Meeting Minutes for September 20, 2004
MOUNTAIN IRON CITY COUNCIL
SEPTEMBER 20, 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; Don Kleinschmidt, Director of Public Works; Larry Nanti, Director of Parks and Recreation; Rod Flannigan, City Engineer; and Sam Aluni, City Attorney.
The Mayor made some comments regarding the last City Council meeting and he said there were some things that bothered him. He stated that he would take full responsibility for what happened at the end of the last meeting. The Mayor said that at times the Council is getting too personnel at the meetings, he requested the Council to stick with the issues and not the personalities.
It was moved by Nelson and supported by Prebeg that the consent agenda be approved as follows:
Approve the minutes of the September 7, 2004, City Council meeting with the following correction: Page 3, add after paragraph 10, “At 8:06 p.m., Councilor Prebeg returned to the meeting.”
Approve the minutes of the September 15, 2004, Special 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 September 1-15, 2004, totaling $114,556.53, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
To authorize the payments of the bills and payroll for the period September 1-15, 2004, totaling $433,145.99, (a list is attached and made a part of these minutes).
The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
At 6:35 p.m., it was moved by Prebeg and supported by Irish to recess the regular meeting and open the public hearing on the USDA Loan Application. The motion carried.
The Mayor explained that the public hearing was a requirement if the City decides to obtain a loan for the library from the USDA. He explained that the public hearing was just part of the loan application process.
Councilor Irish asked the Mayor what the interest rate on the loan would be. The Mayor stated that he did not know.
Councilor Prebeg asked if a loan amount had to be stipulated. The Mayor said that the application that the City Administrator was working on was for $250,000.
At 6:38 p.m., it was moved by Irish and supported by Prebeg to close the public hearing and reconvene the regular meeting. The motion carried.
During the public forum, two Representatives from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities spoke.
The Mayor�s reported that he received information from Saint Louis County Commissioner Nelson that County Road 102 would be overlayed next Summer. The Mayor stated that Mr. Skube from Minntac put in writing that there would be a ten year period that there would be no mining on the County Road 102.
It was moved by Nelson and supported by Prebeg to accept the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission and approve the Conditional Use Permit for Larry Tviet, 5494 Carnation Avenue, Parcel Code 175-0013-00020, to construct an accessory building 1500 square feet. The motion carried.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Nelson to approve the final accounting report for the Park Ridge Development Project, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Councilor Roskoski voting no.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Nelson to call for quotes for the emergency water line extension from the Mountain Iron water system to the Virginia water system. The motion carried.
The Director of Public Works reported that Saint Louis County would be repairing the pot holes on County Road 761 and Old Highway 169. He said that the overlay process was in the Saint Louis County Engineering Department and there was no confirmation yet from the County when this project would be done. He said that the Intersection at County Road 761 and Old Highway 169 was going to be redone and the access further to the west would be eliminated.
The Mayor questioned the Director of Public Works regarding the digging by the Corner Spur. The Director of Public Works said that the work was being completed by a contractor hired by the owners of the Corner Spur, they were looking for a water line leak on their property.
Councilor Irish asked the Director of Public Works if when Saint Louis County was contacted about overlaying County Road 102 that a request be made to overlay Mineral Avenue through the Downtown Mountain Iron area and South Grove. The Director of Public Works stated that the original request to the County was to have the County Road 102 overlay completed from Highway 53 through to County Road 7.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish that the Insurance Report received from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust be filed and tabled for further study and consideration. After further discussion, Councilor Roskoski amended the motion to include the report being sent to the Parks and Recreation Board, the Downtown Committee, and the Streets and Alley Committee for review and recommendations. Councilor Irish supported the amendment. The amended motion carried with Councilor Nelson voting no.
The Mayor asked the Recreation Director to contact other Cities to see if there were issues regarding the displays in their towns for insurance purposes.
At 7:47 p.m., Councilor Roskoski left the meeting.
It was moved by Nelson and supported by Prebeg to accept the recommendation of the Safety Committee and approve the amendment to the services agreement with the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried on the following roll call vote: Nelson, yes; Irish, yes; Roskoski, absent; Prebeg, yes; and Skalko, yes.
At 7:49 p.m., Councilor Roskoski returned to the meeting.
