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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 09.06.1988Minutes of the City Council of Laurel September 6, 1988 A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, was held in t~e Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Bob Gauthier at 7:05 p.m., on September 6, 1988. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Chuck Dickerson Donna Kilpatrick Chuck Rodgers L.D. Collins Norman Orr Bob Graham Bruce Teeters COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Ervin Wood INVOCATION: Invocation was given by Alderman Collins. MINUTES: Motion by Alderman Dickerson regular meeting of August 16, 1988, Collins. Motion carried 7--0. to approve the minutes of the as presented, seconded by Alderman CORRESPONDENCE: Received a notice of a Public Hearing on Wednesday, September 28, 1988 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers regarding the proposed location and major design features of a reconstruction project south of Laurel on U.S. Highway 310 and 212 to widen the bridge over the Yellowstone River and construct the approaches to provide a four-lane driving surface. Received a complaint letter from Byron Guenthner regarding a police matter. CLAIMS: Claims for the month of August were reviewed by the Budget/Finance Committee and recommended that they be paid. Motion by Alderwomsn Kilpatrick to approve all claims in the amount of $ 376,491.50 for the month of August, seconded by Alderman Collins. Motion carried 7--0. RAY FIECHTNER CLAIM: Ray Fiechtner stated he was contacted by Jim Flisrand and the City's insurance carrier today in regard to his damaged sewer line. It is the first contact he has had since the last Council meeting. They negotiated, but Ray did not know the results yet. Jim Flisrand stated they did meet and the insurance adjustor will be sending Ray a letter this afternoon. The adjustor compiled the information and came up with a dollar figure and this will be disclosed in the letter. It was stated the retainage fee to Ace Electric will be released. A question was brought up about the procedure the City follows in such cases as this. The Mayor stated the City turns the claim over to the insurance carrier and they report back to us. LAUREL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION EVENTS: Richard Barnhardt spoke regarding events scheduled to take place in the downtgwn area on Friday, September 23rd. He stated a couple changes need to be made since he was at the Council meeting last time. The Council approved closing West First Street between First and Second Avenues but Richard said there is a problem with electricity in this area. His group approached the Park Committee and received permission to use Firemen's Park for all activities except the bicycle Page 2 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Council Meeting of September 6, 1988 show. West 1st Street would only need to be closed for two hours between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Richard stated that at the last meeting the Council requested an official sponsorship of this event in order for it to take place. Richard reported that he has submitted to the City Attorney the by-laws for the Laurel Business Association which now has thirty members. Chuck Dickerson said the paper stated the Association had drawn up a set of temporary by-laws and had a temporary election of officers due to the few number of people who attended and he questioned Richard about this. Richard said this was true, but they are only temporary until their meeting on September 14th, at which time there will be more than enough members to make this permanent. The question of liability insurance came up and Richard stated they would be liable if anything were to happen. Richard stated the Association spoke to the Herbstfest Committee and the Committee gave their endorsement and recorded it in their minutes. The matter of the street closure was brought up again and Alan Crowe said he has no problem with closing West 1st Street from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23rd. Motion by Alderman Graham to allow Association use of Firemen's Park and to close 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23rd, Collins. Motion carried 7--0. the Laurel Business West 1st Street from seconded by Alderman TOURIST INFORMATION BUILDING: Mr. Foley, Mens' Retirement Club secretary, stated that they were advised by the Chamber of Commerce that the Chamber does not wish to use the building and that other plans are being formulated. They also wish this item to be taken off the agenda and the Mens' Club and the Chamber of Commerce will come to a satisfactory agreement in the future. Sedley Barsness stated the Chamber Board met and accepted the Mens' Club proposal to temporarily use the area on the mens' side to set up their racks until a different place can be established. At this time, neither group is requesting action by the City Council. EXPANDING LIGHT DISTRICT $2: This being the time and place advertised, a public hearing was held. PROPONENTS: Darrell Lee McGillen, Ken Williams and Frances Dewing, all of West llth Street, are in favor of it. residents OPPONENTS: None No written protests have been received by the City Clerk. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to close the seconded by Alderman Collins. Motion carried 7--0. public hearing, Page3 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Council Meeting of September 6, 1988 RESOLUTION NO. 2363 EXPANDING LIGHTING DISTRICT NO. 2 AND PROVIDING FOR THE INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONAL STREET LIGHTS IN SUCH EXPANDED AREA AND CHARGING THE EXPANDED AREA TO PAY FOR THE LIGHTING THEREIN AS PART OF LIGHTING DISTRICT NO. 2. Motion bw Alderman Dickerson that Resolution No. 2363 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT LOAN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: This being the time and place advertised, a public hearing was held. Cal Cumin stated the purpose of this public hearing is to publicize information about the Community Development Block Grant program. This is an annual program with disbursement of federal funds by the State Department of Commerce through local governments. It is called a community block