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 1st day of August, 2022 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilors Buller, Ditsch, Holden, Krause and Mayor Droba.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
| APPROVED agenda as presented | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the agenda as presented. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the July 18, 2022 regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Krause to approve minutes of the regular City Council meeting of July 18, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the July 25, 2022 special City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve minutes of the special City Council meeting of July 25, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 50-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Krause to adopt Resolution No. 50-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims and accounts payable for the first monthly City Council meeting. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| ACME Tools – Grand Forks | Maint & Repair Other – Grounds | 199.00 | 73975 | |
| Ads on Boards | Hockey Board Cleaning | 600.00 | 73976 | |
| All Season Equipment Inc | Trimmer, Tires – Police, Sup – Fire, Oil | 657.14 | 73977 | |
| Allied Generators | Generator Inspection | 3,970.00 | 73978 | |
| Amanda Martin | Ambulance Overpayment Refund | 300.00 | 73979 | |
| Amazon Capital Services | Supplies – Ambulance/Fire | 129.08 | 73980 | |
| Ameritas Life Ins Corp | Dental Insurance Premiums | 1,882.32 | 73981 | |
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Cleanup | 1,042.00 | 73982 | |
| Aqua-Pure Inc | Totes of Delpac, Parts – Chlorine Analyzer | 8,737.60 | 73983 | |
| Auto Value Int’l Falls | Sup/Oil/Parts-Str/Gar/Unit 124/Str Lght | 112.43 | 73984 | |
| BCBS of MN | Health Insurance Premiums | 6,137.19 | 73985 | |
| Border Boxes | Shipping – Police/Water Plant | 95.75 | 73987 | |
| Borderland Humane Society | Pound Operation | 2,250.00 | 73988 | |
| Bound Tree Medical LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 2,381.14 | 73989 | |
| Bremer Cardmember Service | Sup-Fire/IT/Str/House/Bld Off, Cloth-Police | 4,913.09 | 73990 | |
| City of Int’l Falls – Fund 101 | Lodging Tax Transfer | 536.53 | 73991 | |
| City Water Department | City Buildings – Water Usage | 1,571.47 | 73992 | |
| Clarey’s Safety Equip Inc | Chemical Assessment Team – Gas | 331.96 | 73993 | |
| Clean Plus Inc | Nitrile Gloves | 314.35 | 73994 | |
| Convention & Visitors Bureau | Lodging Tax | 10,194.12 | 73995 | |
| Core & Main | Meters | 652.60 | 73996 | |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Ambulance Overpayment Refund | 1,540.09 | 73997 | |
| EBIX, Inc | Top Health Subscription | 221.40 | 73998 | |
| Eckman – International Falls | Parts – Housing | 21.91 | 73999 | |
| Electric Pump Inc | Sanitary Sewer – Maint/Repair Other | 126.52 | 74000 | |
| Entenmann-Rovin Co | Officer Badges 233/211 | 404.75 | 74001 | |
| Galls, an Aramark Co., LLC | Clothing Allowance – J Mastin | 84.48 | 74002 | |
| Hawkins Inc | Chemicals | 3,784.93 | 74003 | |
| Innovative Office Solutions LLC | Supplies – Police/Administration | 454.89 | 74004 | |
| Int’l Falls US Post Office | Permit #79 Escrow | 2,000.00 | 74005 | |
| IUOE Local 49 | Health Insurance Premiums | 29,954.00 | 74006 | |
| K & K Meyers Inc | Door Repairs – City Garage | 850.00 | 74007 | |
| Koerter’s Fuel & Car Wash | Gas – Grnds/Str/Gar/P&R/Pol/Sew/WPlant | 8,408.65 | 74008 | |
| Kooch County Hwy Dept. | Fuel – Grounds/Street/Garage | 3,687.25 | 74009 | |
| Lawson Products Inc | Supplies – Garage/Street Lighting | 493.01 | 74010 | |
| Macqueen Equipment Inc | 2021 Larue D50 Snowblower w/Std Features | 207,040.50 | 74011 | |
| Marco | Antivirus/Microsoft Exchange | 588.50 | 74012 | |
| Marco Technologies LLC | Contract/Print/Copy-Fire/Adm/PW/Wat/Sew | 1,450.29 | 74013 | |
| Master Grass Lawn Care | Lawn Cleanup | 250.00 | 74014 | |
| MedicareBlue RX | Health Insurance Premiums | 1,820.00 | 74015 | |
| Menards International Falls | Sup – Eng/Fire/Str/Wtr/WP/Safety/Strm | 841.17 | 74016 | |
