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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 12.07.2021MINUTES CITY OF LAUREL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP TUESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2021 A Council Workshop was held in Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Eaton at 6:30 p.m. on December 7, 2021. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: _x Emelie Eaton _ Heidi Sparks x Bruce McGee x Richard Herr _ Scot Stokes x Iry Wilke X Richard Klose OTHERS PRESENT: Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer (Zoom) Matt Smith, KLJ Public Input: Council heard public comment from Steve Krum, 249 24th Avenue, regarding NorthWestern Energy's pipeline. General Items Executive Review 1. Resolution - A Resolution Of The City Council To Accept The Southside Master Stormwater Plan Prepared For The City Of Laurel By KLJ Engineering. Matt Smith, KLJ, stated this is the final stormwater plan for the southside. The pond will be located just north of I90. At some point, that pond will need an outfall. This is not an all- inclusive solution, and there will need to be a discussion with the DOT. This solution does give the City flexibility. It was questioned if the bore under I90 would affect the refinery. It was clarified that that bore would discharge around the refinery's property. The City currently is using a discharge through the middle of the refinery. The refinery must have a discharge permit with DEQ and take samples during rainfall events. The goal is to keep all stormwater from the City of Laurel off CHS's property. 2. Resolution - A Resolution Of The City Council Authorizing The Mayor To Sign An Agreement With CMS, LLC For Services Relating To Upgrading The City's Laserfiche System. Brittney Moorman, Council Secretary, briefly reviewed the attached information regarding the upgrade of Laserfiche. It was questioned if this upgrade is budgeted out of the CARES funds. It was clarified that it is budgeted out of General Fund with CARES funds. Council noted the substantial cost increase. It was questioned with 100 licensees how do you keep confusion on feeding information into the system. It was clarified that there are different permission levels. Some people will have permission to view documents but not have access to change anything within the system. Others will have permission to view and add documents. And very few people will have the ability to view, add and delete documents. It was questioned if the Police Department would be storing media in LaserFiche. It was clarified that the Police Department was talked to about having their own repository, but they decided they would like to continue storing media using their current storage methods. However, they can if they want to. That is what is nice about moving to this new platform. Anyone within any department will be able to use it. As it stands right now, the Council Secretary is the only one who can adddocuments to the system. A document must be hand -delivered to her or sent via email, and she must enter it into the system. Resolution — A Resolution Approving An Encroachment Permit For The Installation Of A Trash Enclosure On A Portion Of South Montana Avenue Adjacent To 415 South 1st Avenue. It was questioned what a trash enclosure is. It was clarified that it is an enclosure for trash. It was further clarified that these structures are typically three -sided and have a door to keep trash enclosed. A Council Member noted that they discussed this topic at the last City/County Planning Board meeting. This is for the new coffee shop and Chinese restaurant that is going in where the old Burger King building is currently located. The trash enclosure is located on City property on the street between the Chevy dealership and Verizon, at the end of the street. It was further questioned if the doors would be kept closed and how many dumpsters the enclosure contains. It was also questioned how many businesses would have access to this enclosure. It was clarified that the old Burger King building would be torn down, and there would be two new businesses using this structure. Mayor Eaton stated she would get clarification on these questions from the Public Works Director or pull this item from next week's Council meeting. 4. Resolution — Resolution Authorizing The Mayor To Execute An Agreement With Beartooth RC&D Economic Development District. Joel Bertilinio and Jaycee Head, Beartooth RC&D, presented the annual MOU. They briefly reviewed the work they have done in the Laurel area; see attached. It was questioned why the Laurel interchange study was not done. It was clarified that this study was not conducted due to securing funding. It will be looked at down the road. Arbor Day Proclamation 2022 The Arbor Day proclamation will be read at next week's meeting. Lions Park will have a dedication soon. Council will be notified when the date for the dedication has been set. Council Issues 6. Update on W. Railroad. A letter has been sent to the State regarding the local matching commitment. The letter is going to the Commission in February and, pending their approval, should have a draft funding agreement in February or March of 2022. It was questioned if the City knows the portion they will need to fund. It was clarified that the City has all cost estimates for the project. 