A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of International Falls, Minnesota was held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building and via BlueJeans Conferencing on the 4th day of January, 2021 at the hour of 5:52 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilors Buller, Ditsch, Holden, Krause, and Mayor Droba.
Media and public via BlueJeans Conferencing. All members noted they could hear the others and the discussion.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
| APPROVED agenda with addition | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the agenda with one addition as presented:
Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the December 21, 2020 special City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve minutes of the special City Council meeting of December 21, 2020. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the December 21, 2020 regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve minutes of the regular City Council meeting of December 21, 2020. Motion seconded by Councilor Krause and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 02-2021 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Krause to adopt Resolution No. 02-2021 approving transfers, payment of claims and accounts payable for the first monthly City Council meeting. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| Amazon Capital Services | Supplies – IT/Fire/Police | 584.68 | 70148 | |
| Ameritas Life Ins Corp | Dental Insurance Premiums | 1,837.16 | 70149 | |
| Andy Kittelson | Meal/Safety Boot Allowance | 118.62 | 70150 | |
| Aqua-Pure Inc | Quarterly Service, Parts for Analyzer | 917.17 | 70151 | |
| Auto Value Int’l Falls | Supplies – Fire | 9.98 | 70152 | |
| BCBS of MN | Health Insurance Premiums | 4,343.50 | 70153 | |
| Border Boxes | Shipping – Ambulance Monitor | 304.25 | 70154 | |
| Borderland Humane Society | Pound Operation, Annual Contribution | 7,250.00 | 70155 | |
| Bound Tree Medical LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 1,388.51 | 70156 | |
| Brad Hagen | Meal/Safety Boot Allowance | 117.32 | 70157 | |
| Bremer Cardmember Service | Trash Cans – P&R, Linens-Ambulance | 11,485.99 | 70158 | |
| Brian Kelly | Safety Boot Allowance | 110.00 | 70159 | |
| Brigzy’s Bundles | Firewood – 8th St Rink | 55.00 | 70160 | |
| City of Int’l Falls – Fund 101 | Lodging Tax Transfer | 176.65 | 70161 | |
| City Water Department | City Buildings – Water Usage | 2,015.05 | 70162 | |
| Compass Minerals | Winter Salt | 2,130.60 | 70163 | |
| Convention & Visitors Bureau | Lodging Tax | 3,356.27 | 70164 | |
| Earl Boyum | Waste Tires | 225.25 | 70165 | |
| Earl F Andersen | Playground Equipment – Sand Digger | 5,040.15 | 70166 | |
| Erik Drewes | Safety Boot Allowance | 110.00 | 70167 | |
| Forest Lake Printing | Police Dept. – Hats | 372.08 | 70168 | |
| Galls, an Aramark Co., LLC | Cloth-Bombenger/Sears, Dress Uniforms | 7,268.69 | 70169 | |
| Holiday Companies | Gas-Strm San Sew/Fir/Str/Gar/Amb/Wtr | 3,763.54 | 70170 | |
| Innovative Office Solutions LLC | Supplies-Admin/Mayor&Coun/Bldg Off | 174.27 | 70171 | |
| Int’l Falls/Kooch Cty | City Share December Project Costs | 7,350.00 | 70172 | |
| IUOE Local 49 | Health Insurance Premiums | 28,354.00 | 70173 | |
| Justin Mostad | Meal/Safety Boot Allowance | 120.00 | 70174 | |
| K & K Meyers Inc | Locks – SF Fire Hall | 203.85 | 70175 | |
| Lakes Gas Co #23 | Supplies – Water Dept. | 31.04 | 70176 | |
| Lawson Products Inc | Supplies – Street Lighting | 404.49 | 70177 | |
| Marco | Microsoft Exchange | 432.75 | 70178 | |
| Marco Technologies LLC | Contract/Print Copies – Fire/Admin/PW | 1,154.84 | 70179 | |
| Mark Leblanc | Meal Allowance | 47.40 | 70180 | |
| MedicareBlue Rx | Health Insurance Premiums | 1,560.00 | 70181 | |
| Melanie Clarity | Sewing – Bombenger | 24.00 | 70182 | |
