Meeting Minutes for July 07, 2004
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
JULY 7, 2004
Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. with the following members present: Joe Prebeg, Jr., Allen Nelson, Dale Irish, Ed Roskoski, and Mayor Gary Skalko. Also present were: Craig J. Wainio, City Administrator; Jill M. Forseen, Municipal Services Secretary; Larry Nanti, Director of Parks and Recreation; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; and Gary Giroux, City Auditor.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Nelson that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
Add the following items to the agenda:
V. D. Schedule a public hearing for the CDBG application
Approve the minutes of the June 21, 2004, City Council meeting as submitted.
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.
To acknowledge the receipts for the period June 16-30, 2004, totaling $111,034.60, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
To authorize the payment of the bills and payroll for the period June 16-30, 2004, totaling $448,708.20, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
Public forum, Wilbert Johnson thanked Mayor Skalko and Councilor Roskoski for coming to his property to review the blight situation.
Gary Giroux, City Auditor, was present and reviewed the 2003 audit report with the City Council.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish to accept the 2003 City of Mountain Iron audit report as submitted. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Irish to direct City Staff to publish a 1/8 page advertisement in the Mesabi Daily News advising the Mountain Iron Residents of the Animal Control Ordinance established in the City of Mountain Iron with regard to the leash law, fines, and the requirement for a license. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
The Mayor requested that the Recreation Director thank the Merritt Days Committee for all the work they completed on planning the Merritt Days Celebration.
The Mayor requested that Benchmark Engineering review the previous records regarding development of a Community Septic System in the Spirit Lake area.
The Mayor stated that the first organizational meeting of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) will be Tuesday, July 13, 2004. The Mayor said that he would like to see that the EDA meet at least one time per month.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Irish to authorize City Staff to seek Election Judges to serve at the September 14, 2004, Primary Election and November 2, 2004, General Election. The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Skalko to authorize the special event permit for the 6th Annual YMCA Black Cat Run scheduled for Saturday, October 9, 2004. The motion carried.
Councilor Irish said that he would like to get input from Sergeant Stewart regarding the procedures that law enforcement has regarding the YMCA Black Cat Run. It was the consensus of the Council to question Sergeant Stewart at the next regular meeting.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Skalko to forward the concerns about the Parkville School structure being secure to the City Attorney to make a recommendation for the next meeting. And further, to authorize the Blight Officer to follow the policy regarding mowing grass at the Parkville School and at 8863 Quartz Street. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Irish to authorize the Blight Officer to seek an outside contractor to cut the grass at the Parkville School and 8863 Quartz Street. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Nelson and supported by Prebeg to authorize payment request number one to Hardrives, Inc. for the 2004 Street Overlay Projects in the amount of $149,000.56. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Skalko to direct the City Engineer to look into other options that are more historic, i.e. cobblestone, tar blocks or colored concrete, to be placed at the Locomotive Park rather than having an overlay completed. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish to direct the City Engineer to seek quotes on 540 yards of recycled bituminous for repairs on Heather Avenue as recommended by the City Engineer. And further, to have it quoted two ways, the City haul and spread or the contractor haul and spread. The motion carried.
Councilor Nelson felt that the residents on Heather Avenue should have a special assessment for any street improvement project completed on their road.
The Mayor inquired about the Railroad Quiet Zone. The City Engineer stated that there may be funding available for the improvement projects that are required for the Railroad Quiet Zones.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Irish to direct City Staff to work with the Architect and seek quotes on the tuck pointing project for the Mountain Iron Public Library. The motion carried with Councilor Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
The Council discussed the negotiations with Independent School District 712 with regard to a land exchange. Councilor Prebeg thought the Council should try to resolve the issue before January 1, 2005 when the City Council and the School Board could change again. Councilor Roskoski felt that a completion date should be added to the agreement. Councilor Irish felt that the South Grove field should not be included in the agreement. The Recreation Director felt that the use of the South Grove field should be negotiated separately.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish that due to liability concerns, that as of July 8, 2004 at 7:00 a.m. and until rescinded by specific City Council motion that the following policy be in force:
No new amounts of excess materials, i.e., old concrete, sand, gravel, mill feed, Class 5, clay fill, black dirt, taconite tailings, crushed rock, street sweepings, asphalt chunks, etc. will be stockpiled at the sewage disposal plant dump site.
