HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 08.24.2021MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF LAUREL
AUGUST 24, 2021
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, was held in the
Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Tom Nelson at 6:30 p.m. on August 24, 2021.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT:
OTHER STAFF PRESENT:
Emelie Eaton
Heidi Sparks
Bruce McGee
Richard Herr
Scot Stokes
Iry Wilke
Richard Klose
Don Nelson
None
Jean Kerr, City Judge
Sherri Phillps, Court Clerk
Fran Schweigert, Union 316 President
Matt Wheeler, Public Works Superintendent
Matt Smith, KLJ
Stan Langve, Police Chief (via Zoom)
Nick Altonaga, Planning Director
Nancy Schmidt, Library Director (6:45 p.m.)
Brent Peters, Fire Chief
Mayor Nelson led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
Mayor Nelson asked the Council to observe a moment of silence.
MINUTES:
1Motion by Council Member McGee to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of August
10, 2021, as presented, seconded by Council Member Eaton. There was no public comment or
council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All eight council members present voted aye.
Motion carried 8-0.
CORRESPONDENCE:
• Fire Monthly Report — July 2021
• Ambulance Monthly Report — July 2021
COUNCIL DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC HEARING: None.
CONSENT ITEMS:
• Claims entered through August 20, 2021.
A complete listing of the claims and their amounts is on file in the Clerk/Treasurer's Office.
• Approval of Payroll Register for PPE 8/8/2021 totaling $223,709.48.
' The Mayor asked if there was any separation of consent items. There was none.
Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve the consent items as presented, seconded by
Council Member Klose. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on
the motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
CEREMONIAL CALENDAR: None.
Council Minutes of August 24, 2021
REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS:
• Budget/Finance Committee Minutes of August 10, 2021.
• Park Board Minutes of August 5, 2021.
• Library Board Minutes of May 11, 2021.
• Library Board Minutes of June 8, 2021.
• Library Board Minutes of July 8, 2021.
• Tree Board Minutes of June 17, 2021.
• Public Works Committee Minutes of July 19, 2021.
• Emergency Services Committee Minutes of July 26, 2021.
' AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION (THREE-MINUTE LIMIT):
Eric Perkins, Laurel Ford, stated he would like to take this minute on behalf of Laurel Ford to speak
on the LURA Large Grant request. They have consistently invested in their property and will
continue to bring commerce to the area. Currently, they have 12% of their normal stock but are still
improving their property. He asked Council to reconsider their denial.
Ken Fichtner, 2025 Saddleback Lane, stated he is working to rebuild his old dealership. They will
submit a Large Grant application next year. He asked Council to reconsider Laurel Ford's denial.
Jennifer Jones, 1320 Nez Perce Drive, here in Laurel, and my husband and I, Carl Jones, own the
Laurel Auto Clinic over there on Main Street. We've owned the business since 2013 and 2020; we
were finally able to purchase the property and are looking forward to fixing it up and finally giving it
the attention it needs or has needed for so long. That includes removal of blight; there's a building
on the property that has just ... it needs to go. Unfortunately, that building is the only building that
has bathrooms in the facility. There are no bathrooms in the business. And so, we've been wanting
to fix this property up for the longest time; now we own the property, we can. We applied for the
Large Grant under items that we feel were eligible improvements, and it specifically lists so; all that
we have to go off of is this application. From our understanding, our application was denied because
of some confusion based on what was in there, interior improvements specifically. And,
' umm... within the application itself says that these improvements flooring, interior walls, roof,
ceiling, what -not are specifically eligible. We would like to ask that you guys reconsider this
application and get it before you guys again for a vote because all we have to go off of is application.
We can't read your minds. We don't know what your preferences are, and all we have to go off of is
this. If you want to change the process for the eligible requirements of the application, please do so
outside of this application period. Because it is just causing... creating confusion. So please
reconsider and bring this forward to a vote again because we would like to continue doing business
in this City and improving and beautifying our property so that we can serve more people and hire
more people and fix more cars, you know, bring more people to this City. Thank you.
