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City of Mountain Iron, Minnesota



Meeting Minutes for December 20, 1999

MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Mayor Brunfelt called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. with the following members present: Carolyn Olsen, Stephen Skogman, Joe Matanich, and Mayor Mitchell Brunfelt. Absent member: Curt Piri. Also present were: Craig J. Wainio, City Administrator; Larry Nanti, Recreation Director; Joe Stewart, Sergeant; Karen Luoma, Librarian; Greg Chad, Volunteer Fireman; and Tom Cvar, Fire Chief.

It was moved by Matanich and supported by Skogman that the consent agenda be approved as follows:

1. Add the following item to the agenda:

VII. G. Resignation of Dave Skalbeck from Planning and Zoning Commission

2. Approve the minutes of the December 6, 1999, regular meeting as submitted.

3. That the communications be accepted, placed on file, and those requiring further action by the Council be acted upon during their proper sequence on the agenda.

4. Authorize the payment of the bills and payroll for the period December 16-31, 1999, totaling $457,051.83.

5. Acknowledge the receipts for the period December 1-31, 1999, totaling $767,935.10 plus additional receipts from 12/29/99-12/31/99.

The motion to adopt the consent agenda carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

6:32 p.m., it was moved by Skogman and supported by Olsen to recess the regular meeting and open the public hearing on the street vacation. The motion carried.

The City Administrator explained to the audience and the City Council that the street vacation was necessary for the Metz Bakery/Sherwin-Williams property on Eighth Street next to Highway 53 to increase their property for future construction.

The public made no comments and no written correspondence was received regarding the street vacation.

At 6:34 p.m., it was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich that the public hearing for the street vacation be adjourned and the regular meeting be reconvened. The motion carried.

At 6:34 p.m., it was moved by Skogman and supported by Olsen to recess the regular meeting and convene the budget adoption hearing. The motion carried.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Olsen to adopt Resolution #58-99, approving 1999 levy collectable in 2000, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to adopt Resolution #59-99, approving market based referendum levy, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to adopt the 2000 budget, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried on a roll call vote.

At 6:38 p.m., it was moved by Skogman and supported by Olsen that the budget adoption hearing be adjourned and the regular meeting be reconvened. The motion carried.

It was moved by Matanich and supported by Skogman to approve payment request number two to Harbor City Masonry, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $85,591.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to approve payment request number one to Anderson Glass Company, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $13,960.25. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Matanich and supported by Skogman to approve payment request number one to Tromco Electric, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $4,750.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to approve payment request number one to Northern Door and Hardware, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $732.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to approve payment request number one to Dwayne Young, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $32,205.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Matanich and supported by Skogman to approve payment request number one to Lenci Enterprises, Inc. for the City Hall/Community Center Project in the amount of $51,015.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

The Council reviewed the Sheriffs� Department Activity Report for November 1999. Councilor Matanich said that the Sheriffs� Department handled the homicide in the community very professionally. The Mayor agreed with Councilor Matanich.

The Council discussed the safety of children at school dismissal. The Sergeant said that a car hit a child and the parents had sent a letter to the school board recommending that the street be closed to traffic during school bus loading times. The Superintendent said that the students would be directed to follow school policy. The School Board requested that signage be placed indicating a school zone. The Mayor recommended that the issue be brought to the Traffic Committee and have them bring a recommendation to the City Council for some type of action within the next few weeks.

The Council discussed the Mesabi Trail. The Council will need to make a motion regarding the trail by the last meeting in January.

It was moved by Olsen and supported by Matanich to change the cigarette license fee to $65.00 per year. The motion carried.

It was moved by Olsen and supported by Matanich to refund $35 of the cigarette license fees to license holders that have already paid their license fee for 2000. The motion carried.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to adopt Resolution #60-99, approving 1999 fiscal year end fund maintenance, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.

was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to adopt Resolution #61-99, authorizing the transfer of certain properties, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to adopt Resolution #62-99, vacating certain streets, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich to authorize the City Administrator to purchase the Civic Systems software upgrade, training and conversion system for an approximated cost of $30,375 with the expenditure coming from the 2000 capital improvement budget. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Matanich and supported by Olsen to adopt Resolution #63-99, authorizing execution of sub-grant agreements, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.

It was moved by Olsen and supported by Matanich to authorize the payment of the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools membership and authorize City Council members and the City Administrator to attend the annual meeting. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Skogman and supported by Brunfelt to authorize a contribution of $1,000 to the Close-up Foundation with $500 expended from the Refuse and Recycling Fund and $500 expended from the Electric Fund. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was the consensus of the Council to have the City Administrator contact the League of Minnesota Cities to obtain some draft policies regarding criteria the City must comply with regarding requests for donations.

It was moved by Olsen and supported by Matanich to accept the letter of resignation from Dave Skalbeck from the Planning and Zoning Commission, with regrets, and forward a letter thanking him for his years of service to the City. The motion carried.

The Mayor said that he would recommend someone to fill the open position during the re-organizational meeting on January 3, 2000.

The Mayor gave a brief review of the progress made in 1999. He said that 1999 was a tremendously progressive year for the City. He said that the construction of the City Hall/Community Center solved an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance problem. He also said that the construction of the new City Hall did create some discomfort for the City Council and residents, but he felt that it was a good decision by the City Council. He said that he was glad to see that the City Council has flexibility with regard to the 40-acre parcel that was originally set aside for housing, that will now be used by a larger retailer. He said that the Council made a good decision by voting to put the housing on the south side of the highway. He said that the housing development off of Eighth Street shows the City�s commitment to extending the road to South Grove.

The Mayor commented that Virginia Saari’s letter to the Editor of the Mesabi Daily News was well stated, but he did not agree with what she said. He said that it was nothing personal regarding the future of the Downtown area of Mountain Iron, but that it was pure economic reality for the City to progress in this manner. The Mayor said that the Mesabi Trail would bring tourist traffic to Downtown Mountain Iron.

During the open discussion, Councilor Matanich said that when he attended the December 8th construction meeting for the City Hall/Community Center, the contractor said that construction is behind by about four days. He said that owner occupancy should take place about March 7 or 8, 2000. Councilor Matanich said that the heating system that was installed was considered energy efficient and the City will receive a $6,000 check from the gas company for purchasing an efficient gas boiler.

Also during the open discussion, Councilor Olsen asked that since Joni’s had closed, was there anything that the City Council could do for an incentive for a convenience store to locate in the Downtown Area. She said that residents of Mountain Manor, MIB Students, and others need a convenience store in the area. The City Administrator said that the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) has low interest loans available or possibly establishing a Tax Increment Financing zone similar to Little Joe’s for incentives. The Mayor felt that this issue should be referred to the HRA. Councilor Skogman said that the school might consider having a school operated convenience store/coffee shop or a possible cooperative or something operated by the Senior Citizens Club.

At 7:42 p.m., it was moved by Skogman and supported by Matanich that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.

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