Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 12.16.1997Minutes of the City Council of Laurel December 16, 1997 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 7:04 p.m., on December 16, 1997. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Miles Walton Bud Johnson Norman Orr Dirk Kroll Gary Temple Donna Kilpatrick William Staudinger Gay Easton COUNCIL NEMBERS ABSENT: None INVOCATION: Invocation was given by Alderman Johnson. MINUTES: Motion by Alderman Kroll to December 2, 1997, as presented, approve the minutes of the regular meeting of seconded by Alderman Easton. Motion carried CORRESPONDENCE: Received the minutes of November 20, 1997 from the Yellowstone City-County Board of Health. Received the November minutes and activity report from the Air Pollution Control Board. CITY CLERK'S & CITY TREASURER'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: The City Clerk's and City Treasurer's financial statements for the month of November were presented. Motion by Alderwoman Kilpatrick that the City Clerk's and City financial statements for the month of November, be approved, Alderman Kroll. Motion carried 8--0. Treasurer's seconded by ANNUAL SERVICE FEE FOR ALL WATER USERS: RESOLUTION NO. R97-55 ESTABLISHING AN ANNUAL SERVICE FEE FOR ALL WATER USERS, PURSUANT TO THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY PROGRAM Motion by Alderman Johnson to not pass Resolution No, R97-55 regarding the $2.00 annual service fee for all water users, seconded by Alderman Temple. Mayor Rodgers stated this is a fee assessed once a year to all water users. With the water rate increase that has already been in affect, it is felt that this $2.00 fee should not be assessed. Alderman Walton stated the water rate increase was for the construction of the water plant. Even though the increase was a sizable amount, studies were done to keep it as low as possible and still afford to do the construction. He does not feel the city is gouging the people of Laurel by assessing the $2.00 fee. The city can use these funds in other places, for instance, the intake pier which is in bad condition. Alderman Johnson referred to the $2.00 increase, which is approximately five thousand dollars as a matter of principle. The new water rate has been in affect for a short time and the city is not exactly sure whether or not the projections that had been provided are exact and will not know that for a while. He feels that if you look at it as a point of principle, it would not better the city significantly to go to the people for the $2.00 fee. If there was some specific need that this would fill, then it would be another subject. He stated the resolution was prepared for the council's consideration tonight because this is the way it has always been done in the past. He does not feel the water rate increase was taken into account when the resolution was prepared. He said it does not make sense to do this because of time and point of principle. Alderman Easton pointed out this is a fee from the state and does not have anything to do with water. This is an annual service fee assessed by the state to fund their program. If the city picks up the cost this year and every year from now on, the city will have to budget for it and it is not related to water. He feels the city should veer the cost of $2.00. It is a fee. lust like buv~n~ Page 2 Council Minutes of the City Council of Laurel Meeting of December 16, 1997 Alderman Temple feels that it will be misconstrued. If the city asks the public to pay a $2.00 increase, the city should justify it by having a project. Alderman Walton feels this money is used for a project. It is designed and budgeted for a project. It is set aside for a specific need. If the city does not assess it from the public, it will come from the budget. If the city does not receive five thousand dollars from the $2.00 fee and takes five thousand out of the budget somewhere else, he considers it a ten thousand dollar loss that was not planned. The five thousand is apparently set aside for the public water supply program. He does not know where the city will get the funds, if the $2.00 fee is not voted in tonight. He feels it is a separate issue from the water rate increase. The $2.00 fee is not being assessed to the people to increase the water rate and has nothing to do with the basic rate. It has to do with money that the city budgeted for the program from the $2.00 fee. Alderman Temple asked for a roll call vote. Alderwoman Kilpatrick stated this is clarification on how to vote properly. a negative motion and asked for Joe Leckie stated that a negative motion is on the floor, and the council votes on that. It does not pass the resolution. If the negative motion passes, then the council takes no action on the resolution. If the negative motion fails, then there has to be an affirmative vote on passage of the resolution. A roll call vote was taken on the motion to not pass the resolution. Aldermen Temple, Orr, Johnson, and Staudinger voted "YES", Aldermen Walton, Easton, and Kroll, and Alderwoman Kilpatrick voted "NO". Tie vote 4-4. Mayor Rodgers voted "NO" to break the tie vote. Motion defeated. Motion by Alderman Walton that Resolution No. R97-55 be passed and adopted, seconded by Alderwoman Kilpatrick. Alderman Temple asked for a roll call vote. Aldermen Walton, Orr, Easton, Kroll, and Alderwoman Kilpatrick voted "YES", Aldermen Temple, Johnson, and Staudinger voted "NO". Motion carried 5--3. APPROVE LEASES FOR RIVERSIDE PARK PROPERTIES: Motion by Riverside Park 8--0. Alderman Johnson to remove from the table the leases for properties, seconded by Alderman Staudinger. Motion carried Motion by Alderwoman KilDatrick to extend the current months while all the necessary precautions are made that seconded by Alderman Johnson. Motion carried 8--0. leases for three have to be done, VIDEO - HIGH SCHOOL RECYCLING PROGRAM: Alderman Johnson introduced Karen Ahmann, who is one of the people in charge of the recycling program at the high school. It involves the agreement with the city and high school regarding the truck used for the recycling program. The program is an upbeat program. Karen said Andy Loebe has been a big supporter of the program. She said there is door to door pickup on Thursday