APPROVED

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

3-26-14

Council Present: Hager, Schmoker, Pavelka, Broadwater, Lee

Absent: None

Others Present: Sue Schuler, Justin Leonhardt, Gary Gile, Angela Reinhardt, Robert Schuler, Jeff Arens,

FIRE REPORT:

Arens was present and commented that the siren was fixed it was the batteries that were dead. He also commented that the truck will be done earlier than thought and it should be here by the end of April instead of the end of May and that the committee is going there on April 14, 2014 for a tour of the facilities and to look at it, it had been earlier approved for them to all go. Arens discussed that there was a fee for the radio maintenance in accounts payable today stating that they will not know year for year what that cost would be and it was divided between the KFD and KAFR in the amount of radios they have.

KLS REPORT:

No Report/no proposals

POLICE REPORT

No Report. Schmoker wondered why they have not been attending and Pavelka stated that they were supposed to be coming at least once a month and if the Chief could not attend he would have an officer and asked Schuler to check into that.

WATER / SEWER REPORT:

Gile reported that the frost has not moved in 31 days and lee asked how long residents should be running their water and Gile commented at least the end of April. Some discussion occurred on the frost reports Gile reported which are available in the city office. Gile then addressed about the 1st quarter water billing, Schuler explained to council that in order for her to credit properly all the accounts back to the 4th quarter of 2013 will be a process of reading the meters, entering the reads into her computer. Once that occurs she will have to go into each account individually to do the math and enter the credits, she will then have to manually enter the credits per each account some 249, and then correct them on each bill to reflect the credit before they can be mailed. Schuler asked council that if they could wait until the end of April to do the first quarter read so this process only has to happen once if they decide to run the water until then. Schuler commented that the other reason she is requesting this is it will be incredible hard to determine a credit for one month usage on the second quarter. Schuler is suggesting to end the first quarter at the end of April and running the second quarter at the regular time stating that the residents in a sense would only then be charged for two months instead of the three. Some discussion occurred.

MOTION BY PAVELKA SECOND BY HAGER TO RUN THE FIRST QUARTER TO THE END OF APRIL ALLOWING THE PROPER CREDITS TO BE APPLIED. THE SECOND QUARTER BILLING PERIOD THEN WOULD BE MAY AND JUNE FOR A TOTAL OF TWO MONTHS GOING OUT AT THE REGULAR TIME. ALSO A NOTIFICATION BY WRITTEN MAIL WILL BE MAILED TO ALL RESIDENTS EXPLAING ALL THE REQUESTS AND CHANGES. AYES: ALL. MOTION CARRIED.

KAFR REPORT:

Hager referenced the audit and asked if the $6000.00 was what the city paid for their budget and Schuler commented yes it is paid in the two settlements from the county.

PARK / GYM /STREETS REPORT

Justin Leonhardt was present and commented that he and Gusa did get up on the USPO roof and patch the leak he thinks stating that they found two roofs on there. He also commented that he ordered two sewer vents because they both were broken and leaking also, he stated that he spoke to them today and so far no leak time will tell. Pavelka asked if there was still snow on there and Leonhardt did not know for it’s been a week since he’s been up there.

P.C. COMMITTEE:

Pavelka commented that he wants to get off the planning commission and feels that they need to meet to go forward on setting up term limits and getting new members on stating that he will talk to Art Stirneman the chair and get something figured out. Schmoker asked who was all on it and Schuler commented, Art Stirneman was chair and the other members were, Lonnie Larson, Gary Gile, Dan Boras, and Ken Pavelka, she also commented that the last time the city ran an ad in the newspaper for two weeks got no response and that is when Gile joined. Some discussion occurred.

CONSENT AGENDA:

MOTION BY SCHMOKER SECOND BY BROADWATER TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ON 3-12-14 WITH SUGGESTED CHANGES DID TO DID NOT AYES: ALL MOTION CARRIED.

