City Council Minutes 11-10-1980MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
November 10, 1980 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Dan Blonigen, Fran Fair, Ken Maus, Phil White.
Members Absent: None
1. Canvassing Board on the City of Monticello's Election.
Motion was made by Ken Maus, seconded by Phil White and unanimously
carried to declare Arve Grimsmo elected to a two-year term as Mayor
with Dan Blonigen and Kenneth Maus elected to four-year terms as
Council Members in the November 4, 1980 City Election, and also, that
the referendum on the Library issue passed 749 to 582.
(See Exhibit 10/10/80 #1).
2. Consideration of Exercising Option on Dowling Property.
Prior to the November 4, 1980 referendum bond issue on building a
library, the City of Monticello entered into a purchase agreement for the
option on purchasing the Robert and Clara Dowling property adjacent to
the proposed site for the new library. The option gave the City of
Monticello until November 15, 1980 to determine if it would exercise
the option and purchase the property.
With the bond issue referendum being approved at the General Election
November 4th, Mr. Dowling indicated that he would be willing to close
on the property possibly by December 1, 1980 if the City desired.
Motion was made by Phil White, seconded by Fran Fair and unanimously
carried to proceed with exercising the option to purchase the Dowling
property for $70,000, with a note that the 30 -day notice that the pro-
perty could be closed in less than 30 days at the discretion of the
City Administrator if Mr. Dowling is ready to move.
3. Approval of Transfers.
This item was to consider Council approval of the following transfers
which should be made prior to December 31, 1980:
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Council Minutes - 11/10/80
FROM
TO
AMOUNT
COMMENT
Capital Outlay Revolv.
Fire
$ 37,168.20
For the City of Monticello's
share (83.48%) of the total
cost of the mini -pumper
Revenue Sharing
Sewer
$ 89,000.00
Transfer of 1979 appropriation
dedicated to the sewer fund for
the construction of the up-
dating of the Wastewater
Treatment Plant.
1977 Special Asmt.
1977 Debt
$ 18,986.97
Transfer unused portion of bond
Redemption
proceeds to debt retirement fund.
Liquor
General
$100,401.42
Acquisition costs - Oakwood School
Motion was made by Dan
Blonigen, seconded
by Fran
Fair and unanimously carried
to approve the above transfers.
4. Review of Liquor Store Financial Statements for the Third Quarter of
IARn_
The City Council reviewed with Mark Irmiter, Manager of the Liquor Store,
the Nine Month Financial Statements for 1980. It was noted by Mr. Irmiter
that for the first nine months of 1980, sales were up $83,000, or almost
17% over 1979 figures, with gross profit also increasing approximately
17%, or $16,500. In addition, Mr. Irmiter noted that sales could be
close to $800,000 at the end of the year if the present percentage
increases continue.
Other than review, no action was taken by the Council.
5. Consideration of Assistance for ABC Day Care Center.
The ABC Day Care Center, which was located in the Oakwood School Building,
closed their doors Friday, November 7, 1980, due to a financial problem.
As of this time, Marcella Corrow, operator of the ABC Day Care Center,
has not found an alternative site for continuing the day care center
that would be financially feasible for herself. As a result, a number
of the parents in the community and outlying areas that use the facility
petitioned to the City Council for assistance, either financially or
otherwise, in helping establish a new day care center within the City.
Mr. Dennis Frank, spokesman for the parents group present at the Council,
asked the City for any type of assistance that they could provide either
financially or otherwise, or for ideas on how the group could proceed to
establish a new day care center. Mr. Frank indicated that this service
R is very much needed within Monticello, and hoped that some type of
arrangement could be made for re-establishing a day care center.
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Council Minutes - 11/10/80
City Administrator, Gary Wieber, noted to the group that some programs
are available through both the Social Services in the Wright County
Courthouse, and also through the State of Minnesota for grants for
such types of organizations. The State makes grants available to
non-profit organizations to help in establishing day care centers. Wright
County Social Services has Title 20 funds available for low and moderate
income people to help defray the cost of these individuals in paying for
day care services.
Terry Ludders spoke to the Council and indicated that although many of
the users of the day care center are township residents or from other
communities, she felt that these families do patronize the local
Monticello businesses and therfore, the City should think about supporting
a day care center as they do with a Senior Citizens Center.
Although the Council noted that a day care center operation is a needed
part of the community aspect, it was also noted it would be hard for
taxpayer's funds to be used to support such an entity, and therefore,
no action was taken by the Council other than letting the group know
what grants and programs are available through other agencies.
6. Consideration of Setting Special Meeting Date for Reviewing Non -Union
Employee's 1981 Salaries.
A salary negotiating meeting was set for December 2, 1980 beginning
at 6:30 P.M., at which time the Council would review with specific
non-union employees and their immediate supervisor to determine a
salary for each employee for 1981. It was noted that this meeting
with the individual employees would be for all non-union employees
other than office secretarial help.
Motion was also made by Phil White, seconded by Dan Blonigen and unani-
mously carried to cancel the second regularly scheduled Council Meeting
for December 22, 1980.
7. Approval of Minutes.
Motion was made by Phil White, seconded by Ken Maus and unanimously
carried to approve the Minutes of the regular meeting held October 27,
1980, contingent upon Item 16, in regards to the proposed commuter parking
lot, last paragraph, being changed to read as follows: "It was noted that
NSP would sell the transformer and poles to the City, as needed, and
that the City would request bids for the electrical installation and hook-
up, including lights."
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Council Minutes - 11/10/80
8. Radiological Emergency Response Plan.
Loren Klein, Civil Defense Director, requested that the Council con-
sider approving and signing the rough draft of the radiological emergency
response plan for the City of Monticello. Mr. Klein noted that according
to State regulations, the City Council must authorize someone to sign
the plan, thus approving the preliminary plans to date.
Motion was made by Dan Blonigen, seconded by Ken Maus and unanimously
carried to authorize the Mayor to sign the preliminary Radiological
Emergency Response Plan, as recommended by the Civil Defense Director.
9. Discussion on Future Site of Library during Interim Construction.
With the approval of the recent bond issue and the ultimate construction
of a new library within the next year, the Library Committee recently
met and suggested that the library be moved from the present Oakwood
Building to City Hall Council Chambers, as a temporary location. Reason
for the move was that the Oakwood Building would be too costly to heat
for just the library useage during the winter months, and possibly the
library would be demolished prior to the new library being constructed.
Motion was made by Fran Fair, seconded by Ken Maus and unanimously
carried to approve using the Council Chambers in the City Hall as a
temporary location for the library until the new facility was completed.
Also, in regards to the new library, a motion was made by Phil White,
seconded by Fran Fair and unanimously carried to authorize the architect,
Merrill Birch & Associates, to proceed with preparation of final plans
and specifications for the new proposed library. The final plans would
then be reviewed by the Council prior to submission for bids.
10. Miscellaneous.
Council Members discussed the future plans for the recently acquired
Oakwood School Building and requested that the City Staff prepare a
report on the items of salvage in the building, and what plan should
be used for removal of the building, such as taking bids for demolition,
or selling the building to the highest bidder, etc. A list of the items
salvageable and useable to the City will be prepared along with the
possible alternatives for removal of the building.
In regards to Building Code violations at the old Monticello Ford site,
it was the consensus of the Council members to request that the State
Building Inspector be asked to check out the building himself for
violations to see if they coincide with the City's building inspector's
report.
Meeting adjourned.
Rick Wolfs ler, Asst. Admin.
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