for those people that find it inaccessible because of the steps. The steps are necessary to access the openings. The other complaint is the size of the openings which were designed to keep the neighbor kids out. The openings are just big enough for a bag to slip in. The fence was made of old bleachers. They have been pleased with the community support. She said the activity is growing faster than she expected. They plan to get a separate container for cans because they do not fill up as quickly. Pickup could then be every three weeks rather than once every two weeks. The container is now modified for both. The recycling of newspapers is much better than expected at this point. They are not getting minimum wage yet, that is why they call it profit sharing. It is a school program and an educational program, so they are okay with child labor laws. Their goal is to eventually be up to minimun wage. Everything they make they put back into it by wa~es or containers. Page 3 Council Meeting of December 16, 1997 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel They hope to get another container. The first container was donated from the city. Alderman Johnson stated that he had seen the video earlier and the inside story of the program is fantastic. Recycling is a very positive thing for the community but at the same time, it is a very positive program for the kids that are involved in it. Karen said it meets their needs as far as teaching vocational skills to students. This is their first and far most concern. She thinks they could be much busier recycling if they wanted to, but first they are talking about education. They have tried other ways to teach job skills to students but this has been real positive for them. There is more than the teaching of job skills they expect teenagers to have, but also the understanding of the students capabilities, as far as how long they can be on their feet, etc. These are things she was not aware of. The population they are serving in the Special Ed field are people that are not going to be working at desk jobs. They will need to be physically working. This program has been a good vocational education in directing high school kids as they leave Laurel High School and it has been good for them to have a sense of responsibility for their community as well. She said that recycling has been contagious. The fifth grade students at West School did a fund raiser in their school and bought and paid for the sign. Those kids are future recyclers, only they are doing it in a big way now at their school. It is happening at kindergarten ages, which is good for the community. Recycling is probably impacting the landfill in a positive way. People said they would have rather thrown the items away because it was a headache getting them to Billings. The newspapers are taken to Thermoguard Insulation in Billings. They take brown paper bags, plastic bags, magazines and phone books. A recycling center will only take newspapers. Thermoguard makes yard mulch and bedding mulch for animals as well. They also pay about three times more than a recycling center does. Her son does the recycling in the summers. She tried for two summers to have students work, but found it was difficult because she did not care to work the summers. They want to stay consistent with the recycling throughout the summer. Karen said the Outlook has given them a lot of publicity. They are busy now and could be more so if they had a school vehicle for community pickup. COMMITTEE REPORTS: --Budget/Finance Committee minutes of December 2, 1997 were presented. Motion by Alderman Temple to enter the Budget/Finance Committee minutes of December 2, 1997, into the record, seconded by Alderwoman Kilpatrick. Motion carried 8--0. --City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of December 2, 1997 were presented. Motion by Alderwoman Kilpatrick to enter the City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of December 2, 1997, into the record, seconded by Alderman Kroll. Motion carried 8--0. --Park/Recreation Committee minutes of December 11, 1997 were presented. Motion by Alderwoman Kilpatrick to enter the Park/Recreation Committee minutes of December 11, 1997, into the record, seconded by Alderman Staudinger. Motion carried 8--0. --Public Utilities Committee minutes of December 11, 1997 were presented. Motion by Alderman Orr to enter the Public Utilities Committee minutes of December 11, 1997, into the record, seconded by Alderman Johnson. Motion carried 8--0. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE: Tom Kilpatrick, a previous city council person, was in the audience to be a spectator at the last meeting that his wife, Alderwoman Kilpatrick, would be on the council. He said this is the first time he has come because it is really hard sitting in the audience. He would rather be getting into the action. He said that the council has done a great job. Alderman Johnson referred to the letter to Ken Weaver. The ]e~ter jR ~ n~nfjrm Page 4 Council Meeting of December 16, 1997 Minutes of the City Council of Laurel p.m. in Laurel. He asked for it to be signed and mailed, if no one had any questions. Alderman Staudinger stated that he would like to see more recycling done by the city. Mayor Rodgers commented on the end-of-year report for project goals. Mayor Hodgers presented a plaque to Alderwoman Kilpatrick and thanked her for twelve years of service on the city council. Alderman Kroll congratulated everyone that won election in November. He welcomed Ken Olson to the council. He commented that he got to know Alderwoman Kilpatrick very well and feels she is very honest, giving, willing to help at a moments notice, and the first to be there when a problem needs to be solved. He wishes to thank her for all the years that she spent working hard for the City of Laurel. APPOINTMENTS: Mayor Rodgers reported that he re-appointed Dave Michael to the Yellowstone City-County Health Board and Gay Easton as a representative to the Tradeport Nominating Committee, with Bud Johnson as an alternate. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, meeting was adjourned at 7:57 p.m. the Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 6th day of January, 1998. Attest: Donald L. Hackmann, Clerk-Treasurer