City Council

CITY OF PELICAN RAPIDS COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES-04-09-07 The City Council of Pelican Rapids met in regular session at 5:30 p.m., Monday, 04-09-07, in Council Chambers, City Hall. Mayor Wayne Runningen, Council Members Ben Woessner, John E. Waller, III, and David Gottenborg were present. Council Member Richard Peterson was absent. Administrator Don Solga, Clerk-Treasurer Glenys Ehlert, Police Chief Scott Fox, Street and Park Superintendent Brian Olson, Utilities Superintendent Brent E. Frazier, Library Director Annie Wrigg, Liquor Store Manager Bob Leslie, Laurie Mullen of Western Area City County Cooperative, Kelley Gorman of the Pelican Rapids Press, Julie Lammers, Lani Thomas of Heartland Payment Systems, Terry Lammers, Anita and TJ Johnson, Brad Palubicki, Austin Lammers and Jed Evenson of Boy Scout Troop 313 were also present. Meeting called to order by Mayor Runningen. Item No. 12, Youth Center, was deleted from the agenda. Laurie Mullen of Western Area City County Cooperative (WACCO), started in 1993, described the networking sessions, cooperative purchasing and training provided by the organization. To assist organizations, they wrote a grant request for defibrillators. The City of Pelican Rapids requested six defibrillators and she is present today to present these defibrillators, valued at $2200 to $3000 each. Mayor Runningen thanked her on behalf of the City of Pelican Rapids. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to approve the Council minutes of 02-27-07 and 03- 12-07 as presented. Motion passed unanimously. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Woessner to approve the payment of the Accounts Payable Listing of 04-09-07 as presented. Motion passed unanimously. Police Chief Scott Fox presented his department’s report. They have put the new squad car into service. Utilities Superintendent Brent E. Frazier presented his report. The electrical panels at the water plant, wells and wastewater facility were serviced. This is done annually. ND Sewage Pump performed pump service at the wastewater facility. Superintendent Brent Frazier was able to testify before the Tax Committee regarding the City’s request for tax exempt status for purchase of equipment for the Phosphorous Reduction. The bill, if passed, would save the City $50,000 on this project. The City of Moorhead also testified and requested that the phosphorous mandate be postponed for one year. Mayor Runningen thanked Superintendent Frazier for attending the hearing. Street and Park Superintendent Brian Olson presented his report. He said they had completed about 90% of curb to curb street sweeping project prior to plowing snow for the most recent snowfall. He has attended several training sessions and has sent staff members to training as well. Olson presented a lifeguard job description. Library Director Annie Wrigg presented her report. Tess Erickson is a new employee at the library. The library provided meeting space for 5,000 meetings in the past year. About 4,500 were non-library programming meetings. The Easter Egg Hunt was held at the Library on Saturday. Motion by Waller, seconded by Woessner to approve the hiring of Tess Erickson as a part time Library Assistant with a starting salary rate of $9.00 per hour. Motion passed unanimously. Liquor Store Manager Bob Leslie introduced Lani Thomas of Heartland Payment Systems. They serve Detroit Lakes, Hawley, Perham and Park Rapids liquor stores. They feel they can reduce the cost of credit card transactions by about $85 per month or about $1,000 annually. Council concurred with the action to cut costs. Administrator Solga reviewed the December, 2006 Income Statement and January, February and March, 2007 Income Statements for the Liquor Store. Clerk-Treasurer Glenys Ehlert reviewed the 03-31-07 Financial Reports. Motion by Waller, seconded by Woessner to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s approval of Accounts Payable Listing of 04-09-07; to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s decision to accept the low bid of JL Trucking, Excavating & Grading and award the contract for demolition of the Dollar Store, 200 S. Broadway, and demolition of the house at 23 3rd Ave. SW, adjacent to the fire hall property; to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s decision to accept the low bid of R.A. Bristlin & Son Construction and award the contract for the base bid and Alternate G-2 in the amount of $638,695 for construction of the fire hall, and to authorize the Economic Development Authority’s decision to arrange with Northland Securities, Inc. to conduct a bond sale on 04-24-07 for $995,000. Motion passed unanimously. Council considered the request for Charitable Gambling License for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter at Crossroads Corner, 10 South Broadway. Motion by Waller, seconded by Woessner to approve the Charitable Gambling License for the period 04-09- 07 through 12-31-07. Mayor Runningen and Council Members Woessner and Waller voted yes. Council Member Gottenborg voted no. Motion carried. Board of Review will be 04-18-07 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Regarding the Small Cities Development Program, Administrator Solga discussed the risk assessment that needs to be conducted on a small percentage of homes and one commercial establishment. The City needs to be the fiscal agent and may need to spend up to $3,000 for the assessment. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to approve the expense for the risk assessment out of economic development funds. Motion passed unanimously. Council discussed the letter from Loretel Cablevision advising the City of a rate increase, effective with May, 2007 billing statements to cable television customers in the community. Council discussed the August, 2006 meeting dealing with the sale of the company to Arvig Communications and discussion that rates would not increase. Administrator Solga reviewed the Computer Use Policy developed by Solga and the department heads and based on the League of Minnesota Cities guidelines. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to approve the Computer Use Policy as presented. Motion passed unanimously. This week is Tornado Awareness Week and the City will be participating with Otter Tail County on Thursday, 04-12-07, between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. The Council Members also received a copy of the their individual calling tree if an emergency occurs outside of the hours that City Hall is open. Motion by Gottenborg, seconded by Waller to certify the following unpaid utility bills to Otter Tail County Auditor for collection with real estate taxes: Parcel No. 76000220009000 in the amount of $166.16, Parcel No. 76000990668000 in the amount of $128.09 and Parcel No. 76000990097000 in the amount of $158.29. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Runningen welcomed the Boy Scouts. He thanked them for attending the City Council meeting. Laurie Mullen distributed additional information for the council and the community from the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health. Meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Glenys Ehlert, CMC Clerk-Treasurer