Meeting Minutes for January 22, 2008
MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
JANUARY 22, 2008
Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:33 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; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; John Backman, Sergeant; and Sam Aluni, City Attorney.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg to direct the interested people, with regard to the usage of the City buildings, to meet with the Director of Public Works and City Staff to discuss the policies for the building usage and bring any recommendations for changes back to the City Council for consideration. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Roskoski that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
1. Approve the minutes of the January 7, 2008, City Council meeting as submitted.
2. 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.
3. To acknowledge the receipts for the period January 1-15, 2008, totaling $182,320.17, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
4. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period January 1-15, 2008, totaling $274,337.25, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried on the following roll call: Prebeg, no; Zupancich, yes; Stanaway, no; Roskoski, yes; and Skalko, yes.
During the public forum, Becky Wilkins was present and asked the Council if there was a gun show scheduled to use the Community Center this weekend. The Director of Public Works said that this group was grandfathered in and will no longer be allowed to use the building anymore because of the new policy the Council adopted. The Director of Public Works advised the group present to call the City Hall and schedule a meeting to discuss the building rental issues.
Also during the public forum, Shirley Savela, was present and said that their bake sales are fundraisers for the Sand Lake Shuffle and they have never received a waiver from the City. The Mayor advised her that they have to make a formal request for a waiver to the City Council.
The Mayor updated the Council on the following:
– Mountain Iron Library. Announced that they are holding an Open House to show the newly renovated Library on Thursday, January 31, 2008 from 2:00-6:00 p.m.
– Range Recreation Board. Announced that they are looking for new members and trying to get people to try Curling. There is an Open House, Friday, January 25, 2008, with a burger basket night and free curling from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
– Acknowledge Norville Peterson. He was honored and awarded the Touch Tone Energy Community Award through Lake Country Power for his volunteer work both locally and internationally.
At 7:06 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
At 7:09 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich to appoint Joe Piersig to complete the unexpired term of Steve Giorgi on the Planning and Zoning Commission with his term expiring on December 31, 2008. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich to make a donation of $250 to the “Bush Snowmobile Memorial Run” with the contribution directed to the VRMC Diabetes Center with the funds being expended from the Charitable Gambling Fund. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Roskoski to approve the Pay Equity Compliance Report as submitted. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Stanaway to authorize the City Administrator to oversee, monitor, accept responsibility and evaluate the “nonaudit services” with Walker, Giroux, and Hahne, Ltd. The motion carried.
The City Administrator reported on the following:
– City Employee I.D. Badges. The City Employees will be having pictures taken to prepare employee badges for the Regular Employees, the Volunteer Firemen, and the Emergency Medical Technicians.
– Mesabi Land Company. A meeting was held with the Mesabi Land Company to discuss the housing development in the South Grove area. They reviewed the engineering specifications, the plat, which will be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission at their January 28th meeting, and then presented to the Council at their February 4th meeting.
– Library Roof. He said that City Staff met with the Library Architect and discussed the deficiencies in the roof. He said that the City will go to a certified contractor and seek quotes.
The Director of Public Works advised the Council that during the last Labor/ Management meeting, Staff was direct to prepare a plan for equipment purchases using the capital outlay budgeted funds.
The City Administrator advised the Council that there was a meeting held on January 17, 2008, regarding the Quad Cities Sewer District. He said there was a Representative from Oberstar’s office and Klobuchar’s office and they discussed the phases of the project with Mountain Iron would not being included in the first phase of the project.
At 7:21 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
At 7:23 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to authorize Payment Request Number Five to Utility Systems of America, Incorporated, in the amount of $17,772.60 for the Unity Addition Phase II Residential Development and authorize a 30-day extension on the project. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to authorize Benchmark Engineering to investigate and study the Storm Sewer interceptor line located along Agate Street. The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to accept the recommendation of the Utility Advisory Board as follows:
– That the current policy be kept in place concerning garbage charges for customers that leave the City for long periods of time. The current policy being, to continue charges unless the garbage can is removed for the time period they are gone for a charge of $25.00 and then brought back when they return for $25.
– To keep the fee for pickup and delivery of garbage cans at the present rate of $25.00 each way.
– That the fine be kept as it is and no change be made to the Sump Pump Ordinance.
The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and approve the Conditional Use Permit for Anthony Hautala, 4865 Voss Road, Mountain Iron, Parcel Code 175-0071-05010, to construct a pond on his property. The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and approve the Conditional Use Permit for Richard Strumbell for P & H MinePro, 8317 Jasmine Street, Mountain Iron, to remove overburden and fill with mill feed material. The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
The following was discussed during the Liaison reports:
– City Pavilions. Councilor Roskoski questioned when the Downtown Pavilion would be erected and who would be erecting it. The City Administrator said that he did not know who would be putting the pavilion up. The Director of Public Works was hoping that the pavilion would be constructed in the Spring, but there was no timeline for the project.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Zupancich to adopt Resolution Number 03-08, Ordering Preparation of Report on Improvement, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich to adopt Resolution Number 04-08, Ordering Improvement and Preparation of Plans, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to adopt Resolution Number 05-08, Final Approval of Nichols Park Plat, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to adopt the IRRRB Final Accounting Report, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Zupancich to direct City Staff to contact the Briarwood Estates Developers and relay the City’s concerns regarding: brush burning, potential water runoff, and the potential impact of those two issues on the adjoining neighborhoods. And, ask the Developers what they are planning to possibly prevent the concerns mentioned. The motion failed with Roskoski voting yes.
The City Attorney and the Mayor suggested that the Director of Public Works or the City Administrator call the Virginia City Officials to express the City’s concerns regarding the Briarwood Estates Development.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg to waive the Senior Center building rental fee for the Mountain Iron-Buhl Prom Event scheduled for April 17-18, 2008. The motion carried.
During the open discussion, Councilor Roskoski distributed an informational sheet regarding electric utilities ranking them by 2006 revenue. He said that Lake Country Power already has facilities in Grand Rapids, Kettle River, and Virginia. Councilor Roskoski said that there was a study done previously stating that Lake Country Power would still require three facilities. The Mayor said that Lake Country Power is still working with Mountain Iron, Hibbing, and Grand Rapids with regard to relocating their Virginia facility.
At 8:07 p.m., it was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.
Submitted by:
Jill M. Anderson, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary
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