May 12, 2010 council meeting minutes
REGULAR MEETING – DANUBE CITY COUNCIL – MAY 12, 2010
Mayor Gene Allex called the regular meeting of the Danube City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Councilmembers present: Sharon Lothert, Al Strunc, Ryan Bentley, and Bob Simpson. Absent: None
Also present: Police Chief Les Schneider, Brian Beckendorf
A motion was made by Strunc to approve the agenda with the following additions: under old business: “street sweeper” and “training for Board of Appeal”; under new business: “building permit applications,” “pay for building permit application inspectors,” and “storage space for DAAC.” Simpson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Simpson to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 28, 2010. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the minutes of the Board of Appeal & Equalization meeting on April 28, 2010. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Local business owner, Brian Beckendorf, was present to inquire about the City’s plans for 2nd Street East. A lengthy discussion took place on paving the road and what would have to be done to again try to move forward on the project.
A motion was made by Lothert to move to the next step for paving 2nd Street East. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Beckendorf also asked who is in charge of the recycling site for aluminum cans. He said when the wind is strong, cans blow out of the bin. He wondered if a ½ roof could be put over it to prevent the cans from blowing out and onto area properties. The Boy Scouts are in charge of the site and Lothert will speak to the right person about it.
Police Chief Les Schneider was present to give his employee report for March and April 2010. Danube Police Department activity for March 2010 as follows: Calls: 54, Reports: 28, Traffic Stops: 45, Citations: 18, Mutual Assists: 23, Home Security Checks: 2. Activity for April included: Calls: 72, Reports: 38, Traffic Stops: 47, Citations: 20, Mutual Assists: 37, Home Security Checks: 4. Other business discussed included:
· Schneider attended the 2010 MCPA ETI conference in April, earning him 18 credits.
· There hasn’t been any rental activity at the school building.
· Dog licensing is progressing as usual.
· Schneider has been putting a list of blighted properties together for the Clerk to send letters to.
· The radio control for the civil defense siren was moved to the firehall for ease of access.
· The title was received for the forfeiture car. Schneider is still taking bids.
· Schneider assisted with several Maintenance Department items and the Police Department has been monitoring the Brush Site.
· Discussion took place about a possible child abduction attempt in Olivia.
· Schneider asked the council for permission to move forward with the process of purchasing a new squad car. There is $30,000 available in Capital Outlay for the purchase. The cost of the car, plus equipment will total approximately $30,000.
· Schneider wrote a grant for in-car cameras and will hear this month if he gets 2 of them.
· Officer Krueger will be taking the firearm instructor course. The forfeiture money will be used to pay for the class, as it needs to be used for training. Krueger will attend on his own time.
· There was a recall on the cruise control wiring on the First Response Rig. It has been repaired, free of charge.
A motion was made by Lothert to pursue a bid on a new squad car. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Bentley to use the forfeiture money to pay the $500 tuition, plus ammo, for Officer Krueger to attend the firearm instructor course. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
There was no update available on the Mahoney case.
Rod Black inquired with the Clerk about having the Senior Expo at the school on September 23, 2010. Discussion took place about the cost of having an event take place there. It takes electricity, employees’ time, etc. and the council feels that the City should get some sort of compensation for that if the event is making money.
A motion was made by Strunc to charge $100 rent for the school building if the event is charging an admission price. Simpson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the updated Personnel Policy with the part on FMLA being stricken. Strunc seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The Clerk will have all employees sign the new policy.
A motion was made by Strunc to approve the revised 10 year lease of portions of the school building to Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, as stated in the lease. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the bills as submitted in the amount of $8,129.24. Simpson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
The council discussed rather they’d like to transfer the Board of Appeal duties to the County or attend training to have a board. Ryan, Al and Gene will attend training August 16, 2010.
In light of finding out that approximately $3,500 in additional repairs needs to be done on the street sweeper, the council decided that Dan should obtain quotes for a used sweeper and Strunc will check into renting a sweeper from a neighboring town.
One sealed bid was received for the sale of 303 4th Street. A motion was made by Strunc to sell the property to the winning bidder, Marlys Jansen, for $2,000. Simpson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the Citizen Concern Policy as submitted by the Clerk. Strunc seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
The Policy states that concerns/complaints must be made on a form provided by the City Clerk’s Office. The form must be signed in order for the concern to be acknowledged and dealt with by the proper person or department.
Lothert has purchased products to strip and wax the floor in the Community Center.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the building permits for both Jim Mason and Dennis Zieske to move in a storage shed to their respective properties. Strunc seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Strunc brought up the idea of paying the men on the building committee each time they go out to check an application for a building permit. A motion was made by Strunc to pay a committee member $10 each time they check a permit application. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Lothert said the DAAC is running out of storage room for their items purchased for events like Danube Fun Days. She wondered if the club could use an empty room in the school building for storage. The council agreed that they can use a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor, as long as it’s not rented out.
The Clerk will have the summer maintenance help wanted ad run again in the Renville Register.
The Clerk asked if it was okay for St. John’s Lutheran Church to put a Soccer Camp sign up on the fence by the school. The council said it was fine.
Bentley told the council that Kaufenberg obtained a quote from a New London Company of 80 cents per foot to have chloride put on 2nd Street East. The council said that the road needs to be graded before making that decision.
At 10pm, a motion was made by Bentley to adjourn the meeting. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted: Sara Wilson, City Clerk