January 26, 2011 Council Meeting Minutes
DANUBE CITY COUNCIL
Regular Meeting
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 7:00 PM
Danube City Council Chambers
A regular meeting of the Danube City Council was conducted on January 26, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. with Mayor Gene Allex presiding. Council Members Ryan Bentley, Bob Simpson, Al Strunc and Sharon Lothert were present. Public Works Director Dan Kaufenberg and City Clerk-Treasurer Sara Wilson were also present, along with City Attorney Aaron Walton.
Approval of Agenda
Council Member Lothert moved and Council Member Simpson seconded a motion to approve the Agenda with the addition of “gym lights” under New Business. The motion carried unanimously.
Approval of Minutes
Council Member Strunc moved and Council Member Simpson seconded a motion to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of January 12, 2011, with minor corrections. The motion carried unanimously.
2nd Street East
No updates. Public Hearing is being held next Wednesday, February 2, 2011.
Public Works Director Dan Kaufenberg
Public Works Director Dan Kaufenberg was present to give his monthly employee report. Kaufenberg reported that Sam Lang is willing to wait until spring to have his water line replaced. He contacted Mn/DOT to let them know the work won’t be done immediately and the permit completion date was extended until June 2011.
Kaufenberg told the council that the plow truck had repairs done and the bucket was fixed on the skidloader. He had to get a new air compressor to replace the 1949 model that seized up and had a hole in the bottom.
Kaufenberg has been talking to various companies about I & I issues he’s having and the possibility of televising the water lines. In the spring, he plans to go around to all of the manholes and check for cracks and get advice on what other things he should be looking for.
If the weather holds, Kaufenberg plans to take the Christmas lights down tomorrow. He mentioned there is a leak above the boiler room at the school that Forcier-Marty’s Roofing will need to look at in the spring. He requested a vacation from March 10-20th.
Mahoney Lawsuit
City Attorney Aaron Walton was present to discuss the Mahoney lawsuit. Because it is still an open case, he requested that the meeting be closed.
At 7:20, Council Member Lothert moved and Council Member Bentley seconded a motion to close the meeting to the public. The motion passed unanimously.
At 7:50, Council Member Simpson moved and Council Member Bentley seconded a motion to re-open the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Walton noted that during the closed portion of the meeting, discussion was had regarding Mahoney litigation.
Ordinances
Because of the Mahoney lawsuit, Walton suggested bringing the City of Danube’s Ordinances up to date. He said there are two ways to do this. The City can either adopt the Minnesota Basic Code (MBC) or they can do a custom code. The custom code would be quite expensive and he doesn’t recommend that route. Walton showed the council a short clip from the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) regarding the Minnesota Basic Code. The LMC offers a Codification Service and works with American Legal. The City could adopt the MBC and then add existing ordinances that it would like to keep. The MBC is a good option for smaller cities under 1,000 in population. Walton recommends adopting the MBC. Clerk Wilson will check into reviewing the MBC as a free trial.
Snow Removal
No discussion
Approve Bills
Council Member Strunc moved and Council Member Lothert seconded a motion to approve the bills in the amount of $13,656.25. The motion passed unanimously.
MCFOA Conference
Clerk Wilson requested permission to attend the Minnesota Clerk and Finance Officers Conference March 16 – 18, 2011 in St. Cloud. She will room and share transportation with the Sacred Heart City Clerk.
EDA Request for Fund Transfer
The Danube EDA had to replace carpet and paint the inside of Unit 2 of Sunrise Place after the previous renters moved out. The EDA does not have enough money to pay for these services. President of the EDA, Al Strunc, requested a $5,000 transfer from the City of Danube to the Danube EDA to pay for the carpet and painting and some other expenses.
Council Member Bentley moved and Council Member Simpson seconded a motion to transfer $5,000 from the City of Danube’s General Fund to the Danube EDA bank account to cover current expenses. The motion passed unanimously.
Quotes for File Cabinets
Clerk Wilson requested permission to purchase 2-3 locking file cabinets for the City Office. She obtained quotes from Northern Business Products and Quill Corporation. Northern Business Products had the best deal, however Mayor Allex mentioned that he has someone he can check with to possibly get a better price. Council Member Strunc asked if the Clerk had any fireproof cabinets. There are two fireproof file cabinets in the City Office but they do not shut all the way or lock.
Door Between Bar and Community Center
Council Member Lothert moved and Council Member Simpson seconded a motion to allow the door to be open between Miller’s On Main Bar & Grill and the Community Center on February 3, 2011 for the Fire Department annual meeting and on February 24, 2011 for the Legion Over the Top meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Gym Lights
Council Member Strunc got prices on replacing the lights in the gym at the school building that aren’t working. Three bulbs are out. The bulbs are $40 each. It costs $50 for the electrician to bring a scissors lift in the gym to replace them. It might be a good idea to replace all 12 bulbs at the same time. Another option would be to replace the fixtures and covers. Xcel Energy is offering a rebate of $125/fixture right now. It would cost $2,300, after the rebate, to replace all the fixtures. The energy savings would be 21 cents per hour (a reduction to 26 cents per hour from 47 cents per hour). Ballasts for the old lights are $150 each and may be necessary to replace. Because of new government regulation, the bulbs and ballasts for the old lights are not going to be manufactured anymore. The new fixtures would be 1/3 brighter than the old ones. Mayor Allex suggested that Council Member Strunc speak to Lance Bagstad at RCW about the fixtures that were put in there.
Adjournment
There being no further business before the council, Council Member Strunc moved and Council Member Lothert seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. With all members voting in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted: Sara Wilson, City Clerk