Called To Order
President Carlsrud called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM.
Roll Call
Members present: President Carlsrud, Commissioner Magnuson, Commissioner Bishop, Commissioner Erickson (3:38), and Commissioner Gulmon.
Others present: City Administrator Crawford, City Attorney Martineck, Deputy Auditor Klein, Public Works Accountant/Manager Jacobson, City Assessor Hansen, Fire Chief Magnuson, Police Chief Hatcher (4:00), Chad Petersen from KLJ, Electrical Superintendent Senf (4:00), Operations Superintendent Klemisch, Sanitation Supervisor Swart, Water Superintendent Hesch (4:00)
7. Discuss offer for Purchase of Property Located at 476 5th Ave NE.
City Administrator Crawford stated we were contacted by Valley Realty and they are looking at working with the Vo-Tech Center and build a property there like they did with the property just north of the school. They have offered $5,000 for the property. There was previously asbestos work and there are no current taxes on it. The school needs it ready the beginning of August so Valley Realty would have to have the foundation done by then. This is also not one that can be just hooked back up to water and sewer. We have to come back in because it was cemented off. It is in the flood plain so my recommendation, as long as they can work with everything, is to go ahead with it for the next meeting.
Consensus was made to go ahead with this.
6. Discuss amending Resolution 2292, a Resolution Approving Plat of Hyland Park District.
City Administrator Crawford stated this was the Resolution that was approved last meeting. There was more information brought to the table. Working with Bruce we were able to come up with a plan on putting sidewalks on both sides. This also starts the residence that we’ve been talking about. There is an ordinance that says sidewalks are required and we have more moving forward so this is what will be. Going forward Joel will have that worked out before when presenting plats.
9. Discuss Small Paving outside of Hyland Park Estates.
Operations Superintendent Klemisch stated he drove through the Hyland Park project the other day and in my mind with all this being developed we will have a small stretch of road that will be left unpaved, it’s like 200-250 feet. I think it would be really smart of the city to work with these guys and look at paving this section of the road so it’s all nice and paved. It would be easier on us to maintain and the homeowners don’t like the gravel getting thrown. City Administrator Crawford stated just the paving project alone was $80,000 which was curb and gutter but did not include the groundwork so we are waiting for Bruce to get us the final number. It is a project and would need to be assessed but if we were to do it as an assessment in its district you would have to go through engineering and pay more. One of the things we can do is to go to the owners, talk to them about waving that need to do the assessment district and then they could split the cost.
1. Department Reports.
City Administrator Crawford stated several Department Heads were on a training call and will stop in to give their reports when it is over.
Operations Superintendent Klemisch stated the new pick up showed up. We have worked all the valves for the upcoming 7th Ave project and the 2nd Ave project we found one bad one. We have been working on painting curbs and lines.
2. Review monthly bills/reports.
Deputy Auditor Klein stated we have a pretty big number this month but that’s due to the refinancing of the refunding bond which was $1.275 and we did get that amount back. With that and the TIF payments that came to just over $2.5 million.
3. Review City Administrator Contract.
City Attorney Martineck stated historically when we hire executive level positions we enter into an agreement for a certain amount of vacation time. When we hired Gwen we came an agreement that she would be given a certain amount of vacation up front to use. What happens after is that historically on the first anniversary that person starts accruing more vacation time. What should be happening is there should be negotiation for vacation time up front and then the time should start accruing immediately so there is a bank.
4. Approve Designating Funds from the Cares Act Relief Funds in the amount of $25,000 for lights to Place on the Elk’s Foot Bridge and in Veterans Park and $5,000 for the VC Park District to add concrete corn hole games to Chautauqua Park.
Deputy Auditor Klein stated these were some requests that came in and the lights were previously discussed.
City Administrator Crawford wanted to clarify that the $25,000 is for lights and additional decorations as needed. For the VCPD, last year they lost over $150,000 for having to put memberships on hold and closing the doors due to covid. They did get some Cares money but not enough to offset their losses. They are looking at replacing 4 of the horseshoe playing areas and adding concrete cornhole.
5. Discuss Bluescope Contract.
City Administrator Crawford stated we have some other pieces to get to before you guys pick the final project but you have to have the contract signed. We need to decide if we want the additional 12 feet.
Commissioner Bishop stated his preference would be to put in the additional 12 feet right away.
City Attorney Martineck stated he saw in the contract there may be an additional $10,000 charge for patching, is that something that’s needed?
Fire Chief Magnuson stated they added that in case they needed to tie into a sewer line or something but they may not even use it. Our guys might be able to do the job too if needed and we wouldn’t have that charge.
1. Department Reports (cont.).
Electrical Superintendent Senf reported that they are working on Woodland, there’s a lot of cables to cross. Finished up an alley rebuild west of Washington school. We’ll be working on those in the future now that we’re getting caught up on a lot of our underground.
Water Superintendent Hesch we do have a Valley City aquifer. We received a letter from North Dakota Department of Water Quality asking if we would like to upgrade our wellhead protection signs. I would like to get one out in the North Valley are and one on each exit coming in from the east to the west. They said there is a grant and it would cost about $40/sign or less if they have a lot of funding or not many people that have to upgrade their signs.
8. Discuss VCFD GMC Commercial Rescue Contract.
Fire Chief Magnuson reported that a lot of the used equipment that is out there is a great deal right now. A type of deal like this truck doesn’t come up very often. We just don’t have the room on our current truck for everything we need right now. There are a lot of things we can’t carry and if we get a call we have to load the specialized tools in the back of the pickup. To build this truck it would cost over $425,000 so this is a pretty good deal. I do feel this is a need. We have to put $30,000 down on it now but it won’t be available to us for a year, until the person that has it now gets their new truck. We can use what’s in the truck fund right now and next year cover the remaining balance. Our truck right now is a 2003 and fit what we needed it for at the time. We have since grown and bought new equipment and can’t fit it all on our truck.
City Administrator Crawford said she saw in the budget under the fire truck reserve that it had $440,000 needed for next year.
Fire Chief Magnuson stated that was set aside to replace number 2 but that still passes so it doesn’t make sense to replace a truck that doesn’t need to be.
Commissioner Magnuson stated if our 2003 rescue truck goes down for any reason, which it did go down for a week last year, you are digging the rescue equipment out of the back of a pickup.
City Administrator Crawford also mentioned that we were just at a County Commission meeting and they specifically asked if you need another truck and your response was no.
Fire Chief Magnuson stated he doesn’t see the county having an issue with it.
Commissioner Bishop stated he sees the need.
Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 PM.
