|
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
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,
November 4, 2009, 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 October
21st
4.
Open Forum/Public comments
5.
Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm. - update Council on Albany Meat
Plant business operations
6.
Stan Hanson, City Engineer – discuss on-going
projects/improvements
7.
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor – present bids for
North Lake Shoreline Restoration Improvements
8.
Daron Gersch, Utility Department and Community Education
Liaison
9.
Dennis Sand, Park Department, and Equipment
10.
Tom Kasner, Fire Department and EDA
11.
Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club
12.
John Greer, Police and Street Department
13.
James Stueve, Police Chief
14.
Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm
15.
Mayor’s announcements and letters
16.
Announce meeting date (November 18th) and adjourn
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009, 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 Sand at 6:30 o’clock in the
evening on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, in the Council Room at 400
Railroad Avenue for the said City.
Other Council members present were: Tom Kasner, Daron Gersch, Jack
Evens, and John Greer. None were absent.
Also present were: Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm., Stan Hanson, P.E. Bonestroo,
Inc., Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor, James Stueve, Police
Chief, and Mike Kosik, Editor, Stearns Morrison Enterprise.
After due discussion, a motion was made by John Greer and seconded by Jack
Evens to authorize the payment of the following
bills: Check Numbers 59888 to 59931, and 13371 to 13425. Voting
for the motion were Councilors Daron Gersch, John Greer, Jack Evens,
and Tom Kasner and none voted against. Mayor Dennis Sand abstained
and the motion carried.
Mayor Dennis Sand called for any corrections or additions
to the minutes of the regular meeting held on October 21st and
hearing none declared them approved.
Pete Desautel, 460 Huskie Drive, dba Hometown Auto Sales, appeared before
the Council to inform the Council that there is not enough
off-street parking spaces available to effectively operate his
business at the aforesaid address and due to a change in his
business operations, he’d like the Council to consider an exception
to allow vehicles to be parked on Huskie Drive during the winter
months. Councilor Evens noted that vehicles may remain parked on
any street within the City, but not longer than a forty-eight (48)
hour period, but shall be moved during specific dates during the
snow removal season as per Ordinance. Mr. Stueve noted that as
long as the vehicles parked on the street have proper license
registration and insurance, the vehicles can remain on the street
which applies to all streets within the City. Mr. Desautel informed
the Council that he will park vehicles periodically west of his
driveway entrance to alleviate the congestion for employees and
customers entering/existing the driveway, but definitely remove the
vehicles from the street in the event that the street needs to be
plowed.
Charlie Ward, owner of the Albany Meat Plant,
641 Forest Avenue, Craig Hanson, an attorney for Mr. Ward, Tyler White, potential owner for
the meat processing plant, and Sean Artley,
Albany
business owner, were present for meeting.
Mr. Schneider informed the
Council and
members from the public present for the meeting that a letter was
received from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture informing the
City that the processing license was not renewed dated June 2008 and
no slaughtering had taken place at the facility other than a few
deer and elk over the past twelve months or longer. Mr. Schneider
noted that the building is located in a residential zoning district
and has operated as a legal non-conforming use for many years, but
if the operations as a meat processor cease for a period of twelve
months, the new use shall conform to the permitted uses within a
residential zoning district. Mr. Schneider noted that the
Council has
the discretion to allow the building to continue as a meat
processing plant and/or action can be taken to set a public hearing
to consider all the evidence associated with the business operations
within the past twelve months and upon that review, either allow the
business to continue or close the meat processing operation down and
require any future use to conform to the residential zoning district
requirements. Mr. Hanson appeared before the
Council to
inform the
Council that
the business has been in continuous operation having used over 7,500
gallons of water. Mr. Ward noted that offering a meat processing
facility to the community is advantageous to the consumer who can
get fresh meat and other related services. Mr. White informed the
Council that
he has been cleaning the facility and anxious to open the doors
having been in the industry for many years. Mr. Ward noted that all
repairs and/or deficiencies in the building as noted in a recent
inspection by the MN Department of Agriculture will be completed as
soon as possible. After due discussion and careful consideration, a
motion was made by Tom Kasner and seconded by Jack Evens to allow
the continued operation of the meat processing facility at
641 Forest Avenue as a legal non-conforming use within a residential district. All voted
for the motion and it carried.
Mr. Hanson presented to the Council a final pay application that has been
forwarded to the Stearns County Highway Department relating to the
6th Street Reconstruction Improvements which the City shared the constructed costs.
After due discussion, a motion was made by Daron Gersch and seconded
by Jack Evens to approve the aforesaid final pay application. All
voted for the motion and it carried. Mr. Schneider informed the
Council that Stearns County Highway Department will prepare an
invoice for the City to pay as per their cost share agreement with
the County.
Mr. Mergen presented to the
Council bids
he received for the North Lake Shoreline Restoration Improvements:
Prairie Restoration, Inc.