| Menards International Falls | Supplies – Bldg Official/San Sewer | 86.64 | 70183 | |
| Meyers Glass | Install Locks – SF Fire Hall | 170.00 | 70184 | |
| Midcontinent Communications | Cable – Fire Hall/Amb, Internet-Str Gar | 293.70 | 70185 | |
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 2,775.65 | 70186 | |
| Nick Kittelson | Meal/Safety Boot Allowance | 118.28 | 70187 | |
| Northland Counseling Center | Evaluation – E Wimmer | 218.00 | 70188 | |
| Pitney Bowes Reserve Acct | Qtrly Lease-Inserting & Mailing System | 1,000.00 | 70189 | |
| Premier Pyrotechnics | Holiday Fireworks (RLMC) | 2,500.00 | 70190 | |
| Project Pride, C/O Cindy Youso | July – December 2020 | 2,097.93 | 70191 | |
| Range Paper Corp | Supplies – Ambulance/Fire/Buildings | 366.85 | 70192 | |
| Rhory Gelo | Meal Allowance | 8.62 | 70193 | |
| Roche’s Towing | Towing – Police | 90.00 | 70194 | |
| Small Town Tech Inc | Wireless Keyboard/Mouse – Mayor | 35.75 | 70195 | |
| Soundnorth | Supplies – Street Dept. | 49.99 | 70196 | |
| Steven M Shermoen | Legal Fees | 9,316.00 | 70197 | |
| Streicher’s Inc | Clothing – Helgeson, Patrol Rifle | 918.98 | 70198 | |
| Stryker Sales Corp | Ambulance Parts, Maint Agreement | 5,004.92 | 70199 | |
| Sun Life Financial | Life Insurance Premiums | 421.94 | 70200 | |
| Tactical & Technical Assmnt Service | Simulator Training | 800.00 | 70201 | |
| Ted Brokaw | Safety Boot Allowance | 110.00 | 70202 | |
| The Journal | RFQ Elevated Storage Tank | 164.85 | 70203 | |
| The Nelson Trust | Health Insurance Premiums | 37,696.00 | 70204 | |
| UHL Company Inc | Card Access System | 2,526.00 | 70205 | |
| Utility Logic | Ferromagnetic Locator | 993.80 | 70206 | |
| Verizon Wireless | Monthly Cellular Service | 1,010.21 | 70207 | |
| Viking Electric Supply Inc | Maint-P&R, Sup-St Lght, Maint-Chamb | 843.42 | 70208 | |
| Wagner Construction Inc | Pleasant Ave Water Main Improvements | 208,556.09 | 70209 | |
| Widseth | Engineering Services | 115,887.72 | 70210 | |
| Ziegler Inc | Parts-BAL8/Unit 121, Grader Lease | 6,162.26 | 70211 | |
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | ||||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 225.04 | 100829 | |
| AllState – American Heritage | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 100830 | |
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 38,253.64 | 100831 | |
| I.U.O.E. Local Central Pension Fund | Retirement | 3,094.80 | 100832 | |
| Intl Falls Ambulance Service | Dues | 154.00 | 100833 | |
| Justin Franz, Sec/Treas | C.O.P.S | 120.00 | 100834 | |
| MN Child Support Pmt Center | Wage Assignment | 601.46 | 100835 | |
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding | 7,258.58 | 100836 | |
| Empower Retirement | Deferred Comp | 6,000.00 | 100837 | |
| PERA | Retirement | 31,524.51 | 100838 | |
| AUDIENCE | Tricia Heibel, Chamber of Commerce, requested approval for use of Smokey Bear Park for the purpose of constructing snow sculptures to coincide with the annual Icebox Days festival. Ms. Heibel also requested City Public Works’ staff place large mounds of snow in Smokey Bear Park from which the sculptures will be constructed. MOTION by Councilor Buller to authorize use of Smokey Bear Park for constructing Icebox Days’ snow sculptures and authorized City assistance to have Public Works’ staff place snow mounds in the park for constructing the sculptures. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| AWARDED “Mayor’s Key to the City” to outgoing Councilor At-Large Brian Briggs | Mayor Droba presented the first “Mayor’s Key to the City” to outgoing Councilor At-Large Brian Briggs for his contribution to the City and community as a whole. Mayor Droba referenced Mr. Briggs as a mentor, an admirable civic-minded resident, and a prominent figure in International Falls municipal government.
