In the Heart of Minnesota's Vacation and Recreational Area

AKELEY CITY COUNCIL

REGULAR MEETING

JULY 8, 2009

7:00 PM CITY HALL

 

JULY AGENDA

 

1.         Call the Meeting to Order

2.         Pledge of Allegiance    

3.         Approve Consent Agenda of…

a)      Minutes from June 10^th Regular Meeting & June 18^th Special Meeting

b)      June 2009 Treasurer’s Report

c)      June 2009 Bills for Payment from Check #_____  to Check #_____  including Automatic Bank Payments               

4.         Approve Liability Coverage Waiver Form for Municipality Insurance

5.         Review % of Pull Tab Rent to Go to Liquor Store & Community Fund (Per 1-14-09 Council    Meeting)

6.         Bob Winner – Liquor Store Report

7.         Frank Thelin – Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report

8.         Eric Klein – Police Report

9.         Resolution Approving to Hire Travis Carlson as Part-Time Police Officer

10.       Approve to Update Animal Chapter of Code of Ordinances Limiting the # of Domesticated       Animals Allowed (Ordinance No. 05-09, An Ordinance Amending Chapter 91 of the Akeley       Code of Ordinances Relating to Animals)

11.       Old Business

a)      Paul Bunyan Statue Repair

12.       New Business/Public Forum

13.       Adjourn

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AKELEY CITY COUNCIL

REGULAR MEETING

JULY 8, 2009

7:00 PM CITY HALL

 

The Akeley City Council met in a regular meeting Wednesday July 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm.  Mayor Scott Vettleson called the meeting to order.  Council members present were:  Troy Hegg, Jon Johnson, Jennifer Mitchell and Cliff Johnson.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by the Council and attending audience.

 

Motion by Troy Hegg seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried to approve the consent agenda consisting of the June regular meeting and June 18^th special meeting minutes, the June 2009 treasurer’s report and the June bills paid from check #5598 to check # 5758 including automatic bank payments.

 

Motion by Jon Johnson seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to not waive the monetary limits on tort liability established by Minnesota Statute 466.04 for municipality insurance.

 

Some discussion was held regarding pull tab rent paid to the liquor store.  At the January 14, 2009 regular council meeting when the percentage of rent money was changed to 100% to the liquor store fund and 0% to the community fund, the council wanted to review it again in July.

 

Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Jon Johnson and carried to leave the rent as it is with 100% going to the liquor store fund and 0% going into the community fund and to review this again at the January 13, 2010 meeting.

 

Liquor Store Report – Bob Winner

 

• Bob asked Eric Pilgrim from ACS Security Solutions to be present to share a proposal with the council regarding a Honeywell Closed Circuit Video Monitoring System at the liquor store which would provide security on the outside and better security on the inside.  Mayor Vettleson said he would like the council to have more time to review the proposal and to check to see if the City’s insurance would go down with the increased security.      

 

Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried to table until next month a decision regarding a new security system at the liquor store.    

 

Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report - Frank Thelin   

 

• Frank recommended having J Dennis and R Girtz do the necessary work on the boat landing.  He said the DNR is giving the City of Akeley the clamps and pads but the City of Akeley will have to provide the crushed rock which is needed.  Mayor Vettleson said he thought the work should be done.  Jon Johnson asked if the DNR was ok with having this work done.  Frank replied that they were.

 

Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Cliff Johnson and carried to have the necessary work on the boat landing done and to pay for it out of the community fund.

 

• Frank said he would like to sit down with Cliff Johnson and Troy Hegg before the next meeting to discuss the capital improvement plan for the roads.  He said he would like the roads to be looked at so it could be determined what the cost would be to repair them. 

• The lift station at the campground was repaired.

• Two U-joints and two wheel hubs were repaired on the irrigator. 

• Cliff Johnson asked if there was an issue with rebar at the boat landing.  Frank said it had been pulled out on Friday.

 

Police Report - Eric Klein

 

·        Eric said Paul Bunyan Days went well and that he had received a call from MN DOT regarding the parade permit stating they appreciated the cooperation from the police department during the parade.

 

Mayor Vettleson said he wanted to personally thank and believes the City should thank all of the people involved with Paul Bunyan Days, especially Denice and Lee Johnson who he said should be commended for all of their work and stated that it wasn’t their fault that the carnival did not show up.    

 

·        Eric said he was unable to attend the Taser class but will be attending another class soon.

·        During Akeley cleanup days 4 large dumpsters were filled and hauled away.  The police department will continue to enforce blight and garbage ordinances.

·        Eric wanted to thank those responsible for painting the crosswalks at Hwy 34 and Graceson.  Travis Carlson, Matt McCollough and Eric Klein donated their time painting them and completed them in time for Paul Bunyan Days.  Mayor Vettleson thanked them personally and on behalf of the City for their work.

