MINUTES – MORRIS
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING –
MAY 11, 2010
The regular meeting of the
Morris City Council was called to order at 10:20 a.m. this 11th day
of May, 2010, by Mayor Giese in the Auditorium of the Morris Area High School.
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, City Engineer/Surveyor/Inspector Fier and City Attorney Glasrud.
CITIZEN’S COMMENTS: Charlie Glasrud thanked the city for
the parking lot sweeping service they provide each year.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: None
READING AND APPROVAL OF
MINUTES: 4/27/10 Regular
Meeting Minutes: Council
member Webster moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to approve the 4/27/10 regular
meeting minutes. Motion carried.
4/27/10 Condensed
Version Minutes: Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Carrington, to approve the 4/27/10 condensed version
minutes. Motion carried.
CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Webster,
to approve the consent agenda, which included the following items:
A.
Audit of City Bills
B.
April Transit Report
C.
HRC Minutes, 4/21/10
D.
Application for
Exempt Permit – Morris Lions
E.
Application for
Exempt Permit – Morris Fire Dept.
F.
Tree City USA
Correspondence
Motion carried.
PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND
COMMUNICATIONS: None
ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS: Resolution
Accepting a Bid and Authorizing a Contract for the East 2nd Street
Improvement Project: City
Manager Hill stated the federal government has lifted the ban that prohibited
Riley Brothers from entering into contracts. The company is now waiting on word from MN DOT, the
Department of Administration and the state Attorney General’s office about the
company’s status in Minnesota. A
June 4th hearing to discuss the issue is scheduled. Hill
explained that after looking at everything there might be an opportunity for
something to happen for Riley’s, but it is not going to happen quickly.
Hill noted he has talked
with City Engineer Fier about the project and as of right now the city is
looking at a start date of the first or second week in June. Staff’s recommendation is to accept the
second lowest bid from Breitbach Construction of Elrosa, Minnesota.
MINUTES – MORRIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING – MAY 11, 2010
Resolution Accepting a
Bid and Authorizing a Contract for the East 2nd Street Improvement
Project: (continued)
Chris Riley was present at
the meeting. Riley stated clearly
they would like to do the work but they don't want to stand in the way of the
city getting their work done. Riley
noted on their end they are just trying to hold onto anything they possibly can. Riley stated he understood and thanked
the city for their patience in trying to work with them.
Webster asked what the
ramifications would be for waiting another two weeks. Hill indicated he did not think that it would make a
difference. The contract was
originally supposed to start May 17th so it could be done before the
start of school at UMM in the fall.
Hill noted the city is already in this process two months further down
the road than they would like to be.
Hill strongly recommended that the city not wait any longer for the
project’s sake.
Mayor Giese thanked Chris
Riley for bidding and for being at the meeting today.
Council member Miller
moved, seconded by Storck, to adopt Resolution #2921-5-10, Resolution Accepting
a Bid and Authorizing a Contract for the East 2nd Street Improvement
Project with Breitbach Construction of Elrosa. Upon a roll call vote taken and all present voting in favor,
motion carried.
Mayor Giese stated this
was one of the toughest decisions this council has had to make.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS
& RECOMMENDATIONS: Delinquent
Utility Account: Hill
stated the owner of this property has left and the city could like to take
action before this property changes hands.
Mayor Giese moved,
seconded by Council member Storck, to assess the delinquent utility amount for
500 West 5th Street on the property taxes. Motion carried.
City Manager Report: This was informational for the council.
Storck asked where the
city would be getting their asphalt from.
Hill explained staff would probably be putting together a list of all
the projects and then asking for bids.
Normally each project would be done separately since there was a local
company to do business with.
NEW BUSINESS: Appointments to Human Rights
Commission: Mayor Giese
appointed Kayla Kloos and Brady Janzen to the Morris Rights Commission.
Miller asked if someone
was marking sidewalks and sending letters to property owners whose sidewalks
needed fixing. Hill noted this is
something city staff has not been doing but he would talk to Jay Fier and Jim
Dittbenner.
Hill discussed lawn mowing
and stressed that people should not mow their grass clippings out into the
street as it goes into the storm sewers and clogs them.
MINUTES – MORRIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING – MAY 11, 2010
NEW BUSINESS:
(continued)
Glasrud discussed the
importance of the Riley Brothers business to the city and the debarment
process.
OLD BUSINESS: None
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: None
There was a question and
answer session with the 9th grade civics class.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, Mayor
Giese adjourned the meeting at 11:04 a.m.
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