A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of International Falls, Minnesota was held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 17th day of October, 2022 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Droba and Councilors Ditsch, Holden, Krause, and Buller
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
| APPROVED agenda as presented | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve agenda as presented. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the October 3, 2022 regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve minutes of the regular City Council meeting on October 3, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden. Councilor Krause elected to abstain. Motion carried 4-0. |
| APPROVED minutes of the October 10, 2022 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve minutes of the Committee-of-the-Whole meeting on October 10, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 69-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Krause to adopt Resolution No. 69-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims and accounts payable for the first monthly City Council meeting. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| ACME | Tools – Parks & Rec | 199.98 | 74451 | |||
| Amazon Capital Services | Cloth – Bombenger/Tveit, Sup – IT/Amb | 499.91 | 74452 | |||
| American Accounts & Advisers | Ambulance Collection Fees | 236.00 | 74453 | |||
| American Ambulance Association | Membership Renewal | 525.00 | 74454 | |||
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Cleanup | 1,995.00 | 74455 | |||
| Aqua-Pure Inc. | Bulk DelPAC, AF 4650 D, Qrtrly Service | 38,373.04 | 74456 | |||
| Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel | Cleaning Service | 1,112.96 | 74457 | |||
| Arrowhead EMS Association | Annual Membership Fee | 170.00 | 74458 | |||
| Badger State Inspection, LLC | Maintenance & Repair – Water Tower | 21,608.00 | 74459 | |||
| Bear’s Port Town Tire | Tires – Police | 660.96 | 74460 | |||
| Bolton & Menk Inc. | Engineering Services | 40,559.00 | 74461 | |||
| Border Boxes | Shipping – Water Plant | 66.25 | 74462 | |||
| Bound Tree Medical, LLC | Supplies – Ambulance | 1,336.59 | 74463 | |||
| Boyer Trucks | Equipment Maintenance & Repair – Water | 4,014.66 | 74464 | |||
| Brian Jespersen | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74465 | |||
| Brian Youso | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74466 | |||
| Bureau of Criminal Apprehension | Annual CJDN Remote Access | 600.00 | 74467 | |||
| Cenex Voyager Fleet | Gas – Grnds/Pol/Str/Wtr/Amb, Wash – Pol | 3,929.79 | 74468 | |||
| CherryRoad Media Inc. | Agendas/Procl./Minutes/Housing Ads | 1,371.22 | 74469 | |||
| City of Int’l Falls – Fund 401 | Funds Transfer – Water/Sewer | 66,666.66 | 74470 | |||
| City of Int’l Falls – Fund 403 | Funds Transfer – Water/Sewer | 25,760.42 | 74471 | |||
| City of Ranier | Water – City Beach | 11.55 | 74472 | |||
| Commercial Refrigeration System | Start Up – Kerry Park Arena | 2,507.48 | 74473 | |||
| Core & Main | Meters | 6,365.44 | 74474 | |||
| Costin Group Inc. | Govt Relations – Kerry Park | 2,000.00 | 74475 | |||
| Crandall’s Septic Pumping | Portable Johns – City Parks | 2,365.00 | 74476 | |||
| E Koochiching Sanitary Sewer | City Beach/Water Plant | 207.00 | 74477 | |||
| Earl F Andersen | Maintenance & Repair – Street | 487.87 | 74478 | |||
| Expert Billing, LLC | Ambulance Transports | 3,161.00 | 74479 | |||
| Friend’s Garbage Service | Monthly Garbage Service | 1,823.67 | 74480 | |||
| Frontier | Monthly Telephone Service | 2,639.86 | 74481 | |||
| Galls, an Aramark Co., LLC | Clothing – Ballejo/Wherley/Amb/Fire | 858.35 | 74482 | |||
| Goodin Company | Filters – VNP | 508.01 | 74483 | |||
| Gopher State One-Call | Monthly Billing | 103.95 | 74484 | |||
| Hawkins Inc. | Chemicals | 5,147.80 | 74485 | |||
| Heather Nevalainen | Travel Expense – Police | 438.76 | 74486 | |||
| Howard’s Cenex East, LLC | Gas – Street Garage | 70.48 | 74487 | |||
| Innovative Office Solutions, LLC | Supplies – Police | 346.69 | 74488 | |||
| Int’l Falls Ambulance CPR | Training – City Staff | 240.00 | 74489 | |||
| Int’l Falls/Koochiching County | City Share-Airport General Ops. Oct/Sept | 278,785.89 | 74490 | |||
| Koerter’s Fuel & Car Wash | Gas-Str/Demo/Pol/Str L./Gar/Grds/Sew | 5,540.06 | 74491 | |||
