MINUTES –MORRIS CITY
COUNCIL -REGULAR MEETING– OCTOBER 13, 2009
The regular meeting of the
Morris City Council was called to order at 5:15 p.m. this 13TH
day of October, 2009, 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 Webster,
Storck and Mayor Giese. Also present was City Manager Hill, Finance Director
Krosschell, City Engineer/Surveyor/Inspector Fier and Police Chief Beauregard.
City Attorney Glasrud and Public Works Director Dittbenner arrived at 5:20 p.m.
Council member Carrington arrived at 5:22 p.m.
ADDITION TO AGENDA:
Mayor Giese added Item G to the agenda under Resolutions, entitled Resolution
Calling for a Public Hearing on a Project to be Undertaken in the City of
Morris by the Stevens County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
CITIZEN’S COMMENTS:
Michael Haynes – SCEIC Quarterly Report: Haynes explained there have
been two grocery store chains in town checking out the Coborn’s building. The Prodigi
project (corn stover gasification) is on hold since natural gas prices are so
low. Haynes noted West Central Implement is in the process of being sold. SCEIC
has applied for an Otto Bremer grant for Stevens Forward.
Haynes stated with regard
to Coborn’s, the Holiday chain that owns the building does not do grocery
stores anymore, just convenience stores.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
None
READING AND APPROVAL OF
MINUTES: 9/22/09 Regular Meeting Minutes: Council member Storck
moved, seconded by Mayor Giese to approve the 9/22/09 regular meeting minutes.
Motion carried.
9/22/09 Condensed
Version Minutes: Council member Storck moved, seconded by Carrington, to approve
the 9/22/09 condensed version minutes. Motion carried.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Council member Webster, to approve the consent
agenda, which included the following items:
A.
Approval of the city bills
dated October 13, 2009
B. Pay
Estimate #8 – Oregon/College & Circle Pines
C. September
Transit Report
D.
Revenue & Expenditure
Report
E.
HRC Minutes, 9/30/09
Motion carried.
PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND
COMMUNICATIONS: Gambling Report from American Legion: Council
member Carrington moved, seconded by Storck, to accept the gambling report from
the American Legion. Upon a roll call vote taken and all present voting in
favor and Mayor Giese abstaining as an officer of the Legion, motion carried.
ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS: First Reading of Ordinance No. 86, An Ordinance Granting
Permission to Otter Tail Power to Operate in Morris: Dennis Mears and
Dennis Ketterling of Otter Tail Power Company were present at the meeting.
Mears stated this contract is the same as the expiring one, which is for a term
of twenty years and gives OTP permission to conduct business in the City of Morris.
City Attorney Glasrud
asked how this contract was different from the one that was signed twenty years
ago. Mears stated there is not much difference, except for the dates. This is
the same agreement that is used in other towns. Glasrud stated there is a
separate ordinance that recognizes the ongoing franchise fees.
Storck asked if all of the
lights along main street could come on at the same time. Dennis Ketterling
stated it could probably be done but at a cost to the city.
Council member Carrington
moved, seconded by Webster, to accept this as the first reading of Ordinance
No. 86, An Ordinance Granting Permission to Otter Tail Power Company to Conduct
Business in the City of Morris, and to set the second reading and public
hearing for 5:30 p.m. on October 27, 2009. Upon a roll call vote taken and all
present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Adopting
2009 Parking Lot Improvement Assessments: Hill explained all of these
property owners petitioned the city to have their parking lots done and to pay
for it. The final step is to have the amounts placed on the tax rolls.
Mayor Giese moved,
seconded by Council member Storck, to adopt Resolution #2886-10-09, A
Resolution Adopting 2009 Parking Lot Improvement Assessments. Upon a roll call
vote taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Adopting
Assessments for Current Services: Council member Webster moved, seconded
by Storck, to adopt Resolution #2887-10-09, A Resolution Adopting Assessments
for Current Services for 2009. Upon a roll call vote taken and all present
voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Approving an
Engineering and Financial Feasibility Study Report for East 2nd
Street Project: Hill stated city staff is hoping the environment for
building is still favorable. Hill indicated one issue that came up with this
project is that there is a waterline that runs down the alley between 1st
and 2nd Street that really isn’t used except for two property
owners. Hill noted the city would stub in the new water line and those
property owners would not be required to hook up, but the service would be
available when the time comes to abandon their current water supply.
Hill indicated the city
has the finance capabilities for this and also still has a very good bond
rating. Hill explained he would be bringing a resolution to the next meeting calling
for a public hearing. An appraisal was done on the value of the project and
the appraiser let the city know that the value of these projects has gone down
quit a bit.