7. Update on Electronic Recycling Council briefly reviewed the attached report. Other Items • Low Income Home Water Assistance Program ("LIHWAP") Bethany Langve, Clerk/Treasurer, briefly reviewed the Low Income Home Water Assistance Program; see attached. It was questioned if this will add some bookkeeping to the Clerk/Treasurers role. It was clarified that there is some reporting that the UB Clerk will do, and the reporting is not in-depth. Once Council approves this contract, we would include information with the letters that go out for people who are behind. We could also put the information on our website as well. It was questioned if there are safeguards in place for misuse of this program. It was clarified that this program is run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The City will only receive money and post it to the correct accounts. It was questioned if this program would put a moratorium on shut -offs. It was clarified that there would be no moratorium on shut -offs. The hope is that this program would reduce the number of homes being shut off. It was questioned how it would be determined if someone would be shut off. It was clarified that the account holder is still responsible for paying their bill until approved. Shut -offs begin after someone is 75 days behind. Review of Draft Council Agendas 8. Draft Council Agenda of December 14, 2021. Will be adding the Low Income Home Water Assistance Program to the next City Council agenda. Attendance at Upcoming Council Meeting Council Member Herr stated he would not be in attendance at next week's meeting. Announcements The Public Works Director spoke with CHS regarding their next turnaround. It looks like they are expecting 1,700 to 1,800 people, not 6,000 like previously stated. Ward 4 letters of interest are due by December 17, 2021. All interested persons will be requested to appear in front of the Council on December 21, 2021. Council will nominate and vote on December 28, 2021. City Hall will be closed over the noon hour for the office Christmas party on December 17, 2021. This closure will be posted on the door. City Hall will be closed on December 24`h and 315` for the holidays. The City Planner has resigned effective January 21, 2022. The Mayor received a phone call today from the City Attorney. Mr. Painter has handed in his resignation. He will service the City until another appointment has been made. He has spent the last 18 years serving the City but would like to focus on his main job. The council workshop adjourned at 7:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Brittney o Administrative Assistant NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion of the Council for the listed workshop agenda items. • What is LaserFiche? o LaserFiche is where we currently store an electronic copy of our records to make them searchable and easier to pull up when needed. • How long did we have the last version? o MCCI acquired our account in 2014. The type of service we are on is over 20 years old. • When do you think we will have to do it again? How long will it last? o We are moving to a subscription -based model and will always be on the newest update. • What benefits are we going to get? o We currently have the ability to scan and retrieve documents. We currently have one full license with five retrieval licenses. This means that only one person is able to add anything to the LaserFiche Repository. The upgraded system would have 100 full named users. Which means all City Staff who needs access to LF could have access. Their permissions would be set based on their needs. There will be a mobile option for City Staff who are away from their computers to be able to access LaserFiche on the go. We will also have a public portal that the public can access documents. There will be an audit trail on all documents to see who did what and when within the system. There is records management as well. This will allow us to note what a documents retention is and pull a report each year of the documents that need to retention out. There is also business process automation to help save time and money within the City. LaserFiche forms allows our constituents to file documents that are currently paper based or Tillable PDF and have them automatically routed to the proper approvers, such as employment applications. • Why