City Council Minutes 07-13-1981MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING -- MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
July 13, 1981 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Fran Fair, Kenneth Maus.
Members Absent: Dan Blonigen, Phil White.
1. Public Hearing on the Consideration of a Resolution Approving Tax -
Exempt Mortgage Revenue Bonds for Monticello Associates.
Monticello Associates, a general partnership consisting of Leon
Martin and Joseph LaFromboise, requested that the city approve a
resolution for the issuance of $575,000.00 in tax-exempt mortgage
revenue bonds to cover most of the cost of a proposed office and
warehouse complex planned at the intersection of Washington Street
and Lauring Lane.
A proposed building would consist of 25,140 square feet of office
and warehouse space that would be leased to tenants during Phase I
of their proposed two step development plan.
The proposed break down on the project cost is as follows:
ITEM AMOUNT
Land Acquisition and Site Development $ 75,000.00
Construction Contracts 474,000.00
Architectural and Engineering Fees 10,000.00
Legal Fees 20,000.00
Interest During Construction 35,000.00
Contingencies 12,000.00
Financing Fees 20,000.00
$646,000.00
It was noted that as with past issues of this nature, the tax-
exempt revenue bonds do not become a liability of the city should.
the particular company not be able to make their payments.
Hearing no opposition, motion was made by Fair, seconded by Maus and
unanimously carried to adopt a resolution approving the issuance of
$575,000.00 in tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds for Monticello
Associates. (See Resolution 1981-26)
2. Quarterly Department Head Meeting.
A quarterly department head meeting was held by the council with the
following department heads in attendance:
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Public Works Director - John Simola
Building official/Civil Defense Director - Loren Klein
Senior Citizens Director - Karen Hansen
Fire Chief - Willard Farnick
Wright County Sheriff Representative - Buddy Gay
YMCA Detached Worker - Mike Melstad
City Administrator - Gary Wieber
Public Works Director, John Simola, noted that during the first week
of tagging of Dutch elm disease trees, approximately 60 trees were
tagged to be cut.
In regard to the Commuter Parking Lot at the intersection of Hwy 25
and I-94, Mr. Simola will be checking into the possibility of installing
a weather shelter and possible telephone at the commuter lot. In
addition, Mr. Simola was requested to check into the possibility of
erecting some kind of community bulletin board that could be located
also within the commuter lot compound.
Building Inspector, Loren Klein, noted that a recent survey has been
completed concerning areas of blight within the city such as weeds,
unregistered vehicles, vacant houses, etc., where the property owners
will be requested to clean up their properties, etc.
Senior Citizens Director, Karen Hansen, noted that now with the Infor-
mation Center being housed in the Historical Building, that her signs
should be erected possibly a block or so before the Information Center
to give vacationers and interested people advance notice that an Infor-
mation Center is located within Monticello.
Fire Department Chief, Willard Farnick, and joint board member, Lee
Trunnell, said the fire department's pager system is still not working
correctly in that many of the fire department members are not getting
notified in case of fires, etc. Previously, Wright County,which owns
the antenna sending units, moved the antenna to a new location but
this has not solved the problem. It was suggested by council members
that possibly a meeting be set up with the county board and the city
administrator along with fire department representatives in an effort
to solve the pager problem.
Wright County Sheriff representative, Deputy Buddy Gay, YMCA Youth
Coordinator, Mike Melstad, and City Administrator, Gary Wieber, also
discussed problem areas with the council.
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3. Consideration of Appointment of Committee and Attorney for Union
Negotiations.
The purpose of this item was to consider appointing a union nego-
tiating committee and an attorney for union negotiations relative
to employees within the Public Works Department who are represented
by Local 49 International Union of Operating Engineers.
The union contract with the city is currently effective until
April 1, 1982, but union representatives have already presented
detailed demands for the next two year contract.
It was noted that although discussions on the union's wage demands,
etc.,would probably not take place until the first part of 1982,
it was recommended that the negotiating committee members be appointed
along with the authorization to use Mr. Mike O'Connor as the city's
attorney in any future union negotiations.
A motion was made by Fair, seconded by Grimsmo and unanimously carried
to appoint council members, Phil White and Ken Maus, to represent the
City of Monticello in the union negotiating committee and authorize
the use of attorney, Mike O'Connor, during the union negotiations as
needed.
4. Consideration of Amending Monticello Ordinance Relative to Building
Permit Fees.
In the past it has been Monticello's policy to recover the cost of its
building inspection program through fees charged for building permits.
During the last two and a half years, the revenue in the building in-
spection department has fallen approximately 35 percent short of the
expenditures. As a result, it was recommended that the building per-
mit fees be increased approximately 35 percent in an effort to make
the department self sufficient.
Monticello has adopted the Uniform Building Code and while this code
contains a permit fee schedule, the city is allowed to adopt it's own
fee schedule.
The proposed new fee schedule for the City of Monticello which includes
a 35 percent increase would fall in between the present city fee sche-
dule and the recommended State fee schedule. For example, based on a
$50,000.00 value home, the city's current fee schedule requires a
permit fee of $187.00 compared to a proposed new schedule fee of $252.45.
However, if the State's suggested fee schedule were used, the fee would
be $283.00 plus a plan checking fee of 65 percent for a total of $466.95.
In addition, Loren Klein, Building Official, recommended that the City
of Monticello charge a nominal amount for the actual permit itself,
for example, $1.00 and the rest of the fee involved could be called a
land use fee similar to that used by Wright County's schedule.
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In this way, an applicant would not have to pay a surcharge fee of
$.50 per thousand but would only be required to pay a surcharge
fee of a flat $.50 per permit.
Motion was made by Fair, seconded by Maus and unanimously carried
to adopt the new proposed fee schedule for building permits as
recommended with the actual ;wilding permit fee to be $1.00 plus
the balance of the proposed schedule to be called a use fee to be
effective September 1, 1981. In addition, Ordinance Section 4-1-4
relating to permits and inspection fees shall be amended to indicate
that all fees shall be established by the City Council rather than
spelled out in the ordinance. (See Ordinance Amendment 7-13-81 #104
and supplement 7-13-81 #1)
5. Approval of Minutes.
Motion was made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unanimously carried
to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held June 22, 1981
and the special meetings held June 13 and June 29, 1981.
6. Change of Council Meeting Date.
Due to the possibility of not obtaining a quorum at the next regular
scheduled council meeting to be held July 27, 1981, a motion was
made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unanimously carried to set Monday,
August 3rd, 1981, as the next regular scheduled council meeting date
which would combine and reschedule the July 27, and August 10th,
meeting into the August 3rd, 1981 date.
In addition, a special meeting was tentatively set for July 27, 1981,
to possibly award a contract for seal coating.
Meeting adjourned.
Rick Wolfstel r
Assistant Administrator
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