·        Eric stated that there is no limit in the city ordinance on the number of cats a resident can have.  He would like to see the ordinance amended to show a limited number of cats to match the number of dogs which currently is two.  Mayor Vettleson asked if cats are licensed since it states in the ordinance that “cats are to be included insofar as running at large, pickup, impounding, boarding, licensing and proof of anti-rabies vaccine is concerned”.  (At this point in time, there is no record of licenses being issued to cats).  Eric said he also would like to see a work session set up to discuss issues ranging from number of animals allowed to dangerous animals.  Eric, Cliff Johnson and Jennifer Mitchell will set up a meeting to review Chapter 91, the animal chapter of the Akeley Code of Ordinances before the next meeting.

·        Eric respectfully asked the Council if they would reconsider allowing an officer to assist at the SAFE Program.  He said last year when there was an officer present, there was only one issue that came up and at this point in time there have been 3 incidents without an officer present.  Mayor Vettleson said he would like to leave it as it is, to have the police department drive by more when on duty and to have the SAFE Program instructor call if she needs assistance.

·        Clarification was needed for part-time officer training.  Eric said he realized the council felt that during field training the officers should not be compensated but wondered about state mandated training.  He said a portion of the state mandated training costs is reimbursed by POST but he wasn’t sure if the percentage was around 30 or 40%.  Mayor Vettleson asked Cliff Johnson to sit down with Eric regarding this and said if it looks good (within budget) he didn’t have a problem with it.

·        Eric requested the Council’s permission to sponsor and hire Travis Carlson as a part-time/full-time licensed police officer.  He said the Akeley Police Department has benefited by having him as a reserve officer for two and a half years and with his many hours of volunteered work for the police department and City, he has applied for and received much needed equipment such as a light bar and camera for the squad.  Eric also stated that he is with the fire department, a TASER instructor, an EMT and he feels he would be a great asset to the Akeley Police Department and the community.  Cliff Johnson said he would say no at this time.  Jennifer Mitchell asked how many part time officers the police department currently has and how many hours they normally cover.  Eric stated they are used as needed and that there are 3 active officers and one who is inactive.  Troy Hegg asked if he still has a lot of part time hours left for the year and Eric responded that he does and that he would stay within his budget.  Cliff Johnson asked what wage part-time officers are starting at.  Part-time officers start out at $12.00 per hour.  Mayor Vettleson stated that at this time he would have to agree with Cliff Johnson and say no.

 

Motion by Cliff Johnson seconded by Jon Johnson and carried to approve to hold off on hiring Travis Carlson as a part-time police officer at this time and to revisit a decision next month.

 

·        Eric stated that he and Frank Thelin had discussed the call regarding illegal dumping in town and he will also talk to Cliff Johnson and Jennifer Mitchell about this when they meet to go over the animal ordinance.

 

Old Business

 

Mayor Vettleson stated that he had discussed with Dean and Sam Krotzer, the possibility of having the lower portion of the Paul Bunyan Statue sprayed with the same type of undercoating which had been used for the police squad truck (which would increase durability of the statue), however the Krotzers stated that it would change the artistic integrity of the statue.  The mayor suggested having Jon Johnson sit down with the Krotzers in which Jon would get a more detailed estimate and a guarantee.  Cliff Johnson stated that he would like to see if the Lions, C & C or other organizations in town would be willing to donate money towards the repair of the statue.  Mayor Vettleson stated that the title of ownership has not been transferred from the C & C to the City at this point in time.

 

Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Cliff Johnson and carried to get a more detailed estimate with a guarantee from the Krotzers and to pay up to $6,400 for repair of the statue from the community fund.

 

New Business

 

Police Reserve Travis Carlson was present to get permission from the Council to use the park shelter near the boat landing and for the police department to sponsor Akeley’s 1^st annual take a kid fishing day on 11^th Crow Wing Lake on Saturday, August 8^th starting at about 2:30 PM.  Registration forms will be at City Hall and the Lions will be serving supper afterwards at 5:30.  Mayor Vettleson and Jennifer Mitchell both said they thought it was great idea.

 

Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to have at City Attorney Steve Bolton’s request from the Special Meeting on June 18^th, an outside entity conduct an internal administrative investigation on Eric Klein, police officer of the City of Akeley.

 

Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Jon Johnson and carried to authorize City Attorney Steve Bolton to send a letter of request to the chief of police of the City of Bemidji asking him to have his office conduct the investigation.

 

Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to adjourn at 8:15 PM.

 

Denise Rittgers 

Clerk Treasurer

City of Akeley 

 

Wendy Klein 

Deputy Clerk

City of Akeley