| Kooch County Public Health | Vaccines – Admin | 240.00 | 74492 | |||
| Lawson Products Inc. | Supplies – Street Garage | 452.18 | 74493 | |||
| League of Minnesota Cities | 2022 Fall Forums | 30.00 | 74494 | |||
| Linde Gas & Equipment Inc. | Oxygen – Ambulance | 753.88 | 74495 | |||
| LVI Supply | Supplies – VNP/Street Garage | 97.40 | 74496 | |||
| Madden Galanter Hansen, LLP | Legal Fees | 8,374.60 | 74497 | |||
| Mannco Trucking Inc. | Parts – Unit 124 | 105.54 | 74498 | |||
| Marco Technologies, LLC | Copy Agreement – LEC | 272.54 | 74499 | |||
| Mark Rock Products | 3/4 Clean Screened “3/4 Minus” | 2,241.63 | 74500 | |||
| Melanie Clarity | Sewing – Myers | 40.00 | 74501 | |||
| Menards International Falls | M&RO – Str/VNP/Grnds, Sup-Amb/Fire | 397.91 | 74502 | |||
| Meyers Glass | Boarding – 816 9th St | 170.00 | 74503 | |||
| Michael Musich | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74504 | |||
| Midco Diving & Marine Services | American Rescue Plan Act | 13,021.00 | 74505 | |||
| Minnesota Ambulance Association | Annual Membership Dues | 1,275.00 | 74506 | |||
| Minnesota Dept. of Health | Certs: Class C-Brokaw, Class D-Wallace | 46.00 | 74507 | |||
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 703.71 | 74508 | |||
| Minnesota Power | Utilities | 35,158.72 | 74509 | |||
| Morrison Sealcoating | South Falls Fire Hall | 1,480.00 | 74510 | |||
| Office of MNIT Services | Wide Area Network (WAN) Services | 267.73 | 74511 | |||
| O’Reilly Automotive Inc. | Tools/Parts/Sup-Pol/Gar/Amb/VNP/Wtr | 117.33 | 74512 | |||
| Pelland Welding, Inc. | Tools/Mater/Sup- P&R/Str Light/Garage | 1,098.54 | 74513 | |||
| Rainy Lake Medical Center | Pharmaceutical Supplies | 501.48 | 74514 | |||
| Rainy Lake Oil | Tires/Fuel/Kerosene – Wtr, Fuel – Demo | 1,402.65 | 74515 | |||
| Range Paper Corp. | Supplies – Fire/Ambulance/Street | 780.30 | 74516 | |||
| Rinker Materials | Pipe/Materials | 11,309.95 | 74517 | |||
| Roche’s Towing | Towing – Police | 85.00 | 74518 | |||
| Scott Wherley | Travel Expense | 315.00 | 74519 | |||
| ServiceMaster of Int’l Falls | Cleaning Service – VNP | 4,500.00 | 74520 | |||
| Shawn Kelly | Travel Expense | 140.00 | 74521 | |||
| Sherri Stensland | MNSHRM Conference Travel/Training | 848.41 | 74522 | |||
| Soundnorth | Supplies – Admin / IT | 8.97 | 74523 | |||
| Steve Boyum Construction
|
816 9th St Demolition | 21,600.00 | 74524 | |||
| Streicher’s Inc. | Clothing – Part-time Officer | 1,192.87 | 74525 | |||
| Taylor’s Plumbing & Heating, LLC | M&R Bldg – Ice Shelter | 210.85 | 74526 | |||
| Tenvoorde Ford Inc. | 2022 Police Interceptor Vin #6401 #0550 | 65,164.76 | 74527 | |||
| Terry Christie | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74528 | |||
| Terry Wood | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74529 | |||
| Tom Lynch | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74530 | |||
| Tops All Roofing and Maintenance | S. Falls Fire Hall Final | 20,503.25 | 74531 | |||
| TowMaster, LLC | Supplies – Street | 267.18 | 74532 | |||
| TriTech Software Systems | Field Ops | 2,016.00 | 74533 | |||
| TruStar Federal Credit Union | Commercial Loan – Temple Towers, LLC | 24,999.99 | 74534 | |||
| UHL Company Inc. | M&RE – Lib/Gar/Animal Shelter/C. Hall | 6,188.75 | 74535 | |||
| Viking Electric Supply, Inc. | Supplies – Street Lighting | 36.00 | 74536 | |||
| Willi Kostiuk | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 74537 | |||
| WMG Lyfjaberg, LLC | Medical Director | 600.00 | 74538 | |||
| Xerox Corp. | Maint/Monthly Charge – Water Plant | 32.98 | 74539 | |||
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | ||||||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 206.62 | 101539 | |||
| AllState – American Heritage | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 101540 | |||
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 39,400.29 | 101541 | |||
| I.U.O.E. Local Central Pen Fund | Retirement | 4,373.70 | 101542 | |||
| City of Int’l Falls | HRA – Police/Fire | 520.00 | 101543 | |||
| City of Int’l Falls | Health Insurance – 49ers | 364.00 | 101544 | |||
| IAMAW District W33 | Union Dues | 4,373.70 | 101545 | |||
| Intl Falls Ambulance Service | Dues | 161.00 | 101546 | |||
| I.U.O.E Local 49ers | Health Reimbursement | 840.00 | 101547 | |||
