January 21, 2020 City Council Minutes

 MINUTES

MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL

January 21, 2020

Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:30p.m. with the following members present: Councilor Joe Prebeg Jr.; Alan Stanaway, Julie Buria, Steve Skogman, and Mayor Gary Skalko. Also present were: Craig Wainio, City Administrator; Anna Amundson, Library Director/Special Events Coordinator; Amanda Inmon, Municipal Services Secretary; Al Johnson, City Engineer; Bryan Lindsay, City Attorney; and SGT Backman, Sheriff’s Department.

It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Buria that the consent agenda be approved as follows:

1. Add the following items to the agenda:
   1. Resolution #01-20
2. Approve the minutes of the January 6, 2020, regular meeting as submitted.
3. That the communications be accepted and placed on file and those requiring further action by the City Council be acted upon during their proper sequence on the agenda.
4. To acknowledge the receipts for the period January 1-15, totaling $236,688.73 (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
5. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period January 1-15, totaling $338,883.38 (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).

The motion carried.  

Public Forum:

• No one spoke during the forum

The Mayor reported on the following:

• Condolences to the family and friends of Mike Coleman
• Condolences to the family and friends of David Brandt
• Condolences to the family and friends of Arnold Suihkonen
• Happy birthday to Margie Scinto turning 92 years old on January 27^th

1. The City is in excellent financial condition, with reserves solid and the City Tax Levy at 0%
2. Quality lots still available, not only in Unity II, but South Forest Grove and Woodland Estates
3. Housing Development:
   1. Unity II Addition. Two new homes were built, making a total of 23 constructed. This development brings in not only new people to the community but adds a tax base of roughly $8 million to the community
4. Economic Development Authority:
   1. South Forest Grove, six homes within the addition
   2. Woodland Estates. Two patio homes built within the addition, construction done by White Pine Builders, Roughly 30 acre area, with this addition including all the amenities
   3. Rock Ridge Development. Total of seven business located within the development, creating over 250 jobs within the area. This development brings a tax base of roughly over $29 million
5. Economy projects in 2019
   1. Heliene, USA, only Solar plant factory within the State of Minnesota producing solar panels – works on three rotating shifts, employ roughly 100 employees
   2. Holiday Inn Express located in Rock Ridge, recently sold and is being renovated into a Comfort Inn & Suites
   3. Developer purchased roughly 6.5 acres of land north of the current hotel with tentative plans to build a new Holiday Inn Express
6. Projects proposed for 2020:
   1. Mountain Iron Drive completely repaved along with widened
   2. South Grove recreation complex updates/improvements
   3. Develop Solar Farm in cooperation with City of Virginia, in the “desert area” south of old downtown Mountain Iron
7. Conclusion:
   1. With all of the development as well as businesses within the City of Mountain Iron when property taxes are collected, 70% of the money comes from businesses, with 30% coming from residential property owners.
   2. The City of Mountain Iron and Economic Development Authority would like to continue to work with businesses to bring them to areas of Mountain Iron, offering such incentives like tax increment financing and tax abatement. The goal is to continue to be positive whilst working hard and moving forward to make our City the best place possible to live and work.

It was moved by Skogman and seconded by Buria to approve the Water Supply Contingency Plan with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and United States Steel Corporation, MINNTAC. This plan ensures the protection of the City’s Municipal water supplies at the quantity air quality that would have existed absent mining activities. The motion carried.

City Administrator:

• Firefighter Implementation Grant, final committee presentation in Albertville next week

Library Director/Special Events Director:

• Winter Reading program: Monday, January 6 – Friday, February 28^th
• No formal report

Sheriff’s Department:

• No formal report

City Attorney:

• No formal report

City Engineer:

• No formal report

It was moved by Skogman and seconded by Prebeg to have any meeting notices sent out the Monday prior to the meeting, to help with committee members receiving notices in a timely fashion. The motion carried.

It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to amend the meeting notices and include the addition of having the Recording Secretaries send meeting minutes to City Hall Office in timely manner to be sent out. The motion carried.

It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to adopt Resolution #01-20; Requesting Inclusion in the St. Louis County Help America Vote Act Equipment Plan (HAVA), (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes).  The motion carried.

At 6:52p.m., it was moved by Skalko and seconded by Skogman that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.

Submitted by:

Amanda Inmon

Municipal Services Secretary

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