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City Council Minutes 11-28-1988MINUTES REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL Monday, November 28, 1988 - 7:30 p.m. Members Present: Arve A. Grimsmo, Fran Fair, Bill Fair, Dan Blonigen, Warren Smith Members Absent: None 2. Approval of minutes. Councilmember Fran Fair noted that the Council member making the original motion on agenda item #5 was not noted in the minutes. The meeting minutes should be altered to reflect that Bill Fair made said motion. Fran Fair also noted that the vote regarding acceptance of Chelsea Road as recorded in the minutes needs correction, as it was not a unanimous vote. Voting in favor of Fran Fair's motion to accept Chelsea Road and request that the School Board address the problem of subcontractor not being paid for their work included Warren Smith and Arve Grimsmo. Voting against the motion, Bill Fair and Dan Blonigen. Motion by Fran Fair to approve meeting minutes as amended, seconded by Dan Blonigen, motion passed unanimously. 3. Citizens comments/petitions, requests, and complaints. Jerry James of the Monticello Hockey Association was present to request City assistance with hockey rink snow removal prior to the flooding of the rink. He also informed Council of the desire of the Hockey Association to properly manage the facility and provide skating opportunities to hockey players and the general public. Mayor Grimsmo requested that City staff assist the Hockey Association with snow removal at the hockey rink and to meet with the Hockey Association to discuss other hockey rink maintenance matters. 4. Consider amending union contract to provide for City payment of all or a portion of increases in health insurance premiums. City Administrator Wolfsteller noted that union employees are asking for an amendment to the contract pertaining to payment of increases in health insurance policies due to the drastic increase in health insurance premiums. Wolfsteller explained that according to contract, union employees must pay the total increase in health insurance up through April 1, 1989. After that date, union employees must pay 50% of any increase of a $10 base increase. This contract language equates to an average increase of $120 per month for each employee. Wolfsteller informed Council that unless directed otherwise, staff will follow the existing contract and make the appropriate deductions from union employee paychecks. 1 5. Council Minutes - 11/28/88 A general discussion regarding insurance coverage and the impact of increased premiums on salary increases ensued. Bill Fair noted that we need to look at alternatives to the present health insurance program and consider a program with a higher deductible. Reopening the contract is a reasonable request by the union employees. Dan Blonigen noted that "a contract is a contract" and did not support reopening the contract. Blonigen also noted that we should continue to withhold the appropriate amount from the union paycheck until the matter is resolved. Arve Grimsmo stated he realizes we have a contract but to preserve good will, maybe we should pay premiums for all through December 15, 1988. Motion by Bill Fair and seconded by Arve Grimsmo to pay total premium until January 1, 1988, with payback being discussed after further research on the matter. Voting in favor: Bill Fair, Arve Grimsmo. Opposed: Warren Smith, Dan Blonigen and Fran Fair. Fran Fair suggested that it would be better to deduct now with the possibility of a rebate later. Staff was directed to research health insurance options for presentation at the next meeting of the City Council. Consideration of approval of plans and specifications and consider authorizing transfer and replacement of one -ton truck. Public Works Director, John Simola, requested that Council consider approval of specifications for the new truck and allow the advertisement for bids, with the expected sale of the GMC pickup and transfer of the 1 -ton Dodge to the treatment plant and the value of the Dodge transferred from the sewer fund to the general fund. He noted that since the 1 -ton Dodge has a plow on it, this would enable PSG to do their own yard cleanup and save time for City employees which currently do the snowplowing at the treatment plant. Simola also noted that the effectiveness of the unit will be enhanced by attaching a plow wing and a sander to the unit. Dan Blonigen noted his uneasiness about putting a sander on the unit. Simola noted that a rough estimate for the sander is $1,500 to $2,000. He went on to explain that the presence of the sander on this unit allows the truck operator to sand an icy spot as he comes across such areas. If the truck did not have a sander, then another truck would be required to make a special trip to sand the trouble spot. After discussion, motion by Fran Fair to approve said plans and specifications and fund transfer, specifications to include a plow wing and sander. Motion seconded by Dan Blonigen. Motion passed unanimously. Tom Moores of the Public Works Department suggested that the used Dodge truck should not be transferred to PSG as part of the proposal. Council asked what the contract with PSG states regarding supply of equipment. John Simola noted that the contract does not cover supply of equipment. 