City Council Meeting

Holdingford City Council Meeting October 11, 2016 Mayor Sue Marstein called the Holdingford City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The pledge of allegiance was recited. Present: Susan Marstein, Eric Berscheid, Mike Odden, Bob Sanchez, Alan Walz, Sandra Meer, Keith Hommerding, Pat Meier, Dorine Rausch, Frank Haynes, Scott Lange, Melvin Breth, Dan Gerads, Ernie Schmidt, Gordy Sjaaheim, Tony Stalberger and Bob Warzecha. Department Reports Fire Department report was given by Chief Keith Hommerding. There were 91 calls to date; one in Avon, 44 in Holdingford, 27 in Holding Township, nine in Brockway Township, and 10 in Krain Township. Of the 91 calls, five were fires, 74 medical, nine good intent, one service call, and two severe weather. The fundraiser calendar is being finalized. A donation was made to the truck fund with Fire Relief Association calendar donations. Aaron Rudolph from Rudolph’s Redneck Roost applied to the fire department. He has been with the St Stephen department for several years and is up to date with trainings and certifications. Eric Berscheid made a motion to hire Aaron Rudolph as a new firefighter with the department. Bob Sanchez seconded the motion. AIF Pay scale will be determined by the department taking into consideration his time of service, training, certifications and past practice. Dorine Rausch submitted a final FEMA grant request which included an additional qualifying invoice for gloves. She is also planning to submit a State Fire Marshall grant request to get a larger washing machine for cleaning turnout gear. Last month’s trailer burn training went well and was paid for with MN Fire Training Board funds. Fire safety week events include Safe House training with the Kindergarten classes and the annual residential fire alarm battery check. Liquor Store report was given by manager Patrick Meier. September gross revenue =$32,869.99. Expenses =$28,957.13. Year to date lottery proceeds =$1,599.49. Year to date balance =$10,401.49. Looking to replace the back door, September events went well. Bands are scheduled for last two weekends in October. Coordinated training for bartenders will be scheduled with the Legion and Rudolph’s Redneck Roost. It was suggested that the Muni start carrying 11 Wells Distillery products that are produced locally. Emergency Managers Report was given by Dorine Rausch. The next Emergency Managers meeting will be in Rockville covering mitigations and winter safety. Copies of the approved Emergency Management Plan and accompanying Resource Guide will be distributed to the high school and WD Scepaniak, Inc. Maintenance Report was read by Mayor Sue Marstein. Water hydrants have been flushed and winterized. The plow truck is getting DOT inspection. Gravel was put down and graded on road to the maintenance shed and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The road edges will be seeded in the spring. Park buildings and water lines will be winterized for the season. Approximately 9,000 feet of jetting sewer lines was completed this year. Everything north of and including County Road 17 has been jetted. A new Unlimited Power Supply (UPS) was ordered after the old one blew a fuse and needed to be replaced. 1,609,200 gallons of water were pumped and 1,801,000 gallons of wastewater were treated. There was discussion on the amount of the invoice from Hennen’s for tile flooring that was laid in the City Center kitchen. A discount for the workmanship and mismatched dye lot tiles had been negotiated. Sue Marstein made a motion to approve payment of the invoice from Hennen’s Floor Covering for $4,397.00 with a $400 deduction. Bob Sanchez seconded the motion. Walz, Sanchez and Marstein approved. Odden and Berscheid opposed, noting that a larger deduction would have been acceptable for the work that was done. Alan Walz made a motion to approve the remaining consent agenda items as submitted. Bob Sanchez seconded the motion. AIF Guests Frank Haynes of Helping Hands Outreach reviewed their programs which include Alzheimer’s education, involvement