Meeting Minutes for November 03, 2008
MINUTES
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 3, 2008
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. Anderson, Municipal Services Secretary; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; Tom Cvar, Fire Chief; Steve Norvitch, Assistant Fire Chief; Joe Buria, Fire Department; and John Backman, Sergeant.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
1. Add the following items to the agenda:
IV. 2. Advertise for Applicants for First Responders
VI. G. Petition to Vacate
H. Set Special Meeting
I. Economy Ready Mix
Refer the following item to the Streets and Alley Committee:
VI. E. Street Light Request
2. Approve the minutes of the October 20, 2008, 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 October 16-31, 2008, totaling $351,604.77, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Zupancich to approve the following:
5. To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period October 16-31, 2008, totaling $231,644.59, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, yes; Stanaway, yes; Roskoski, no; and Skalko, yes.
At 6:33 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to recess the regular meeting and open the public hearing on the assessments on Park Ridge Drive. The motion carried.
Steve Babich, 5579 Nichols Avenue, was present and asked the Council why he was getting assessed on a street that he will never use. He also stated that a portion of the street was paid for by grant funding and that amount should be taken off of the total project costs and the assessments recalculated. The Mayor advised Mr. Babich that the City Attorney had advised the Council to assess the total amount of the project because all of the streets that are being assessed do not have grant funding to assist with the improvements.
At 6:49 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to close the public hearing on Park Ridge Drive and open the public hearing on Unity Drive from County Road 109 (Mud Lake Road) to Diamond Lane. The motion carried.
Frank Falkowski, 8427 Mud Lake Road, he had no comments regarding the assessments, but he requested that additional lighting be installed along that portion of Unity Drive. The Director of Public Works said that there is not any power available in that area. The Council referred his request to the Utility Advisory Board.
Nicole Felten, 8557 Unity Drive, she stated that there was grant funding utilized on the improvements made on Unity Drive and the total charges should be reduced because of this grant funding.
The Mayor advised the Council that a letter was received from Michael and Kathy Fridgen, 5499 Coral Drive, regarding the proposed assessments.
At 6:56 p.m., it was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to close the public hearing on Unity Drive from County Road 109 (Mud Lake Road) to Diamond Lane and open the public hearing on the Unity Drive extension. The motion carried with Roskoski abstaining.
At 6:58 p.m., it was moved Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to close the public hearing and reconvene the regular meeting. The motion carried with Roskoski abstaining.
No one spoke during the public forum.
The Mayor updated the Council on the following:
– Birthday. The Mayor congratulated Olga Cvar on her 90th birthday.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Roskoski to set a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting for 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 24, 2008 with the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Commercial Building Inspector, the Zoning Administrator, the City Engineer, and City Staff. And further to meet at 7:00 p.m. on November 24, 2008 to review the 2009 Budget. The motion carried.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Skalko to direct City Staff to advertise for applicants for First Responders in the Mesabi Daily News over the next few weeks. The motion carried.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Zupancich to authorize a six month leave of absence from the Mountain Iron Fire Department and the EMS for Devin West. The motion carried.
The City Administrator updated the Council on the following:
– Taxes. He provided the Council with the published notice tax rate calculations for Mountain Iron.
– Calendar Parking. He informed the Council that the there was a notice for Calendar Parking in 2007. He also advised the Council that the notice was published this year.
– Unity Second Addition. The gas was installed in Unity Second Addition this week.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Prebeg to authorize City Staff to purchase replacement boilers and system upgrades for the Mountain Iron Community Center at a cost of $62,187.00 contingent that the proper procedures for purchase are verified by the City Attorney. The motion carried unanimously.
The Director of Public Works advised the Council that the Mountain Iron Public Library roof has been repaired to specifications. He also said that the channel crossings for the downspouts were installed.
The Council reviewed the Sheriff’s Department report for the month of October 2008.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Zupancich to authorize the release of the retainage on the Locomotive Park Fencing Project in the amount of $1,325.50. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to accept Change Order Number One for the 2008 Bituminous Overlay Project decreasing the project amount by $5,477.02. The motion carried.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to approve Payment Request Number Three, the final payment, on the 2008 Bituminous Overlay project in the amount of $5,362.88. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Prebeg to authorize Payment Request Number One, the final payment, for the Mountain Iron RV Dump Station in the amount of $7,000.00. The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Roskoski, no; Prebeg, yes; Zupancich, yes; Stanaway, yes; and Skalko, yes.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Roskoski to authorize Payment Request Number Two, the final payment, for the South Grove Park Sidewalk Project in the amount of $1,039.05. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Stanaway and seconded by Skalko to send the specifications for the Quick Attack Wildland Fire Apparatus back to the Public Safety and Health Board for further paring down, review, and reconsideration. The motion carried with Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich to authorize a $100 increase in the Mountain Iron Relief Association pension to $1,800 per year effective January 1, 2009. The motion carried.
At 7:54 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
During the liaison reports, Councilor Stanaway reviewed the Mountain Iron Library statistics for October 2008.
At 7:56 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Stanaway to award the bid on the Mountain Iron Manor Apartment Remodel to H. G. Harvey Constructors Incorporated in the amount of $86,900.00 with the funding provided from the Mountain Manor facility in the amount of $15,000, the City in the amount of $36,900 and the CDBG in the amount of $30,000. The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Stanaway to adopt Resolution Number 52-08, adopting assessments for the improvements made to Park Ridge Drive, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Prebeg and seconded by Zupancich to adopt Resolution Number 53-08, adopting assessments for the improvements made to Unity Drive from Mud Lake Road to Diamond Lane, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Stanaway to adopt Resolution Number 54-08, adopting assessments for the improvements made for the Unity Drive extension, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Roskoski abstaining.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to authorize the sale of land to the Consortium LLC, for the sale price of $1.00 plus all legal and recording fees. And further, if the development does not go through, the land would revert back to the City. After further discussion, Zupancich withdrew his motion and Skalko withdrew his support.
It was moved by Zupancich and seconded by Skalko to adopt Resolution Number 55-08, authorizing the sale of certain property, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes), to the Consortium LLC, for payment of $1.00 plus legal and recording fees, with a contingency that if the development does not happen that the property reverts back to the City. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Zupancich to set a public hearing for the vacation of streets for Monday, November 24, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. The motion carried.
It was moved by Skalko and seconded by Stanaway to set a special meeting to canvass the General Election for Thursday, November 6, 2008, at 4 p.m. The motion carried.
It was moved by Roskoski and seconded by Zupancich to forward the Economy Ready Mix situation in Eveleth to the Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority for Wednesday, November 5, 2008, and invite Mike Jacobsen to the meeting and work with him to possibly get him relocated to Mountain Iron. The motion carried.
During the open discussion, Mayor Skalko advised the Council that the Saint Louis County garbage surcharge fee is collected by the City and forwarded to Saint Louis County in its entirety; the City does not retain any of the fees. He advised residents that have issues with the surcharge that they should approach the Saint Louis County Board.
At 8:24 p.m., it was moved by Skalko and seconded by Roskoski that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.
Submitted by:
Jill M. Anderson, CMC/MMCA
Municipal Services Secretary
www.mtniron.com
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Louis Parenteau, Merritt Elementary School Teacher, a thank you to the City for allowing the School to use the City’s voting booths and supplying the school with “I Voted” stickers for the mock election conducted at the school.