do we need this? o LaserFiche is working on sunsetting our current platform. Once it is has reached its end of life it will no longer be supported. • Cost o One Time - $6,150.00 o Recurring - $12,395.00 annually (currently $916.30 annually) o Discount/Credit - $1,616.52 o Total - $16,928.47 o Budgeted - $28,000 • Where is the money coming from? o It is budgeted in General Fund. ewrnroc sw.r:++ Covuauulge+ neeer•oofh Re&D 2021 Laurel Proiects • Revolving Loan Fund o Seven loans in Yellowstone County totaling $370,720.71 (plus one approved but not funded for $200K) o Three loans in Laurel totaling $104,859.64 • EDA CARES Act Funding o Cushing Terrell Regional Housing Study o Economic Resilience & Tourism o Yellowstone Economic Response & Recovery • Yellowstone Valley Farms • LARC planning • BSTF grant funding for West Laurel Interchange feasibility study • LURA o Joint meetings with Big Sky EDA to assist City and planning board. • Kids Kingdom Playground • 406 Bovine LLC • F Bar 3 Vineyard Calculation of 2022 EDA dues: Est Census (as of ApnV2020) Per Capita Base Total Share %share Per Capita Base Fee Assessment. %of County County IPapubbon..lel Assessment Big Horn 13,124 $2,493.56 82,250.00 $4,743.56 Big Horn County 113 $831.19 $750.00 $1,581.19 City of Hardin. 1/3 $831.19 '$750.00 $1,581.19 ,Two Rivers Atnhorit 113 $83,1.19 $750:00 $1,581.19 Carbon 10,473 $1,989.87 $2,250.00 $4',239:87 x$4,239.87 Stillwater 8,963 $1;702.97 $2,250.00 $3;952.97 $3.952.97 Sweet Grass 3,678 :$698.82 $2,250.00 $2,948.82 $2,948.82 Yellowstone 164,731 $31,298:89 $4,500.00 $35,798.89 Big Sky EDA 34.000/6 S 10,641.62 $1,530.00 $12,171.62 City of Billings 36:00% $ 11,267.60 $1,620.00 $12,887.60 City of Laurel 6.00% $ 1,877.93 $270.00 $2,147:93 Yellowstone County 24.00% $ 7,511.73 $1,080.00 $8,591.73 Total $31,664.11 $51,684.11 (Est Census Population x - 19 c Swe'AssessmentFee) . Base Assessment Membership - Total Dues to County TS GREEN TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Electronics Pick Up Receipt: Date of Pick Up: Employee Receiving Pick Up: Material Description: Weight Received: 10/18/2021 Anthony Misc. Electronics 1,689 Pounds Green Technology Solutions 350 S Billings Blvd. Suite #2A (406) 206-5376 www.greenmt.net *Green Technology Solutions wipes, reformats, or physically destroys every hard drive we receive in house, guaranteeing destruction of ALL personal information. This includes drives still inside of electronic devices such as desktops, laptops, servers, DVR's, and other similar equipment. For more information on our official process please contact us. MONTANA Department of Public Health and Duman Services ap" Human and Community Services Division Intergovernmental Human Services Bureau PO Box 202956 Helena; MT 59620-2956 His L.:re;::ftSeA-: fimllhy Ganmunf(fa Greg Ginurorte, Governor Adam Meier, Director DATE: July 19, 2021 TO: Public Water System Providers FROM: Sara Loewen, DPHHS intergovernmental Human Services Bureau Chief SUBJECT: Low -Income Home Water. Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Contractor Application and Contract A temporary emergency Low -Income Home Water Assistance Program' (LIHWAP) is being developed to provide low-income households assistance in paying their water and wastewater bills. Funds will be sent directly to Public Water System (PWS) operators to be credited to income eligible householdaccounts to reduce arrearages, prevent shutoffs and reduce monthly rates. This program is slated to operate from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023. Households will apply for assistance through a process coordinated with the Low -Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP)'program. The MT Department of Public Health and Human Services Is providing the opportunity to PWS providers to participate in this program through a contract with the Department in order to receive and provide this assistance to income eligible Households. The Department is beginning the process of securing contracts with PWS providers interested in: participating in the LIHWAP. The following documents are enclosed: 1. A copy of the (DPHHS-HWAP-001) Low Income Home Water Assistance Program Contractor Application and Contract for the time period October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023. Complete the Contractor Information sections, including the Contractor Taxpayer ID number field. Sign the bottom of page three. The contract will be signed by a Department representative and a copy will be returned for your records. 2. A Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Verification (W-9) form. The completed W-9 form is required to receive payments from the Department. The W-9 form will be used to verify the TIN and the address where the 1099 form will be sent. 1 The LIHWAP program is authorized. under Section 533 Title V of Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations act of 2021, Public Law No: 116-260 and as providedfor under The American Rescue Pian Act (ABPA). Additional information can be found at: httns://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/lihwap. 