SCHEDULED MATTERS:
• Appointment of Bynnan Miller to the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Service.
Mayor Nelson stated that the Ambulance Director could not attend this evening's meeting as she had
a conflict. See attached letter from the Ambulance Director.
Motion by Council Member Stokes to approve the Mayor's appointment of Bynnan Miller to
the Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Service, seconded by Council Member Wilke. There was no
public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All eight council members
present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
' • Appointment of Adam Dennis to the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department.
Brent Peters, Fire Chief, introduced Mr. Dennis to Council; see attached recommendation letter.
Motion by Council Member Nelson to approve the Mayor's appointment of Adam Dennis to
the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, seconded by Council Member Wilke. There was no public
comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All eight council members present
voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
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Council Minutes of August 24, 2021
• Resolution No. R21-71: A Resolution To Authorize The Mayor To Sign An Agreement
With Laurel Public Schools, District 7 And 7-70, Continuing The School Resource
Officer (SRO) Program For The Laurel Middle School.
Stan Langve, Police Chief, stated that this is the 20' anniversary of this program. The only
changes to both SRO contracts are the wages.
Motion by Council Member Klose to approve Resolution No. R21-71, seconded by Council
Member Sparks. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
' • Resolution No. R21-72: A Resolution To Authorize The Mayor To Sign An Agreement
With Laurel Public Schools, District 7 And 7-70, Continuing The School Resource
Officer (SRO) Program For The Laurel High School.
Council questioned if there was one SRO or if there was an officer in each school. It was
clarified there are two SROs.
Motion by Council Member Wilke to approve Resolution No. R21-72, seconded by Council
Member Eaton. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
• Resolution No. R21-73: A Resolution Of The City Council Selecting Askin
Construction, LLC As The Successful Bidder For The City Project Known As The
Lindy Lane Sewer Replacement Project.
Matt Wheeler, Public Works Superintendent, stated this project has been in the works for a
long time. The sewer line is cracked and needs to be fixed.
Matt Smith, KLJ, this sewer main is fairly large diameter and transfers sewage across the
interstate down into the sewer plant. There is a large crack on the pipe that they are afraid will
collapse and create many problems. It is 110 feet of sewer main. It is very costly to repair; however,
' the damage it would cause if it collapsed would be far worse. They will need to do bypass pumping,
and it will be a week of hard work to get it replaced.
Motion by Council Member Herr to approve Resolution No. R21-73, seconded by Council
Member Sparks. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
• Resolution No. R21-74: A Resolution Of The City Council Approving A Task Order
Between The City Of Laurel And KLJ Engineering Inc. To Authorize Service For The
2022 Pavement Maintenance Project.
Matt Smith, KLJ, spoke about this at previous Workshops. This project replaces water,
sewer, and pavement on S. 4s'. It will set the stage for work to be done on W. Railroad. The W.
Railroad project still needs an updated cost estimate, and the City needs to hear back from Bond
Counsel on the bond capacity of the TIF District. The TIF District runs from 1s` Ave. to 50' Ave. A
portion of the TIF District could be used for the railroad crossings, bridge replacement, and
replacement of that street. This is an intensive project, and they do not feel that it can be done in a
single year. They also still need public input on what they want this street to look like. If you look at
the Pacer study, the City is out of the easy projects (chip sealing, crack sealing). We are now down
to the projects that need structural overlay or complete reconstruction.
Council noted that public input is still needed and that the boulevards may need to be
' removed. It was questioned if this cost estimate included that. It was clarified that when determining
an estimate for this task order, they took a conservative approach, including the most expensive
estimate with sidewalks and boulevards.