grant but it is really a long term, low interest loan. Local governments in Montana are eligible for this money. Each local government which is incorporated or each county government in the State is eligible to apply for these funds, The maximum amount you can apply for is $ 375,000.00. Cal stated the basic purpose of the CDBG Funds is to help private business or enterprise to retain or create jobs for the moderate to low income. If you receive a block grant, at least 51% of the money has to be spent for low to moderate income and in Yellowstone County that figure is $ 25,750.00. This program is designed to compliment existing financial resources such as other federal and state programs, small business administration programs or regular bank loans. The Community Block Grant will not be used by itself to finance anything for economic development. Cal said it is also intended for "gap financing." This may mean you have a large project all financed except for 2% of it, and if it meets all the criteria, the CDBG funds could be used to finance the balance. Local government is the sponsor, so if anyone is looking to use the funds, they must submit their program to the City of Laurel. The City would then review the program and be the applicant to the State. Cal said it is competitive at the local level but when you get to the state level you are competing with 55 other counties in the State for the available funds. Cal said the role of the applicant, which would be the local government, is very important because the federal government will come back at the applicant to make sure all criteria of the program has been met. Cal felt it was important to have a public hearing on it because many people hear about it and wonder why we are not doing anything about it. One reason for not doing anything is because Cal has not heard of anyone who is interested in it. It has been publicized County wide and Cal has heard from only four people, two of which are out of the county. The submittal deadline is March 17th and it takes quite some time to get this~ ready. Cal said about 18% of the grant goes into administrative costs so the application should be for at least $ 50,000.00 and the applicant needs to have their financing already prepared by a bank or Small Business Administration. ¢, Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Page 4 Council Meeting of September 6, 1986 Cal stated that the program is very complicated but he is willing to provide more specific requirements for anyone interested in it. Motion by Alderman Collins to close the public hearing, seconded by Alderman Dickerson. Motion carried 7--0. CURFEW IN CITY PARKS: Park Committee minutes of August 25, 1988, were reviewed regarding this matter. The Park Committee passed a motion adopting a curfew for all city parks from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. using authority granted the Park Committee in Ordinance No. 698. Discussion followed concerning baseball games, people walking their dogs, and people wanting to play tennis early in the morning. Chuck Dickerson said this matter was also discussed in the Police Committee and it will have to be a matter of discretion on the part of the police officer. Joe Bradley stated it would help if the Council encouraged all the groups that use the parks to come and get permission. It is just a formality and they will always get permission but this way, everyone knows what is going on and who is responsible if there is a problem. Joe said there is nothing for the Council to decide tonight. He will draw up an ordinance for the next meeting with the curfew listed as 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. and it can be discussed further then. TAX RESOLUTIONS FOR SEWER, GARBAGE, WATER METER & CURB BOX REPAIR & WEED REMOVAL: RESOLUTION NO. 2364 BEING A RESOLUTION LEVYING AND ASSESSING A SPECIAL TAX AGAINST CERTAIN PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF LAUREL FOR ANY UNPAID SEWER CHARGES. Motion by Alderwoman Kilpatrick that Resolution No. 2364 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderman Graham. Motion carried 7--0. RESOLUTION NO. 2365 BEING A RESOLUTION LEVYING AND ASSESSING A SPECIAL TAX AGAINST CERTAIN PROPERTY DESIGNATED AS GARBAGE DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF LAUREL, FOR THE REMOVAL OF GARBAGE AND REFUSE. Motion by Alderman Dickerson that Resolution No. 2366 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. RESOLUTION NO. 2366 BEING A RESOLUTION LEVYING AND ASSESSING A TAX AGAINST CERTAIN PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF LAUREL, FOR WATER METER AND CURB-BOX REPAIR. Motion by Alderman Collins that Resolution No. 2366 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. RESOLUTION NO. 2367 BEING A RESOLUTION LEVYING AND ASSESSING A SPECIAL TAX AGAINST CERTAIN PROPERTY AS DESIGNATED IN THE CITY OF LAUREL, FOR THE REMOVAL OF NOXIOUS WEEDS. Pages Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Council Meeting of September 6, 1988 Motion by Alderman Dickerson that Resolution No. 2367 be and adopted, seconded by Alderman Collins. Motion carried 7--0. TRAFFIC STUDY - 9TH STREET & 6TH AVENUE: passed Jim Flisrand, City Engineer, presented a report of the traffic study done on 9th Street and 6th Avenue. Bob Graham presented a video tape of the intersection in question and other stop signs in the area. He wanted to emphasis that he feels the problem is not due to vegetation in the area but to the speed at which cars travel and the heavy traffic on that street due to the golf course and school traffic. More discussion followed concerning the problems of dips and bumps in relation to emergency vehicles and the use of stop signs to control traffic. Jim Flisrand responded to the discussion. He stated that the video did point out that in the past, stop signs have been erected to please the public in areas where they should not be, according to state design criteria. Jim said stop signs are not generally recommended. The second point made was that when the study was done, there were definite view obstructions at the intersection due to trailers and vegetation. Jim stated the vegetation is not severe when looking at it but when sitting in a car it does obstruct the view and could cause accidents. The final point