AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 9, 2008
7:00 PM CITY HALL
APRIL AGENDA
1. Call the Meeting to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approve Consent Agenda of…
a)
Minutes
b)
Treasurers Report
c)
Bills for Payment
4. Tony Landuyt – Put in Driveway on Parcel #
29.39.00410
5. Bob Winner – Liquor Store Report
6. Frank Thelin – Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report
7. Water/Sewer New Connect Fees & Ordinances
8. Eric Klein – Police Report
9. Beach Patrol by Akeley Police Reserves
10. Akeley Clean Up Days
11. Personnel Policy # 9 – Address Travel Time
12. Pay Equity Raise Rate
13. Personnel Policy # 10 – Changes to Policy Due to Raise
Rates
14. Old Business
15. New Business
16. Adjourn
AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 9, 2008
7:00 PM CITY HALL
The Akeley City Council met in a regular meeting Wednesday April
9, 2008 at 7:00 pm. Mayor Tom Moore called the meeting to
order. Council members present were: Tom Moore, Cliff Johnson,
Frank Lamb, Eric Sjolin and Brian Hitchcock. The Pledge of
Allegiance was recited by the Council and attending audience.
Motion by Frank Lamb seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
approve the consent agenda with the addition of Galen Negen at
4.5.
Anthony Landuyt is planning on putting in a driveway on Parcel #
29.39.00410 next spring and wondered if he needed council
approval to have it done.
Motion by Frank seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
approve to allow a driveway with a culvert to be put in on
Parcel # 29.39.00410.
Galen Negen asked what the City plans to do with the street
light that was taken down by T&M. He said he would like the
pole from it and would give the City a load of class 5 in
exchange for it.
Motion by Frank Lamb seconded by Eric Sjolin and carried to
approve to accept Galen’s proposal for the light pole in
exchange for one load of class 5.
Galen Negen also presented a proposal to the Council for class 5
at $100.00 a load. The Council said they would think about it.
Liquor Store Report – Bob Winner was not present so
Councilman Cliff Johnson gave an update.
-
The cooker and
exhaust fan were approved by the Department of Health.
-
The Casserole
Cook-Off at the Liquor Store is Saturday, April 26th.
-
Profit is up from
where we were at this time last year but still down about
$400.00 for the year.
Water/Sewer/Maintenance
Report - Frank Thelin
-
Frank stated he
has obtained 4 bids on material needed for the fishing
pier. The lowest bid came from Park Rapids Building Supply
at $1,400.00 for the lumber. Frank had estimated the amount
of lumber that would be needed to replace the entire dock
surface and any necessary repair to the railing. Frank said
the DNR would give the City 10 floats, a 20 foot gangway and
a ramp for the gangway but it could be June before the City
receives the gangway.
-
Frank said Greg
Everett would like to get a couple of docks for the
campground and the cost would be about $1,600.00 each but
they may get a break if they buy two.
-
Frank said Greg
would also like to get about ten picnic tables and they
believe they could build them for about $100.00 each using
green treated lumber.
Frank Lamb said he had been informed by some of last year’s
customers that the campground bathroom shower walls and floors
needed to be painted since they looked dingy and dirty. Some
discussion was held regarding the responsibilities of City
maintenance and the campground manager. Council members felt
City maintenance would be responsible for painting the bathrooms
and the campground manager would be responsible for cleaning and
routine maintenance. Frank Thelin asked who should be
responsible for picking up the garbage at the campground since
he has been picking it up and had no complaints in doing it.
The Council felt the City should be responsible for the beach
area, but decided that since the campground manager mows the
beach area for the City that City maintenance could continue to
pick up garbage for the campground manager as a “trade off”.
Motion by Frank Lamb seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
approve to have the campground bathroom shower walls and floors
painted this spring and to pay for the paint out of the park
fund.
-
Frank Thelin
stated he will be having sewer maintenance done on the main
lift station and the lift station by the park and the others
will be done in the future.
