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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 02.01.2000MINUTF, S OF THF, CITY ( OIINCIL OF I IUR! L February 1, 2000 A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, was held in CounCil Chambers and called to order by Mayor Chuck Rodgers at 7:00 p.m. on February 1, 2000. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: the COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Lauren Van Roekel Ken Olson Gay Easton Bill Staudinger Gary Temple Mark Mace Norman Orr Bud Johnson Mayor Rodgers asked the council to observe a moment of silence in behalf of the family of Miranda Fenner. MINUTES: Motion by Alderman Easton to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 18, 2000, as presented, seconded by Alderman Orr. Motion carried 7-0. CORRESPONDENCE: a. Census 2000: Letter of January 13, 2000 regarding participation in the How America Knows What America Needs campaign. b. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Information regarding "HUD in Montana" scheduled for February 17, 2000 in Helena, Montana. c. Montana League of Cities and Towns: Memo of January 20, 2000 regarding Membership Update and Privatization Survey. d. M.M.I.A. January 2000 Winter Issue. e. Letter of January 9, 2000 from J. L. Creecy to the Montana Highway Department regarding traffic problem in Laurel. PUBLIC HEARING: Ordinance No. O00-1: Floodplain Regulations, Amending Section 15.48.010 of the Laurel Municipal Code, ORDINANCE NO. O00-1 AMENDING SECTION 15.48.010 OF THE LAUREL MUNICIPAL CODE, FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS. Mayor Rodgets opened the public hearing. Mayor Rodgets asked if there were any proponents. There were none. Mayor Rodgets asked if there were any opponents. There were none. Motion b3 Alderman Orr to close the public hearing, seconded by Alderman Olson. carded 7-0. CONSENT ITEMS: a. Claims for the mouth of january 2000 in the amount of $553,517.76. b. Committee Reports. Motion Council Minutes of February 1, 2000 --Budget/Finance Committee minutes of January 19, 2000 were presented. --City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of January 18, 2000 were presented. --Laurel Airport Authority minutes of November 30, 1999 were presented. --Emergency Services Committee minutes of January 24, 2000 were presented. c. Resolution No. R00-1: Authorizing agreement with Yellowstone Bank to finance one new sewer jet truck. RESOLUTION NO. R00-1 AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT WITH YELLOWSTONE BANK TO FINANCE ONE NEW SEWER JET TRUCK. The mayor asked if there was any separation of consent items. Alderman Olson separated item 6.b.4) out of the consent agenda. This item became 7.d. on the scheduled matters. Motion by Alderman Johnson to approve the consent items as presented, seconded by Alderman Olson. Motion carried 7-0. SCHEDULED MATTERS: a. Confirmation of Appointments. Police Officer: Mayor Rodgers appointed Ronda Damjanovich as a police officer for the City of Laurel with a one- year probationary period. Motion by Alderman Johnson to confirm the appointment of Ronda Damjanovich as a police officer for the City of Laurel, with a one-year probationary period, seconded by Aideman Orr. Motion carried 7-0. Ordinance No. O00-1: Amending Section 15.48.010 of the Laurel Municipal Code, Floodplain Regulations. Second reading. ORDINANCE NO. O00-1 AMENDING. SECTION 15.48.010 OF THE LAUREL MUNICIPAL CODE, FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS. Motion by Alderman Johnson to approve Ordinance No. O00-1, seconded by Alderman Orr. A roll call vote was taken on the motion to approve Ordinance No. O00-1. All seven aldermen present voted aye. Motion carried 7-0. c. Mid-Year Budget/Project Review: Public Works; Clerk-Treasurer. Clerk-Treasurer: Mary Embleton distributed the 1999-2000 Mid-Year Budget Report for the following funds: General Fund, State Gas Tax Fund, Water Fund, Sewer Fund, Solid Waste Fund, Street Maintenance Fund, Sweeping District Fund, and Lighting Districts Funds. The reports compared budget to actual revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year and also compared actual revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year to last year for the same six- month period. Laurel's allocation in the State Gas Tax Fund was decreased by approximately $6,000 due to a revision in Butte's allocation and to Colstrip's incorporation as a new city. With only a certain amount of gas tax money available for distribution every year, each city loses a portion when there is a change. Council Minutes of February 1, 2000 The Water Fund is on track. The remaining $779,828.00 of the loan money is available for possible use as matching funds for grants for the intake project. Expenditures have exceeded the revenues .in the Sewer Fund for at least the last two years. Therefore, the cash reserves have assisted this fund for that period of time. Mary emphasized that this is a definite problem that requires immediate attention so that the cash reserves are not exhausted. It is important to' keep cash reserves of at least 50 per cent of the appropriations. It is also important to note that Enterprise Funds -- Water, Sewer and Solid Waste -- need to be run for a profit. The profit should be set aside for replacement of the system as it wears out over time. Rates must be kept in line with expenditures and provision for inflationary costs should be included. Similar signs are occurring in the Solid Waste Fund, as revenues are not keeping pace with expenditures. That problem has been recognized, and proposed rate increases are being considered. There