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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 01.06.2015 MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF LAUREL January 6, 2015 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 Mark Mace at 6:30 p.m. on January 6, 2015. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Emelie Eaton Doug Poehls Bruce McGee (6:33) Richard Herr Chuck Dickerson Scot Stokes Tom Nelson Bill Mountsier COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None OTHER STAFF PRESENT: None Mayor Mace led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Mayor Mace asked the council to observe a moment of silence. MINUTES: Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of December 16, 2014, 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. CORRESPONDENCE. COUNCIL DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS. PUBLIC HEARING. CONSENT ITEMS: • Claims for the month of December 2014 in the amount of$1,230,130.91. A complete listing of the claims and their amounts is on file in the Clerk-Treasurer's Office. • Approval of Payroll Register for PPE 12/21/2014 totaling $169,314.00. • Receiving the Committee/Board/Commission Reports into the Record. --Budget/Finance Committee minutes of December 16, 2014 were presented. --Special City-County Planning Board minutes of December 16, 2014 were presented. --Council Workshop minutes of December 30, 2014 were presented. The mayor asked if there was any separation of consent items. There was none. Motion by Council Member Eaton to approve the consent items as presented, seconded by Council Member Nelson. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0. CEREMONIAL CALENDAR: None. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: None. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION (THREE-MINUTE LIMIT): Council Minutes of January 6,2015 Iry Wilke, 1017 7th Avenue, reported on the turkey shoot the Laurel Rod and Gun Club held on Sunday. It was around 4 degrees, the wind was blowing a little bit and it snowed all day. The event started about 10:00 a.m. and twenty shooters attended. They shot eleven rounds of trap, gave away 13 turkeys, did an Annie Oakley round, and were done at 3:00 p.m. as planned. The protocol in the city's lease agreement was followed. The club is looking forward to the next turkey shoot in February. SCHEDULED MATTERS: • Confirmation of Appointments. • Resolution No. R15-01: A resolution of intent to adopt an official Schedule of Fees and Charges for the City of Laurel, repealing all previous resolutions that set fees or charges that conflict with the schedule attached hereto upon its effective date. Motion by Council Member Poehls to approve Resolution No. R15-01, seconded by Council Member Mountsier. There was no public comment or council discussion. A vote was taken on the motion. All eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0. ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA: None. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (ONE-MINUTE LIMIT): None. COUNCIL DISCUSSION: Council Member Poehls commented on the city crew's great work to remove the snow. Council Member Herr commended the city crew, as he has seen the four people out pushing snow and they are doing a great job. Council Member Stokes mentioned that the Park Board meeting is on Thursday, January 8th, in the council chambers. Council Member Mountsier concurred that it amazes him that the four people in the city crew can do as much work as they are doing to remove the snow. Council Member Nelson reminded the council of the Cemetery Commission meeting next Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers. Council Member Dickerson asked for discussion at the next council workshop regarding the possibility of raising the council tables to a height to accommodate sliding the chairs underneath the table. Council Member Eaton presented two items. First, she asked for a report at the next workshop as to whose responsibility it is to clear the section of Fifth Avenue that intersects with the railroad crossing. It has gotten quite bumpy with the trains coming by and their weight and speed clearing it down to the rails. Even though the snow was cleared, it creates a mogul effect. She would like to know whose responsibility it is in order to respond to questions. —' Council Member Eaton's second item was a request for discussion whether or not it is possible for a council member to "attend" a council meeting via some electronic means. She bowed out of a meeting that she was supposed to attend in Billings today because she was able to do it electronically. Since certain council members have to come racing home from work some weeks, she asked for discussion at the next council workshop. Mayor Mace asked Council Member Eaton if she wished to discuss snow routes. Council Member Eaton stated that the Budget/Finance Committee instructed staff to prepare information so the public could receive notification of the snow routes, plowing procedures and the city's responsibility for plowing, especially with the recent heavy snowfall. The committee hoped that an article could be published in the Laurel Outlook. Council Member Herr stated that the railroad was working on the crossing by Fox Lumber today. He did not think they were going to get to it until spring. Council Minutes of January 6,2015 Mayor Mace stated the public works director informed him that the city closed the street for a private contractor and the railroad has nothing to do with it. He assumes it will be repaired with some kind of a concrete agent because there is no asphalt available right now. Council Member Mountsier recently found out that one of the supervisors at Rail Link locked that track out over two weeks ago so there has not been any movement on it. The ice has built up so bad that they could not move a box car across there. Mayor Mace stated that might have done it, as their supply could not come in. UNSCHEDULED MATTERS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Council Member Herr 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 eight council members present voted aye. Motion carried 8-0. There being no further business to come before the council at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 6:47 p.m. Cindy Allah, Council Secretary Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City of Laurel, Montana, this 20th day of January, 2015. Mark A. Mace, Mayor Attest: Shirley Ewan, Clerk/Treasurer 3