Meeting Minutes for February 04, 2008
MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 4, 2008
Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. with the following members present: Joe Prebeg, Jr., Tony Zupancich, Alan Stanaway, Ed Roskoski, and Mayor Gary Skalko. Also present were: Craig J. Wainio, City Administrator; Jill M. Anderson, Municipal Services Secretary; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; and Steve Norvitch, Assistant Fire Chief.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
1. Add the following items to the agenda:
IV. G. Public Health and Safety Board
1. Fire Department Position Analysis
2. Firefighter Selection Policy
3. Fire Department Officer Appointment Policy
2. Approve the minutes of the January 22, 2008, City Council meeting as submitted.
3. That the communications be accepted, 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 15-31, 2008, totaling $189,545.70, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to approve the remaining consent agenda item as follows:
5. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period January 15-31, 2008, totaling $164,910.98, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, yes; Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, no; and Skalko, yes.
The Mayor updated the Council on the following:
– U. S. Steel Expansion. The Mayor said that the expansion is good news for the area even though the expansion is in the Keewatin area. He said there are many spin off businesses for all of the Iron Range.
– Mineland Reclamation Grants. The Mayor said that the Mineland Reclamation Grant applications are due on March 3rd, 2008 and this item would be on the next City Council agenda. The Mayor said that funds have been used at the West II Rivers Campground and other areas affected by Mining Operations. The Mayor said that he would like to focus on one grant rather than submitting three or more grant applications.
– Local Mountain Iron Businesses. The Mayor said that he was recently contacted about local Mountain Iron business, when it comes to advertising, that our City is neglected. The Mayor said that part of the problem is the mailing addresses of some of the businesses being Virginia. The Mayor said that the only thing the City can do is request the businesses to advertise and promote Mountain Iron as their location because a lot them have received many benefits from the City of Mountain Iron. The Mayor said that he is going to have this on the next agenda for formal consideration by the Council.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Zupancich to waive the building rental fee for the Mountain Iron-Buhl All Night Graduation Party for May 22 & 23, 2008. And further, authorize a donation of $200 to the Mountain Iron-Buhl All Night Graduation Party with the funds to be expended from the Charitable Gambling Fund. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to waive the building rental fee for the Youth for Christ Annual Banquet for April 3, 2008. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Stanaway to appoint Peter Skogman to the Mountain Iron Cable Commission with his term expiring on December 31, 2009. The motion carried.
Darwin Alar made a comment to the Council regarding his perception on franchise fees for the Mountain Iron Cable Commission. Mr. Alar read a letter to the Council and stated that the franchise fees should be contributed towards public access television for the cable subscribers because they are the ones paying the franchise fees. The Council requested that his letter be forwarded to the Mountain Iron Cable Commission for further consideration.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Zupancich to accept the Office of the State Auditor’s letter regarding City contributions to Cemetery Associations and place it on file for future reference. The motion carried.
The City Administrator reported that he had contacted the City of Virginia with regard to the questions raised by Councilor Roskoski with regard work at the Briarwood Addition. The City Administrator informed the Council that he contacted the Virginia Officials and they said that they have not heard of any further development in the area.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to authorize the purchase of the 2008 Elgin Pelican 3 Wheel Broom Sweeper at a total cost of $148,970.07 and the New Caterpillar 930H Wheel Loader with Plow attachments at a total cost of $144,107.00 using the three year payment plan. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, no; Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, yes; and Skalko, yes.
During the liaison reports, Councilor Roskoski said that in the January 8, 2008 Library Board minutes that they are considering hiring an outside businesses to wash the windows at the Library. Roskoski felt that City Staff should complete the window washing. Councilor Stanaway said that the Library Director was directed to speak with the Director of Public Works to see what the procedures were for projects such as this. The Director of Public Works said that the windows would be cleaned by City Staff when the weather warms up.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Skalko accept the recommendation of the Public Health and Safety Board and the Personnel Committee and adopt the Fire Department Position Analysis, the Firefighter Selection Policy, and the Fire Department Officer Appointment Policy, (copies are attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to adopt Resolution Number 06-08, Final Approval of the Morgan Park Plat, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to adopt Resolution Number 07-08, declaring adequacy of petition and ordering preparation of report, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to authorize the Magic Bar to use their liquor license to serve the Range Association of Realtors Annual Banquet on February 21, 2008, and the Eveleth Taconite Union Workers function on March 8, 2008, at the Mountain Iron Community Center. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski to direct Benchmark Engineering to work with the City Staff and look at various possibilities at what can be done, either in-house or by a contractor, to connect the downspouts to something horizontal to get the water away from the basement foundation of the Library building and when the information is compiled that it be brought back to the City Council. The motion died for lack of a second.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Prebeg to direct City Staff to work on the Library downspout issue and come up with a solution; and, if City Staff needs, to authorize Benchmark to assist with the project and bring the information back to the City Council in March or April. The motion failed with Mayor Skalko, Councilors Prebeg, Zupancich, and Stanaway voting no.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to reschedule the next regular meeting to Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. because of the President’s Day holiday. The motion carried.
At 7:39 p.m., it was moved by Skalko and seconded by Roskoski that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.
Submitted by:
Jill M. Anderson, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary
www.mtniron.com
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Coalition of Greater Minnesota, an invitation to attend the annual Legislative Action Day in St. Paul on Wednesday, February 20, 2008.