in community events, congregate dining, health fairs, and a soon-to-be Community and Adult Day Center. He summarized the impact of these programs and publicity brought to the city. Many of the programs have been funded by grants and he’s currently writing a grant to facilitate planning strategies for a Helping Hands Community Center. Mike Odden made a motion that the Holdingford City Council support Helping Hands on a planning project for their future community center. Bob Sanchez seconded the motion. AIF Scott Lange from SEH discussed two color options for the Water Tower Reconditioning Project. The white paint with green lettering was included in the tower bid. A “Husker” forest green paint with white lettering would cost an additional $8,000. Scott proposed fundraising efforts focused on a few school and community organizations, so as not to compete with other fundraising efforts. The council agreed that if funding can be secured for the green paint color then a green tower would be preferred. Scott Lange requested approval on the agreement for professional services for the Water Tower Reconditioning Project. The estimated proposal was $27,150.00 for construction services and inspections. Bob Sanchez made a motion to accept the professional services agreement from SEH for the Water Tower Reconditioning Project. Alan Walz seconded the motion. There was discussion on the cost of the project and construction fees that opposing council members maintained were unnecessary services and fees were too costly. Favoring council members argued that professional inspection and construction services were needed for the size and significance of the project. Lange noted that their job was to make sure the project is done to specifications for quality assurance not necessarily quality control and if all of the inspection hours are not needed then the cost would be lower. After further discussion and calling for a vote, Walz, Sanchez, and Marstein voted in favor. Berscheid and Odden opposed. The WWTP permit renewal is up at the end of October. The city and SEH worked with area businesses to provide data to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) on cleaning metals and effects on mercury testing results, which had a direct impact on the MPCA keeping the requirement for the city to test for mercury twice a year instead of twice a month. Another permit issue that is affecting many cities is salty discharge. Salty discharge in Holdingford is high and there is a Federal mandate for handling salty discharge, but no State mandates yet so salty discharge will continue to be monitored and reviewed in future permit cycles. Unfinished Business Options for the bathroom shower facility and park shelter at Veterans Park were discussed. Ernie Schmit proposed that the bathhouse facility be completed as drafted by St Rosa Lumber and a countertop with sink and water/sewer be installed separately in the existing park shelter building. Mike Odden made a motion to approve the plan design that was presented to the council for the bathroom shower facility and an extension for water, kitchen sink and counter in existing park shelter and to seek bids for the project. Bob Sanchez seconded the motion. AIF Ernie Schmit will get bids for project to start next spring. Bob Warzecha addressed the council and suggested that if the city has interest in keeping businesses in town, that an Economic Development Committee or Economic Development Authority be re-organized. He cited incentive programs such as (Tax Increment Financing (TIF), tax abatement, forgivable loans, and MN DEED business assistance and suggested hiring a consultant so that development stays in the community. The city works with David Drown Associates as well as MN DEED representatives on qualifying programs and would like to see continued job creation that sustains business growth in the community. Two homeowners that are in non-compliance with city nuisance ordinances were given notices for cleanup. Eric Berscheid met with Louis Walz who is working towards removing excess