MINUTES - MORRIS CITY
COUNCIL - REGULAR MEETING - FEBRUARY 28, 2017
The Regular Meeting of the Morris City Council was called to order at
5:15 p.m. this 28th day of February, 2017, 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 members
Wohlers, Solvie, Gullickson, Miller and Mayor Giese. Also present were Fire
Chief Dybdal, Chief of Police Tiegs, Public Works Director Dittbenner, Finance
Director Raasch and City Manager Hill.
ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Mayor Giese added the following items to the agenda: Item F. under
Consent Agenda - Amvets Gambling License; Item E. under Petitions, Requests and
Communications - On Sale Liquor and Sunday Liquor License for Bello Cucina; and
Item B. under Ordinances and Resolutions - Resolution to Accept Proposal for
Independent Fee Review.
CITIZEN'S COMMENTS: None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: None.
READING AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 2/14/17 Regular Meeting Minutes: Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Wohlers, to approve the minutes of the 2/14/17
meeting as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
2/14/17 Condensed Version Minutes: Council member Wohlers moved, seconded by
Gullickson to approve the condensed version of the 2/14/17 Regular Meeting. Motion
carried unanimously.
CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Council member Miller, to approve the
consent agenda which included the following items:
1.
Audit of City Bills
2.
Gambling Reports for January 2017
from the Eagles and Morris Hockey Association
3.
Raffle License Report UMM
Baseball
4.
11/15/16 Planning Commission
Minutes
5.
Amvets Gambling License
Motion carried unanimously.
PETITIONS,
REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS: American Legion Gambling Report: Council member Miller moved,
seconded by Solvie, to accept the gambling report from the American Legion for
December 2016. Upon a roll call vote taken and four voting in favor and Mayor
Giese abstaining as an officer of the Legion, motion carried.
Appointment
to Tourism Board - Babe Taylor: Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Council member Gullickson, to
appoint Babe Taylor to the Tourism Board. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion to
Allow Fire Department to Sell 20 Old Air Packs: Fire Chief Dybdal is proposing to
sell 20 old air packs that are no longer used by the Fire Department to a
vendor. He estimates they are worth $200 - $400 per pack. Mayor
Giese moved, seconded by Council Member Miller,
Motion to
Allow Fire Department to Sell 20 Old Air Packs to a vendor. Motion carried
unanimously.
Motion to
Allow $2,000 Video Production Cost for the Tourism Board: Council member Wohlers indicated
the Tourism Board would use the $2,000 to make a video showing different things
Morris has to offer during the spring season. When finished, they will have
videos for all four seasons. Council member Solvie moved, seconded by
Gullickson, to authorize $2,000 video production cost for the Tourism Board. Motion
carried unanimously.
Liquor
Licenses: Bello
Cucina has applied for an On Sale Liquor License and a Sunday Liquor License
for the remainder of 2017. They plan to open March 20, 2017. Mayor Giese moved,
seconded by Council member Gullickson, to approve the On Sale Liquor License
and Sunday Liquor License for Bello Cucina contingent upon receiving their
Certificate of Insurance showing liquor liability. Motion carried unanimously.
ORDINANCES
AND RESOLUTIONS: Resolution
Accepting a Bid and Authorizing a Contingent Notice of Award of Contract for
the 2017 Water Treatment Plant Project: This project received three bids:
Contractor Base
Bid Alt
Deduct Final Amount
Magney Construction, Inc. $16,158,400 $190,000
$15,968,400
Chanhassen, MN
Rice Lake Construction Group $16,268,300 $185,000
$16,083,300
Deerwood, MN
Gridor Construction, Inc. $16,293,600 $195,000
$16,098,600
Buffalo, MN; and
It has been
decided that the Alternate will be taken out of this bid. It was for painting
in the production area of the plant.
Hill noted
this is a different low bidder than last year, and noted last year's high
bidder didn't bid. He indicated when this project was bid last year, the City
didn't do anything with the bid until fall when a contingent contract was entered into.
Kris
Swanson of Bolten-Menk has updated all the City's information with the Public
Facilities Authority, so if funding comes from the State, this project should
be ready to go. Excess funding will come through a low interest loan.
