DRAFT – These minutes are not official until approved at the next regular City Council meeting.

City of Bigfork

Regular Meeting November 13, 2007

Members Present: Mayor Amy Tendrup, Richard Salmi, Jean Lexvold, Mike Stevens and Linda Koppelmann

Absent: none

Also Present: City Engineer Julie Kennedy, Jim Manske, Amy Pifher, Police Chief Jon Babcock, Public Works Superintendent Chuck Almhjeld

Mayor Tendrup called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

25-Year Service Recognition - Police Chief Jon Babcock: Mayor Tendrup presented Babcock with a gift of appreciation for his 25 years of service to the City.

Public Forum: Tendrup asked anyone wishing to address the Council to do so at this time. As no one wished to do so, the public forum was closed.

Motion to approve the agenda by Lexvold, seconded by Stevens, motion carried unanimously (MCU).

Consent Agenda Salmi requested that the claims be removed for further discussion.

#1- approval of the minutes of the October 9th regular City Council meeting and October 23rd City Council and Budget Committee special meeting

#2- approval of the Police Report for October 2007

#3- approval of the City Clerk’s Office Report for October 2007

#4- approval of the Financial Report for October 2007

#5- approval of the Public Works Department report for October 2007

#6- removed for further discussion

Motion by Lexvold to approve the Consent Agenda, seconded by Koppelmann, MCU.

Copies of documentation relating to any consent agenda item are available at the City Clerk’s office.

Commissioners' Reports: Airport Commissioner Salmi reported that he has often found the airport gate left unlocked and asked that the Police and Maintenance Departments check the gate regularly.

Tendrup reported that the County is looking more favorably on the City's request for the parcel of land adjacent to the cemetery to be used for expansion. She also reported that the County will give $6,000 toward the airport in 2008 and may be able to secure more funds through the Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board.

Consent Agenda Item #6: Salmi questioned claims from Unger's and Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. Motion by Lexvold to approve the claims paid in the amount of $24,845.84, including the October 15th and 31st payrolls, and the claims for payment in the amount of $19,391.74, MCU.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Engineer's Updates: City Engineer Julie Kennedy's first update was on the airport mound system. She reported that she has had many conversations with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and representatives from Bergquist and our various funding sources over the past month. The MPCA is now willing to allow the City to rehabilitate the existing mound system. Kennedy held a meeting with Bergquist officials earlier in the day and they were supportive of this option. Kennedy reviewed that this is the practical-approach option that the Council had discussed nearly one year ago, however the MPCA would not approve of it at that time. Now that we have completed additional testing and investigation, they are willing to approve the plans. A motion was made by Salmi and seconded by Lexvold to have Kennedy move forward with this course of action, MCU. Kennedy laid out the following timeline for the project. She will immediately apply for a permit extension from the MPCA and for approval of the corrective action plan. In December, plans and specifications for the project will be put together, approved by the Council, and submitted to the MPCA for approval. The project will be advertised for bid in April and bid in May with construction to be completed as soon as possible after that. Kennedy and Public Works Superintendent Chuck Almhjeld will closely monitor the system's performance through the summer. In August, the whole thing will be reviewed and a decision made on whether or not any further action is necessary.

Kennedy next updated the Council on the easement for the Holt water line. The locations of the curb stops have been surveyed and the legal description is currently being written and provided to City Attorney Andy Shaw in order to establish the easement.

Kennedy's final item was the 2008 water and sewer budgets and rates. She reviewed that the Council and Budget Committee had determined at their most recent work session that the rate structure needed to be changed so that the base rate covers all of the fixed costs of the system. She, Storlie and Almhjeld are working to determine which costs are fixed and which are usage-based. Another issue that was discussed was the significant decrease in the amount of water sold compared to previous years. Kennedy reported that Almhjeld had a number of meters in town calibrated recently and has discovered that one meter at the hospital and one at the school are not accurately capturing the usage at those locations and will be replaced. A work session was set for 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday December 4th to continue work on the budgets and rates.

NEW BUSINESS:

Proposed Assessment Role for Delinquent Water/Sewer Accounts: Storlie presented the list of water and sewer accounts that are delinquent to date and stated that the Council needed a motion to forward the list to the County Auditor for assessment to property taxes. Motion to send to County Auditor for assessment by Tendrup, seconded by Lexvold, MCU.

Reconsideration of Hall Use Fees: After passing an increase in the charges for use of the City Hall at the last meeting, the TOPS group has requested reconsideration. The Planning & Zoning Commission has reviewed this and recommended that the Council set the rate at $65 per year. Motion by Lexvold to accept the recommendation, seconded by Stevens, MCU.

Resolution 2007-22 - 2008-2009 Airport O&M Agreement: Motion to pass Resolution 2007-22 by Koppelmann, seconded by Salmi, MCU.

Review of Proposals for 2007 Audit: Motion by Lexvold to accept the proposal from Miller, McDonald, seconded by Koppelmann, MCU.

Transfers: Motion by Lexvold to make the transfers as budgeted and presented, seconded by Koppelmann, MCU.

OTHER BUSINESS:

MS Society Gambling Permit: The Council received a request from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a lawful gambling permit at the Bigfork Wilderness Bar. Storlie informed the Council that they can grant the permit by resolution and that they have the option of collecting a ten percent tax on the gambling proceeds to be used for certain expenses of the City. Motion by Koppelmann, seconded by Salmi to have Storlie prepare a draft ordinance, have Shaw review it, and present it at the December meeting for approval, MCU.

The Council set two meeting dates for union negotiations, Monday November 26th and Friday November 30th, both at 6:00 p.m. Tendrup asked that Storlie notify City Personnel Attorney John Licke of the meetings.

Lexvold asked what the City could do about hazardous and abandoned trailers in the trailer court. Babcock stated he would take a look at it and talk to the managers of the park.

Mayor Tendrup adjourned the meeting at 7:04 p.m.

Angie Storlie

City Clerk/Treasurer