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Shafer City Council met October 3 for a regular meeting.  Mayor Paula Hanson and council member Nick Brehm were absent as well as city engineer Lucas Jones.  

The council moved quickly with council member Brad Swenson as acting mayor.  In new business, the council discussed the removal of a few trees along Reed Avenue.  Maintenance supervisor Dan Cooper told the council the trees had grown into the city’s drainage utility easement and probably should be removed.  Cooper told the council he did ask for bids but to date has only received one quote.  The council tabled the discussion until Cooper had at least three estimates.

The council then officially passed an ordinance changing council meeting times to 6 p.m. instead of the usual 7 p.m.  The ordinance passed 3-0.

The council then passed a resolution accepting a Shafer Days donation for $20 from the book sale of Swamp to Village during Shafer Days.

The council then had a lengthy discussion about pay for meetings.  More precisely pay for meetings where others don’t show up and there is not a quorum.  Some of the discussion centered on asking repeat offenders who rarely make meetings to possibly step down while the other centered around if they should get paid for showing up.  Acting mayor Swenson made a motion to pay members if they show up for meetings even if there are not enough members for a quorum.  

Currently the mayor receives $75 per meeting while council members receive $50 per meeting and committee members receive $25 per meeting. The motion which will be reviewed in January passed 3-0.

The council then passed a resolution to transfer $15,000 from the general fund to the Fire Department Gambling Fund which sets money aside for a new fire hall in the future.  

The council then set a budget meeting requested by city finance director Richard Hill for October 11 at 6 p.m.

In the maintenance report, Cooper told the council he met with resident Adam Boleman to discuss the ice rink and flooding this winter.  Cooper told the council Boleman had offered to flood the rink with the condition he flood a pleasure rink on the side, for residents to skate on when the rink is used by a team. The council agreed as long as Boleman keeps in contact with the maintenance department.

Cooper then submitted his supplemental hours for serving as the city zoning administrator.  Cooper sent out 40 letters of zoning code non compliance in September and 23 of those did comply.  

Council adjourned at 6:24 p.m.

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