Hallock City Council November 1, 2021 Minutes

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE HALLOCK CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021

CALL TO ORDER:
Mayor Dave Treumer called the regular meeting of the Hallock City Council to order at 5:34 pm on November 1, 2021. Those Present: Mayor Dave Treumer, Mike Totleben, Naomi Larson. Jen Peterson and Kevin Waller.
Also present: City Clerk-Administrator Aimee Sugden, Maintenance Supervisor Dan Larson, Police Chief Mike Docken and Kittson County Enterprise Reporter Anna Jauhola.
APPROVE AGENDA:
Councilor Larson motioned to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilor Peterson and carried unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Councilor Peterson moved to approve the minutes of the regular Hallock City Council Meeting on October 4, 2021. The motion was seconded by Councilor Totleben and carried unanimously.
FISCAL & ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES:
Approval of Bills
Mayor Treumer and Councilor Totleben reviewed bills.
Motion by Councilor Totleben to authorize payment of City bills in the amount of $90,224.99, General fund, checks #12238 to #12269, which includes a transfer of $43,200.00 to the payroll account to cover wages, taxes and benefits. The motion was seconded by Councilor Waller and carried unanimously.
Mayor Treumer and Councilor Totleben will review bills for the December 2021 meeting.
Budget to Actual Report
Administrator Sugden presented the council with a ‘Budget to Actual’ report for the month of October 2021.
Fire Department Budget
Administrator Sugden presented the council with a closer look at the financials of the fire department from January 2021 until present.
Closed Utility Account
Administrator Sugden presented the council with a list of closed utility accounts with remaining balances. She asked the council to write off all bills under $100. The council chose not to take any action on the matter.
Hiring a Temporary Employee
The Personnel Committee recommended to the council that they hire Jody Bowman for the temporary, part-time position in the Clerk’s office. Motion by Councilor Waller to hire Jody Bowman at a rate of $16.25/hour. The motion was seconded by Councilor Larson and carried unanimously.
Gas Purchase
M ayor Treumer, Councilor Totleben, Utility Superintendent Larson and Administrator Sugden met with Cory Koening from Constellation Energy to discuss gas purchases. The city currently has about 1/3 of its usage purchased on the futures market. To ensure greater price stability, the council would like to purchase additional volume, up to 75%. Motion by Mayor Treumer to give authority to Administrator Sugden to purchase gas on behalf of the City of Hallock. The motion was seconded by Councilor Totleben and carries unanimously.
Police Report
Police Chief Mike Docken reported to the council, including;
• Reported 39 incidents he worked on throughout the month.
• Worked with the owner of the house located at 921 Birch Ave SE to arrange for teardown. The removal will happen in the month of November.
• Spoke with the owner of the house located at 303 Forest Ave SE about repairs necessary to avoid the abatement process. Councilor Peterson asked that he give them a deadline of December 31, 2021 to complete repairs.
• Deer hunt is underway in town.
Utility & Parks Department Report:
Utility Superintendent Dan Larson reported to the council, including;
• Made significant progress on the kiddie pool project and the adjacent pump house. Have received most of the parts for the project. Confident we will end up within budget.
• Started street sweeping last week.
• Attended to a number of water line breaks in October.
Fire Department Report
Fire Chief Kevin Klein was absent from the meeting, no report was given.
Airport Report
Airport Manager Jeremy Seng was absent from the meeting, no report was given.
New Business:
Gilbert Olson Campground Internet
Mayor Treumer wanted to discuss the internet at the Gilbert Olson campground. The internet was installed and run by the Canadian campers for the last several years. The camper who organizes the ‘internet cartel’ is not returning for the 2022 camping season. Treumer would like to look into the city running the internet. Sugden will look into the cost and logistics of the city taking over the service.
MN Association of Small Cities
Warren City Administrator, Shannon Mortenson, reached out to encourage the city to renew its membership with the Minnesota Association of Small Cities. Motion by Councilor Peterson to renew membership with the MN Association of Small Cities. The motion was seconded by Councilor Totleben and carried unanimously.
Small Cities Grant
Motion by Councilor Waller to pursue the Small Cities Grant (with expanded boundaries from previous years). The motion was seconded by Councilor Larson and carried unanimously.
MNDOT Consent of Mortgage
Motion by Councilor Larson to approve the MNDOT Consent of Mortgage for Revelation Ales. The motion was seconded by Councilor Waller and carried unanimously.
Resolution 2021-13; Telecommuter Forward Certification
Motion by Councilor Peterson to approve Resolution 2021-13; In Support of Telecommuting Opportunities & Telecommuter Forward Certification. The motion was seconded by Councilor Totleben and carried unanimously.
Resolution 2021-14; Airport Maintenance & Operation Grant
Motion by Councilor Totleben to approve Resolution 2021-14; Authorization to Execute Minnesota Department of Transportation Airport Maintenance and Operation Grant Contract. The motion was seconded by Councilor Larson and carried unanimously.
Resolution 2021-15; Ratifying Sale of Old City Shop
Motion by Councilor Peterson to approve Resolution 2021-15; Ratifying and Approving Sale of Old City Shop Land and Building to Ryden Development, Inc. The motion was second by Councilor Waller and carried unanimously.
Building Permit 2021-15; Verizon Wireless
Motion by Councilor Peterson to approve Building Permit 2021-15 for Verizon Wireless to construct a cellular tower. The motion was seconded by Councilor Larson and carried unanimously.
Building Permit 2021-16; C. Pinnock
Motion by Councilor Larson to approve Building Permit 2021-16 for C. Pinnock to construct a deck. The motion was seconded by Councilor Peterson and carried unanimously.
Building Permit 2021-17; D. Bergeron
Motion by Councilor Totleben to approve Building Permit 2021-17 for D. Bergeron to construct a deck. The motion was seconded by Councilor Peterson and carried unanimously.
Other Business/Announcements
Upcoming Meetings
Next Meeting/Truth In Taxation Meeting; December 6, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m.
Offices Closed Veteran’s Day; November 11, 2021
Offices Closed Thanksgiving/Black Friday; November 26-27, 2021
Council Roundtable & Public Comment
None
Adjournment
There being no further business, Councilor Peterson moved to adjourn the Regular Meeting of the Hallock City Council on November 1, 2021. The motion was seconded by Councilor Larson and carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m.
Dave Treumer, Mayor Aimee Sugden, City Administrator
Minutes prepared by Aimee Sugden
(December 15, 2021)
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