Lee asked if the bill from quality in the amount of $2862.50 was for the entire gym complex and Schuler commented yes. Schmoker then asked about the Passe bill and asked if that was a final payment for the rail road ditch and Schuler commented no that after speaking to the engineer there is still $400.00 outstanding for the reseeding that will happen in the spring, and that the rest of the amount was snow plow and removal thus far for the year. Some discussion occurred on the drainage down in that area and it was stated that so far it seems to be working.

MOTION BY PAVELKA SECOND SCHMOKER TO APPROVE THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE WITH CHECK NUMBERS: 94861-94876 AYES: ALL MOTION CARRIED

OTHER BUSINESS:

Pavelka asked council if they would allow a sign placed in the park that states Future site or home of the Hero’s memorial and then commented that the new tree that was plan=ted may have to be moved in the spring to make room, Leonhardt commented that if it does need to be moved he would like to do it right away in the spring before it gets too rooted.

MOTION BY BROADWATER SECOND BY SCHMOKER TO PLACE A FUTURE SIGN OF THE HERO’S MEMORIAL IN THE PARK AND MOVE THE SMALL TREE THAT WAS PLANTED LAST YEAR. AYES: ALL MOTION CARRIED

Schuler presented $7750.00 in brick donations and $1650.25 in donations from the pancake breakfast for approval.

MOTION BY BROADWATER SECOND BY HAGER TO APPROVE ALL THE DONATIONS PRESENTED IN THE AMOUNT OF $9400.25. AYES: ALL MOTION CARRIED.

Some discussion occurred as to where they are in regards to the finances.

Lee then asked about Schmoker’s item on the agenda mileage vs. city vehicle and Schmoker commented that Schuler got him the information he asked for and would like to put that on hold for the time being, Schuler asked if wanted that item tabled and he stated not at this time just on hold, Hager asked if it should be tabled and Schmoker commented no, if he wants it back on the agenda he will place it there.

Lee then asked about discussion of the water and sewer ordinance language on the tabled items. Pavelka asked how many sewers froze and Gile commented to his knowledge none, and Pavelka commented that his neighbors did and Gile stated that was because he had other issues and that none of the city sewer mains have been reported frozen. Schmoker then asked if you are going to change language would it have to be done on both water and sewer and Gile commented yes. Schmoker agreed for water is one issue and sewer is another. Hager asked what changes they are looking at, and Gile commented that council discussed in the past addressing how to deal with freeze ups basically, and Hager asked if there was a maintenance responsibility mentioned anywhere and what it states now and Gile commented right now it states that it is the residents responsibility from the curb box in. Pavelka commented that some cities don’t do anything, but feels that if we can’t get water to their curb stops and feels it is a city responsibility for they pay for that service to begin with. Some discussion occurred. Schmoker commented that the last he checked we have spent over $20,000.00 in thawing residents out already and Lee commented closer to $30,000.00. Schuler will look into the R & M plan that RPU has and see how they handle it and that it may not even work for Kellogg were just to small but she will still look into it. Schmoker stated that in previous discussion they determined that out of all of the issues there were maybe only two that were not the cities responsibility. Schmoker asked if there was even a need to change the wording if it already states curb stop in and Gile commented not in his opinion. Schmoker stated that he is not in favor of wording changes. More discussion occurred. Schmoker suggested that at the beginning of the year if we for see this happening again to get the word out earlier to run their water, and Lee stated that it should be common sense and stated the last time this happened was in the 1980’s, so we just wait. Hager would like to see a proactive policy written and Pavelka commented that if we don’t have this issue again for 5 years the policy would have fallen to the side anyways and sees no need. Gile commented that he has a written file on everything and every account history so that will be here long after he is gone and that if it happens should help them in the future. Next on the tabled items was the water and sewer rate increase in the repair and maintenance. Gile commented that council wanted to wait until the audit and now that, that has been presented again reminded council that the sewer again lost money last year and water did as well and Gile commented that in his notes of past discussion he had written down $11.00 increase $5.00 to water and $6.00 to sewer, and that after meeting with Schmoker agrees that the sewer is in more need than water and he suggested $8.00 added for sewer and $3.00 for water. Schmoker then commented that after the audit he wondered if that was even enough and Lee commented that we are not going to make it all up min one shot and feels that it needs to be addressed every year for smaller increases. Some discussion occurred.