-
Frank said he
didn’t get a chance to call the City of Nevis about water
connections since he has been busy but will try to call them
tomorrow.
Frank Lamb asked Frank Thelin why his road didn’t get plowed
entirely and said Galen Negen had cleared one swipe down the
road but it had never been completely cleared by the City.
Frank Thelin asked Frank Lamb what he would suggest that he do
the next time the City gets twenty-four inches of snow. Frank
Lamb suggested using the grader and discussion was held
regarding the grader getting stuck while removing snow and that
there were chains for the grader which hadn’t been found by City
maintenance. Jon Johnson asked what the policy is for snow
removal since he had seen that business sidewalks had been
cleared and that County 49 had been cleared but many residents
were stuck since their streets had not been cleared. Marcy
Johnson stated that she had missed a day of work due to her
street not being plowed. Cliff Johnson said that the paved
streets were the only roads where City maintenance could get
traction. The Council and Frank Thelin apologized to the
citizens for the inconvenience and agreed that they need to take
inventory of what equipment the City has, what the City needs
and make future plans for snow removal.
Motion by Brian Hitchcock seconded by Eric Sjolin and carried to
approve to change the connection fee from $25.00 to $200.00 in
number 3 and to make the connection fee $300.00 in number 9 of
Ordinance No. 101-2005, An Ordinance Adopting a Schedule of Fees
and Charges for Various Services, Licenses and Permits for the
City of Akeley, Minnesota.
Motion by Eric Sjolin seconded by Frank Lamb and carried to
approve to rescind last month’s motion to change $25.00 to
$250.00 in number 3 and to change $25.00 to $500.00 in number 9
of Ordinance No. 101-2005, An Ordinance Adopting a Schedule of
Fees and Charges for Various Services, Licenses and Permits for
the City of Akeley, Minnesota.
Police Report - Chief Eric Klein
·
Eric asked the Council if they had decided on the
number of hours that they would like to have the reserves do
beach patrol this summer. Brian Hitchcock stated that nothing
definite had been decided since the Council wanted to wait and
see if Eric had heard any more regarding the grants he had
applied for. Eric has not heard anything at this time
Motion by Frank Lamb seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
approve to have the Police Reserves patrol the beach the same as
they did last year, being paid minimum wage from the community
fund for 4 hours a day with the number of hours a day possibly
increasing if a grant is received.
·
The new speed zone signs are in place on Hwy 34
and Hwy 64.
·
Eric said he hasn’t heard any more regarding
Akeley Clean Up Days. He said he has talked to Vern Masse from
Hubbard County Solid Waste Management who is waiting to hear
from the C&C and has a couple of people lined up to help with
sorting the garbage bins during the clean up.
Motion by Frank Lamb seconded by Tom Moore and carried to
approve to acknowledge clean up days if and when the C & C
decides on a date.
·
The light pole by T&M was removed and the total
cost was $710.00. In the past it had been discussed that the
bill would be split and paid in thirds ($236.67) by the City of
Akeley and the two parties involved with hitting the pole.
Motion by Tom Moore seconded by Frank Lamb and carried to
approve to split the bill three ways and pay the City’s third of
$236.67 from the police administration fund.
·
Last month there was an issue with engine breaking
and Eric found that in order to enforce this, the police
department would have to purchase a digital sound level meter
which is priced at $79.95. Once the sound meter is purchased,
MNDOT will put up the signs at no cost.
Motion by Brian Hitchcock seconded by Frank Lamb and carried to
approve to authorize spending up to $100.00 for a digital sound
meter.
·
Adam Williams has police driving training at the
end of the month in St. Cloud. Eric told the Council that the
cost for training is $236.00 if the City squad is used or
$344.00 if the track vehicle is used and asked if they would
prefer to pay mileage if Adam drove his own vehicle there or if
he should drive the City squad to training.
