Meeting Minutes for March 19, 2007
MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
MARCH 19, 2007
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. Forseen, Municipal Services Secretary; Larry Nanti, Recreation Director; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; Sam Aluni, City Attorney; and Rick Feiro, Sergeant.
The Mayor welcomed the audience and the television viewing audience to the meeting.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Prebeg that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
1. Remove the following item from the agenda:
VI. F. Culverts for Driveways and Curb Cuts
Add the following items to the agenda:
V. A. Street Committee Recommendation regarding Assessments
VI. E. Greenwood Cemetery Association
2. Approve the minutes of the March 5, 2007, 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 March 1-15, 2007, totaling $188,033.44, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
5. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period March 1-15, 2007, totaling $180,957.30, (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.
During the Mayor’s report, he stated that he got a phone call from Gary Cerkvenik informing the City Officials that the City was awarded a grant for $200,000 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Program for the Mountain Timber Wood Pellet Plant. The Mayor thanked Gary Cerkvenik and Craig Wainio for the work completed on the grant and the promotion of the grant to receive approval.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Zupancich to direct Benchmark Engineering to begin the engineering work for the Downtown Streetscape Renovation Project with funds received through the T-21 Federal Grant Project in the amount of $140,000 and the City budgeted amount of $35,000. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
Councilor Roskoski questioned the City Administrator about any responses received regarding the advertisements for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). The City Administrator said that there have been two interested parties regarding the EMT positions.
The following quotes were received for the painting and patching of the ceiling and walls on the main floor of the library:
Swanson & Youngdale $19,705.00
Lakehead Painting Company $29,200.00
It was moved by Stanaway and supported by Zupancich to award Swanson & Youngdale the painting and patching project for the ceiling and walls on the main floor of the Mountain Iron Public Library at their low quote of $19,705.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
Councilor Roskoski questioned the Director of Public Works regarding the upgrade of the lights at the Senior Center. The Director of Public Works said that all of the inefficient lights were removed and replaced with high efficiency fluorescent lights. Councilor Roskoski asked if part of the lighting project was being paid for from the Electric Fund as part of the Conservation Program. The Director of Public Works said that the Electric Fund did not pay for any part of the lighting project at the Senior Center because all of the available Conservation Program funds were allocated at the Library Lighting Project.
It was moved by Skalko to authorize the Messiah Lutheran Church to install a basketball standard on the east side of their building in the parking lot with the appropriate indemnification form being executed. After further discussion, Mayor Skalko withdrew his motion.
It was the consensus of the Council to have the Messiah Lutheran Church review other options regarding the installation of a basketball standard and come back to the City Council for the first meeting in April.
The Council reviewed the Sheriff’s Department statistic report for the month of February.
Councilor Roskoski questioned the City Attorney regarding potential problems with the closed session at the end of the meeting because of how the negotiations were opened. The City Attorney stated that there were no problems with the scheduled closed session.
During the Liaison Reports, Councilor Roskoski asked Councilor Stanaway regarding an update from the last Library Board meeting. Councilor Stanaway said that the only issue discussed was the Library Painting Project.
Councilor Prebeg asked the Recreation Director if the Park and Recreation Board’s recommendation for a wage increase in the part-time summer laborers. The Recreation Director said that he would be presenting the recommendation to the Personnel Committee before presenting the recommendation to the Council for approval.