MOTION BY SCHMOKER SECOND BY BROADWATER TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL $8.00 FOR THE FLAT FEE SEWER R& M AND AN ADDITIONAL $3.00 ADDED TO THE FLAT FEE WATER R& M AND TO INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION IN THE LETTER PREVIOSLY MOTIONED TO RESIDENTS TO TAKE EFFECT ON MAY 1, 2014. ROLL CALL: HAGER, YES, SCHMOKER, YES, PAVELKA, YES, BROADWATER, YES, AND LEE, YES. MOTION CARRIED.

Lee then asked about the first responder budget that was tabled, and Schmoker commented that he feels that when the next year’s budget preparation start that they should look at increasing their budget they don’t have much money at all to survive and feels the city needs to budget more. Arens then discussed the bill that was presented in tonight’s accounts payable to the county for radio maintenance and commented that this will be an annual thing and we do not know how much that will be, Schmoker asked if the KAFR are responsible for a portion of that and Arens commented yes it is based on the amount of radio’s and that the KAFR portion was $212.46 and the KFD was $637.38. Pavelka asked council if they thought this is a charge for the KAFR could be reimbursed from the general fund due to their lack of funding and Lee stated that if he would like to make that motion to do so and that they could justify it in the next budget to cover that, stating that this time the general fund will pick it up due to their lack of funding. Some discussion occurred. Schmoker asked if any other donation came in from townships yet and Schuler commented yes from two so far and then stated that it was discussed at the last meeting of a contract between the KAFR like the KFD has and Schuler stated that they cannot enter into any contracts because the KAFR do not charge for their services like the KFD does. Schuler commented that she and her husband have donated the use of their personal camper to the Wabasha ambulance service for an upcoming marathon for three days and instead of being compensated they are going to work with the KAFR to offset the $3000.00 in refresher training that the KAFR have to take this year bringing that cost to the organization down to around $400.00 instead, so this will be a donation for services and training to help the KAFR. Arens commented that the KFD is already discussing contract increases due to this new fee from the county.

MOTION BY PAVELKA SECOND BY HAGER TO REIMBURSE THE KAFR THE AMOUNT OF $212.46 THAT THEY PAID THIS YEAR FOR RADIO MAINTENANCE DUE TO THEIR LACK OF FUNDING AND TO LOOK AT 2015 INCREASING THEIR BUDGET. AYES: ALL MOTION CARRIED.

Schmoker asked about the public works barricades etc. on the tabled items and Gile commented that is a four way department split and Schmoker would like to keep it tabled until all the water issues are completed. Lee commented to Schmoker if he wanted to speak on the tabled items of office hours and Schmoker commented not at this point. Hager then read to council some items he prepared. A copy of his writings are on file at the city office during regular business hours.

COUNCIL ADDRESSE’S:

TABLED ITEMS:

Water rate increases Early 2014

Equipment public works, barricades, cones and stands

KAFR Budget increase

Office staffing hours.

Ice skating rink at ball field

Full length basketball court (Next year)

Future Street Repairs (next 5 years)

5 year plan (pending)

DISCUSSION OF TABLED ITEMS

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UP COMING DATES:

Board of Equalization: Monday April 21, 2014 5:00 PM

MOTION BY BROADWATER SECOND BY PAVELKA TO ADJOURN THE REGULAR MEETING AT 7:47 PM AYES: ALL PRESENT. MOTION CARRIED.

AN AUDIO COPY OF THE MEETING CAN BE LISTENED TO AT THE CITY OFFICE DURING REGULAR OFFICE HOURS AND AVAILABLE FOR THREE MONTHS

Respectively submitted

Sue Schuler

City Clerk/Treasurer