Center City Council gets good news from fire department and pump house nearly done

Newly elected council member Scott Anderson, reelected Mayor Jill Behnke and reelected council member Mark Wolcott took the oath of office before Center City’s first meeting of 2013. All council members, staff and the city engineer were present. The council unanimously approved the appointment list, which is essentially the same as last year. Minor changes in committee assignments include Anderson joining the Parks (alternate) and Grants Committees, the Highway 8 Task Force, and the Planning Commission as the council representative. Lloyd Vetter will serve as alternate council representative on the Planning Commission and also joined the Safety Committee. Madonna Higgins will serve on the Personnel and Sexual Harassment Committees with Vetter.

Assistant Fire Chief Travis Greene presented the Center City Volunteer Fire Department’s annual report. Volunteers remain at 22. Last year the department responded to 144 calls. Of the 116 medical calls, 63 were to Hazelden. Greene expects that pull tab revenues will be down next year but said other fundraisers such as pancake breakfasts are doing great. The auxiliary, consisting of about eight families, is active and supportive. The department received a grant to assist in the purchase of wild land personal protection gear and the city qualifies for a $1,000 grant to replace the siren. While the siren does not need replacement, Greene reported that the money can be used for maintenance and repairs that were made in the past five years. City staff will check records for reimbursable expenses. The new radios required for the 800 MHz upgrade that went live last year, cost $1500 less than expected. The fire department is purchasing a 30-watt generator from the DNR through a rural fire departments grant. The city/fire department can have it for a three-month trial period before making a final decision. City Engineer Les Mateffy commented that the city would have a few thousand dollars into the 1984 machinery by the time it is put into service, but with less than 5000 hours on it, he felt this “beast” was a good middle step for the city and fire department’s emergency power needs. The council had previously reviewed bids ranging from $57,000 to $64,000 for a new generator. City Maintenance Supervisor Paul Harvey reviewed snow removal procedures.

The council may consider snow emergency procedures in the future. There are six applicants for part time on call maintenance assistant. The personnel committee and city maintenance supervisor will review the applications, then select three to be interviewed on January 15. A new assistant should be on board by February. The council approved final payouts for the downtown improvement to Dresel Contracting totaling $18,083. Mateffy reported that a total of 408 yards of contaminated soil was removed during construction. The state Petro Fund allows for reimbursement for 107 yards, but the city has been advised to submit a request for payment to the fund for the total amount. Mateffy reported that the initial Minnesota Department of Health’s inspection of pump house #1 is done and the recommended tweaks are nearing completion. The council approved final payouts for $8403 to several contractors for the pump house construction. Mateffy said the total cost of the pump house replacement was on budget at around $200,000. In other business the council unanimously approved: * Renewal of the consulting contract with Municipal Development Group.

* League of Minnesota Cities sponsored training for newly elected officials for Scott Anderson in February, Brooklyn Center. *Maintenence Supervisor Paul Harvey’s training at the Minnesota Rural Water Conference in March, St. Cloud, for his water operator license renewal. Mayor Behnke announced that sixteen inches of ice on North Center Lake makes the area’s Celebration of the Lakes ON the lake is a “go.” City’s website for a complete schedule of events for this.