Wohlers
asked if moisture will be an issue if the walls in the production area are not
painted. Hill indicated the walls would remain bare, and our engineer has
indicated the painting is entirely aesthetic.
The total
project with planning, design and construction engineering as well as 5%
contingency is $18,581,320. Hill indicated DENCO would pay just under $1
million up front for upsizing of the plant for them. They will purchase water
at the same rate as other Morris residents. The City will
get $300,000 in sales tax credits, and may be eligible for $12 million in grant
funding from the State.
Council
member Miller asked if the City of Alberta would participate in construction
costs. Hill indicated the City's contract with them does not call for them
participating in construction costs; however, they will participate through
operation and rates.
Council
member Solvie moved, seconded by Miller, to adopt Resolution #3456-2-17, A
Resolution Accepting a Bid and Authorizing a Contingent Notice of Award of
Contract for the 2017 Water Treatment Plant Project. Upon a roll call vote,
motion carried unanimously.
Resolution
to Accept Proposal for Independent Fee Review: City Manager Hill explained there is a major
company in Morris that would like to see an airport runway expansion. In order
to look at any kind of runway expansion at the airport, the City is required by
the FAA to do a Master Comprehensive Plan for the airport. The last one the
City did was in 1982. A scope of work is the first step of the Master Plan. The
City's engineers, TKDA, have developed a scope and it includes buildings at the
airport, airspace, airport layout, adjoining land use and other things. The FAA
is agreeable to Morris' scope. The next step is to apply for a grant for doing
the Master Plan. It is 90% federally funded, 5% State funded, and 5% local
funded. Estimated cost of master plan preparation, which takes 2 years to
complete, is $500,000. The City of Morris has an airport engineer it got
through a selection process that we can keep for 5 years. The last thing
that has to happen to submit a grant application is that we have to have an
Independent Fee Review (IFR). An IFR takes the scope of work and an independent
engineering firm gives an appraisal and it is compared to the City's engineer's
appraisal. If it is lower then the City would have to go back and work with its
engineering firm to get the price down. The firm doing the IFR is KLJ. The fee
for them to do the IFR is reimbursable from the FAA. The City is at the point
where it will soon ask for authorization to apply for the grant. The cost of
the IFR is $3,800.00. The master plan does cover land acquisition. If the City
does a master plan and decides not to do the runway extension, the money does
not have to be paid back.
Hill
indicated approval to submit the grant will be sought from the Council at the
3/14/17 Council meeting. A decision on the grant won't be made until late
spring/early summer, with construction beginning in the fall.
The City
will have adequate Federal money available for this project through yearly
Federal allocations, payback from other cities of Federal funds, and the
transfer of unused allocations from other cities.
Council
member Miller moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to adopt Resolution #3457-2-17, A
Resolution to Accept Proposal for Independent Fee Review. Upon a roll call vote
taken, motion carried unanimously.
CITY
MANAGER'S REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Preliminary Plat - Kirk Riley's Third Addition to
Stevens County - Morris Industrial Park: This is a 1-acre parcel in the
Morris Industrial Park. This plat subdivides the property into 6 lots. City Manager Hill
indicated the Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended approval of this
Preliminary Plat. He conferred with County Recorder Mahoney on the name, and
she noted there have been two previous additions to the Industrial Park, and
suggested this plat include the phrase "Third Addition".
Hill
indicated the City Council has changed the zoning for light industrial to allow
storage garages, which would also allow storage garages in the heavy industrial
zone. There will be a driveway down the center of the parcel. Utilities are
already placed, and the new buildings would meet the setback requirements.
Council
member Solvie moved, seconded by Wohlers, to approve the Preliminary Plat of
Kirk Riley's Third Addition to Stevens County-Morris Industrial Park. Motion
carried unanimously.
City
Manager Newsletter:
This was informational for the Council. Council member Wohlers did note that as
a former businessman, he doesn't think the City municipal liquor store needs to
be open on Sundays. Mayor Giese indicated he thinks whether or not it should be
open may depend on what other cities around Morris are doing.
Discussion
was held on the number of boulevard trees the City has been removing.
ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Giese adjourned the meeting
at 6:15 p.m.
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