are currently excess cash reserves in the Light Districts, and these funds could be used to make improvements in those districts.. The city is currently undergoing a very thorough audit, This audit will bring some procedural issues to light, and the auditors will be recommending some changes. Throughout the upcoming budget process, we will begin to implement some of those recommendations. Mary stated that we will need all the resources we can find to be able to meet the challenges to fund the city' s needs for the future. Alderman Olson thanked Mary Embleton for her presentation and stated that the council needed to consider her recommendations. Public Works Department: Larry McCann stated that $61,000 was budgeted for remodeling in City Hall. Remodeling has been completed in the clerk-treasurer's office and upstairs in Duke, Andy, and Jim's offices, and some work is being done in the council chambers. The space planning issue will be included in the engineering request for proposal. Extra expense was incurred because of the 'arson fire at' the' cemetery. The cemetery building, the backhoe, and the lawn mower have been replaced, leaving only a few hand tools left for replacement. Preliminary designs have been completed for. a sprinkler system at the cemetery, and work will begin to lay the lines as soon as the weather gets warmer. Since this is not a cheap project, it will probably be a three or four-year project. Eleven new camping spots have been installed at Riverside Park. The water lines are installed, and the electrical work will be done soon. Six old camping spots will be changed to tent camping spots. Preliminary engineering has been done on the 5th Avenue rebuild. project. A meeting with Montana Rail Link will determine their participation in the rubber crossing for the railroad track. When that agreement is in place, we will be going out for bids on that project, The new sweeper is in service, Several hydrants are being replaced. The water and sewer lines to South Pond have been completed. A new metal line locator has been purchased, and the jet rodder is in service. Af[er approval by the Budget/Finance Committee, 300-gallon containers will be placed on the west end and. once-a-week pickup will begin. A new 40-yard recycling container will be placed at the recycling center near the high school. The city needs new garbage trucks. We are almost ready to RFP for engineering services, These services would include: space planning for all city departments; the I&I study (infiltration and inflow) for the infiltration of the sewer system; water line replacement; street repair and replacement; and curb, gutter and sidewalk. Engineering services would be billed out separately to each department. The Corps of Engineers will make their presentation on February 23rd at 10:00 a.m. in the Old Council Chambers. All regulatory agencies involved have been invited to this meeting. Council Minutes of February 1, 2000 The City of Laurel will receive some money from the Project Impact Grant. There is adequate time to RFP for grant writing for the Treasure State Endowment Grant, which is due in May. The Corps of Engineers report could be used as the preliminary engineering report for this grant. The caretaker at Riverside Park will be leaving the end of February, and a new person will have to be chosen. Duke Nieskens distributed a handout regarding the problem that snails cause to a wastewater treatment system. Snails tend to grow on rotating biological contactors (RBCs) because the habitat remains stable throughout the year. This has become a problem at the treatment plant. Duke emphasized that maintenance and updating of the RBC units, the clafi~ers, the pumps and the safety and lab equipment is essential for an efficient water and wastewater treatment system. There was $300,000 budgeted for intake repair, and some of the money has already been used for maintenance. Duke stated that the efficient maintenance that has been performed by the employees has preserved the plant. The treatment plant was built in 1985, and the estimated life of a treatment plant is twenty years. Duke said that the plant does have the capability for expansion, with the major concerns being the primary cladtiers, the RBC units and the secondary clafifiers. Duke has staRRed preliminary work regarding the rate structure and the necessity to raise the rates to provide revenues for the necessary work at the treatment plant. He estimated that an infiltration and inflow study would take more than a year, but he could evaluate a recommendation for an adjustment of rates within a month. Mayor Rodgers thanked Larry McCann and Duke Nieskens for their presentations. d. Emergency Services Committee minutes of January 24, 2000. This item was separated out of the consent agenda. Alderman Olson referred to the Emergency Services Committee minutes regarding the safety hazard of ice building up on the north entrance of the FAP Complex. This has been a safety hazard for quite some time and it should be addressed. Mayor Rodgers suggested the possibility for the ambulance to use the other entrance during the winter months for safety reasons should be considered. UNSCHEDULED MATTERS: Jail issue. Motion by Alderman Olson to place the jail issue on the February 15, 2000 agenda, seconded by Alderman Johnson. Motion carried 7-0. Mayor Rodgers mentioned that Rick Musson is working on information regarding the jail issue. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 7:46 Cindy~le~ecr~e~a~~ Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 15th day of February, 2000. Attest: Cha;les G. Rodgers, ~ayor / Mary K~lerk-Treasurer "'