2/19/02 Minutes

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING

OF THE ORTONVILLE CITY COUNCIL

COUNTY OF BIG STONE, STATE OF MINNESOTA

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2002 6:00 PM

COUNCIL CHAMBERS

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL:

Upon due and proper notice, Mayor Dinnel called the rescheduled regular meeting of the Ortonville City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll call was taken with the following being present: Mel Reinke, Dan Oakes, Lisa Berkner, Lenore Sellin, Mike Dorry, David Dinnel, and with the following absent: Artie Arndt. City Staff Present: Roman Taffe, Curtis Hormann, Paul Tinklenberg. Media Present: Sue Kaercher-Blake, John Paulson (6:50). Others Present: Terry Gere, Randy Mortensen, Drew Hagquist, Dan Shafer, Wally Rogers, Gary Dinnel, Mona Strege, Jim Larson, Dalen Roe.

AGENDA AMENDMENTS:

A motion was offered by Reinke and seconded by Berkner and the motion did pass unanimously to approve the following agenda additions:

Recognitions:

6.c Water Monitor, Inc.

Committee Recommendations:

10.b Police Commission

12.a Council retreat date

12.b Clubhouse deck project

12.c Hwy 7 damages discussion

New Business:

13.f Librarian resignation

RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS:

Mona Strege asked council to again contribute $500 for the insurance costs related to the cornfest fireworks event. Oakes moved and Sellin seconded and the motion passed unanimously approving up to $500 from the council’s discretionary fund for cornfest fireworks insurance costs.

Randy Mortensen, Water Monitor, Inc., presented an update on the pilot program for the metering and billing of the city’s utilities.

CONSENT AGENDA:

At 6:30 Mayor Dinnel asked if there were any additions, corrections, or deletions to be made to the Consent Agenda. Motion was made by council member Reinke, and seconded by council member Oakes to approve the Consent Agenda which included the following items:

9.a: Motion approving proposed council minutes of February 4, 2002.

15: Motion approving payment of bills as presented.

With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF BOARDS,COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS:

Council discussed recommendations received from the Park & Recreation board. Dinnel moved Berkner seconded and the motion passed unanimously to table the matter of dissolving the Park/Golf Superintendent position until a later date. Council was informed of the advertising for positions of pool director, summer rec director, and parks director. Dinnel moved and Reinke seconded and the motion passed unanimously to not reapply for the DNR Outdoor Recreation grant for the development of a Riverside Park restroom.

Council next discussed the recommendations of the Police Civil Service Commission. Reinke moved and Berkner seconded that a resolution be adopted Hiring Part Time Police Officers (RES 02-016). With Sellin, Oakes, Reinke, Dorry, and Berkner voting in favor, and with Dinnel voting against, the motion carried 5-1.

Dinnel next asked chief Hormann about the drug dog program and asked that a report be presented to council regarding the status of that program. Hormann stated that he would provide requested report after upcoming recertification testing.

Next council reviewed a recommendation from the utility committee for approval of a contribution to the TNT project of the Southwest Foundation. It was noted that the committee had proposed $5k from light fund and $5k from hospital fund. Oakes moved and Reinke seconded that a resolution be adopted Approving TNT Project Funding (RES 02-017). With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Dinnel announced that the proposed date for the council retreat will be March 25^th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and tentatively would be held at the golf clubhouse.

Council discussed the clubhouse deck project and Terry Gere asked if they could go ahead and advertise for bids. Discussion about available funding followed and it was decided that the mayor and clerk-administrator would meet with golf board personnel and review the funding status of said project.

Dinnel read a memorandum from city attorney regarding the Hwy 7 project. He stated that pursuit of damages pursuant to the project contract would be advisable instead of seeking reimbursement for actual damages the city incurred. Dinnel moved and Oakes seconded and the motion passed unanimously rescinding the motion of 2/4/02 seeking actual damage reimbursement on the Hwy 7 project. City attorney was instructed to meet with project engineer to move forward with said actions.

NEW BUSINESS:

Council reviewed a proposed border cities tax credit agreement. Reinke moved and Berkner seconded and the motion passed unanimously approving the new border cities tax credit agreement and further authorizing the mayor and/or clerk-administrator to sign said document.

Oakes moved and Reinke seconded and the motion passed unanimously approving the following board, committee and commission appointments:

Border City Tax Credit Commission – John Jurgens, Artie Arndt, Becky Parker

Civil Service Commission – Marilyn Hanson, Mike Dorry

Telecommunications Board – Alan Ross, Barb Voecks

Golf Board – David Dinnel, Glenn Nelson

Health Care Board – Mike Dorry

Library Board – Brenda Dinnel, Lenore Sellin

Planning Commission – Steve Berkner, Tom Kindt

Board of Adjustment – Lenore Sellin, Steve Berkner, Tom Kindt

Park & Recreation Board – David Dinnel, Vicki Oakes

Tree Board – John Cunningham, Scott Huizenga

Tree & Weed Inspector – Scott Huizenga

Fire Department – Ron Athey, Chief

Randy McLain, Asst. Chief

Tom Kindt, Treasurer

Jerry Wiegman, Secretary

Alan Arndt, Training Officer

Next council discussed the request from the BCIP steering committee to dedicate space and utilities at the clinic building for the proposed telework project. Wally Rogers, community development specialist for BCIP, offered to answer questions on the matter and stated that this would be a large part of the match required from Blandin for it’s $200k grant for this project. Dinnel moved and Reinke seconded that a resolution be adopted Approving Telework Project Contribution (RES 02-018). Will all members voting in favor, the motion carried.

Dorry moved and Berkner seconded and the motion passed unanimously approving the payment of hospital project pay request #8 in the amount of $151,164.00 from hospital bond funds.

Reinke moved and Dorry seconded that a resolution be adopted Approving Moose Lodge Gambling Permit Application (RES 02-019). With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.

Dinnel announced the resignation of librarian Sonja Timmerman and voiced his support of the application of Sally Rakow for that position vacancy.

Dalen Roe, Tree Board, asked for the council’s commitment for funding of tree board initiatives and for enforcement of the existing tree ordinance. Consensus was in support of the tree board.

Discussed a request for removal of the woodwork from the church building at 4^th & Madison. Dinnel moved and Oakes seconded and the motion passed unanimously to advertise for bids for th

e removal of contents of said building.

Taffe brought forward a request from a local retailer to approve the issuance of a manual check for invoices presented after the disbursement cutoff date. Consensus of the council was to not issue the manual check requested.

At 8:26 Mayor Dinnel announced that the council would be entering executive session for employee performance review. At 8:55 Mayor Dinnel declared the executive session ended and with no action taken thereon, reopened the regular meeting to the public.

ADJOURNMENT:

There being no further business to come before the Council, Dorry moved the adjournment of the meeting and with no objections thereto, Dinnel adjourned the February 19, 2002 meeting of the Ortonville City Council at 8:56 p.m.

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Roman C. Taffe, City Clerk-Administrator