Jim brought out was that if there is a speed problem, we have means to control it by placing officers at the intersection periodically which helps reduce the speed. Jim concluded by saying that he would go along with whatever the Council recommends, but he wanted to make the point known that stop signs are not always the answer, as shown by the video. More discussion followed and it was suggested an evaluation be made of stop signs all over town to see which are really needed. Jim explained the problems which come with removing stop signs and that in order to do so, a traffic study must be done of each one to justify the removal. Enforcement of the Municipal Code No. 17.40.010, regarding limiting obstructions over three feet high on corner lots, was also discussed as a means to help prevent problems in the future. Motion by Alderman Collins to refer this item to the Street and Alley Committee for further study, seconded by Alderman Rodgers. Motion carried 7--0. COMMITTEE REPORTS: --Airoort Authority Committee minutes of December 22, 1987, January 26th, February 23rd, March 22nd, April 26th, June 13th, July 26th, and August 23, 1988 were presented. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to enter all nine Airport Committee minutes into the record, seconded by Alderman Motion carried 7--0. Authority Collins. --Budget/Finance Committee minutes of September 6, 1988 were presented and reviewed. Motion by Alderwoman Kilpatrick to enter the Budget/Finance Committee minutes of September 6, 1988, into the record, seconded by Alderman Collins. Motion carried 7--0. --City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of August 16, 1988 were presented. Page 6 Council Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Meeting of September 6, 1988 Motion by Alderman Dickerson to enter the City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of August 16, 1988, into the record, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. --Garbage Committee minutes of August 29, 1988 were presented and reviewed. Motion by Alderman Graham to enter the Garbage Committee minutes of August 29, 1988, into the record, seconded by Alderman Orr. Discussion followed regarding the digging of a new pit and the urgency in taking action now to see that it is done by January 1st. At this time the question was called for. Motion carried 7--0. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to direct the Garbage Committee to present a plan to the Council on October 4th regarding the landfill, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. --Parking and Building Committee minutes of August 28, 1988 were presented and reviewed. Discussion followed regarding renting the center 26 spaces in the city lot across the street from City Hall and also to change the remaining 13 spaces from 2 hour to 4 hour parking. Sandy Stevenson of LeDuc Jewelers stated he has one parking space and four employees and he is in favor of renting spaces which would eliminate his employees from taking up parking space on the main thoroughfare of First Avenue and West First Street. Discussion followed concerning whether 13 spaces are adequate, how the fees will be collected, enforcement of the rented spaces, and ticketing of the 4 hour spaces only. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to draw up an ordinance city parking spaces on West 1st Streets across from seconded by Alderman Rodgers. Motion carried 7--0. for renting City Hall, The question was brought up on the feasibility of moving the water stand pipe on West 1st Street. It was stated it could cost as much as $ 5,000.00 to relocate it and the discussion was dropped. It was also discussed whether the postal mail boxes across from City Hall could be moved to a different location. Someone will check on this and report back to the Council. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to approve the Committee's recommendation to replace two small grass areas in front of the FAP complex with concrete, seconded by Alderman Rodgers. Motion carried 7--0. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to enter the Parking and Building Committee minutes of August 28, 1988~ into the record, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motlion carried 7--0. --Parks and Recreation Committee minutes of August 25, presented and reviewed. 1988 were Motion by Alderwoman Kil~atrick to enter the Parks and Recreation Committee minutes of August 25~ 1988, into the records seconded by Alderman Collins. Motion carried 7--0. --Police Committee minutes of September 1, 1988 were presented and reviewed. Page7 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Council Meeting of September 6, 1988 Motion by Alderman Rodgers to enter the Police Committee minutes of September 1, 1988, into the record, seconded by Alderman Graham. Motion carried 7--0. --Public Utilities Co~ittee minutes of August 29, 1988 were presented and reviewed. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to accept the committee's recommendation to adjust Ray Fiechtner's water and sewer bill for June, July, August and September, seconded by Alderman Graham. Motion carried 7--0. Motion by Alderman Collins to enter the Public Utilities Committee minutes of August 29, 1988, into the record, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: None MAYOR'S COMMENTS: None Donna Kilpatrick requested permission to leave the state from September 12th to the 20th. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to grant Donna Kilpatrick permission to leave the state from September 12th to the 20th, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. L.D. Collins requested permission to leave the state and the country from September 9th to the 21st. Motion by Alderman Dickerson to grant L.D. Collins permission to leave the state and the country from September 9th to the 21st, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7--0. There being no further business to come before the Council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 9:02 p.m. Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk Approved by The Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City Laurel, Montana, this 20th day of September, 1988. B~b G~uthier, Mayor of ATTEST: Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk