NOTICE OF ALBANY CITY COUNCIL MEETING

                There will be a meeting of the City Council in and for the City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota at 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, in the Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the said City.

AGENDA

1.                    Convene meeting

2.                    Audit Bills

3.                   Act on regular Council minutes of the meeting held on December 1st

4.                    Open Forum/Public comment

5.                    Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor – recommendation to certify to the Stearns County Auditor unpaid utility bills.

-          recommendation to sell 1992 Ford pickup with plow attachment as surplus property.

-          NPDES permit renewal update for Wastewater Treatment Plant

6.                    Daron Gersch, Utility Department and Community Education Liaison

7.                    Dennis Sand, Park Department, and Equipment

8.                    Tom Kasner, Fire Department and EDA

9.                    Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club – present Albany Golf Club check register

10.                 John Greer, Police and Street Department

11.                 Ted Boran, Acting Police Chief  

12.                 Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm – present resolution approving the 2010 tax levy collectible in 2011.

13.                 Mayor’s announcements and letters -  proposed 2011 Mayor’s Appointments

14.                 Announce meeting date (January 5th) and adjourn

Tom Schneider

Clerk/Adm.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2010, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

                  Pursuant to due call and notice thereof a regular meeting of the Council in and for the City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota, was called to order by Mayor Dennis J. Sand at 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, in the Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the said City.

                Other Council members present were: John Greer, Daron Gersch, and Tom Kasner.  Councilor Jack Evens was absent.

Also present were:  Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm., Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor, Ted Boran, Acting Police Chief, Jeff Eggert, Patrol Officer, James Stueve, Police Chief, Tim Pratt, Taylor Ramler, Andrew Diedrich, Adam Silvers, Trevor Fleischhacker, and Cody Ashburn, students at Albany High School, Stan Hanson, City Engineer with the firm of Bonestroo, St. Cloud, MN, Mike Kosik, Editor, Stearns Morrison Enterprise.

After due discussion, a motion was made by Daron Gersch and seconded by John Greer to authorize the payment of the following bills: Check Numbers 60924 to 60965 and 13835 to 13869.  All voted for the motion and it carried.

Mayor Dennis Sand called for any corrections or additions to the minutes of the regular meeting held on December 1^st and hearing none declared them approved.

Mr. Mergen presented to the Council three unpaid utility bills and recommended that they be certified to the Stearns County Auditors Office to be collected as a special assessment in the year 2011 pursuant to Ordinance 30.  After due discussion, a motion was made by Daron Gersch and seconded by Tom Kasner to certify to the Stearns County Auditor to be collected as a special assessment in the year 2011 the following accounts:

Address:                                                                                Amount

1) 521 8^th St.,                                          $100.55

2) 641 Forest Avenue                          $792.13

3) 321 Forest Avenue                          $312.77

All voted for the motion and it carried.

Mr. Mergen recommended to the Council that the 1992 Ford pickup with plow be sold as surplus property having ordered a new pickup at the Albany Chrysler Center.  After due discussion, a motion was made by Tom Kasner and seconded by Daron Gersch to sell the 1992 Ford pickup with plow as surplus property.  All voted for the motion and it carried.

Councilor John Greer updated the Council on the City’s meeting with representatives from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) relating to the City’s renewal of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for the Wastewater Treatment Facility.  Mr. Greer noted that the City’s renewal is one of the first renewals which fall under new federal regulations that are much stricter for water quality guidelines and being Two River Lake is listed by the MPCA as an impaired lake, there is a reasonable possibility that the operation of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant is contributing some small amounts of phosphorus to the lake requiring the discharge limit be reviewed by the MPCA.  Mr. Greer also noted that the City has gone on record with the MPCA requesting that the permit renewal be heard before a contested case hearing and/or the MPCA Citizens Board to reverse the MPCA staff’s decision regarding lowering the phosphorus limit and to restore the annual discharge limit to its current permitted value.  Mayor Dennis Sand, with the consensus of the Council, directed Mr. Hanson to contact Steven Nyhus, the attorney with Minnesota Environmental Science and Economic Review Board, to determine what the appropriate course of action may be to restore the City’s discharge limits. 

Mr. Schneider presented to the Council the proposed 2011 Budget and the amount of property taxes the City proposes to collect to pay for the costs of services the City will provide in the year 2011. After due discussion, a motion was made by John Greer who introduced the following Resolution and moved its adoption:

RESOLUTION 2010-29

APPROVING THE 2010 TAX LEVY, COLLECTIBLE IN 2011

Total Levy:            $633,585

                The motion for the foregoing Resolution was seconded by Tom Kasner and after a full discussion thereon and upon a vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof:  Mayor Dennis Sand, Councilors Daron Gersch, John Greer, and Tom Kasner and none voted against the same whereupon the said Resolution declared duly passed and adopted.   The full text of the said Resolution and 2011 Budget is on file at the office of the City Clerk/Administrator for public inspection during regular office hours.

Mayor Dennis Sand presented the following proposed 2011 appointments:

Acting Mayor                                                                       John Greer

Animal Warden                                                                    Police Dept.

Weed Inspector                                                                   Dennis Sand

Assistant Weed Inspector                                                 Joseph Mergen

Auditor                                                                                  Schlenner Wenner Co.

Emergency Management Director                                     Steven Blenker

Community Education Liaison                                           Daron Gersch

EDA Board members                                                           Dennis Sand, Tom Kasner

Equipment Commissioner                                                   Dennis Sand

Fire Department Liaison                                                      Tom Kasner

Golf Board Liaison                                                               Jack Evens

Health Officer                                                                       Daron Gersch, MD

Labor Commissioners                                                          John Greer, Daron Gersch

Official Depositors                                                               Stearns Bank, Albany Credit Union

Official Publication                                                              Stearns Morrison Enterprise

Park Board Liaison                                                               Dennis Sand

Planning Commission Liaison                                            John Greer

Police Commissioner                                                           John Greer

Street Commissioner                                                            Tom Kasner

Utility Commissioner                                                           Daron Gersch

Albany Township Liaison                                                  Dennis Sand

After due discussion, a motion was made by Daron Gersch and seconded by John Greer to approve the aforementioned 2011 Mayor’s appointments.  All voted for the motion and it carried.

Mayor Dennis Sand announced the next regular Council meeting for 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 and adjourned the meeting at 7:20 PM.   

Tom Schneider

Clerk/Adm.