Mayor Skalko asked the Recreation Director if he had spoken with the Mountain Iron-Buhl High School Board Member, Wally Kostich, about the charges for the field usage. Councilor Prebeg said that Mr. Kostich would be willing to talk to the City Representatives. Councilor Prebeg said that the City should set up a meeting with the Building and Grounds Committee for the Mountain Iron-Buhl School District.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Zupancich to accept the special assessments as recommended by the Street and Alley Committee as follows:
10% Assessment
Unity Drive from County Road 7 to Mountain Iron Drive
Enterprise Drive North from Nichols Avenue to County Highway 7
Unity Drive from Emerald Avenue to approximately 1000 feet to the west
25% Assessment
Locomotive Street from Mountain Avenue to west edge of Town of Grant plat
Granite Street from Mineral Avenue to Marble Avenue
Coral Street from Marble Avenue to Mountain Avenue
75% Assessment
Heather Avenue from Unity Drive to Centennial Drive
Centennial Drive from Heather Avenue to approximately 400 feet to the east
Tamarack Drive from County Road 7 to approximately 600 feet to the east
90% Assessment
Heather Avenue from Centennial Drive to south end of street
The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
At 7:11 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
At 7:13 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
Richard Norvold, Project Consultant for Iron Range Community FiberNet, was present to discuss a non-binding resolution of commitment to the Iron Range Community FiberNet. He said that this is a collaboration of 13 Iron Range Cities that have decided to come together, with Mountain Iron representing 8% of the total project. The total estimated cost of the project is $49 million. A bonding bill has been approved for $10 million toward the project. The Iron Range Community FiberNet would contribute $762,038 through General Obligation Bonds over a 25 year period with an approximate payment of $56,256 per year for the bonds.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Stanaway to table the request of the Iron Range Community FiberNet and direct the City Administrator to come up with as much information as possible to assist the Council in making an educated decision regarding the conditional commitment to the Iron Range Community FiberNet. The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Zupancich to adopt Resolution Number 15-07, Receiving Report and Calling Hearing on Improvements for Unity Second Addition, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Zupancich to adopt Resolution Number 16-07, JOBZ Business Subsidy Policy and Criteria, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried unanimously.
It was moved by Stanaway and supported by Prebeg to approve the Cigarette License for Walgreen Company, dba Walgreens #10501, for the remainder of 2007. The motion carried unanimously.
At 8:02 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
At 8:04 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Zupancich to authorize the 2007 allocation of $3,000 each to the Calvary Cemetery Association and the Greenwood Cemetery Association contingent on both Associations submitting the appropriate financial information to the City. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
The Council reviewed the sample business subsidy policy put out by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The Council reviewed the list of communications.
During the open discussion, Councilor Prebeg said that some residents have contacted him regarding the truck traffic traveling on Mineral Avenue through South Grove and Downtown Mountain Iron. It was the consensus of the Council to have the Street and Alley Committee look at the actual route that the trucks are using, the possible addition of signage, and review of the current ordinances.
Also during the open discussion, Councilor Roskoski commented on the March 7, 2007, meeting to update the City’s Long Range Plan, saying that he was disappointed that all of the Council members were not in attendance. He said that He and the Mayor were the only ones representing the Council. The Mayor said that the meeting was poorly attended with only about seven citizens attending.
The Mayor announced that there would be a Merritt Days meeting on March 28, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at the Mountain Iron City Hall.
At 8:17 p.m., it was moved by Prebeg and supported by Zupancich to recess the regular meeting and go into closed meeting to discuss management contract negotiations. The motion carried.
The Mayor announced that they would be taking a short recess before the close meeting would begin.
Respectfully submitted:
Jill M. Forseen, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary
At 8:35 p.m., Mayor Skalko called the closed session to order with all Council members present and Council Negotiator Louis Russo.
At 8:38 p.m., Mayor Skalko left the meeting.
At 8:49 p.m., Mayor Skalko returned to the meeting.
The Council discussed the following items:
A. Salary employee review of our contract staff.
B. Larry Nanti’s work situation.
It was moved by Zupancich and supported by Prebeg to adjourn the closed session and reconvene the regular meeting. The motion carried unanimously.
At 10:02 p.m., it was moved by Prebeg and supported by Skalko that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted:
Gary Skalko
Mayor
www.mtniron.com
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Mountain Iron-Buhl Class of 2007, a thank you for the contribution to their All Night Grad Party.
2. St. Louis County, forwarding the 2008 Community Development Block Grant funding time line.
3. Virginia Regional Medical Center Foundation, a thank you for the contribution to the Capital Campaign Fund.
4. City of Mountain Iron, Planning and Zoning Commission, public hearing notice for the March 26, 2007, City Code revisions.
