REGULAR MEETING  – DANUBE CITY COUNCIL – JUNE 10, 2009

Gene Allex called the regular meeting of the Danube City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2009.  Council members present:  Sharon Lothert, Les Schneider, Sr., Ryan Bentley, and Al Strunc.   Absent: none

Also present:  Ed Stone and Bev Raske from Friends of the Arts; Duane Hooge from Bargen, Inc.; Danube Police Chief, Les Schneider, Jr.

A motion was made by Sharon Lothert to accept the agenda with the addition of “Koford’s Chiropractic” and “Maintenance Personnel” under new business and “Depot Hydrant” under old business.  Ryan Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 

A motion was made to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of May 27, 2009, with minor noted corrections.  Les Schneider, Sr. seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 

Ed Stone and Bev Raske were present, representing the Friends of the Arts.  They inquired about using the gym at the school building for their production of “A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol” in December.  The city council is going to check with other groups that use the gym in the winter, and then get back to Raske.

Duane Hooge, the sales representative for Bargen, Inc. was present at the request of the council.  Les Schneider, Sr. asked Hooge to look at the seal coating on Maple Street and Pine Street.  Bargen, Inc. did the work on those streets and the seal coating is breaking loose and coming off in chunks.  Hooge left during the meeting to go look at the mentioned locations.  When he returned he said it was normal wear and tear.  Schneider had received opinions from two other contractors about what would cause the problem and neither one said it was normal. 

Les Schneider, Jr. was present to give his Police Department monthly activity report. May was a busy month for the Police Department, although the number of calls was down from this time last year.  The following items were also discussed:

·         The squad car has been running well since the last repairs.

·         Volleyball is done at the school building.  The floors were waxed and look great.

·         The Consumer Confidence Report has to be published by July 1.  Schneider, Jr.

 helped the clerk with this report.

·         Schneider, Jr. gave the clerk a list of blighted properties to which a letter will be sent out  requesting clean up of such properties.

·         Schneider, Jr. has spoken to most of the Danube residents who have not licensed their dogs yet.  In most cases, the unlicensed dogs haven’t had their annual vet appointment yet, but will be doing so in the near future.

·         Schneider, Jr. will be contacting the State Patrol to request the use of the speed trailer to put on County Road 1. 

·         The Police Department will have extra shifts on the Saturday of Danube Fun Days. 

·         The City of Sacred Heart sent a contracted services proposal requesting that Schneider, Jr. contract as Police Chief in Sacred Heart.  Schneider, Jr. will ask the Mayor of Sacred Heart to come to a future Danube City Council meeting to answer questions.

The following agenda items had no updates:  school building, streets, community center locks, Sunrise Place, false wall in chlorine room, FEMA plan, telephone rates, possible paving of 2^nd Street East, and Highway 212.

Regarding the Mahoney lawsuit, it will be another 3-4 weeks before we hear the final decision.

The council reviewed the upcoming rentals for the Community Center and the school gym.  The Community Center will be used for a family reunion, the blood mobile, and the senior citizens in the next two weeks.

The new skid loader for the maintenance department was delivered on Monday, June 8.

The floors in the Community Center and School Building were stripped and waxed.  The school looks great.  The floors in the Community Center were ruined.  The floor was mopped with hot water, when it should not have been, and they became soft, sticky and gooey.  Strunc suggested that the hot water knob be removed in the utility sink so this can’t happen again.  Perry Henke of Henke Floors will be contacted to come back and do what needs to be done to fix the floors. 

Sharon Lothert will dismiss Gayle Danielson as the Community Center custodian.  The clerk will put an ad in the paper to advertising the opening of this position.

Strunc spoke with Rachel Schneiderman of Heartland Express regarding the bus service.  The number of Danube residents that use the bus service was unavailable.  The busses will make 36,000 trips this year.  Most of the trips are for medical reasons.  Other uses are for transporting children to daycare, workers to Willmar, people to get groceries, kids to/from after school sports and students to college in Willmar.  The operations budget for Heartland Express is currently $450,000.  It receives $302,000 from state and federal funding and has to make up the rest of the budget through donations and bus fares.

A motion was made by Al Strunc to give $500 to Heartland Express.  Ryan Bentley seconded, with Lothert and Schneider voting against the motion.  The motion passed with Mayor Gene Allex voting in favor of the donation. 

The council was given a list of calls Great Plains made to the City of Danube last winter at times when the City had to switch to alternative heat at the school building.  Schneider will contact the City’s public works director to get to the bottom of why the City was sent a curtailment charge bill from Great Plains.

A motion was made by Al Strunc to approve the 2008 audit report that was presented by Oberloh and Associations at the May 27 council meeting. Sharon Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

A copy of the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) was given to the council members.  This report will be published in the Renville Register, informing the Danube residents of the City’s water quality.

The council reviewed the annual letter to Non-Profit Organizations that use the Community Center.  The letter reminds them of the proper procedures in renting and cleaning the Hall.  The clerk will send out the letter with a page to sign and return to the City office. 

A motion was made by Ryan Bentley to approve the bills as submitted in the amount of $18,258.54.  Sharon Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

A motion was made by Al Strunc to approve a building permit for Marcel Krueger to put a dog kennel and cement slab on his property.  Ryan Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

A motion was made to cash in a CD that has matured in the amount of $40,000 plus interest and put it into savings at HomeTown Bank.  Sharon Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Strunc requested, on behalf of the Danube Area Action Committee, financial help with some of the expenses of Danube Fun Days.  Fun Days takes about $6,500 to put on every year.  The Kiddie Carnival is the biggest expense at approximately $3,000. 

A motion was made by Les Schneider, Sr. to pay $1,100 for the Party-Time Inflatables that will be part of Fun Days.  Sharon Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously. 

Strunc received a quote for staining the west side of the City Office building and painting the south facing overhead doors.  He also received a quote for electrical work to put an outlet on the outside of the generator shed in the park.  It was suggested that the DAAC pay to have the outlet installed, since it was their request, and then apply for the ELF grant this summer to cover the expense.

The well and electrical issues at the park were discussed. No action was taken.

Koford Chiropractic would like to move their business to their home.  Kofords have had their neighbors okay the move and the city council is okay with it as well.

At 9:45 p.m., there being no further discussion, Ryan Bentley made a motion to adjourn.  Sharon Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.