Motion by Brian Hitchcock seconded by Tom Moore and carried to
approve to send Adam Williams in the City’s squad to driving
school in St. Cloud and to use their track vehicle for $344.00.
Brian Hitchcock said he wonders whether part-time officers are
needed for more than filling in for vacation. He said he read
in the paper that the county attorney stated that full police
coverage is not required if we have a liquor store. Some
discussion took place as to how often a part time officer should
work and the Council agreed to discuss this in more detail at a
work session.
Jon Johnson asked if some of the liquor store issues could be
solved by finding out who has “no drink” orders against them.
Members of the Council stated they didn’t feel it was up to the
bartenders to have that knowledge unless they are informed by
the manager of someone being “black balled” from the liquor
store. Police Chief Eric Klein said he had spoken with the
assistant county attorney who didn’t feel it was up to the
bartenders to know who is court ordered or not and placed on a
“no drink”. Eric also said if he is aware of someone in the
liquor store who shouldn’t be drinking, he contacts the person’s
probation officer.
The issue of whether or not to pay an employee for time traveled
to and from council approved training was discussed and it was
decided that it should be placed on the agenda for the work
session.
Motion by Brian Hitchcock seconded by Eric Sjolin and carried to
approve to set a work session for Monday, April 28th
at 6:00 PM.
Motion by Eric Sjolin seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
approve to remove all but the first three paragraphs from
Personnel Policy # 11 and to add that a percentage raise
determined by the Council at the June council meeting will be
awarded to all employees in July of each year. Frank Lamb
abstained.
Old Business
Eric Sjolin asked if an official consensus needed to be made
regarding the tennis court money and the Council agreed to take
no action at this time since the topic had been on the agenda at
the last work session but no one from the C&C had shown up.
Brian Hitchcock asked for the record if the police squad car had
been returned to the city garage. Eric Klein said it had been
returned the night that the issue of it being out of town had
been brought up.
Brian Hitchcock also asked if we were able to look at past
minutes regarding the split rail fence that Jim Hamand had
brought up at the last council meeting. Wendy Klein stated that
since it was over ten years ago, they will have to look in the
archives to find it. Council members said they didn’t really
see the need for a fence at the location that Jim had talked
about.
Frank Lamb brought up the street light that Jim Hamand had
talked about at the last meeting. Members of the Council said
they didn’t feel it was a priority to add a street light in the
alley since there are lights at either end of the block.
Frank Lamb asked if any more had been heard about the house near
Bob Warnke’s that was up for auction by Hubbard County. The
Council would like to find out who owns it since there is a lot
of traffic which goes by and the house is an eye sore.
Cliff Johnson asked if anyone had heard from Nels Kramer or his
committee regarding the DNR land since Nels hasn’t been to a
council meeting lately to update the Council.
Jon
Johnson asked about the ordinance put in place about two years
ago regarding mobile homes since a couple of them have added on
recently. The ordinance prevents mobile homes with a width of
less than 22 feet from being moved to town but additions to
existing mobile homes require a building permit.
New Business
Frank Thelin asked what should be done in a situation like we
just had where it snows consecutively for 2 to 3 days. Council
members suggested that tar streets be plowed first, that the
maintenance employees stagger their hours and to get Melissa
Niblick cross trained to help with plowing.
Frank Lamb felt that to prevent animosity in the work place that
Greg Everett should apologize to Denise Rittgers for things that
were said at the work session regarding his benefits. Members
of the council stated that Denise gets her direction from them
so it wasn’t her fault.
Eric Sjolin said there are issues regarding part time benefits
that he would like to have discussed at the work session. He
also said that he would like to have the difference of wages
when performing different jobs (i.e. maintenance and grader
work) addressed at the work session.
Eric Klein said he would like to add the issues of 4-wheelers to
the work session agenda.
Motion by Eric Sjolin seconded by Brian Hitchcock and carried to
adjourn.
Denise Rittgers
Clerk
Treasurer
City of Akeley
Wendy Klein
Deputy Clerk
City of Akeley
