June 9, 2010 council meeting minutes
REGULAR MEETING – DANUBE CITY COUNCIL – JUNE 9, 2010
Mayor Gene Allex called the regular meeting of the Danube City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Councilmembers present: Sharon Lothert, Al Strunc, Ryan Bentley, and Bob Simpson. Absent: None
Also present: Les Schneider, Chief of Police; Lee Elfering, City Engineer; Media
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the agenda with the addition of “Tort Liability Waiver” under new business. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Lothert to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 26, 2010 as submitted. Strunc seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Lee Elfering updated the council on the next step needed to move forward with paving 2nd Street East. He had met with Gene Allex, Bob Simpson and the Clerk before the council meeting. Lee will be getting a surveyor to survey 2nd Street East and will talk to Renville County to inquire about the tile that goes through the City.
Chief of Police, Les Schneider, was present to give his monthly employee and police department activity report. May 2010 Danube Police Department activity was similar to the same time last year and consisted of 67 calls, 35 reports, 52 traffic stops, 22 citations, 30 mutual assists and 2 home security checks. Other business discussed:
· School bus stops continued to be patrolled during May.
· The number of blighted properties has significantly decreased from last year. Les will get the list to the Clerk on Thursday so she can send out blight letters.
· The Memorial Day program at the school gym went well. Les put felt pieces under the legs of the chairs so the newly waxed gym floor didn’t get scratched. Tri-Valley paid for the waxing in the gym, hallway, and entry.
· The majority of the school roof looks complete. Dan hadn’t had a chance to talk to the contractors recently. Strunc requested that Dan and Les go on the roof to look things over before the bill is approved for payment. He also wants the warranty in hand.
· Les mentioned that the Civil Defense Siren did not go through its 5 minute cycle on the first Wednesday of the month. It did, however, sound briefly. He will be in contact with Two-Way Communication again to remedy this problem.
· The water tower alarm seems to be fixed.
· Les and Dan went to a training put on my Minnesota Rural Water.
· Officer Krueger finished his classes and passed his EMT test. All 3 officers are certified EMTs now.
· A Jeep was impounded and the City charged daily storage on the vehicle until it was picked up with proof of insurance by a licensed driver.
· The recent wave of garage and vehicle break ins is under investigation.
· Lothert brought up the idea of allowing full-time employees to use a paid holiday at a later date if the employee ends up working on the holiday for unforeseen reasons. The council agreed that full-time employees can have a month to use a holiday if it was worked.
No updates were available on the Mahoney case.
The Community Center rental schedule was reviewed by the council. The blood mobile will take place at the Hall on June 18.
The Clerk typed a letter to send to property owners that rent out their homes. The letter will inform them that each quarter they will receive a copy of their renters’ utility bill so they can stay up to date on payment history. The renters will also receive a copy of the letter. The council approved the letter that the Clerk will send out.
The sale of 303 4th Street is complete.
A motion was made by Strunc to approve the claims as submitted in the amount of $13,806.46. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Strunc to approve a building permit application for Damon Bratsch to build a deck on his property. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A City Council Code of Conduct was drafted by the City Attorney and presented to the council. A motion was made by Lothert to adopt the policy. Bentley seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
A motion was made by Strunc to approve a temporary liquor license to the Danube Firemen’s Relief Association to sell non-intoxicating malt liquors in the City Park on 6th Street on July 11, 2010. Lothert seconded and the motion passed with Allex and Bentley abstaining.
The Clerk told the council that she would like to have Suzie Lueck serve as the head election judge for the upcoming general election. The council gave their approval and suggested the list of possible election judges be reviewed by Lueck for her approval.
The Clerk brought forth a Liability Coverage Waiver Form that needs to be signed for the renewal of the City’s insurance policy. In the past, the City has waived the monetary limits on the tort liability. Strunc asked why we do this and the Clerk was not sure and will talk to the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust about it.
Dan Kaufenberg and Bentley will hold interviews for the part-time summer maintenance position next Tuesday.
The lift station pump was pulled and the spare was put in. The council reviewed a quote to replace the pump. A motion was made by Bentley to repair the existing pump. Strunc seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Bentley will see that Dan is spraying in town for mosquitoes.
At 8:30 p.m., there being no further business to discuss, Bentley made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Lothert seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted: Sara Wilson, City Clerk