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MINUTES
– MORRIS CITY COUNCIL – REGULAR MEETING – JUNE 10, 2008
The
regular meeting of the Morris City Council was called to order at 5:15 p.m.
this 10th day of June, 2008, by Mayor Giese in the Council Chambers
of the Morris Senior Citizens/Community Center.
PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of
Allegiance was recited.
ROLL
CALL: Roll call was taken with
the following members present:
Council member Carrington, Webster, Miller, Storck and Mayor Giese. Also present was City Manager Hill,
Finance Director Krosschell, Public Works Director Dittbenner, Fleet Manager
Searle, Public Works Director Dittbenner, Police Chief Beauregard and City
Attorney Glasrud.
READING
AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 5/27/08
Regular Meeting Minutes:
Council member Storck moved, seconded by Miller, to approve the 5/27/08
regular meeting minutes. Motion
carried.
5/27/08
Condensed Version: Council
member Carrington moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to approve the 5/27/08
condensed version minutes. Motion
carried.
AUDIT
OF CITY BILLS: Council member Miller
moved, seconded by Webster, to authorize payment of the City bills dated June
10, 2008. Motion carried
Pay
Estimate #1 – College Avenue & Circle Pines: Council member Storck moved, seconded by Miller to authorize
pay estimate #1 for $60,553.00 to Riley Brothers Construction for work on the
College Avenue & Circle Pines project. Motion carried.
PETITIONS,
REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Application
for Exempt Permit: Council
member Storck moved, seconded by Webster, to approve the application for exempt
permit from the Morris Rifle Club for a raffle to be held on August 17th
at the Stevens County Fair. Motion
carried.
Coalition
Conference Information: The
Coalition of Greater MN Cities conference is July 30-August 1. This was informational for the council.
ORDINANCES
AND RESOLUTIONS: Resolution
Accepting Insurance Renewal Proposal:
Tom Quam of Bremer Insurance was present at the meeting and reviewed the
city’s insurance renewal information.
The city’s insurance renewal is with the League of MN Cities for a total
annual premium of $190,742.
Council member
Miller moved, seconded by Storck, to adopt Resolution #2806-6-08, Resolution
Accepting Insurance Renewal Proposal.
Upon a roll call vote taken and all voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution
Establishing Highland Homes Addition Improvement Project: City Manager Hill stated he would like
to get a good start on this project so when it comes time to go to bid the city
is ready. Hill indicated the
city’s engineers will take a good look at drainage issues in this area when
doing the feasibility study because currently there is no storm sewer.
Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #2807-6-08,
Resolution Establishing the Highland Homes Addition Improvement Project and
Ordering Engineering and Financing Feasibility Studies to be Prepared. Upon a roll call vote taken and all
voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution
Entering Into an Agreement to Provide Backup Emergency Operations Centers: Police Chief Beauregard stated this
stems from the UMM legal department.
This mutual aid agreement would provide for a backup EOC for UMM and
they would be a backup for the county and city as well. Beauregard noted the Fire Hall is the
city’s EOC.
Council
member Storck moved, seconded by Webster, to adopt Resolution #2808-6-08,
Resolution Entering Into an Agreement to Provide Backup Emergency Operations
Centers. Upon a roll call vote
taken and all voting in favor, motion carried.
CITY
MANAGER’S REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS: Budget Timeline/Budget Guidance: Hill asked that the council review the
proposed budget timeline and guidance information and it would be brought back
to the council on June 24th for approval.
Public
Nuisance – Ride-Around-Town:
Hill explained he went around town and took pictures of the nuisance
properties that the council had identified on their ride around town. Hill noted his first approach is going
to be talking to the property owners.
Hill indicated the vast majority of town is very well maintained.
Mayor
Giese reiterated what Hill had said in his memo that it needs to be a team
effort with everyone helping to identify properties that need to be cleaned
up. Hill stated it is impossible
for one person to keep on top of this.
Giese urged residents to help their neighbors keep their lawns mowed and
if they are unable to help them to call City Hall and report them. Hill also noted many of the alleys are
clogged with overgrown bushes.
Beauregard
stated the city has the authority to write non-criminal tickets for nuisance
properties. Hill noted he
envisions giving properties a warning first. Webster asked if a public awareness campaign could be
started to inform the public.
The
council discussed the Susan Ransone house at 16 East 4th Street and
the urgency to get something done with that property.
Mayor
Giese moved, seconded by Council member Storck, to direct City Attorney Glasrud
to explore what options are available for the property at 16 East 4th
Street, given that the property owner is in bankruptcy. Motion carried.
Sale of Property – Old Elementary School: City Manager Hill pointed out he has
gotten requests from a couple of groups about purchasing items from the old
elementary school. There is a
theater group interested in the lights and a church interested in the stage
curtains. Hill asked for
authorization from the council to advertise these items for sale.
Giese
questioned the idea of having another auction and actually selling the parts of
the buildings such as flooring, doors and brick. Giese stated the city needs to decide where they are headed
with this building and how they will get there.
Council
member Webster moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to give City Manager Hill
authorization to facilitate the advertisement and sale of requested items from
the old elementary school such as lights and the stage curtains. Motion carried.
City
Manager Report: The council
discussed the issue of the downtown parking lots by Pizza Ranch and Don’s Café. Giese stated he felt these private lots
with holes in them are a nuisance and the city should do what they can to
entice the owners to take care of them.
Giese stated when the downtown improvement project is done there will be
two crappy parking lots in the middle of it.
Storck argued that the city should not buy or own any
parking lots and felt it was up to the property owners to take care of them. Hill explained the city owns parking
lots for businesses because customers need a place to park. City Attorney Glasrud suggested looking
at the zoning for the area and passing an ordinance so that a semi trailer
cannot be parked in a commercial parking lot.
Storck stated the semi trailers are sitting in the parking
lot for use with the owner’s salt business. Hill stated he felt they were not sitting there for a
business and if that was the case the city could find another place for the
trailers. Mayor Giese stated he
felt the council should look at changing the City Code, if that’s what it would
take for the owners to clean up these parking lots.
NEW BUSINESS:
None
OLD BUSINESS:
None
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business, Mayor Giese adjourned the meeting at
6:38 p.m.
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