vehicles, sheds, trailers and piles of materials. City staff is working with Ed Ehrlichmann to move excess vehicles and boat trailers that are encroaching on neighboring property. New Business Two quotes were received to move the Main Lift Station Control Panel above ground with a freestanding enclosure since the current system is housed below ground. Tri-State Pump & Control estimated $17,989.89. Preferred Controls estimated $16,826.00 with an enhanced SCADA option for an additional $2,650.00. A rough estimate for electrical hook up that was not included in the quotes was $500.00. Mike Odden made a motion to approve the quote from Preferred Controls with the enhanced SCADA option for $19,746.00. Eric Berscheid seconded the motion. AIF Annual reviews were completed for Office Assistant, Lisa Silbernick and Clerk-Treasurer, Sandra Meer. Bob Sanchez made motion to approve pay increases for Sandra Meer from Step J4 to J5 and for Lisa Silbernick from Step F2 to F3. Mike Odden seconded the motion. There was discussion on the pay scale and structure for pay increases in regards to annual reviews and annual cost of living pay raises. AIF Stearns County Attorney’s Office requested an increase in their annual contract fees from $3,000 to $4,000. Their basic rate structure hasn’t changed since 2008. Mike Odden made a motion to approve the 2017-18 agreement for prosecution services with the Stearns County Attorney’s Office. Alan Walz seconded the motion. AIF Admin Reports Clerks Report: Absentee ballots for the General Election are available at the Stearns County Auditor’s Office. Residents can register to vote by picking up a registration application at the City Office, in-person on Election Day or online at www.mnvotes.org. For safety reasons, we are urging all residents to make sure house numbers are on the front of their house and visible from the street. Several welcome baskets, provided by area businesses have been handed out in the last month. Welcome to all our new neighbors! Microsoft Office was purchased and installed on laptops for the Fire Department and Liquor Store. Ordinance reviews should be completed by next council work session so a public hearing can be scheduled in December to approve the updated ordinances. Mayors Report: Stearns County Municipal meeting in Richmond, on Tuesday, October 18th. Councilmember Reports: Plans are underway for the showing of the Minnesota 13 documentary; From Grain to Glass on Nov 19-20 in Holdingford at a site to be determined. A bus tour from Stearns County Historical Society came to tour the Museum and generated about $200 in sales. Dumpsters in alley at Redneck Roost will be moved and parking in the alley by Opatz Metals was noted. Announcements General Election: Tuesday, November 8, 2016, 7:00AM – 8:00PM at Holdingford City Hall Next Council Meeting: Monday, November 14, 2016, at 7:00PM, work session 6:00PM. Clerk’s office will be closed Friday, Nov. 11th in observance of Veteran’s Day and Nov. 24th-25th for the Thanksgiving weekend. Residents who are delinquent on their utility payments are: Scott Posch, Wade Rodenwald, Scott Zehowski, Debra Feld, Dave Hagemann, Brian Caruth, Bradley Kronback, Barbara Olson, Ed Ehrlichmann, Travis Harlander, Brenda Rybak, Jesse Johnson, Roger Jensen, and Wayne Johnston. Five building permits were obtained in September. Motion to adjourn was made by Alan Walz, seconded by Bob Sanchez. Meeting adjourned at 10:05p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sandra Meer City Clerk, Holdingford SEPTEMBER 2016 Department Gross Pay General $ 5,773.35 Public Works $ 6,976.85 Fire $ Liquor $ 6,582.65 Total $19,332.85 2 pay periods ending 9/6, 9/19 City of Holdingford - Equal Opportunity Provider Accounts Payable Check Register Report - STEARNS BANK For The Fiscal Periods Range From 2016-9 To 2016-9 For All Vendors And For Outstanding, Cleared, Voided Checks - Computer Generated Check # Type Date Vendor Name Amount Status 32201 C 9/14/2016 704 AFSCME Council 65 $106.80 C 32202 C 9/14/2016 409 Albany Heating, A/C & Service, Inc. $85.00 C 32203 C 9/14/2016 328 