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City of Mountain Iron, Minnesota



Meeting Minutes for July 20, 2009

MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
JULY 20, 2009

Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:32 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; Sam Aluni, City Attorney; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; and John Backman, Sergeant.

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

A. Approve the minutes of the July 6, 2009, regular meeting as submitted.
B. 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.
D. To acknowledge the receipts for the period July 1-15, 2009, totaling $745,042.53, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).

The motion carried.

It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Zupancich that the following consent agenda item be approved:

C. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period July 1-15, 2009, totaling $400,692.40, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).

The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. 

No one spoke during the public forum.

The Mayor updated the Council on the following:
– Downtown Streetscape Project. The bids for the project will be open on July 27, 2009, and the project is processed through Saint Louis County.
– County Road 7 Overlay Project. The project is a 2009-2010 Project, so Saint Louis County is hoping to complete this project this Fall, depending on State funding received by the County.
– Schlotec Property Sale. The Mayor read a letter from Tom Scholetec regarding the discussion concerning his property; he stated that his property had not been sold. 

The City Administrator updated the Council on the following:
– Community Development Block Grant Request. The request for grant funding for the Downtown Alleys had been denied because this project would was considered a maintenance project and they do not fund maintenance projects.
– Birchem Logging Meeting. He requested members of the City Council to attend a meeting at Birchem Logging on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. to meet with a possible investor in the Biomass Project.

It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to authorize Benchmark Engineering to assemble the Water Supply Model, perform the system analysis and produce the feasibility study for their quoted price of $11,200.00. It was moved by Roskoski to amend the motion to include the Westgate Storm Sewer District Study be attached to this Project and become part of this study, but when the numbers are tabulated, that two separate studies be submitted. The amendment to the motion failed for lack of a second. It was moved by Prebeg and seconded Stanaway to amend the motion to include that the funding for the project be paid for by the General Fund, the Water Fund, and the Economic Development Authority (EDA), equally, contingent on the approval of the EDA. The amended motion carried with Roskoski voting no.

It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to authorize City Staff to seek quotes for a pickup truck for the Recreation Department. The motion carried.

It was moved by Stanaway and seconded Roskoski to authorize the purchase of three (3) electrical regulators from Minnesota Power for $13,000 plus the installation, at an estimated cost of $8,000, with the funds being expended from the Electric Fund Capital Outlay. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

The Council reviewed the June 2009 Sheriffs Department report of activity.

It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to authorize Change Order Number One, in the amount of $3,213.20, and Payment Request Number Two, in the amount of $7,325.20, to Mesabi Bituminous for the Agate Street Storm Sewer Improvements. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, no; Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, yes; and Skalko, yes.

It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Skalko to accept the low bid for the Wildland Firefighting Truck from Lundgren Motors for $33,396.17 and Forstner Fire Apparatus for $67,295.00, contingent on the City Administrator checking on the State bid prices. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.

It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Prebeg to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and authorize the Variance from the building setback requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, for Gary Friedlieb, 8418 Centennial Drive, Mountain Iron, to construct a single family dwelling on parcels 175-0061-00060 and 175-0062-00110. The motion carried unanimously.

It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and authorize a Conditional Use Permit to Roger Scinto, 5421 Mineral Avenue, Mountain Iron, to construct a 26 foot by 50 foot accessory building on parcel 175-0070-01579. The motion carried unanimously.

It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to authorize City Staff to authorize striping of Park Ridge Drive, Rock Ridge Drive, and miscellaneous streets, as needed, as an added quantity to the Old Highway 169 overlay project. The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.

The following were discussed during the Liaison Reports:
– Library Board. Councilor Stanaway had a thank you to Jackie Jenko, Millie Babbini, Shirley Congdon, Carolyn Olsen, Mayor Skalko, Sally Peterangelo, and Laura Nieters for participating in the strategic planning meetings for the Mountain Iron Library.

It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Zupancich to authorize the Boondocks Bar to serve alcohol at the August 1, 2009, wedding reception at the Mountain Iron Community Center. The motion carried.

The City Attorney said that he would contact the League of Minnesota Cities regarding a policy for Volunteers.

At 7:40 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Roskoski to recess the regular meeting and enter in to a closed session to discuss contract negotiation strategies with AFSCME Local Union #453. The motion carried.

At 7:41 p.m., the Mayor called for a brief recess.

At 7:55 p.m., the Mayor called the closed session to order 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; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; and Louis Russo, Consultant.

At 8:40 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg that the closed session be adjourned and reconvene the regular meeting. The motion carried.

It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Stanaway to allow the Personnel Committee and Consultant Louis Russo to move forward with the contract proposals to AFSCME Local Union #453 as presented to the City Council in the closed meeting. The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.

At 8:44 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.

Submitted by:

Jill M. Anderson, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary

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