---

The new city zoning administrator will start her job in Taylors Falls June 20.  Mayor Weiberg reported Monday night this week she had accepted the offer as approved by council two weeks prior. (Story Press May 18.)

The mayor led the council members in a subsequent long discussion about the city’s clerk and treasurer positions. The city operations would benefit, he said, by splitting the posts and the current two staffers could opt for one or the other. He added separating the duties will improve accountability and promote better understanding of responsibilities and the workflow will be improved, so the office doesn’t shut down if one can’t be at work. He said the “temporary” staffer has shown a commitment to the city and the flexible hours worked out to accommodate her family.  He has spoken with her about becoming a permanent employee.  Later, though, the mayor voted to seek applicants for each post.

Council member Larry Julik Heine felt council action on both the clerk-treasurer split and posting could wait until the zoning administrator joins the team and work site job skills and dynamics get a chance to find a groove.  

The vote to create a treasurer and a clerk position then was 4-1 with Julik Heine opposed.

Council member Troy Aanonsen argued next to post the newly-split jobs.  There would be applications, interviews and advertising involved in this.

Council member Lee Samuelson quickly concurred.  

Council member Tim Grote said it sends the wrong message to the two current employees, who he felt will be offended seeing the jobs advertised.  Mayor Weiberg said nobody should construe this search for applicants as council being dis-satisfied in any form with the performance of existing staff.

Grote said staff are doing the combined duties well already and in the private sector it would be “highly unusual” to not simply grant existing staff the chance to express a job preference in a restructuring and go from there.  Julik Heine said this whole process will just cost the taxpayers money and delay progress the city has made in finally rebounding from years of staffing problems.

The vote to accept applications was 3-2 with  Julik Heine and Grote voting no.

Samuelson and Aanonsen were on the same side again with the vote to proceed on making utility payments available on-line. The two felt the residents (customers) of the city water system should pay the service fees the credit-processing company wants to assess.

The other council members felt the city needs to collect  delinquent water bills of some $37,000 and it should be as simple as possible for residents to get current.

The city would be charged an upfront yearly 1.5 percent transaction fee, which is a slight discount from the customer fee.

Council member Grote argued that for a small sum Taylors Falls might get a better participation rate, with no surcharge,  and get caught up on the delinquent bills.

The mayor suggested trying the new system for six months and seeing how it goes with the customer not being assessed transactional costs.  This ended up being supported 5-0.  He stressed that many bills are for small amounts and people should not be hesitating about contacting city hall and cleaning up their past due water accounts.  

Taylors Falls does not shut off water, historically, but this could be instituted.  Council seemed open to first putting late sums on property tax statements and shut off as the last step, however. The mayor asked the council to think about the enforcement approach on unpaid bills and they’ll have more discussion at a future meeting.

The electronic payment system will be directed to be activated. The processor will accept debit or credit cards or electronic checks.

It took almost six months but the Shafer Township fire service contract has been okayed by council, with township supervisors reportedly ready to review it at the next meeting.  Council member Aanonsen said the contract runs through 2024 with two installments of about $5,000 each year for a little over $19,000 total.

Apparently it’s a flat fee and the council suggested the next contract work in number of runs and a method to build up funds for fire department capital expenses in the near future. 

A 5-0 vote authorized a project to update the chemical water treatment equipment at a not-to-exceed sum of $5,000.  There’s no issues with the quality of consumable water but valves and pumps are aging and this is recommended by public works.

---