| Justin Franz, Sec/Treas | C.O.P.S | 120.00 | 101548 | |||
| MN Revenue | Wage Assignment | 190.57 | 101549 | |||
| MN Child Support Pmt Center | Wage Assignment | 622.14 | 101550 | |||
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding | 7,567.41 | 101551 | |||
| Empower Retirement | Deferred Comp | 8,933.00 | 101552 | |||
| NCPERS Minnesota | Life Insurance | 112.00 | 101553 | |||
| North Kooch Area San Dist | Health Insurance | 50.00 | 101554 | |||
| PERA | Retirement | 35,476.46 | 101555 | |||
| RCB Collections, Inc. | Wage Assignment | 45.35 | 101556 | |||
| United Way of NE MN Inc. | Employee Donation | 15.00 | 101557 | |||
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| PUBLIC HEARING | None. |
| OPENING BIDS | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS | None. |
| CONSENT AGENDA:
APPROVED as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve the Consent Agenda as presented:
Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED Mayoral Proclamation declaring October 2022 Domestic Violence Awareness Month |
MOTION by Councilor Krause to approve Mayoral Proclamation declaring October 2022 Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 70-2022 authorizing execution of MN Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Grant excluding Land Acquisition | MOTION by Councilor Buller to adopt Resolution No. 70-2022 authorizing the MN Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Grant without Land Acquisition, Minnesota Agreement No. 1051172, Project No. A3601-115. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| AUTHORIZED the Solicitation of Requests for Proposal (RFP) for city-wide facilities study | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve the Committee of the Whole recommendation to solicit Requests for Proposal (RFP) for a city-wide facilities study. Motion seconded by Councilor Krause and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED the lowest quotes for demolition of three properties within the City of International Falls | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve quotes received for the demolition of the following properties:
It was noted that these amounts would be assessed to the land owner’s property taxes. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| REPORTS:
Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads |
City Administrator, Betty Bergstrom, reported that she is currently working with Koochiching County to prepare for the upcoming election. Furthermore, noting that includes bringing ballots to the local healthcare facilities for residence to vote.
Bergstrom also brought forward an update from Koochiching County on the East Ward County Commissioner Special Election currently scheduled for April 11, 2023, stating the city will also be assisting with the preparation and staffing of this election. The deadline to file for candidacy of this position will be in January, 2023. Councilor Krause and Mayor Droba expressed concern regarding lack of representation from the County for this district in the excessive interim period. Ultimately, this decision is in Koochiching County Commission’s hands. In anticipation for his upcoming retirement, City Attorney, Steve Shermoen, reported, as of November 1, 2022, all new cases will be allocated to Chelsea Nelson & The Anderson Firm; this will provide a smooth transition for Shermoen to wrap up his existing sixty-nine current criminal cases, plus the two with trials in November and December. Shermoen also noted that there is continued communication with the company that is interested in the Multi-Modal property. The International Falls Police Department Activity Report for September 2022 was available for review along with the September 2022 Fire/Rescue/EMS Activity Report. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | Mayor Droba advised the next regular City Council meeting on November 7, 2022 may be missing Councilor Holden, Councilor Krause and himself. Councilor Krause noted that he will be present at the meeting of November 7. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba stated that the next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 7, 2022 at 5:30 P.M.
Mayor Droba adjourned the meeting at 5:56 P.M. |
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
Attest:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