Hill stated the value is going
to be in the ballpark of $8,000 to $12,000 but has gone down from $12,000 to
$16,000. This will be part of the discussion at the public hearing.
Hill noted the University doesn’t
pay special assessments so they will probably write a check for the total
amount. Hill indicated there are a couple of decisions that have to be made with
regard to parking and drainage.
Carrington asked if there
was a discussion about extending that road all the way out to the bypass. Hill
indicated that was not looked at.
Webster suggested if the
University would let people park on both sides of 2nd Street by
campus it would take a burden off the residential area. Glasrud suggested that
also be part of the discussion at the public hearing.
Council member Webster
moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #2888-10-09, A Resolution
Approving an Engineering and Financial Feasibility Study Report for the East 2nd
Street Project. Upon a roll call vote taken and all present voting in favor,
motion carried.
Resolution Declaring
Costs to be Assessed and Setting the Final Assessment Hearing for the Highland
Homes Addition Improvement Project: Hill stated the portion of the cost
the city is picking up is $1,379,365.76 and the portion to be assessed against
benefiting property owners is $629,053.13. An assessment hearing would be held
at the first meeting in November to consider these assessments.
Mayor Giese moved,
seconded by Webster, to adopt Resolution #2889-10-09, A Resolution Declaring
Costs to be Assessed, Terms for Repayment and Setting the Final Assessment
Hearing for the Highland Homes Addition Improvement Project, and set the public
hearing for November 10th at 5:20 p.m. Upon a roll call vote taken
and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Approving
the Placement of a Wind Turbine Near PDT Park: Hill explained the
University has secured funding to construct two additional wind turbines. The
city doesn’t regulate or permit them, but the State doesn’t like to see them within
500 feet if another property. One of the sites is located within 500 feet of
PDT Park so they have asked the city to approve the location of the turbine.
The other turbine would be located on University land.
Council
member Storck asked about the extra energy produced that the University doesn’t
need. Dennis Ketterling of Otter Tail Power stated their company buys the
excess energy. The turbines run approximately 40 percent of the time.
Council member Carrington
moved, seconded by Webster, to adopt Resolution #2890-10-09, A Resolution
Approving the Placement of a Wind Turbine Near PDT Park. Upon a roll call vote
taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Calling for a
Public Hearing on a Project to be Undertaken in the City of Morris by the
Stevens County Housing and Redevelopment Authority: Jim Thoreen, Stevens County Coordinator, was present at the meeting.
Thoreen stated they are essentially asking that the Stevens County HRA be
permitted to issue lease revenue bonds for improvements to the county
courthouse facility located at 400 Colorado Avenue within the City of Morris.
Thoreen
stated a public hearing is required and then they would proceed with the bond
issuance. Thoreen indicated they are well underway with Phase 1 of the law
enforcement addition. They are seeking bids for Phase 2, which includes
everything else. Thoreen noted there is a lot of work to do in the front of
the building because that is where the well field for the geothermal heat will
be. Thoreen noted he anticipates Colorado Avenue would need to be closed
within the next several weeks.
Council member Storck
moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #2891-10-09, A Resolution
Calling for a Public Hearing on a Project to be Undertaken in the City of
Morris by the Stevens County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and set the
public hearing for October 27th at 5:20 p.m. Upon a roll call vote
taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS
& RECOMMENDATIONS: Lodging Tax Expenditures: Council member
Webster moved, seconded by Carrington, to authorize the expenditures from the
lodging tax money as recommended by the Tourism Board. Motion carried. Hill
noted the majority of these expenditures have to do with Prairie Pioneer Days.
City Manager Report:
Hill stated staff has finished interviewing for the Liquor Store Manager job
and there should be an announcement this week with regard to that.
With regard to the budget,
the last piece of the puzzle is the insurance rates and they should be
available within the next couple of weeks.
Schedule Budget
Worksession: Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Council member Storck, to hold
a budget worksession on October 27th after the council meeting.
Motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS:
Webster asked if the Executive Committee from the Chamber could come to the
next Tourism Board meeting. Giese stated that would be fine.
OLD BUSINESS:
Glasrud informed the council that the bankruptcy trustee set a hearing on the
sale of the property at 16 East 4th Street. Hopefully the change of
ownership to the HRA would be completed by the end of the year.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:
None
ADJOURNMENT: There
being no further business, Mayor Giese adjourned the meeting at 6:15 p.m.
|