Whenever amounts of the above listed materials are needed for City purposes that they will be removed from the sewage disposal plant dump site first until those storage piles are used up and the area is back to ground level.
The motion failed with Councilor Prebeg, Councilor Nelson and Mayor Skalko voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Irish to seek an alternative site by September 1, 2004, for the materials that are being dumped by the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The motion carried with Councilor Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Roskoski to set a public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant application for the Mountain Iron Public Library on Monday, July 19, 2004. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish to table the resolution, authorizing the acceptance of certain property, on pages 45-46 of the July 7, 2004 Council packet and forward concerns about JOBZ zone specific requirements, city infrastructure concerns with regard to this economic development, potential wetland issues, Planning and Zoning parameters, and prospective developer needs that are listed on these pages and that all this information be forwarded to the new Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority and the Planning and Zoning Commission for further research, study and clarification and when these groups are done with the review of the resolution, then their recommendations be referred back to the City council for final approval.
At 8:43 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
At 8:46 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
At 8:52 p.m., Councilor Prebeg left the meeting.
At 8:54 p.m., Councilor Prebeg returned to the meeting.
The motion carried with Councilor Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Roskoski to authorize payment request number four to Lenci Enterprises in the amount of $16,448. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Prebeg, yes; Nelson, no; Irish, yes; Roskoski, yes; and Skalko, yes.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Skalko to forward the concerns regarding the loud shouting of obscenities at the South Grove ball field to the Parks and Recreation Board for possible remedies. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Skalko to direct the City Administrator to contact the key person or the firm responsible for the air conditioner/Co-op advertisement program and do this as soon as possible and explain that the City of Mountain Iron wishes to withdraw from the recent electrical energy conservation radio advertisement program because the advertisement mention a specific brand of product, Sears air conditioners or dehumidifiers, the Mountain Iron City Council does not think it prudent for the City to endorse certain brands of products. Furthermore, if any City Staff is contacted about similar proposals or programs in the future, that the proposals or programs be forwarded to the City Council for final possible authorization. The motion failed on the following roll call vote: Nelson, no; Irish, no; Roskoski, yes; Prebeg, no; and Skalko, yes.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Prebeg to direct City Staff to contact Sears and request that the advertisement be re-worded because the use of the Mountain Iron Public Utility�s name is inappropriate. Mayor Skalko amended the motion to ask them to remove “Mountain Iron Public Utilities” and insert “a participating energy provider”. Councilor Prebeg supported the amendment. The amended motion carried on the following roll call vote: Roskoski, yes; Prebeg, no; Nelson, no; Irish, yes; and Skalko, yes.
At 9:28 p.m., it was moved by Roskoski and supported by Skalko that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.
COMMUNICATIONS
Sam Aluni, City Attorney, a memorandum concerning the copy of an ad for Sears air conditioners.
Jim Miller, Executive Director, League of Minnesota Cities, a memorandum conveying a copy of the 2004 Law Summaries prepared by the League of Minnesota Cities.
Lolita M. Schnitzius, Northeastern MN LMC Ambassador, a letter announcing the LMC�s Regional Meeting in Gilbert on July 27, 2004.
Mark Voxland, President, League of Minnesota Cities, memorandum concerning 2005 Dues Information.
Department of Health & Human Services, a letter concerning the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month scheduled for September.
Citizens from Westgate, a note concerning noise and dust coming from P & H in the Merritt Industrial Park.
Anonymous, a note concerning the grass and weeds on the Quad Cities Sign on Highway 169 West.
Anonymous, a note concerning a skate park for skateboarders.
