HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole Minutes 09.17.2002MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2002 6:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Chairman Bud Johnson
Lauren Van Roekel
Ken Olson
Gay Easton
Dan Mears
Doug Poehls
Mazk Mace
Daniel Dart
John Oakes
OTHERS PRESENT:
Matt Erekson
Larry McCann
Mayor Johnson asked Cindy to clarify the dates of the committee meetings. As shown on the
committee list, Public Works Committee meetings aze scheduled for the Monday between
council meetings each month. The Emergency Services Committee meetings are scheduled for
the Monday following the second council meeting each month. In October, the Public Works
Committee will meet on Monday, October 7t", and the Emergency Services Committee will meet
on Monday, October 21st. Because of Columbus Day on October 14`h, the BudgetlFinance
Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 15u at 5:00 p.m.
The ordinance for the new agenda deadline will go into effect on October 3`a. If there aze five
Tuesdays in a month, the Council Workshop will be held on the fifrh Tuesday.
Mayor Johnson stated that item 6.a. on the council agenda should read: Clerk/Treasurer's
Financial Statements for the month of August 2002, not September 2002.
Larry McCann gave an update on the intake. The $400,000 plus an additional $38,000 has been
spent. The bills were sent to the Corp of Engineers, and Larry talked to Clyde Allen and
everything seemed to be acceptable to him. COP Construction will probably start putting in the
temporary water supply for the City of Laurel next week. Temporary water will be in use until
the project is done. The existing pump house will be used until the contract is awarded to put in
the intake. After the successful contractor gives us a date to begin the intake, ACE Electric will
throw an electrical switch and the city will be on temporary water until it is done. That has been
set up so the existing pump house can be torn down. An organization called Water for Humanity
wants to have the old pumps and would give them to a third world country. Larry can tell HKM
to salvage the pumps. It would be a council decision whether or not the city wants to participate
in that, as we were going to throw them away and were not intending to salvage them. The list
of what needs to be salvaged out of the building includes a fairly new furnace and the switchgeaz
for Cenex's generator. Since we cannot track down who owns the actual switchgeaz, it will be
salvaged and given to Cenex. The guys have been working hazd down there. We aze spending
two hours every day of the week, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, filling the
bladders at the river. One worker is paid overtime every weekend day and holiday in order to do
that, but it has to be done.
City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of September 17, 2002
Water rationing will not be necessary while the city is on temporary water. Water usage to run
the refinery and the city in the winter will be covered by the 3,000 gallons/minute that will be
available with the double pumps. If one pump goes bad, the other pump can be used. Water
usage in the city has historically been about 2,500 gallons/minute from now until the first of
March. The pumps do not have a variable speed, and there is no way to control them. Once they
are on, they are on. Water that is not used will go through the waste system and back into the
river. The salvage value of the brass in the pumps would be about $1,000 to $1,500.
The council discussion was held during this meeting.
Mayor Johnson stated that legislators and legislative candidates would be hosted at the
Yellowstone Coalition meeting scheduled at noon on Wednesday, September 25a'. Information
that focuses on tax reform and economic development will be presented. Copies of the
information will be distributed to the council when it is available.
Mark could not attend the recent LEPC meeting. A tabletop exercise is scheduled for October
2"a and the information was distributed in the council boxes.
Ken stated that there have been ongoing committee meetings with the opportunity to improve the
aquatics in the city. The people on the committee have worked diligently and pursued different
avenues and are at the point where they need direction. Ken stated that the council should
support the Swimming Pool Task Force so they can expand their research and study and have
some direction. Ken asked that this subject be addressed at the next council workshop. Mayor
Johnson stated that the possibilities needed to be determined. The task force has a lot of
information, and an evaluation to determine the best opportunity for the task force to share with
the council and the community should be made.
Gay is attending athree-day meeting of the Yellowstone Conservation River Council this week.
The Corps of Engineers and eleven conservation districts are studying the river from
Yellowstone Park to the confluence of the Missouri River in North Dakota. Pictures of the
landscape are being taken.
Gay recently represented the City of Laurel at the groundbreaking of the Canyon Creek Battle
Wayside Interpretive Shelter that will be built near the Chief Joseph Memorial. Members of the
Nez Perce Tribe participated in the ceremony. There will be a dedication when the project is
completed. Mayor Johnson thanked Gay for representing the city at this occasion.
The meeting adjourned at 6:48 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
~~
Cindy Allen
Council Secretary
z