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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 03.19.2013 MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF LAUREL March 19, 2013 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 Ken Olson at 6:30 p.m. on March 19, 2013. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Emelie Eaton Doug Poehls Mark Mace Scot Stokes Chuck Dickerson Tom Nelson Bill Mountsier COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Bruce McGee OTHER STAFF PRESENT: None Mayor Olson led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mayor Olson asked the council to observe a moment of silence. MINUTES: Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of March 5, 2013, as presented, seconded by Council Member Mace. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. CORRESPONDENCE: Montana Department of Transportation: Letter of March 8, 2013 regarding 2013 -2017 Draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. PUBLIC HEARING: None. CONSENT ITEMS: • Clerk/Treasurer Financial Statements for the month of February 2013. • Approval of Payroll Register for PPE 03/03/2013 totaling $177,950.21. • Receiving the Committee Reports into the Record. - - Budget/Finance Committee minutes of March 5, 2013 were presented. -- City- County Planning Board minutes of March 7, 2013 were presented. - - Public Works Committee minutes of February 11, 2013 were presented. -- Council Workshop minutes of March 12, 2013 were presented. -- Emergency Services Committee minutes of February 25, 2013 were presented. - -Lease Task Force minutes of March 4, 2013 were presented. -- Laurel Urban Renewal Agency minutes of February 19, 2013 were presented. - - Library Board minutes of September 9, 2012 were presented. -- Library Board minutes of October 9, 2012 were presented. — The mayor asked if there was any separation of consent items. There was none. 1 Council Minutes of March 19, 2013 Motion by Council Member Mace to approve the consent items as presented, seconded by Council Member Dickerson. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. CEREMONIAL CALENDAR: None. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: None. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION (THREE- MINUTE LIMIT): None. SCHEDULED MATTERS: • Confirmation of Appointments: Laurel Ambulance Service Mayor Olson appointed Samantha Maxwell to the Laurel Ambulance Service. Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve the Mayor's appointment of Samantha Maxwell to the Laurel Ambulance Service, seconded by Council Member Nelson. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. • Resolution No. R13 -14: A resolution of the City Council authorizing the Mayor to sign a contract with the Billings Family YMCA for the operation and management of the City of Laurel Municipal Pool. Motion by Council Member Poehls to approve Resolution No. R13 -14, seconded by Council Member Dickerson. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. • Resolution No. R13 -15: A resolution of the City Council adopting the Laurel Transportation System Coordination Plan. Motion by Council Member Dickerson to approve Resolution No. R13 -15, seconded by Council Member Mace. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. • Resolution No. R13 -16: A resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign an Engagement Letter with Dorsey & Whitney, LLP as bond counsel for the issuance of Special Improvement District Bonds for Special Improvement District No. 115 and Special Improvement District No. 116. Motion by Council Member Mountsier to approve Resolution No. R13 -15, seconded by Council Member Poehls. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA: None. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (ONE- MINUTE LIMIT): None. COUNCIL DISCUSSION: Council Member Poehls stated that the Emergency Services Committee will not meet on Monday, March 25 Council Member Mace will check on the status of the March 7 Park Board minutes. Council Member Mountsier asked for discussion regarding signage issues at Riverside Park on the next council workshop agenda. Council Member Stokes stated that the Cemetery Commission will meet on Thursday, March 21 at 5:30 p.m. 2 I' Council Minutes of March 19, 2013 Mayor Olson attended today's MDOT meeting in Billings. Stefan Streeter, Gary Neville, the County Commissioners, several of the engineers from the County and the City of Billings, Public Works Director Kurt Markegard and Council Member Eaton attended the meeting. Copies of the proposed project information MDOT provided will be distributed to the council tomorrow. At the meeting, MDT reviewed the proposed projects. Two projects of interest to the City of Laurel include the project south of Laurel to Silesia and the west interchange project. The project on highway 212/312 will start later this summer when MDT starts the overpass over the railroad. Next year, MDT will work on the connector at Silesia and construction of the road will start the following year. Mayor Olson stated that the west interchange project is scheduled for 2017. The interchange does not involve any formal conveyance over the railroad, which he hoped would happen in order to find a solution to isolation of Laurel's south side. City staff will meet with MDT to discuss the funding for Laurel's next project and when it will be declared. MDT has not notified the City of Laurel to — pick a priority project, which allows the city time to complete a Transportation Plan. The current fiscal budget includes $40,000 for a Transportation Plan and a matching MDT grant has been received. The last time Stefan Streeter spoke to the council, he encouraged the city to have a Transportation Plan done to address future needs. Commissioner Kennedy is actively involved in the discussion regarding the interchange project, and he asked Stefan if the city could bond against a project of that magnitude. Stefan will look into that question. At the meeting, Stefan Streeter indicated that the project is to alleviate the safety concerns of the camber turn on the interstate, not to alleviate the isolation on the south side of Laurel. Because of the curve of the road and the fact that it is above ground, ice forms when there is moisture in the winter and has caused some major accidents there, which is the underlying reason and rationale behind MDT revisiting the interchange to the west of Laurel. The City of Laurel's subsequent concern is the isolation of the south side. MDT found the funding for their primary concern, but they have not found the funding for the city's concern. Finding funding would be the task for the City of Laurel, should it desire to implement that as a project. Council Member Eaton stated that Stefan Streeter and everyone in the department was willing to work with the City of Laurel to try to organize the whole process so that the project could be identified and then find funding for it. She stated that Scott Walker, of the City of Billings City - County Transportation Plan Board, shared his experience in adjusting streets that had been identified as urban routes and had been improved and the ability to identify another location for funding. Mayor Olson spoke further regarding the 2017 project, the time needed to gather information and to secure funding, Commissioner Kennedy's support of the project, the bypass project over the Yellowstone River that will connect in the Billings Heights, how the project will shut down Bench Boulevard and force more traffic on to Main Street, the impact of eminent domain on property owners on Mary Avenue, the effects on the City of Billings and the City of Laurel, the mill and fill project in the City of Billings, and the CTEP (Community Transportation Enhancement Program) projects included in the MDT information. Mayor Olson explained that Knife River has been contracted by WBI, Williston Basin, to remove the pipe from the Yellowstone River, as required by the Federal agencies. Knife River has a track hoe in the river about 150 to 200 yards south of the bridge to pull out the pipe. Donnes, Inc. was contracted by the City of Laurel to dig the diversion ditch upstream of the bridge to bring water downstream and tie into the north intake. Donnes is removing the sediment left there from the last flood. By Army Corps mandate, the sediment has to be transported to an approved site, which is the city's container site. UNSCHEDULED MATTERS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Council Member Nelson to adjourn the council meeting, seconded by Council Member Eaton. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All seven council members present voted aye. Motion carried 7 -0. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. 3 F----- Council Minutes of March 19, 2013 Cindy AllerhiCouncil Secretary Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 2 day of April, 2013. 4 "i/ nneth E. Olson, J / ayor Attest: Shirley Ewan, Clefk/Treasurer 4