$25,622
Prairie
Land
Management $29,884
MN Native Landscape, Inc.
$30,126
Mr. Mergen recommended that the low bid received be approved and noted
that the City’s share of the expenses is twenty-five percent and the
remaining percentage will be paid by the Stearns County Water
Conversation District. After due discussion, a motion was made by
John Greer
and seconded by Tom Kasner to approve the low bid submitted by
Prairie Restoration in the amount of $25,622 for the aforesaid
Improvements. All voted for the motion and it carried.
Councilor Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club Liaison, presented to the
Council the
said Club’s Checkbook Register for review and consideration. The
Council also took notice of a proposed renewal of a three-year golf course
management agreement between the golf course and City. After due
discussion, a motion was made by Jack Evens and seconded by Daron
Gersch to authorize the payment of the following bills: Check
Numbers 33636 to 33707 and to authorize the Mayor to execute on
behalf of the City the three-year golf course management agreement
between the golf course and City . Voting for the motion were Mayor
Dennis Sand,
Councilors Daron Gersch, Jack Evens, and
John Greer
and none voted against.
Councilor
Tom Kasner
abstained and the motion carried.
Mr. Evens noted that there has been some discussion recently by the Club
the idea of purchasing golf carts that are used as daily rental
versus leasing every season; whereby a promissory note was presented
to the
Council in
the amount of $49,500 at 3% interest over a three-year payment
period which the City would provide the funds to the golf course
from the City’s Capital Equipment Fund similar to requests several
years ago. After due discussion, a motion was made by Jack Evens
and second by Daron Gersch to approve the aforesaid Promissory
Note. All voted for the motion and it carried.
Mr. Greer informed the
Council that
he reviewed the City’s Capital Improvements Plan which had
identified improvements to be done on
5th Street North and 7th
Street North. Mayor Dennis Sand, with the consensus of the
Council,
directed Mr. Mergen to schedule a meeting with Mr. Hanson, the City
Engineer to physically view both streets and to report the condition
back to the
Council.
Mayor Dennis Sand announced the next
regular Council meeting for 6:30 o’clock in the evening on
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 and adjourned the meeting at 8:20 PM.
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009, 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 Sand at 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday,
November 18, 2009, in the Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for
the said City.
Other Council members present were: Tom Kasner, Daron Gersch, and
John Greer. Jack Evens was absent.
Also present were: Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm., Stan Hanson, P.E. Bonestroo,
Inc., Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor, James Stueve, Police
Chief, and Mike Kosik, Editor, Stearns Morrison Enterprise.
After due discussion, a motion was made by John Greer and seconded by Tom
Kasner to authorize the payment of the following
bills: Check Numbers 59932 to 59962, and 13426 to 13437. 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 November 4th and
hearing none declared them approved.
Paul Eisenschenk, the developer for the Whispering Oaks at
Two
River
subdivision, appeared before the Council to request relief or a
waiver from the penalties imposed by the Stearns County Treasurer’s
Office for unpaid 2008 and 2009 assessments for the aforesaid
improvements. Mr. Eisenschenk informed the Council that monies were
paid to the County for the unpaid 2008 assessments and partial 2009
unpaid assessments and a new letter of credit submitted to the City
as required per the Subdivision Agreement. Mr. Eisenschenk also
noted that many factors in the economy have created difficulties in
selling lots over the past year or so which resulted in a price
reduction for the vacant lots in attempts to sell lots quickly.
Mayor Dennis Sand, with the consensus of the Council, informed Mr.
Eisenschenk that the Council would not waive any penalties that
resulted in the non-payment of 2008-09 assessment payments to the
Stearns County Treasurer.
Mr. Hanson appeared before the Council to discuss the City’s Capital
Improvement Plan which is a plan that is designed to project a five
to ten year schedule of street and utility maintenance and/or
improvements; whereby 5th Street north, 7th
Street north, and certain connecting avenues, and 7th
Street south have been identified in the said Plan to be
reconstructed. Mr. Hanson noted that similar to other
reconstruction projects, the streets will need to be surveyed, soil
borings conducted, topography mapping, and sanitary sewers
televised. Mr. Hanson also noted that if the public improvement
project is to be assessed to each benefited property, public
hearings will be held which include parcel specific mailing. Mr.
Greer informed the Council that the information to be obtained from
the City Engineer is necessary to accurately record the existing
conditions of the utilities and roadway, but no decision will be
made to proceed with the improvement at this point in time until the
information is gathered and reviewed. Mayor Dennis Sand, with the
consensus of the Council, directed Mr. Mergen to proceed to televise
the City’s sanitary sewers in specific areas for those streets being
considered for improvements. After due discussion, a motion was
made by Tom Kasner and seconded by Daron Gersch to authorize the
City Engineer to survey the aforementioned streets from curb to
curb, advertise for soil borings, and include Lidar (topographical)
data from Stearns County Highway Department. 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, December 2, 2009 and adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM.
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm. |