AllSpec Services, LLC $162.45 C 32204 C 9/14/2016 6 AmeriPride Linen $63.41 C 32205 C 9/14/2016 825 Bound Tree Medical, LLC $153.70 C 32206 C 9/14/2016 18 C & L Distributing, Inc $2,397.80 C 32207 C 9/14/2016 24 Central-McGowan, Inc $70.00 C 32208 C 9/14/2016 814 Cruise Control $300.00 C 32209 C 9/14/2016 52 E. A. Sween Company $39.70 C 32210 C 9/14/2016 864 Eric Berscheid $268.43 C 32211 C 9/14/2016 80 Gopher State One-Call, Inc $24.30 C 32212 C 9/14/2016 787 Granite City Jobbing Co $1,043.45 C 32214 C 9/14/2016 92 Headley Hardware $431.35 C 32215 C 9/14/2016 614 Holdingford Gas and Grocery $186.28 C 32216 C 9/14/2016 119 Johnson Brothers Liquor C $499.81 C 32217 C 9/14/2016 136 League of MN Cities $889.00 C 32218 C 9/14/2016 730 Midcontinent Business Solutions $224.63 C 32219 C 9/14/2016 174 MN Mayors Assn $30.00 C 32220 C 9/14/2016 184 MN State Fire Chiefs Assn $396.00 C 32221 C 9/14/2016 143 M-R Sign Co. $60.35 C 32222 C 9/14/2016 198 Opatz Excavating $1,615.00 C 32223 C 9/14/2016 908 Quality Lube Tire and Auto $103.95 C 32225 C 9/14/2016 225 Schlenner, Wenner & Co $65.00 C 32226 C 9/14/2016 770 St. Cloud Times (Media) $42.00 C 32227 C 9/14/2016 685 Star Publications, LLC $188.65 C 32229 C 9/14/2016 258 The Nut Man $37.00 C 32230 C 9/14/2016 877 Two Dog Night $300.00 C 32231 C 9/14/2016 271 UC Lab $1,090.50 C 32232 C 9/14/2016 276 United Systems Technology $12.32 C 32233 C 9/14/2016 903 Upper Lakes Foods, Inc. $316.75 C 32234 C 9/14/2016 339 Verizon Wireless $89.56 C 32235 C 9/14/2016 281 Viking Coca Cola Bottling $1,715.40 C 32236 C 9/14/2016 360 XCEL ENERGY 51-5655037-5 $1,039.90 C 32237 C 9/14/2016 358 XCEL ENERGY 51-5655040-0 $2,473.07 C 32238 C 9/26/2016 6 AmeriPride Linen $60.31 C 32241 C 9/26/2016 469 Barb Konsor $80.16 C 32243 C 9/26/2016 507 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota $345.03 C 32244 C 9/26/2016 828 Brian Zapzalka $179.96 C Check # Type Date Vendor Name Amount Status 32245 C 9/26/2016 18 C & L Distributing, Inc $4,086.00 C 32247 C 9/26/2016 873 CenturyLink $63.51 C 32249 C 9/26/2016 370 Dorine Rausch $50.00 C 32250 C 9/26/2016 52 E. A. Sween Company $176.80 C 32252 C 9/26/2016 70 Frito-Lay, Inc $59.46 C 32256 C 9/26/2016 91 Hawkins, Inc $927.20 C 32257 C 9/26/2016 851 Health Partners $1,016.48 C 32258 C 9/26/2016 481 Heggies Pizza $446.85 C 32260 C 9/26/2016 119 Johnson Brothers Liquor C $1,070.68 C 32263 C 9/26/2016 389 Pat's Floral Design $360.00 C 32264 C 9/26/2016 205 Phillips Wine & Spirits $127.66 C 32265 C 9/26/2016 207 Postmaster $246.00 C 32268 C 9/26/2016 223 S.E.H. $1,800.00 C 32269 C 9/26/2016 465 Sandra Meer $39.98 C 32272 C 9/26/2016 242 Stearns Cty Auditor-Treas $1,500.00 C 32276 C 9/26/2016 359 XCEL ENERGY 51-5655038-6 $1,330.48 C 32277 C 9/26/2016 361 XCEL ENERGY 51-5655039-7 $821.06 C 32278 C 9/26/2016 383 XCEL ENERGY 51-5655041-1 $872.84 C 32279 C 9/26/2016 519 XCEL ENERGY 51-8242904-3 $88.41 C 32224 C 9/14/2016 893 Rolling Lake Auto $19.50 O 32228 C 9/14/2016 243 Stearns County Sheriff's Office $6,550.00 O 32239 C 9/26/2016 856 Andy Bartkowicz $75.00 O 32240 C 9/26/2016 852 Automatic Systems Co $73.00 O 32242 C 9/26/2016 9 Bernick's Pepsi-Cola $905.05 O 32246 C 9/26/2016 817 C Emery Nelson, Inc $733.30 O 32248 C 9/26/2016 48 D & D Beverage $166.50 O 32251 C 9/26/2016 864 Eric Berscheid $805.00 O 32253 C 9/26/2016 787 Granite City Jobbing Co $362.04 O 32254 C 9/26/2016 340 HACH COMPANY $1,961.27 O 32255 C 9/26/2016 90 Harry's Frozen Foods $151.25 O 32259 C 9/26/2016 107 Holdingford Fire Relief Assn $400.00 O 32261 C 9/26/2016 144 MEDICA $1,292.36 O 32262 C 9/26/2016 179 MN State Fire Dept. Assn $147.00 O 32266 C 9/26/2016 208 Principal Financial Group $106.52 O 32267 C 9/26/2016 893 Rolling Lake Auto $356.00 O 32270 C 9/26/2016 750 St Cloud Times #1076 $37.00 O 32271 C 9/26/2016 237 St Rosa Lumber, Inc $1,825.85 O 32273 C 9/26/2016 543 Tim Haussner $350.00 O 32274 C 9/26/2016 263 Tom's Refuse $6,135.08 O 32275 C 9/26/2016 804 Toshiba Financial Services $99.12 O 32213 C 9/14/2016 340 HACH COMPANY $2,096.10 V Cleared $32,270.43 Outstanding $22,550.84 Void $2,096.10