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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 11.04.1998MINUTES OF THE (lIT ( ()UN(IL OF LAUREL November 4, 1998 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 Chuck Rodgers at 7:00 p.m. on November 4, 1998. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Dirk Kroll Ken Olson Gay Easton Bill Staudinger Gary Temple Norman Orr Bud Johnson COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Miles Walton MINUTES: Motion by Alderman Temole to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of October 20, 1998, as presented, seconded by Aldem~an Johnson. Motion carried. CONSENT ITEMS: a. Claims for the month of October. b. Correspondence. Montana League of Cities and Towns c. Committee Reports. --Budget/Finance Conunittee minutes of October 20, 1998 were presented. --Cemetery Board minutes of October 26, 1998 were presented. --City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of October 20, 1998 were presented. --Interact Committee minutes of October 27, 1998 were presented. --Laurel Airport Authority minutes of September 22, 1998 were presented. d. Resolution authorizing the mayor to request the Montana Department of Transportation to do a traffic study from the Laurel City Cemetery to the Laurel City Limits on First Avenue. RESOLUTION NO. R98-54 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO REQUEST THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO DO A TRAFFIC STUDY FROM TItE LAUREL CITY CEMETERY TO THE LAUREL CITY LIMITS ON FIRST AVENUE. Resolution amending Resolution R98-33, apportionment of the Mills to the different City Funds. RESOLUTION NO. R98-55 BEING A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION R98-33, APPORTIONMENT OF THE MILLS TO THE DIFFERENT CITY FUNDS. The mayor asked if there was any separation of consent items. There was none. Motion by Alderman Johnson to approve the consent items as presented, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried. Council Minutes of November 4, 1998 SCHEDULED MATTERS: Confrrmation of Appointments. None. Julie Jones - Double-Tree, Inc. - Report on HOME Grant and Rehabilitation Programs. Julie Jones gave an update on the housing projects in Laurel. They have assisted twenty-five homebuyers with the funding, and there are still funds available to assist five more buyers. She would like to have the funds expended by January 1, 1999, but there has not been as much action lately. She may have to request an extension from the HOME program for the use of those funds. The Montana Board of Housing is still accepting homebuyers under their regular program. The interest rate is 5.875% for a thirty-year term coupled with USDA/Rurai Development Guaranteed loans. To date, MBOH has assisted the program with $1,405,000 in set aside funds and regular program funds. The City of Laurel has received program income from the past rehabilitation projects. The City adopted a Program Income Plan at that time which stated that housing rehabilitation was to be the primary focus. The CDBG program encourages cities to lend out the funds at a low interest to eligible homeowners and landlords to make repairs to their homes. This way the funds keep cycling and the housing is not deteriorating. The funds could also be used for demolition purposes. Julie Jones suggested that the mayor appoint a committee to oversee the funds for the City. The committee would administer the funds, the City Clerk would be responsible for the bookkeeping, and the City Council would still need to approve the warrants. Julie stated that there is no time limit involved in the distribution and use of these funds. c. Jean Kerr - Installation of pay phone outside City Court. Jean Kerr said that the Court has experienced a change in the attitudes of the people with whom they deal. People are more prone to express their anger and frustration and that has prompted some concern about the safety of the workers in the office. There are many requests to use the telephone. It is not safe to allow people into the office area to make personal phone calls, and many of the phone calls need to be private. Jean explained that the availability of a pay phone would be a great advantage to the Court, as well as to the other offices in City Hall. She also raised the question of the liability issues involved if there were a breach of security within the offices that was caused by allowing someone to use the telephone. Jean distributed some information regarding the costs of installing a pay phone outside the Court building. The installation and monthly fees charged by U.S. West are quite high, so she investigated the fees charged by Phonetel Technologies, Inc. They do not charge any installation, maintenance, or monthly fees, and a serviceman would clean and service the payphone every two weeks. They offer two revenue options: a 5% commission or no conunission. The Phonetel Technologies contract agreement states that no other company can provide a payphone in the same vicinity. However, the U.S. West phones at Thomson Park, Riverside Park and Rapid Mart are not a concern. The contract period is 120 months (ten years) and they reserve the fight to assess the revenue generated. Jean requested that the payphone be installed outside the Court door. The only negative aspect would be the necessity to be able to make change for people. She mentioned that they would only have quarters available for that purpose. This item was referred to the Building and Lands Committee for consideration. d. Permission for Christmas to Remember activities. JoArm Fox presented the Christmas to Remember activities that are planned for Sunday, December 6th. A Beanie Baby Swap will be held and various craft tables will be set up at the Masonic Temple. She requested permission to have vendors selling items on the streets. The 13th Annual Festival of Lights Parade will begin at the Credit Union at 5:15 p.m. and continue down First Avenue to Firemen's Park. They will be asking the Ministerial Association to have the churches provide floats for this year's parade. She invited Mayor Rodgers to speak to the crowd at 5:00 p.m. There will also be fireworks again this year. 2 ~ Council Minutes of November 4, 1998 Mayor Rodgers said that the Police Department must approve the parade. Motion by Alderman Staudin~er to approve the vendor and fuceworks activities for the Christmas to Remember activities, seconded by Alderman Johnson. Motion carried. e. Award/reject Log Cabin Restoration bids. Cal Cumin stated that none of the bids submitted for the Log Cabin Restoration Project met the requirements of the bid package. None of the businesses qualified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. The low bidder, Seven Buffalo, is not certified by the state. The Log Cabin Restoration bids will be rebid in January and all bidders will have to be certified at the time their bids are submitted. Motion bv Alderman Johnson to reject the Log Cabin Restoration bids, seconded by Alderman Temple. Motion carried. f. Ordinance 098-5 - Ordinance on firearms in City Hall. (Second reading and public hearing.) ORDINANCE NO. 098-5 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF LAUREL, PROVIDING THAT THE LAUREL, MONTANA, CITY CODE BE AMENDED BY ADDING A SECTION TO BE NUMBERED 2.10.110; PROHIBITING THE CARRYING OR CONCEALING OF WEAPONS, FIREARMS OR EXPLOSIVES AT CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS; PROVIDING APPROPRIATE SIGNING; ESTABLISHING PENALTIES FOR SUCH A VIOLATION AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. This being the second reading of this ordinance, a public hearing was held. The mayor asked if there were any proponents. Dirk Kroll said that he introduced this ordinance at the last council meeting as a precautionary measure. Although this will not necessarily prevent an incident from happening in City Hall, the Council will have taken a proactive stand to insure the safety of the council and the public during council proceedings. The mayor asked if there were any opponents. There were none. Motion by Alderman Temple to close the public hearing, seconded by Alderman Kroll. Motion carried. Motion by Alderman Kroll to approve Ordinance 098-5, seconded by Alderman Temple. A roll call vote was taken on the motion to approve Ordinance No. 098-5. All seven aldermen present voted aye. Motion carried. UNSCHEDULED MATTERS: Dirk Kroll cancelled the Police Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 5th. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 7:34 p.m. Cindy Alle~,~cretary Council Minutes of November 4, 1998 Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this seventeenth day of November, 1998. Charles Rodgers, Mayor /(~ Attest: Donald L. Hackmann, Clerk-Treasurer