Meeting Minutes for March 16, 2009
MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 16, 2009
Mayor Skalko called the City Council meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. with the following members present: Joe Prebeg, Jr., Alan Stanaway, Ed Roskoski, and Mayor Gary Skalko. Absent member includes: Tony Zupancich. Also present were: Craig J. Wainio, City Administrator; Jill M. Anderson, Municipal Services Secretary; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; and Paul Cerkvenik, City Attorney (entering at 7:20 p.m.).
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
1. Add the following item to the agenda:
III. A. Liquor Licenses at Country Kitchen
2. Approve the minutes of the March 16, 2009, regular 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 March 1-15, 2009, totaling $156,474.52, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to approve the following consent agenda item:
5. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period March 1-15, 2009, totaling $358,650.42, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, absent; Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, yes; and Skalko, yes.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg that the liquor license applications for the period March 16, 2009 through December 31, 2009, be approved and issued to the following individual and business establishment pursuant to the approval, where necessary, of the Liquor Control Commission and pursuant to the payment of all outstanding license fees and utility charges:
Keny J. Adams Off-Sale Intoxicating Liquor
May December Endeavors Inc. On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor
DBA: Country Kitchen Sunday On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor
5470 Mountain Iron Drive
Virginia (Mountain Iron), MN 55792
The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
The Mayor updated the Council on the following:
– Eagle Scouts. He advised the Council that there will be a ceremony to honor the Eagle Scouts, Sam Paakkonen and Dustin Leff, on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. at the Messiah Lutheran Church.
– Benefit. The Mayor said that there was a good turnout on Saturday, March 14, 2009, for the Ditzler Family who lost their home in South Grove to a fire.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Roskoski to set the Board of Review meeting for Tuesday, April 21, 2009, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mountain Iron Community Center. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
The City Administrator updated the Council on the following:
– Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Grant funding for the Agate Street and Mountain Manor are currently in place and the projects are being completed. He requested that the Council recommend project ideas for the 2010 grant cycle.
– Windmills. He addressed a question regarding taxes on the windmills. He said he had contacted the County Assessor and they advised him that they are taxed through the State. He had not heard anything further from the State regarding the tax calculations.
– Light bulbs. He said that the fluorescent light bulbs were still available and that residents should stop in and pick up their light bulbs.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to award the bid for one (1) new current model Heil Refuse Compactor from MacQueen Equipment Incorporated at their bid price of $106,688.00 less $10,000 for the trade-in of the 2000 International Garbage Compactor for a final cost of $96,688.00. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, no; Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, absent; and Skalko, yes.
The Council reviewed the Sheriffs Department activity report for the month of February 2009.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Skalko to further clarify the following motions made at the January 21, 2009 City Council meeting with regard to the two motions for the Regal Properties LLC property on 16th Avenue. In the first motion it should clarify the distance between the signs from 300 feet to 124 feet. And, the second motion to allow for the setback, from the present ordinance, of 30 feet to a setback of 16 feet from the west side of 16th Avenue. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
Motions from January 21, 2009:
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to approve the variance request from Regal Properties, LLC from the setback requirement and the distance between signs requirement of the ordinance for the placement of a sign on parcels 175-0065-01590 and 175-0065-01600. The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Prebeg to approve the variance request from Regal Properties, LLC from the setback requirement along the east boundary of 16th Avenue for the property described as follows:
Lots 13 and 14, Block 8, and the South ½ of the adjacent vacated alley; and
Lots 9, 10, 11, and 12, Block 5, and the South ½ of the vacated adjacent Third Street and the North ½ of the vacated adjacent alley; and
Lots 9, 10, 11, 12, and the North ½ of the vacated adjacent alley, Block 4; and
Lots 13, 16, 17, and the East ½ of Lot 14 and the North ½ of the vacated adjacent Third Street, and the South ½ of the vacated adjacent alley, Block 4; and
Lots 18, except highway right-of-way, including part of vacated Third Street adjacent, and the South ½ of the vacated adjacent alley, Block 4; and
West ½ of Lot 14, Lot 15, and the South ½ of the adjacent vacated alley and the north ½ of the adjacent vacated Third Street, Block 4; and
Lots 13, 14, and 15, Block 5, and the south ½ of the adjacent vacated alley and the north ½ of the adjacent vacated Fourth Street; and
Lots 11 and 12, Block 8, and the South ½ of the adjacent vacated Fourth Street and the north ½ of the adjacent vacated alley; and
Lots 6, 7, 8, Block 4, and the North ½ of the vacated adjacent alley; and
All of the vacated alley adjacent to Lots 11, 12, 13, and 14, Block 8.
West Virginia Addition to Mountain Iron
The motion carried.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to adopt Resolution Number 10-09, receiving feasibility report and ordering improvement and preparation of plans for the energy park infrastructure, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). It was moved by Roskoski to amend the motion to direct City Staff to contact Jon Nisja, State Fire Safety Supervisor, and Jerry Rosendahl, State Fire Marshal, for their input on water supply issues for the industrial park. The amendment for the motion failed for lack of a second. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Skalko to adopt Resolution Number 11-09, approving plans and specifications and ordering advertisement for bids for the Agate Street storm sewer, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Roskoski voting no and Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to adopt Resolution Number 12-09, approving facility plan for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg to waive the building rental fees for the SWOP dinner on April 2, 2009, in the Mountain Iron Community Center. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Skalko to have City Staff contact Minnesota Power for the latest particulars for their various grant programs that are available. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
At 7:29 p.m., it was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Skalko to recess the regular meeting and open the closed session for management negotiations. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
At 7:40 p.m., to call the closed session to order with the following members present: Joe Prebeg, Jr., Alan Stanaway, Ed Roskoski, and Mayor Gary Skalko. Absent member includes: Tony Zupancich.
The Council discussed strategies for management negotiations with regard to the Parks and Recreation Director position.
At 8:01 p.m., it was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to adjourn the closed portion of the meeting and reconvene the regular meeting. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to accept the recommendation of the Personnel Committee and compensate Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works, a separate $800 stipend per month for completing Recreation Director duties that are separate from his normal wages and contract effective September 19, 2008, when the new organization chart was approve. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Prebeg, yes; Roskoski, no; Stanaway, yes; Skalko, yes; and Zupancich absent.
At 8:13 p.m., it was moved by Skalko and seconded by Stanaway that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried with Zupancich absent.
Submitted by:
Jill M. Anderson, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary
www.mtniron.com
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Quad Cities Coalition, forwarding information regarding community readiness survey
results and zap grant presentation on Thursday, March 19, 2009 in Virginia.
