July 13, 2020
The City Council met at 5:30 pm at the Emergency Center with the following members present: Mayor Willey and Council: Gentzkow, Hoggarth, Watkins, Nogosek, and Sandness, engineer Brandon Reber, employees Haugen and Schaffer, newspaper Hagebock. Attending via conference call was Attorney Radermacher.
Minutes: Gentzkow moved Nogosek second to approve June Council and Special meeting minutes. Polled vote: all yes
Financial: Gentzkow moved, Hoggarth second to accept financial reports as presented. Polled vote: all yes
Bills for June: Hoggarth moved, Gentzkow second to approve bills as presented. Polled vote: all yes
Engineer Report: Bids were opened for the Water Tower project. The bids came in significantly higher than the projected budget. The water committee asked the engineer to research the following options to potentially reduce the costs: reduce tank size from 300,000 gallons to 250,000 gallons, change the type of building that houses the controls, eliminate removal of the old structure. Reber presented those options to the Committee. The savings for changing the size of the tank by 1/6 of the size could save $20,000, changing from a fiberglass to a Morton building is $40,000. The committee recommended to the council that the change in building be made, the tank size to remain as originally planned and the removal of the old tank be taken care of as a part of this plan. The cost of the project increased significantly, fortunately the interest rate of the loan has decreased from the 3.375% to 1.5% so the additional cost to homeowners will be approximately $70 more/year than originally planned.
Councilman Watkins made a motion that the City request a loan of $1,650,000 from the USDA at the 1.5% interest rate in order to approve the winning bid for the project. Then to create a change order to the contractor to change the building to a Morton building to reduce by $40,000. Hoggarth seconded. Polled vote: all yes.
The next step is request the funds and to appoint a Special Assessment Commission.
- Reber presented invoice #24043 – $6,860.00. Watkins moved to pay the invoice. Second by Sandness. Polled vote: all yes.
Public Works Update: Public Works: Schaffer: Schaffer presented options for the Sweeper as the current one needs repair. Will research what attachments for the skidsteer are, subject tabled for now.
The gates also need to be replaced. Engineer Reber will get a price from the contractor coming into town for the tower.
Legal Matters: Clean up follow up letters were sent last week. Action will proceed when new police chief
Old Business:
-Dust Control bids were presented. Watkins moved to do the East side of town to the Scott Mart residence for $2075.20 and the west side for $5639.27. Gentzkow second. Polled vote: all yes.
-The mold in the Civic Center has continued to get worse. At this time, it would be cost prohibitive to remove all the mold and fix the problems that have caused it. The rest of the city property will be removed. And options will be researched for a more permanent location for the City Auditors office. Hoggarth moved and Gentzkow seconded to move the utility bill drop box and information center from the entrance of the civic center to the Bank North mall. Polled vote: all yes.
-Auditor Haugen presented the 2021 Preliminary Budget to the Council. Watkins moved and Gentzkow second to approve the preliminary budget. Polled vote: all yes.
New Business:
-Auditor Haugen presented a proposal for accepting alternative payments for utility bills. Presented were options to accept credit cards and to do automatice payments by ACH through Bank North. Hoggarth move and Gentzkow second to approve making the changes to payments on utility bills. Polled vote: all yes.
-Watkins moved the increase new employee leave from 6 hours per month to 8 hours per month. Years 1-5, employees will get 8 hours per month, the rest would stay the same as currently printed in the employee handbook. Sandness seconded. Polled vote: all yes.
Building Permits:
-Fence- Linda Wick- modified plan from last meeting. Hoggarth moved, Gentzkow second. Polled vote: all yes.