MINUTES –
MORRIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING – MAY 25,
2010
The regular meeting of the
Morris City Council was called to order at 5:15 p.m. this 25th day
of May, 2010, 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, Miller Storck and Mayor Giese.
Council member Carrington was absent. Also present was City Manager Hill, Finance Director
Krosschell, City Attorney Glasrud, Engineer/Surveyor/Inspector Fier and Police
Chief Beauregard.
CITIZEN’S COMMENTS: Police Chief Beauregard stated the city
has participated in the Safe & Sober program for a number of years and another
part of that program is Saved by the Belt. Tom Kummrow, Law Enforcement Liason, and Reggie Welle of the
Morris Police Department were present at the meeting. Kummrow and Welle recognized the Ryan Sleiter family and
Carol & Eugene Kummrow who were involved in a serious crash on March 6th
and were all wearing their seatbelts.
Officer Welle explained
the Police Department has just ended a month long mobilization for seat belt
use at high school. They are now starting the Memorial Day campaign that runs
for about two weeks.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: None
READING AND APPROVAL OF
MINUTES: 5/11/10 Regular
Meeting Minutes: Council
member Webster moved, seconded by Storck, to approve the 5/11/10 regular
meeting minutes. Motion carried.
5/11/10 Condensed
Version Minutes: Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to approve the 5/11/10 condensed
version minutes. Motion carried.
CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Giese removed the Audit of City
bills from the consent agenda.
Council member Storck moved, seconded by Webster, to authorize payment
of the City bills dated May 25, 2010.
Upon a roll call vote taken and all present voting in favor and Mayor
Giese abstaining, motion carried.
Mayor Giese moved,
seconded by Council member Webster, to approve the consent agenda, which
included the following items:
A.
SCMC Administrative
Report
B.
Gambling Report
C.
Application for
Exempt Permit – MN Deer Hunter's Assn.
D.
Raffle License Report
E.
Revenue &
Expenditure Report
Motion carried.
PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND
COMMUNICATIONS: Gambling
Report – American Legion:
Council member Miller moved, seconded by Storck, to accept the gambling
report from the American Legion.
Upon a roll call vote taken and all voting in favor and Mayor Giese
abstaining, motion carried.
ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS: Resolution
Providing for the Issuance and Sale of G.O. Improvement Bonds for the East 2nd
Street Improvement Project:
Todd Hagen of Ehlers and Associates was present at the meeting. Hagen reviewed the pre-sale report that
sets up the perimeters of the bond sale.
The proposed resolution would give Ehlers and Associates approval to put
together a package to solicit the proposals for an approximate bond of $1,685,000
for the East 2nd Street improvement project. Hagen stated no referendum is needed because
at least 20% of the bond is paid by special assessments.
Hill stated the city is
looking at about $100,000 per project to add to the tax levy but right now is
probably the best time to do a project because of prices and interest
rates. Hill pointed out the city did
receive a letter from the University of Minnesota saying they will be paying up
to $250,000 for their share of the assessment and they will make their payment by
the end of November. Webster asked
if the University’s rates are calculated the same as the other residents. Hill explained City Engineer Fier and
Jeff Kuhn developed a formula to figure out the University's share.
Council member Miller
moved, seconded by Storck, to adopt Resolution #2922-5-10, Resolution Providing
for the Sale of $1,685,000 G.O. Improvement Bonds, Series 2010A. Upon a roll call vote being taken and
all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Approving a
JOBZ Agreement Amendment for Wilkens Industries, Inc.: Hill stated the city has an agreement
with Wilkens Industries for the JOBZ program. As part of the agreement the company had to maintain a
certain number of jobs in order to receive tax credits. Hill explained the company was not able
to meet their job requirements so according to state guidelines they can only
receive tax credits until 2012, instead of 2015.
Council member Webster
moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #2923-5-10, Resolution Approving
a JOBZ Agreement Amendment for Wilkens Industries, Inc. Upon a roll call vote being taken and
all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution Approving a Storm Water Prevention Plan for the Morris Airport: City Manager Hill stated the MPCA has
notified communities with airports that they have to prepare a study and
prevention plan for stormwater runoff if they have a fuel system. WSN is able to do the study and prepare
the plan for a cost of $6,502.
This will be paid for out of the Capital Outlay Fund.
Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Webster, to adopt Resolution #2924-5-10,
Resolution Approving Engineering for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for
the Morris Municipal Airport. Upon
a roll call vote taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Resolution
Approving a FEMA Fire Grant Application: Hill explained this grant application is for a new FEMA
grant to purchase a foam trailer package for $55,500 and a thermal imaging
camera for $10,688. The city’s
share of these two purchases would be $3,474.
Council
member Webster commended the Fire Department for seeking out these grant
opportunities.
Council
member Storck moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #2925-5-10,
Resolution Authorizing a 2010 FEMA Fire Grant Application. Upon a roll call vote being taken and
all present voting in favor, motion carried.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS
& RECOMMENDATIONS: Tourism
Board Recommendations:
The board has asked that $3,500 be used for the fireworks celebration
for Prairie Pioneer Days. The
Eagles Club normally provides all the money for the fireworks but they cannot
afford the full amount this year.
The board’s other recommendation is that $1,200 be geared towards TV
commercials, with the primary focus of the first commercials being PPD.
Council member Storck
moved, seconded by Miller, to authorize the use of lodging tax revenues of
$3,500 for fireworks for PPD and $1,200 for the production of TV commercials.
Hill noted the city can't
be philanthropic and just give the funds away and needs to be very careful as
to what the money's going for.
Webster stated he doesn't want to restrict the Tourism Board too tightly
so they don't have ideas coming to them.
City Manager Report: This was informational for the council.
Trees were discussed and issues
related to pruning, drought and the emerald ash borer.
Glasrud asked if
homeowner's trimmed up their elm trees if the city would be willing to pick up
the wood. Miller indicated he
would like to see the city do that for homeowners.
NEW BUSINESS: None
OLD BUSINESS: None
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: None
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, Mayor
Giese adjourned the meeting at 6:16 p.m.
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