May 6, 2013 Counci Meeting

  1. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Reinhardt called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
  2. ROLL CALL – Williamson, Bren, Hughes, Reinhardt, Sippel. 
  3. INTRODUCTIONS – Mayor Reinhardt introduced the council and staff to the viewing public.  Administrator Tolsma, Clerk Lewin, Attorney Beck. 
  4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
  5. ADOPT AGENDA – Williamson makes a motion and Hughes seconds to adopt the agenda.  All votes ayes, motion carries.
  6. ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA -  Williamson has specific changes to the April 15th minutes and has previously discussed those changes with Lewin.  Hughes makes a motion and Bren seconds to approve the consent agenda.  All votes ayes, motion carries.
    1. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes from April 15, 2013
    2. City Council Work Session Minutes from April 22, 2013
  7. PUBLIC FORUM – No one.
  8. PRESENTATIONS & GUEST SPEAKERS - None
  9. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & APPLICATIONS - None
  10. ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS
  11. REPORTS OF OFFICERS & COMMITTEES
    1. Mayor and Council

i. LMCD Draft 2014 Budget – Hughes referred to 2014 budget detail under draft option 1.  He said under 2013 AIS prevention and management there is a $30,000 budget item and   this does not include harvesting.  He said the prevention is the inspection program.  He thinks $12-14,000 was approved for level one.  He said this is levy money.  He said they will be voting soon about how to spend that.  He said there is concern about spending tax payer money on chemical treatment.  Hughes wants to know how the council feels about using tax payer monies.  Williamson asked if any of these dollars are leveraged with any other government agency.  Hughes said money can be lost because level two inspection is not opted for this year.  Hughes is against it himself.  Reinhardt said it’s a fair concern.  She said if it wasn’t budgeted this year she’s not in favor of a whole bay treatment.  Sippel asked about inspections and wonders where the line is drawn.  He asked if there is doubling up and Hughes said no.  He said there are certain bays the LMCD is responsible for and the DNR is responsible for others.  Sippel said tax dollars are going to inspections and harvesting but he thinks chemical treatments are more effective. He would be supportive of the chemical treatments.  Reinhardt is concerned about who pays and what is fair.  Hughes goes to the 2014 budget.  He said there are two options one for $30K for unspecified AIS and option two is the 30K would drop to 20K but add $55K for whole bay, large scale herbicide treatment.  Hughes said this is mentioned to start thinking about it.  Williamson said harvesters need to be purchased.  He said it’s not good to change course in the middle and the budget plan needs to stay focused.  Hughes said grant money and donated money can go towards whole bay treatment.  Reinhardt said if there is extra money for AIS prevention and management she would be cautious for whole bay treatment.  Williamson said he wants to hear from Nybeck from the LMCD.  Hughes said he thinks a decision is coming soon.  Sippel said for 2013 he thinks do it right or don’t bother.  He said they’re talking pennies.  Bren agrees with Sippel.  Sippel said the one thing he would like to know from Nybeck is what is the plan for additional spending.  He doesn’t want to write a blank check. What’s the plan, what’s the cutoff, will they be able to continue the treatment program and is it an expansion or maintaining what they’re doing. 

 

b.   City Administrator –

-Tolsma has an update for street lights.  He said the first pre-construction meeting is scheduled in the next couple of weeks and the timeline and proposed process will be discussed.  He said he’ll bring that to the council after the meeting. 

-Tolsma said the new bow fishing ordinance has been adopted by the LMCD and Tolsma set out a comparison. 

- Tolsma said there is a LED light demonstration set up outside and if it’s dark when the meeting is over council members can look at it. 

-Williamson noticed a new patch put on Sunset Drive due to the force main break this past winter.  Tolsma said they hope this is a final patch.  He said previous attempts have not worked due to the wet soil located beneath so this time they dug it out and replaced with dry soil.  Hughes asked about the longevity of this new patch.  Williamson asked about other areas in the city that are in need of repair.  Tolsma said nothing to the extent that this repair was.  Tolsma said there are a few potholes that need repair.  Hughes asked about CR 15 and a contractor digging up the road by Pres Homes.  Tolsma said he could ask Goman for more information on that.

    1. City Engineer
    2. City Attorney
    3. Utility Superintendent – Tolsma said there are interviews scheduled for tomorrow.  Williamson wants this defined as a temporary/seasonal job so there is no confusion on collecting unemployment benefits.  Tolsma said there are some stopgap measures being put in place to prevent that from happening. 
  1. UPCOMING MEETINGS & TRAINING
    1. May 8, 2013 – Administration Committee – 11:00 AM
    2. May 8, 2013 – LMCD – 7:00 PM
    3. May 8, 2013 – Planning Commission – 7:00 PM
    4. May 16, 2013 – Dakota Trail Meeting (Mound City Hall) – 1:00 PM
    5. May 20, 2013 – City Council – 7:30 PM
    6. May 21, 2013 – LMCC – 5:00 PM
  2. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  3. NEW BUSINESS & COMMUNICATION
    1. Bills & Payroll – Williamson makes a motion and Bren seconds to pay the bills.  Williamson said it's under $29K for one month when it’s typically more like 80K and it makes it pleasant to make the motion.  All votes ayes, motion carries.
  4. MISCELLANEOUS (Information Only)
    1. March Financial Report – Reinhardt said she noticed the balance in the money market is getting up there and she knows it’s being set aside for the street lights and she thinks this should be watched once pricing starts to come in.  Tolsma said he hopes Bruce Kimmel will be at the work session and discuss financing options for the street light project.  Williamson said when buying a CD for one year there is very little interest earned.  He said the money market gives flexibility to spend and he believes that’s the way a lot of cities are going.  Sippel asked if it’s not been decided yet how to fund the streetlight project.  Reinhardt confirmed.  Williamson thinks strategy needs to be discussed. 
    2. April Fire Department Report – Hughes asked about a specific address being in Spring Park.
    3. MCWD Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan Update – Reinhardt said there is a comment period.  Tolsma said he’s going to ask for a one page memo as to how it affects Spring Park. 
    4. TMDL Draft Policy – Reinhardt said this is the total maximum daily load being done by the MCWD.  She said this is part of the MS4 plan.  She said they’re trying to come up with a policy as to who gets the credit.  She said if there was a joint project and there was a reduction determined, Spring Park could get a percentage assigned credit.  Hughes said he thinks the street sweeping was the best he’s seen.  Sippel said for future study session he thinks the bills should itemize out the detail of the conservation rates and he thinks there should be a way to do that.  He also thought the conservation rates are no longer required.  Reinhardt said that is correct.  She said this can be revisited.  Sippel would like to see this.  He wants to know if they can’t itemize it out, why?
  5. ADJOURNMENT – Hughes makes a motion and Sippel seconds to adjourn the meeting at  8:18 p.m.  All votes ayes, motion carries.