City Council

CITY OF PELICAN RAPIDS COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES-01-30-07 The City of Pelican Rapids met in regular session at 4:30 p.m., on Tuesday, 01-30-07, in Council Chambers, City Hall. Mayor Wayne Runningen, Council Members Ben Woessner, David Gottenborg and John E. Waller, III, were present. Council Member Richard Peterson was absent. Administrator Don Solga, Clerk-Treasurer Glenys Ehlert, Fire Chief Trevor Steeves, Street and Park Superintendent Brian Olson, Don Perrin, Mel Zierke, Galen Teichert, Mike McNabb, Kelley Gorman of The Press and Roger Fenstad, Paul King and Hugh Veit of Moore Engineering were also present. Mayor Runningen called meeting to order. Routine Maintenance Agreement and Public Nuisance Report were deleted from the agenda. Hazardous Waste Day was added to the agenda. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to approve the Accounts Payable Listing of 01-30- 07, with the addition of the following Library Bills: Wells Fargo for Target, media in the amount of $118.62 and Wells Fargo for The Container Store, office organizers in the amount of $119.95. The Library Bills were approved by Library Board Member Deb Evenson. Motion passed unanimously. Fire Chief Trevor Steeves presented the annual fire report. There were 74 fire calls in 2006, 22 of them in the City of Pelican Rapids. Update on proposed Fire Hall was presented. Chief Steeves anticipates the Building Committee will be meeting with the architect/engineer and the City will be ready to advertise for bids in early March. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to approve the following fire department officers and annual salaries: Fire Chief Trevor Steeves, $1,500 per year; Assistant Fire Chief Alan Martinson, $500 per year; Secretary Steve Haiby, $600 per year and Treasurer Alan Johnson, $300 per year. Motion passed unanimously. Administrator Don Solga will meet with Moore Engineering regarding a site work engineering proposal for the proposed Fire Hall. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to hire the following skating rink employees: Dalmer Lammers, Noah Albright, Joe Erickson and Andy Welder. Motion establishes the wages for returning employees at $7.17 per hour and new rink employees at $6.90 per hour. Motion passed unanimously. Administrator Don Solga explained that the City has been working with Moore Engineering to identify water, sewer and street projects that need replacement due to infiltration problems and age of the systems. Roger Fenstad, Hugh Veit and Paul King of Moore Engineering were present to discuss infrastructure replacement. The City is in the Public Financing Authority (PFA) fundable range for these projects at this time. The project has been distributed into four phases. The Public Financing Authority rates are around 1.5% for water and sewer projects. The street portion would be probably sold at 4.5% to 4.75% and these would be assessed to the property owners. Based on the previous policy, the assessment would be about $32 per front foot. Water rates would need to be raised about 93 cents per month to pay for these distribution system improvements. Sewer rates to typical residential users would need to increase $2.93 per month. Moore Engineering has $30,000 into the project already and design would bring the costs to $80,000 for engineering. Council discussed the general fund budget and levy, water and sewer fund budgets and other projects. Administrator Solga and Galen Teichert of Park Region requested vacating 2nd Ave. SW. The street is 25 ft. wide by 115.5 ft. long, beginning at Hwy 59 and proceeding west 115.5 ft. along the south border of TIN R76000990190000. Park Region and Administrator Solga have discussed the possible relocation of the Community Sign, possibly to the proposed Fire Hall property. Motion by Woessner, seconded by Waller to set the pubic hearing for street vacation of 2nd Ave. SW, at 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, 02-27-07, Council Chambers, City Hall, by introducing the following resolution, entitled, RESOLUTION FOR HEARING TO VACATE 2ND AVE. SW. Motion passed unanimously. Clerk-Treasurer Glenys Ehlert reviewed the Tax Increment Financing District modifications for the Industrial Park. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Woessner to introduce the following resolution, entitled, RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT NO. 1 “REDEVELOPMENT” AND APPROVING THE AMENDED TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN RELATING THERETO TO DROP THE INDUSTRIAL PARK PARCELS FROM THE DISTRICT. (A complete text of this resolution is part of permanent public record in the city clerk’s office.) Motion passed unanimously and resolution declared duly adopted. Administrator Solga explained the resolution to modify the existing JOBZ Sub-zones, removing approximately 5.61 acres of JOBZ designation from Sub-Zone C which will decertify this Sub- zone; and certifying a new Sub-Zone D by adding approximately 5.61 acres of JOBZ designation to the property owned by Jennie O Foods to permit West Central Turkeys, Inc., to apply for JOBZ. Motion by Waller, seconded by Woessner to introduce the following resolution, entitled, RESOLUTION TO PARTICIPATE AND DESIGNATE PROPERTY FOR TAX FREE ZONE DESIGNATION, PELICAN RAPIDS CITY COUNCIL. (A complete text of this resolution is part of permanent public record in the city clerk's office.) Motion passed unanimously and resolution declared duly adopted. Administrator Solga said the Chamber of Commerce did not wish to address City Council in an open meeting about Historic City Hall Operation. They said they would like to meet with Administrator Solga and/or a committee to discuss continued operation. “The City put a lot of money into the building and we need to know what the Chamber plans for operation,” said Mayor Runningen. Mayor Runningen is willing to meet with Administrator Solga and Chamber Board members. Administrator Don Solga reported on the Pay Equity Report prepared by Administrator Solga and Clerk-Treasurer Ehlert. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to approve the Pay Equity Report and authorize Mayor Runningen to sign the report. Motion passed unanimously. Administrator Solga reviewed a new resolution for the annexation. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to introduce the following resolution, entitled, JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF PELICAN AND THE CITY OF PELICAN RAPIDS FOR ORDERLY ANNEXATION. (A complete text of this resolution is part of permanent public record in the city clerk's office.) Motion passed unanimously and resolution declared duly adopted. Administrator Solga reviewed a resolution to request reimbursement from the Clean Water Grant Program. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to introduce the following resolution, entitled, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PELICAN RAPIDS TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE CLEAN WATER LEGACY PHOSPHORUS REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM FOR WORK AND RELATED ENGINEERING NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH PERMITED PHOSPHOROUS LIMITS RELATED TO THE CITY OF PELICAN RAPIDS WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. (A complete text of this resolution is part of permanent public record in the city clerk's office.) Motion passed unanimously and resolution declared duly adopted. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to hold Hazardous Waste Day on 08-15-07, in cooperation with the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Office. Motion passed unanimously. Council will conduct the Liquor Store inventory on 02-01-07. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to adjourn the City Council meeting to follow the Economic Development Authority meeting. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Runningen reconvened the City Council meeting at 6:50 p.m. Motion by Woessner, seconded by Gottenborg to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s approval of payment to Design 7 in the amount of $11,140 for design and engineering services for the proposed Fire Hall, to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s approval of the pay off to Lake Region Electric Cooperative for the Rural Utility Services Loan for the building purchased by BTD in the Industrial Park and authorize the Economic Development Authority’s approval to execute the purchase agreement with and pay $500 earnest money to Kerry Ell for Lots 6, 7 and 8, Block 1 of Blyberg’s First Addition, setting a possible closing date for 04-10-07. Motion passed unanimously. Motion by Waller, seconded by Gottenborg to adjourn the meeting at 6:54 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. Glenys Ehlert, CMC Clerk-Treasurer