Over the course of the next four years, in an effort to showcase the good in the community, Mayor Droba stated he will be awarding the “Mayor’s Key to the City” to individuals and organizations that are pivotal to the growth and enhancement of International Falls. |
| PUBLIC HEARING | None. |
| OPENING BIDS | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS | None. |
| CONSENT AGENDA: APPROVED as presented | MOTION by Councilor Krause to approve the Consent Agenda as presented:
1. Year 2021 license renewals/applications · Jones Snowplowing LLC – snowplow license · Relax on Rainy – massage individual license
Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED Year 2021 license renewals that may include tobacco and/or liquor applications, as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve year 2021 license renewals that may include tobacco and/or liquor applications, as presented.
Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED abolishing the Police Civil Service Commission per the recommendation by the Charter Commission | There was a written recommendation from the Charter Commission to abolish the Police Civil Service Commission. The recommendation, penned by Charter Commission Chair Pete Kalar, detailed the fact that the Police Civil Service Commission has become somewhat archaic and obsolete in present day. Police officers are now required to be POST certified by the state of Minnesota to hold a position and have union protections.
Chief Mastin echoed the sentiments of the Charter Commission and said that the Police Civil Service Commission served a purpose at the time it was enacted, but has become outdated as time has passed and hiring practices changed. Chief Mastin supported the decision to abolish the Police Civil Service Commission. MOTION by Councilor Krause to abolish the Police Civil Service Commission, per the recommendation from the Charter Commission. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 04-2021, Conditional Use Permit 2021-001 approval for Hollie Bahr, Posh Relief, LLC, to allow for a home occupation permit to operate a massage therapy business at 701 7th Street in the R-2A zoning district | MOTION by Councilor Holden adopting Resolution No. 04-2021, Conditional Use Permit 2021-001 approval for Hollie Bahr, Posh Relief, LLC, to allow for a home occupation permit to operate a massage therapy business at 701 7th Street within the R-2A Residential zoning district. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED 2021 license renewal for Hollie Bahr, Posh Relief, LLC – massage individual license | MOTION by Councilor Krause to approve the Year 2021 license renewal for Hollie Bahr, Posh Relief, LLC – massage individual license. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Dental Insurance Renewal with no rate increases from National Insurance Services | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the Dental Insurance, Group 023772, Renewal with no rate increases from National Insurance Services (Ameritas Life Insurance Corp), effective January 1, 2021, and authorize signatures. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| Presentation on 2021-2025 proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) | Director of Public Works Ted Brokaw gave a presentation on the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for 2021 – 2025, with handouts and maps laying out the CIP. Director Brokaw noted that the City will be ready to bid the 2021 local road improvement projects at the end of January 2021, with primary funding coming from the money bonded in 2020. Director Brokaw stressed that the City needs to put more money into its infrastructure, because once 2021 improvements are completed, the future improvements will be much more comprehensive, requiring underground utility replacement. Director Brokaw noted that it will cost more to do complete reconstruction of roads and their underground utilities than the milling and overlays done in 2020/2021, therefore the City will be improving fewer roads simultaneously in 2022 and beyond. |
| REPORTS:
Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads |
City Administrator Anderson gave thanks to outgoing Councilor At-Large Brian Briggs for all of his service the past four and a half months while filling in as Councilor At-Large, as well as his previous tenures on the City Council.
City Attorney Shermoen presented his blight report and stated that many of the city criminal cases are being heard in District Court over the course of the next two weeks. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | Councilor Ditsch stated he met with the City Attorney and Housing Department staff and was pleased with the progress being made regarding blight.
Mayor Droba stated he is scheduled to meet with the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow, January 5, 2021, to discuss the contract for services between the City and the Chamber of Commerce. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba reminded everyone that the next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:30 P.M. and adjourned the meeting at 6:26 P.M. |
_____________________________
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
Kenneth R. Anderson, City Administrator
