AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
7:00 PM CITY HALL
SEPTEMBER AGENDA
1. Call the Meeting to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Approve Consent Agenda of…
a)
Minutes from August 12th Regular Meeting,
August 17th Special Meeting, August 17th
Work Session and August 28th Work Session
b)
August 2009 Treasurer’s Report
c)
August 2009 Bills for Payment from Check # 5872 to Check
# 5977 including Automatic Bank Payments
4. Approve Lacey Hitchcock’s Request for Time Off
5. Accept Mayor’s Resignation
6. Declaration of 2 Vacancies – Mayor and Council Person
7. Approve Preliminary 2010 Budget
8. Approve Resolution # 5-2009 Police Officer
Declaration
9. Bob Winner – Liquor Store Report
10. Frank Thelin – Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report
11. Eric Klein – Police Report
12. Old Business
13. New Business/Public Forum
14. Adjourn
AKELEY CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
7:00 PM CITY HALL
The Akeley City Council met in a regular meeting Wednesday
September 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm. Mayor Scott Vettleson called the
meeting to order. Council members present were: Cliff Johnson,
Jon Johnson, Troy Hegg and Jennifer Mitchell. The Pledge of
Allegiance was recited by the Council and attending audience.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Cliff Johnson and
carried to approve the consent agenda consisting of the August
regular meeting minutes, the August 17th special
meeting minutes, the August 17th work session
minutes, the August 28th work session meeting
minutes, the August 2009 treasurer’s report and the August bills
paid from check #5872 to check # 5977 including automatic bank
payments but placing item #’s 5 and 6 on the agenda at New
Business.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Jon Johnson and carried
to allow Lacey Hitchcock to take a leave of absence from
September 26th to October 13th to spend
time with her husband who will be home at that time from
deployment and her benefits will continue during this time.
Mayor Vettleson stated the preliminary 2010 budget of $238,983
being proposed can not go up but it can come down.
Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and
carried to approve the preliminary 2010 budget of $238,983.
Motion by Jon Johnson seconded by Jennifer Mitchell and carried
to approve Resolution #5-2009 Police Officer Declaration which
recognizes that Travis Carlson has met police and fire plan
membership requirements to receive PERA.
Liquor Store Report – Bob Winner
-
Bob stated that
the liquor store had a band last Saturday night and it was
very successful. He said he received many compliments from
the patrons who were there.
-
The liquor store
will be having a beer garden during Hay Days.
-
Bob also stated
that he would like to have a band at the liquor store once a
month.
Water/Sewer/Maintenance Report - Frank Thelin
-
Frank said that
the Sentenced To Serve people from Hubbard County have been
painting the curbs yellow on Highway 64 and he is planning
to have them help paint the crosswalks as well.
-
Frank stated the
boat landing will be fixed tomorrow and that he had to wait
until someone from the DNR could be present while it was
being fixed.
-
There is two feet
of water in the sewer ponds that Frank said needs to be rid
of before this winter.
-
The swimming dock
will be pulled out next week.
-
The docks at the
campground will start coming out the first week in October
Frank thought.
-
The fire hydrants
will be flushed in the next three weeks. The weeks will be
the September 14th through the 18th,
September 21st through the 25th and
September 28th through the 2nd of
October. He said the water may look brown when this is
taking place.
-
The water tower
light was replaced in 2007 after being shot out and will
have to be replaced again since it appears that it was shot
out again. Frank is looking into a protective cover that
can be placed around the light to prevent this from
happening again in the future.
-
Frank said that
Tim Scouton would like to attend a class at Bemidji from
December 1st through the 3rd and then
take the test to receive his class D license for water. The
cost of the class is $130 and the test fee is $32. The
Council stated that part time employees are not paid their
time while attending classes but mileage and the cost of the
class and test fee could be paid for by the City of Akeley.
Motion by Scott Vettleson seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to
allow Tim Scouton to attend water training in Bemidji and the
City of Akeley will pay the class and test fees and the mileage
for him to attend.
Motion by Jennifer Mitchell seconded by Jon Johnson and carried
to post an ad for a part time maintenance person.
Police Report - Eric Klein
·
Eric thanked Frank Thelin and the Hubbard County
STS Crew for painting the curbs on south Highway 64.
·
The new administrative tickets are in use and are
working fine.
·
Eric said he received a request to paint a
crosswalk from the Methodist Church across Highway 64. He said
that MN DOT was contacted and said that it was alright since the
City would have to maintain it. He said it would be appreciated
if that crosswalk and the other two mentioned last month could
also be painted.
·
Travis Carlson has now completed field training
and is now working on his own.
·
Eric asked the Mayor if he would swear in part
time officers David Grantham and Travis Carlson. Mayor
Vettleson swore both of the officers in.
Jon Johnson asked if anything else could be painted on the
roads. He said in some towns he has seen that the words “30
mph” have been painted which he thought would help slow down
traffic. Eric said that he can look into it.
Old Business
Mayor Vettleson stated that the City of Akeley has settled the
lawsuit of Kristy Barsch versus Greg Sierra as far as the same
relates to the City. The League of Minnesota Cities Attorney,
Clifford Greene and the City of Akeley’s Attorney, Steve Bolton
have both reviewed the settlement agreement and both attorneys
agreed that the settlement is very advantageous to the City.
The money award is being paid by the Minnesota League of Cities
Pay by Trust Indemnification Fund.
Bob Winner said he feels even stronger now about the new ACS
security system being installed at the liquor store. Mayor
Vettleson agreed with Bob but said he wasn’t sure if the City
should go with the 3-year lease or the 5-year lease. Other
council members agreed that something needed to be done but
wanted to spend less money. Bob said that he would call ACS the
next morning to see if they could come down at all in the
price. The Council chose to table a decision until the next
meeting.
New Business
Akeley resident Donald Kerwin was present to offer suggestions
to the City Council since he stated we are in somewhat
economically hard times and hoped these ideas could possibly
bring more revenue to the City of Akeley. He suggested having a
nice sign placed near the Paul Bunyan Statue which might
encourage people to donate money for the statue’s upkeep. He
also stated that there are many people who have garage sales and
suggested that the City consider charging a $5 or $10 fee to
residents who want to have garage sales but not to charge the
fee if the City had a community wide garage sale. The last
suggestion that Mr. Kerwin had was if the City of Akeley was to
be pitched in the right way to other businesses that Akeley is
the birthplace of Paul Bunyan and has the largest statue in the
world of Paul Bunyan, it could possibly bring more businesses to
town.
Mayor Vettleson apologized to the City of Akeley for having to
resign as mayor but said since his health is an issue he had no
choice. Cliff Johnson read Mayor Vettelson’s letter of
resignation to those present.
Motion by Troy Hegg seconded by Jon Johnson and carried to
accept Scott Vettleson’s resignation as mayor vacating his
position and to appoint Jennifer Mitchell as mayor.
Motion by Cliff Johnson seconded by Troy Hegg and carried to
declare a vacancy to Jennifer Mitchell’s council position and to
advertise for letters of interest.
Motion by Cliff Johnson seconded by Jon Johnson and carried to
adjourn at 7:45 PM.
Denise Rittgers
Clerk Treasurer
City of
Akeley
Wendy Klein
Deputy Clerk
City of Akeley