3. A Payment Address Form to complete and return if the mailing address for the LIHWAP payment is to be made to an address other than the one entered on the W-9 form. 4. A Direct Deposit Sign-up Form to complete If your company would prefer to have payments made directly to your financial institution. A written Statement of Remittance (SOR) will be mailed as usual but LIHWAP funds will be available at least one day earlier. In order to participate and receive funds underthis program, items #1 and #2 (above) must be completed and returned, along with items #3 and #4 if applicable. These documents should be mailed to: DPHHS LIHWAP, PO Box 202925, Helena, MT 59620 We encourage all Public Water System providers to complete the above information in order to participate in the program and allow their customers to receive this assistance. Look for additional information (coming soon) at www.lieao.mt.gov. A list of frequently asked questions will be available. You can also email Program Specialist Sheri Shepherd at sshepherd2@mt.gov. Thank you for considering participating in the Low Income Home Water Assistance Program aimed at reducing arrearages and rates of low-income households, particularly those with the lowest incomes, that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services. Sara Loewen Intergovernmental Human Services Bureau Chief Human and Community Services Division, MT DPHHS Public Water System Suppliers FA(XS The LIHWAP program is authorized under Section 533 Title V of Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations act of 2021, Public Law No: 116-260 and as provided for under The American Rescue Plan Act (ABPA). Additional information can be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/lihwap. 1. How do I know if I am a qualified public water system? Contact DPHHS/IHSB by emailing sshepherd2@mt,gov to determine if you are a qualified water vendor, 2. What do I need to track on payments that come in? When you have contracted with DPHHS, payments for income eligible customers will be sent directly to the water vendor. Payments must be applied to the customer account for past -due amounts, disconnect or reconnect fees (if applicable) and water bills and sewer bills. The water vendor must be able to show DPHHS how those payments were applied to the eligible customer's account upon request, Suppliers will be expected to submit reports/data indicating the financial accountability for these funds to eligible customer accounts were credited with LIHWAP benefits. 3. What If a client moves or passes away? When a customer moves or passes away any unused LIHWAP funds will need to be returned to: DPHHS/HCSD; P.O. Box 202956, Helena, MT 59620. Include customer's name, LIHWAP benefit Issuance date, and LIHWAP account number with remittance. 4. Do we have to return funds at a certain time if not used? LIHWAP funds only need to be returned when the account is closed due to a move or a client passes away or when the program closes on June 30, 2023. In these cases, any LIHWAP attributable credit remaining on the customer account will need to be returned to DPHHS. S. How will payments be issued via check or direct deposit? All payments will be issued directly to the water/sewer provider who has entered into a contract with DPHHS on behalf of the customer. The LIHWAP vendor application allows the vendor to choose to receive funds (via check or direct deposit (EFT)). 6. How does the program work for vendors? The LIHWAP benefits will be sent directly to the water/sewer provider who has an approved contract with DPHHS. Documentation will be sent with the payment indicating the customer's account number, benefit amounts (Water, sewer and arrearages). The vendor needs to apply the benefit to the correct customer's account. A Public Water System (PWS) provider application can be obtained by emailing sshepherd2@mt.gov. 7. Are we allowed to let our clients know about the program? Water vendors are encouraged to refer customers to the local eligibility office. Eligibility offices are located on the LIHEAP. LIHWAP and Weatherization Assistance ]nt. ov website. S. Will there be some type of brochure we can give our clients? Information is available on the LIHEAP. LIHWAP and Weatherization Assistance int. ov website. 