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Home My WebLink AboutCity Council Minutes 11.17.1981Minutes of the City Council of Laurel November 17, 1981 A regular meeting of the City CounciI of the City of Laurel, Montana, was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Larry D. Herman~ at 7:08 p.m., on November 17, 1981. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Albert Ehrlick Susan Carter Duane Behm Terry Fink Donald Meyers (late} Ervin Metzger COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Harold Burns Bill Brennan INVOCATION: Invocation given by Reverend Biller. MINUTES: Minutes of the regular meeting of November 4, 1981, approved as presented. The Mayor introduced Matt Williams of Boy Scout Troop #400 in Laurel. JOHN SMITH - AIRPORT AUTHORITY: I asked David Kneedler to come down from Montana Aeronautics to explain how the Airport Authority is set up. As you may remember last July we started ours. I thought I would also give you a brief resume' of what is going on up there. In i9B0 we built one hangar 50'x60', and last year we built two more hangars - one is a 10-unit and they're in the process now of building a 40'x50' one. In November we started charging tiedown fees. We have about 11 right now. Five years ago we had 5 planes up there and now we have about 54 planes. What we are working on in the authority right now is rules and regulations and public traffic patterns. These will be Submitted to you for your inspection, and we want to get them passed as ordinances so that when someone violates the regula- tions you can do something about it. We are also working with the City-County Planning Board on zoning. I do have extra copies of the master plan if anyone wants one. DAVE KNEEDLER - MONTANA AERONAUTICS: I know you have recently created an Air- port Authority to replace what was your airport board. I might just give you a couple of words about how the Airport Authority Act came into being and what we see as advantages of Airport Authority vs airport boards. The airport board of course was strictly an advisory group of basically volunteer people who advised the City Council. They really had no authority as such. For that reason the burdens of the day-to-day decisions rested with the elected officials and the implementation of an airport authority law changed that for any group that wished to avail itself of this different form of operating your airport. Basically the difference is that the Airport Authority relieves the City Council of those day-to-day burdens of decision making regarding all of the little things that come up. We look at the Airport Authority as a real businesslike way to operate an airport. There are about 15 other airport authorities in the State of Montana~ The Airport Authority has some advantages over an airport board or commis- sion, in so far as they can accumulate money to match federal money, for instance for airport improvements. An airport board can accumulate money only within certain guidelines. Regarding the budget. When you had the airport board the budget was your responsibility. Under the Airport Authority, they are to be aware of the revenue and expense and they in turn formulate a budget and come to you and say this is the amount of money we need to operate the airport for the fiscal year. This is called certifying the budget and the tax levy. This budget page 2 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel then translates into a tax levy which is limited by State law to a maximum of two mills. Once they have told you this, it is the responsibility of the Council to levy the tax, collect it, and place it into the airport fund. The two mills for the Airport Authority is not included in the all purpose mill levy. It is an additional separate levy. Should there be any money left over in the budget at the end of the fiscal year, this money remains with the Airport Authority. This can accumulate for future improvements. The Airport Authority members do not have to be bonded. Motion by Alderman Metzger to enter into the record the Airport A~thority minutes of October 27 and November 3, 1981, seconded by Alderman Meyers. Carried. CORRESPONDENCE: None. CITY CLERK'S AND CITY TREASURER'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: City Clerk's and City Treasurer's Financial Statements for the month of October were presented for review and approval. Motion by Alderman Metzger to approve the City Clerk's and City Treasurer's Financial Statements as presented~ seconded by Alderwoman Carter. Carried. BID OPENING - RIVERSIDE PARK CHANGE HOUSE: This being the time and place adver- tised, the only bid received was opened' and read aloud. The bid was received at 7:05 p.m. (deadline was 7:00 p.m.); however, the Mayor informed the Council that he had received a phone call two minutes to 7:00, that Iron Horse Construction was on their way up with a bid. The bid read as follows: Iron Horse Construction P. O. Box 1152 Laurel, MT. No Montana contractor's license number indicated, no bid bond attached. Proposal to construct a 20'x30'8" bath house at Riverside Park. Site preparation; 2' fill, compacted, footings & slab, re-bar and wire. Rough plumbing, rough electrical, concrete block walls (163'4" lin. ft.} Roof trusses, plywood and seal sown shingles, gable ends-masonite siding. O-bond mortar on block. $14,765.00 Estimate to finish above structure; finish showers, toilets urinals~ sinks and fixtures. Finish electric, hot water heater with temp. regulator for showers. All fixtures are push button and vandal free.~12,084.00~ Options: Set blocks with concrete mortar and and bond beams. Heating: Insulating in celing (R-B0) The bid was referred to the Park Committee seal exterior with re-bar $ 1,400.00 $ 425.00 for review and consideration and to bing a recommendation to the next council meeting. DUANE BEHM - GARBAGE SURVEY: At the last Council meeting I informed the Council that the survey I'rom Widjac Corporation was Pack but I had not had a chance to review it an~ all of you should have received a copy of it. Basically for the audience's information, I'd have to take nor of the release page 3 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel in the Outlook. I don't think it called for a 65% increase, it's more like 40%. This was the recommendation of Widjac Corporation. I think with the end of the year ooming up and with new people coming on the Counoil, I would like to table any action on this until after the 1st of the year. Without any objection this matter was tabled until after January 1, i982. MAYOR'S COMMENTS: I have before me a memorandum of agreement and an application for right-of-way easement for state land, which deals with the new landfill area. The Council has previously given me authority to sign this agreement with the Department of State Lands and to request for the right-of-way ease- ment. But I want to inform the Council at this time that I have today signed the agreement. The Mayor presented Dave Michael with a certificate from the State of Montana for successfully completing a Boiler Efficieney Improvement Workshop. Dick Metzger indicated that he had also completed the workshop and had received a certificate. The Mayor pointed out that over the past four years the operating cash balance in the General Fund has improved substantially as of Oeteber Blst. I don't know how many of the Council were aware of just how bad of shape we were in four years ago. But to give you some idea the balances are as follows: October 31, 1978 ($90,3B5) October Bi, 1979 ($56,762) October 31, 1980 {$ 5,979) October Bi, 1981 $59,127 I would like to commend the Department Heads and the Council in bringing this about. The Mayor mentioned that Bill Gremmer had a heart attack early this morn- ing. Bill serves on the Fire Department and his wife, Teresa, works in City Hall; and we will be sending something down to him from the City. DON MEYERS - ORDINANCE FOR NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF LAUREL: What it says is that we will bring it up to the vote of the people. If approved it would become effective January 1, 198B. It would be voted on by the voters of Laurel November 2, 1982, and it would be for all'offices of the City. Tonight, all we will be doing is getting it approved so that we can get it on the ballot. Discussion. ORDINANCE NO. 700 (first reading) AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING NON PARTISAN ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF LAUREL, MONTANA. Motion by Alderman Meyers that Ordinanoe No. 700 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderman Me~er. ~ (the second reading to be December 1~ 1981 / There being no further business to~e before the Council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 7: Donaid L. Hackmann, City Clerk Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 1st day of December, 1981. ST: onald L Hac~ma~nn~ City Clerk