Regular Meeting

Minutes of a regular meeting held Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Members present at roll call:  Cusack, Grinnell, Kapustka, Miller, Tasker and Herald.

Members absent:  Stanton.

Mayor Herald presided and led the Pledge of Allegiance.  Motion by Tasker seconded by Miller to accept the minutes of the October 20 meeting as presented.  Motion carried.

Motion by Cusack seconded by Kaputska to approve the bills as presented.  Motion carried. 

Mayor Herald congratulated Bruce Tasker upon winning the mayoral election to be effective in January.  Herald also congratulated Carl Brune on winning the council seat to replace Tasker.  A recount petitioned by candidate Ken Hart was held in Stanton earlier in the day.  There was no change in the vote total following the recount process.

Administrator Borden sought approval for digitizing and scanning of ordinances.  Borden noted the considerable amount of time required to help citizens search through ordinances now stored in large binders of paper.  By using a word search feature available in the new system, all ordinances relative to a certain specific topic can be identified electronically.  Crescent Consulting prepared a bid to digitally store city and zoning ordinances at cost of approximately $9,210.  Access to county mapping at a cost of $1,300 was added to the technology upgrade motion.  By making this information available through the city’s website, citizens can research a multitude of projects from their home.  Borden gave the example of a city resident seeking guidance to build a garage on their property.  When completed, the service will provide a step-by-step process for completing the building project from conception to final construction.  Information to determine ownership of specific lots and boundaries will be more accessible.  Changes in city limits, such as those which occurred earlier this year following sales of the Dirks property to the north and the Spriggs property to the south, will be promptly recorded and demonstrated.  This will be an advantage for city employees serving residents, knowing exactly where the city lines have been moved.  Motion by Tasker seconded by Kaputska to approve the combined purchase.  Motion carried.

In a related move, the council also authorized Borden to contract with Crescent to complete a survey required for certain HUD grant applications.  By documenting that 51% of a random sampling of residents fall into the low-to-moderate income category, the city will qualify for beneficial federal grant money.  The council expressed its confidence that the 51% threshold will be documented.  Motion by Cusack seconded by Grinnell.  Motion carried.

The council authorized Borden to acquire a replacement truck to be used primarily by DPW Director Dan Curtis at a cost not to exceed $38,000.  Plans are to include a snow plow on this vehicle.  Motion by Cusack seconded by Kaputska.  Opposed by Grinnell.  Motion carried.

Fire Chief Dan Kipp reported on four cases this month, and that the fire department is well under budget for payroll this year.

Police Chief Hilliker noted October complaints were down but reported a troubling development.  There were four complaints of peddlers, three of which resulted in transporting individuals to jail due to outstanding warrants.  Residents are cautioned to be wary of peddlers.  In the past, city officials have recommended asking for a city peddler’s permit and referring unusual activity promptly to city hall.

The new city police car is in service.  The equipment to electronically store data from the vehicle’s camera to the department’s computer is working fine.  The Police Committee will consider options for selling the older vehicle. 

Councilman Neil Kaputska, citing conversations with citizens and a recent news story of a taser related death, instructed Hilliker to be extremely careful and follow specific training instructions when the taser equipment is used.

A letter from CC-C Superintendent Bob Swanson requesting assistance in designating an extended No Parking area near the elementary school for safety reasons was referred to the Police Committee.

Acting on a request from Dr. Michelle Becher, the Council approved a variance for construction of a medical office building on East Main Street, pending approval of details by the Planning Commission.  Motion by Kaputska seconded by Miller.  Motion carried.

DPW Director Curtis was absent.  Borden will contact county officials to address radio communication problem areas to help improve DPW, police, and fire communications, most notably for safety reasons. 

Administrator Borden informed the council of the water reliability study per DEQ requirement may cost $5,000 or less.  The last study was done in 2003, and these monies should come from the water fund. 

In response to a question from the audience regarding the discontinuation of local cable television service, Herald explained that there are not enough potential customers to attract another cable service.  Most city residents are contacting satellite services.

Motion to adjourn by Miller seconded by Grinnell at 9:05 p.m. to meet again for a regular meeting on December 15, 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.