it this time. Council members suggested
talking to neighboring cities to see who they have change
their water tower lights.
-
Frank reminded
council members that when they are called at home by
residents with complaints or requests to tell them they need
to come up to City Hall and write it out on a form so that
there is a paper trail.
-
Frank is still
waiting to receive the fluoride tester which he ordered last
month.
Police Report - Eric Klein was not present.
Old Business
Jennifer Mitchell said the council was looking at approving all
department employee job descriptions at this meeting but the
liquor store job descriptions have not been typed up yet. She
wants them to be placed on the agenda for next meeting to be
approved.
Jennifer Mitchell said there are discrepancies in the different
departments regarding comp. time. At one time they were
thinking that comp. time would be the same across the board but
she isn’t sure that can always happen. She said that any time
worked over the normal number of hours in a week should be run
past the employee’s commissioner for approval. Commissioners
then need to let Denise Rittgers know if they’ve approved an
employee’s comp. time so that there is a paper trail.
New Business
Bob Winner said he had to order a new sink for the bar since the
old one was leaking and rotted out the floor underneath.
Jennifer Mitchell made a statement that Chief Klein was placed
on administrative leave with pay effective yesterday. She said
that was all she could say about it at this time and they will
give updates as they can. A special closed meeting was set so
the Council could meet with City Attorney Steve Bolton on
Tuesday, January 19th at 6:30 PM.
Cliff Johnson she he wanted to address sidewalks and whether the
City needs to contact the business owners about clearing the
snow in front of their businesses. The ordinance states that
the property/business owners are responsible for keeping the
sidewalks cleared in front of their properties and Jennifer
Mitchell suggested putting a reminder in the water billings.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Jon Johnson and carried
to adjourn at 7:55 PM.
Denise Rittgers
Clerk
Treasurer
City of
Akeley
Wendy Klein
Deputy Clerk
City of Akeley