It was questioned if the residents give the feedback that they would like to see the boulevards
removed will it increase the cost of this project. It was clarified when doing the estimate; they took
the widest street possible. They do not anticipate that change to change the scope very much. It was
further clarified that the street would have room for two driving lanes and parking on both sides. A
narrower road will reduce the speed naturally through the area. Another item for discussion will be if
Council Minutes of August 24, 2021
the City wants to build -outs at the intersections. It helps reduce speeds and offers protection for
pedestrian traffic. They can also consider putting the little circles in the road to slow people down.
It was questioned what the cost increase would be if the street were to be wider. When they
did the estimate, it was clarified that they pulled the widest street that would work in the area. If
anything, it would be narrower and would decrease the cost.
It was questioned if all the funds would be coming out of Street Maintenance. It was clarified
the water and sewer would come out of their respective funds.
Motion by Council Member Sparks to approve Resolution No. R21-74, seconded by Council
Member Wilke. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
• Resolution No. R21-75: A Resolution Of The City Council Authorizing The Mayor To
Sign A Contract With True North Contracting For Asphalt Replacement And Repair
On Various Streets And Intersections Within The City Limits.
Matt Wheeler, Public Works Superintendent, this is for the last year's water breaks. Instead
of having them pave after each break, it saves the City money on mobilization fees to batch them
together.
Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve Resolution No. R21-75, seconded by Council
Member McGee. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
• Resolution No. R21-76: A Resolution Of The City Council Approving A Memorandum
Of Understanding To Implement The Two -Year Wage And Benefit Agreement
Negotiated Between The City Of Laurel And Local Union Local 316, American
Federation Of State, County And Municipal Employees, AFSCME.
Fran Schweigert, 402 Forrest Ave, stated he is the Public Works Union President. Last year
' they signed a three-year collective bargaining agreement. They decided at that time due to Covid to
leave the last two years of wages and benefits till this year. They were able to finish negotiations
within three hours; see attached changes.
Motion by Council Member McGee to approve Resolution No. R21-76, seconded by Council
Member Eaton. There was no public comment.
Council Member Nelson recused himself from the vote. He sits as the Treasurer at the State
level.
A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion
carried 7-0.
• Resolution No. R21-77: A Resolution Of Intent To Adopt An Official Schedule Of Fees
And Charges For The City Of Laurel Repealing All Previous Resolutions That Set Fees
Or Charges That Conflict With The Schedule Attached Hereto Upon Its Effective Date.
Nick Altonaga, Planning Director, briefly reviewed the suggested changes. Most of the
Building Departments' fees had not been raised in a very long time. These proposed changes will
make our fees competitive to Billings and a few City's from around the State.
Motion by Council Member Klose to approve Resolution No. R21-77, seconded by Council
' Member Wilke. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
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Council Minutes of August 24, 2021
• Resolution No. R21-78: A Resolution Of The City Council Approving An Amendment
To The Previously Approved Task Order Between The City Of Laurel And KLJ
Engineering Inc. Authorizing Additional Compensation For Additional Engineering
For The 5th Avenue Water Main Re -Route Project.
Matt Smith, KLJ, stated this task order amendment includes the additional construction
management fees associated with connecting the water main between 41 Ave and Valley Drive.
It was questioned how long it would be before this area was paved. It was clarified they
would begin paving by the end of next week.
Motion by Council Member Sparks to approve Resolution No. R21-78, seconded by Council
Member Eaton. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
• Resolution No. R21-79: Resolution Authorizing Owner's Request To Seek Annexation
Of 306 West 12th Street Pursuant To The City Of Laurel Annexation Policy.
Nick Altonaga, Planning Director, stated that because this area is less than 2.06 acres, the
applicant has to request Council's permission before applying for annexation. There is a meeting
with the applicant to discuss installing a curb box before the road is paved.
It was questioned if this is a vacant lot. It was clarified that it is. There is currently a camper
on the lot that someone is residing in. That is part of the discussion at the meeting. The City does not
allow living in campers within City limits.