2 Council Minutes - 11/28/88 PSG is responsible for maintaining the equipment and documenting such. The City is responsible for paying for equipment replacement. Arve Grimsmo noted that if the Dodge truck is needed by the City, it can be recalled. Grimsmo also asked for an outline which lists the costs and benefits associated with the sewer plan operation contract. 6. Consideration of final payment, Project 88-04B, Water Supply Line. After discussion, motion by Fran Fair and seconded by Dan Blonigen to make said payment to Latour Construction in the amount of $4,776.25 for completion of Project 88-04B. Motion passed unanimously. 7. Review first draft of Orderly Annexation Area Land Use Plan. Assistant Administrator O'Neill reviewed the first draft of the Land Use Plan for the Orderly Annexation Area and asked Council to comment. He noted that Council input will be used to further refine the plan into a document that the City and the Township can accept. O'Neill explained that the proposed development plan was initiated by the MOAA at the direction of the Municipal Board, which made its recommendation in response to the recent annexation struggle. It is the goal of the MOAA to create an annexation plan and associated annexation process that both units of government can embrace. After outlining the potential benefits of establishing and maintaining a plan for annexation, O'Neill outlined the policy planning districts and noted that the plan proposes four separate planning areas. Properties are evaluated in terms of district standards or criteria and placed accordingly in planning districts. The goal at this time is to establish the proper criteria for each district and then indicate in which district each property should be placed. Following are proposed criteria or standards associated with each planning district. At this time the planning districts are as follows: URBAN SERVICE AREA (Areas suitable for "automatic" annexation upon petition by land owner); EXISTING PLATS (Developed areas such as "the Dunes"); TRANSITION AREAS (Land suitable for development of one home per 2-5 acres); AGRICULTURAL AREA (Areas to remain agricultural until development reaches the agricultural area). After reviewing the policy implications for each area and after reviewing the proposed boundaries of each planning district, the Council suggested the following amendment to the first draft. It was proposed that both the City and the Township be bound to approving annexation if a property meets all the criteria for annexation as defined in the plan. Council approved concept of a Transition Area only if the City has authority to review subdivision plans so as to assure practical extension of city utilities some time in the future. If such rights to review are 3 Council Minutes - 11/28/88 not feasible, then the City does not support existence of the Transition Area as it pertains to the property located north and west of the intersection of CO. RD. 37 and Interstate 94. Council suggested an amendment to the proposed map which would place a portion of the area identified as Transition Area located east of Meadow Oaks intcthe Urban Service Area. O'Neill recommended this change because city utilities neighbor this area. It was also suggested that the property south of the "Halliger Tree Farm" be considered as Urban Service Area because it can be serviced by city utilities economically in the future. It was also proposed that the remaining area identified as Transition Area in the southeast quadrant of the map be placed in the Agricultural Planning District. 8. Consideration of bids for Project 88-05, Standpipe - Water Reservoir. City Engineer, John Badalich, recommended that Caldwell Tanks, Inc., be awarded said project bid in the amount of $324,000. He noted that Caldwell provided the lowest responsive bid, has a track record, and the bid amount is $25,000 less than the engineer's estimate. Motion made by Fran Fair to award project 88-05, Standpipe - Water Reservior to Caldwell Tanks, Inc. Motion seconded by Dan Blonigen. Motion passed unanimously. 9. Consideration of bids for Project 88-06, Water Main. The City Engineer noted that the City received 22 bids on this project. Bids ranged from a low of $224,808.79 to a high of $317,118. The engineer's estimate was $250,000. The low bid is within the project budget and appears responsive. He, therefore, recommended award of the project to Richard Knutson, Inc., in the amount of $224,808. Motion by Warren Smith, seconded by Fran Fair, to award said project to Richard Knutson, Inc., for the bid amount of $224,808. Motion passed unanimously. 10. Consideration of bills for the month of November. Motion by Warren Smith and seconded by Dan Blonigen to approve payment of said bills. Motion passed unanimously. 11. There being no further business, meeting was adjourned. Repectfully submitted, Jeff O'Neill Assistant Administrator 4