9. If we have a question as a vendor, is there a number to call for questions? Call Sheri at 406-447-4269 or email any questions to ssheoherd2 mt.gov. 10. Can we request applications to provide our customers? To obtain a supply of applications please email ssheoherd2@mt.gov. Or contact your local HRDC office which can be found at LIHEAP. LIHWAP and Weatherization Assistance (mt.gov) 11. What is the application process, and what is our role in that? Applicants will apply through the local eligibility offices. If deemed eligible, a payment will be sent to the water/sewer provider to apply to the applicant's water and/or sewer account as directed in the payment, The water/sewer providers do not process applications. 12. Is the Direct Deposit for each household or the vendor? The Direct Deposit may include payments to the public water system supplier for more than one customer. The deposit will provide documentation indicating the account the payment is for and the amount to applyto each customer's account. If additional information is needed regarding a payment please call Sheri at 406-447- 4269. Low Income Home Water Assistance Program 'LIHWAP helps pay: a. Water Bills b. Wastewater/Sewer Bills b. Water and Wastewater (sewer) Past Due Bills c. Water and Wastewater (sewer) Late Fees and Reconnect Fees Funds will be sent directly to Public Water System (PWS) operators to be credited to Income eligible household accounts. The Water Program is slated to start October 1, 2021 and continue through September 30, 2023. Do I Qualify for LIHWAP Assistance? To qualify for LIHWAP assistance, you must meet these requirements: • Be responsible for paying water and/or wastewater (sewer) bill. • Have an active water and/or wastewater(sewer) account or have an obligation to pay through a rental agreement. • Be a United States citizen or legally admitted for permanent residency. • Meet the following Income and resource guidelines a 1 $27,282 $12,043 3 $44,071 $19,277 y ..ar,rAs",x,.:'rs.fi"$$2g45" '$204g3'i; 5 $60,859 $21,689 How do I Apply? You can apply for assistance by submitting the combined LIHWAP and Low -Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) application. An application can be found at lieap.mt.gov or by contacting your local LEAP eligibility office. The local LIEAP offices are listed on the back of this flyer. Find the county you live In and return the application to the office listed. What Items are Needed? Before mailing your application, make sure you: • Answer all questions completely. • Ensure everyone In the home is included on the application. • Ensure everyone age 16 or older signs and dates the application. • Include your recent water and wastewater(sewer) bill(s). • Include Income records for the previous three months for everyone sixteen (16) years of age and older. • Include a recent bank statement for all open bank accounts. • Include copies of Social Security cards. Local LIEAP/LIHWAP Offices Find your county and return the application to the office listed. If you live in this county: Return application to: Carter prairie Golden Valley Custer Richland Centennial Plaza Daniels i 300 First Avenue North, Room 203 Action for Eastern Montana Dawson Roosevelt 2030 North Merrill Fallon Rosebud P.O. Box 1309 Ga rtieId Sheridan Glendive, MT59330-1309 McCone Treasure i ph. 377-3564 or 1-800-227-0703 Bozeman, MT 59735 Valley Ph. 587.4486 or 1.800-332-2796 Phillips Wibaux Powder River Broadwater 648 N.Jackson Jefferson 1 District IV HRDC Blalne 12229 5'4 Avenue Hill Deer Lodge Liberty Granite Havre, MT 59501 Madison I P.O. Box 39, Butte, MT 59703 Ph. 265-6743 ort -800-640.6743 Ph. 533-6855 or 1-800-382-1325 Silver Bow Opportunities Inc. Cascade North Central Area Agency on Aging 905 First Ave North Chouteau Teton P.O. Box 2289 Glacier Ph. 271-7553 ort -800-551-3191 Great Falls, MT 59403-2289 Ph. 761-0310 or 1-800-326-0955 Big Horn District VII HRDC Carbon 3116 First Ave North Stillwater P.O. Box 2016 Sweet Grass Billings, MT 59103 Yellowstone Ph. 247-4778 or 1-800-433-1411 District XI Human Resource Council Missoula 1801 South Higgins Mineral Missoula; MT 59801 Ravalli } Ph. 728-3710 Community Action Partnership of NW MT Flathead Lake 214 Main Street Lincoln P•O. Box 8300 I Kalispell, MT 59904-1300 Sanders P,758-5433 or 1-800-344-5979 If you live In this count: I Return application to: Fergus District VI HRDC Golden Valley Judith Basin Centennial Plaza i 300 First Avenue North, Room 203 Musselshell Lewistown, MT 59457 Petroleum Ph. 535-7488 or 1-800-766-3018 ( Wheatland 1 District IX HRDC Gallatin i 32 South Tracy Avenue Meagher Park Bozeman, MT 59735 Ph. 587.4486 or 1.800-332-2796 Rocky Mountain Development Council LIEAP Office Broadwater 648 N.Jackson Jefferson P.O. Box 1717 Lewis & Clark Helena, MT 59626-1717 Ph. 447-1625 or 1-800-356-6544 Beaverhead Deer Lodge Action Inc.— Human Resource Council Granite 25 W Silver Street, Butte, MT 59701 Madison I P.O. Box 39, Butte, MT 59703 Powell Ph. 533-6855 or 1-800-382-1325 Silver Bow North Central Area Agency on Aging Ponders 311 S Virginia St, Suite 2 Teton Conrad, MT $9425 Toole Ph. 271-7553 ort -800-551-3191 For additional information visit: lieap.mt.t;ov