It was moved by Irish and supported by Prebeg to authorize the Recreation Director to purchase advertising in the Iron Trail Convention and Visitors Bureau ads in the amount of $1,685.00. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Nelson and supported by Prebeg to authorize payment request number one for the Water Treatment Plant Backflush Tank to Hibbing Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $31,234.10. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
The Mayor said he was approached by a resident on Spring Park Road asking what the status of the upgrades to the water extension, sewer extension, and road upgrades in the Spring Park area were. The City Engineer said that all of the cost estimates were prepared. It was the consensus of the Council to have the City Engineer review this project.
Councilor Roskoski asked the City Engineer regarding the granular options for Heather Avenue. The City Engineer stated that he looked into the ground up asphalt option and that if the contractors ground up the asphalt fine enough for usage, they would recycle it and use it in their own bituminous.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish to direct the City Administrator to contact the two firms that did the original appraisals on the desert/dump/USX land site in Section 9 & 10 and use their original information plus the new Benchmark Engineering study information and each would prepare two new appraisals. One value with the old garbage dump that is circa 1920-1950 left as is, not abated, and another value as if the garbage dump were dug out and refilled with dirt. After further discussion, Councilor Roskoski amended his motion to change from calling for new appraisals to ask the appraisers to modify, clarify, or supplement their appraisals. Councilor Irish supported the amendment. The amended motion carried with Councilor Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Nelson to drop the entire USX Land site clean-up project. The motion died for lack of support.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish that the City of Mountain Iron use the old garbage dump area between Downtown and South Grove on the east site of Mineral Avenue, the most southerly dump site, as a permanent site for temporary storage of various types of soils, construction materials, and related items as confirmed by numerous recent correspondences from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and have all current correspondences on the pages 51, 52, and 53 of the current City Council meeting packet from the MPCA reaffirming that the City is in compliance with pertinent rules and regulations will be attached and become a part of this motion and become a part of this meeting�s minutes. After further discussion, Councilor Roskoski amended his motion to include applying to the MPCA regional office as stated in the attached e-mail and contingent on the approval from the MPCA. Councilor Irish supported the amendment. The amended motion carried with Councilor Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish that the City Council accept the Locomotive Park upgrading specifications as presented and seek quotes on this project with the quotes being made available to the City Council before the October 4, 2004, meeting with Benchmark Engineering calling for the quotes. The motion carried with Councilors Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Skalko and supported by Irish to adopt Resolution Number 39-04, rescinding the dissolution of the Mountain Iron Housing and Redevelopment Authority, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried with Councilor Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Prebeg and supported by Skalko to adopt Resolution Number 40-04, reserving recreation lands, (a copy is attached and made a part of these minutes). The motion carried.
It was moved by Irish and supported by Roskoski to authorize an advertisement to be published in the Mountain Iron-Buhl School Yearbook in the amount of $120. The motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
It was moved by Irish and supported by Roskoski to authorize Councilor Irish to contact the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency regarding the noise and odor problems at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. After further discussion, Councilor Irish amended his motion to change the contact from Councilor Irish to City Staff to set up meeting before October 4, 2004. Councilor Roskoski supported the amendment. The amended motion carried with Councilor Prebeg voting no.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Irish that in regards to Locomotive Park:
That City Workers remove the large bolts down to the concrete level, from the concrete hoist bases and the hoist house foundations using any method that they can think of, i.e. torch, grinder, etc.
That the City Workers remove all dirt and debris left over from the utility installation project down to the original grass level except for necessary small mounding over the trenched areas to allow for settling.
The completion of these projects will be before Fall freeze-up of 2004, except for the dirt and debris that may have to be removed sooner to facilitate any Mesabi Trail construction in that area. The motion carried with Councilors Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
It was moved by Roskoski and supported by Skalko to have the City Council recommend that the EDA/HRA invite Eric Oakman and any other P & H Representatives to an HRA/EDA regular meeting as soon as possible to discuss any future P & H relocation plans and also review with those people any potential usable sites that the City has in town. And further, that whenever that meeting is set up, to have the Mayor and all City Council members to be notified when and where that meeting will take place. The motion carried with Councilors Prebeg and Nelson voting no.
At 9:12 p.m., it was moved by Roskoski and supported by Prebeg that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.
COMMUNICATIONS
Taylor Investment Corporation, a request to have the City of Mountain Iron accept and take over the maintenance of the roadways of the subdivisions of Mashkenode Lake East Addition and Mashkenode Lake West Addition.
Range Association of Municipalities and Schools, forwarding the Legislative Priorities.
Richard Moore, forwarding a letter of thanks and pictures for allowing him to complete his internship with the City of Mountain Iron at the Wastewater Treatment facility.