It was questioned if the City hopscotched its boundaries. It was clarified that it does. The
Planning Director is working on updating the annexation policy. The annexation policy was last
looked at in 2008.
Motion by Council Member Wilke to approve Resolution No. R21-79, seconded by Council
Member Eaton. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
' motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA: None.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (ONE -MINUTE LIMIT): None.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION:
Emergency Services will be meeting tomorrow, August 31, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Council noted that they were interested in discussing the LURA Large Grants at a future Workshop.
The Mayor stated he needed to speak with Sam regarding those grant applications.
Laurel High School is allowing Hunter's Safety to come back into their schools. That will begin on
September 7t'. So far, they have 10 out of 50 signed up.
Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., there will be a ceremony at the National Cemetery for unaccompanied
remains. There are at least five peoples whose remains were unclaimed by family.
MAYOR UPDATE: None.
UNSCHEDULED MATTERS: None.
' ADJOURNMENT:
Motion by Council Member Stokes to adjourn the council meeting, seconded by Council
Member Eaton. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the
motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0.
There being no further business to come before the Council at this time, the meeting was adjourned
at 7:36 p.m.
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Council Minutes of August 24, 2021
A*Rr
Brittney Moo an, dministrative Assistant
Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 14`h day
of September 2021.
Thomas C. elson, ayor
Attest:
KI
Bethany Lane, le reasurer
-VA
Dear Mayor and City Council,
CITY OF LAUREL
MONTANA
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
215 W SST ST
LAUREL, MONTANA -59044'
OFFICE: (406) 628 -1611 [DISPATCH: (406) 628 - 8737
We have an EMT interested in joining our EMS service as a volunteer. We have interviewed her and would be
excited to bring her onto our team.
Brynnan Miller, EMT, she is a new EMT, she is engaged to one of our firefighter/EMT volunteers and lives
here in Laurel. She does not have any EMS experience but is very excited to get started and help out the
community she lives in. I believe that she would be a great addition to our team and also living in Laurel is
a positive for our service as well.
Thank you very much for your consideration on this candidate.
Lyndy Gurchiek, NRP, Director
Laurel EMS
215 W 1B1 Street
Laurel, MT591044
Igurchiek@laurel.mt.eov
4
LAUREL FIREIEMS
215 WEST 1 ST STREET • LAUREL, MT • 59044
OFFICE 406.628.4911 • FAX 406.628.2185
City of Laurel
PO Box 10
Laurel, Mt. 59044
Mayor and Laurel City Council,
August 19, 2021
The following have been selected by the members of the Laurel Volunteer Fire
Department/ Association to become volunteers.
Firefighter
Adam Dennis
He has been selected unanimously by the Department, approved by the Chief of the
Department and are seeking your appointment.
Brent Peters
Fire Chief
Laurel Volunteer Fire Department
7id
Memorandum of Understanding
Between
City of Laurel ("City"), Laurel Library Board of Trustees ("Library"), and the American Federation
of State, County, and Municipal. Employees ("Union")
In accordance with Article XX— Terms, Amendments, and Modifications of the Agreement of
the collective bargaining agreement (CBA 2020-2023), the City, Library, and Union negotiated
wages and benefits for the remaining two years of the contract (7/1/2021, 7/1/2022).
City, Library, and Union agree as follows for all Union positions covered under the CBA:
1. Library Tech position base wage increase from $15.90 to $17.90 (Reference Library
MOU, section 4).
2. Flex Plan increase from $600 to $650.
3. Retro pay to July 1, 2021.
4. Longevity Increase from $7.75 to $8.00.
S. Increase of boot allowance from $200 to $250.
6. Wages increase:
a. July 1, 2021: 3% increase to base wage
b. July 1, 2022: 2% increase to base wage
Consensus by all parties reached during Interest Base Bargaining negotiations with mediator
from the Montana Board of Personnel Appeals on July 26, 2021 at 3:55pm.
4,
!Dated this o 021.
rty Mayor
Dated this of 2021.
Union President