| Midcontinent Communications | Cable-Fire Hall/Amb, Internet-Wtr Plnt/Gar | 524.90 | 74017 | |
| Minnesota Child Support | ID 0014487664, Locator Code 27 | 60.00 | 74018 | |
| Minnesota Industries | Safety Equip – Street | 12.51 | 74019 | |
| MTI Distributing Inc | Parts – VNP | 124.80 | 74020 | |
| North American Bank Company | Inserting System Lease | 363.50 | 74021 | |
| Nutrien Ag Solutions Inc | Chemicals | 1,437.62 | 74022 | |
| Pitney Bowes Reserve Acct | Quarterly Lease-Inserting & Mailing System | 1,000.00 | 74023 | |
| PowerPlan | Unit 710L Parts | 103.04 | 74024 | |
| Robert Bahr | Top Soil | 2,635.00 | 74025 | |
| Shannon’s Inc | Supplies – Water Department | 32.84 | 74026 | |
| Sjoblom Landscape & Nursery | Fertilizer – Downtown Baskets | 35.97 | 74027 | |
| Soundnorth | Supplies – Police/IT | 59.95 | 74028 | |
| Steven M Shermoen | Legal Fees | 9,246.00 | 74029 | |
| Streicher’s Inc | Clothing Allowance – G Offerdahl | 89.99 | 74030 | |
| Structural Materials Inc | Bldg Maint – Water Plant | 407.51 | 74031 | |
| Sun Life Financial | Life Insurance Premiums | 546.13 | 74032 | |
| Taylor’s Plumbing & Heating | Bldg Maint – Senior Center, M&R – Water | 566.00 | 74033 | |
| The Nelson Trust | Health Insurance Premiums | 39,188.64 | 74034 | |
| The Sherwin Williams Co | Maintenance for Paint Machine | 90.62 | 74035 | |
| Tilson Bay Company | Embroidery – Police | 440.00 | 74036 | |
| Todd Ojala | IT Mileage Expense | 61.19 | 74037 | |
| Verizon Wireless | Monthly Cellular Service | 1,748.17 | 74038 | |
| Wagner Construction Inc | Ready Mix | 705.00 | 74039 | |
| WEX Bank | Gas – Grnds/Strm/Fire/House/Str/Amb/Wtr | 6,407.53 | 74040 | |
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | ||||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 206.62 | 101456 | |
| AllState – American Heritage | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 101457 | |
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 44,882.14 | 101458 | |
| I.U.O.E. Local Central Pen Fund | Retirement | 4,397.70 | 101459 | |
| Intl Falls Ambulance Service | Dues | 140.00 | 101460 | |
| Justin Franz, Sec/Treas | C.O.P.S | 120.00 | 101461 | |
| MN Revenue | Wage Assignment | 380.69 | 101462 | |
| MN Child Support Pmt Center | Wage Assignment | 622.14 | 101463 | |
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding | 8,507.05 | 101464 | |
| Empower Retirement | Deferred Comp | 9,033.00 | 101465 | |
| PERA | Retirement | 36,532.74 | 101466 | |
| Sun Life Financial | Supplemental Life Insurance | 800.51 | 101467 | |
| The Hartford | Voluntary LTD Insurance | 695.13 | 101468 | |
| United Way of NE MN | Employee Donation | 15.00 | 101469 | |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| PUBLIC HEARING | None. |
| OPENING BIDS | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS | None. |
| CONSENT AGENDA:
APPROVED as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the Consent Agenda as presented:
Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED request to suspend calendar parking city wide from August 24-September 1, 2022 |
Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) submitted a request to suspend calendar parking during the mill-shut down, originally scheduled for June 18-26, 2022. Due to the mill-shut down being moved from June 18-26, 2022 to August 24-September 1, 2022, the City Council now needs to approve suspending calendar parking city wide from August 24-September 1, 2022.
The recommendation from the Chief of Police is to suspend calendar parking city wide and not just in the area of PCA. The Police Department will continue to enforce other applicable parking and traffic ordinances to ensure safe, efficient travel and movement in the city. MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve calendar parking be suspended city wide during the annual PCA outage/shutdown scheduled for August 24-September 1, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED authorizing International Falls Police Department to open the application and testing process for part-time patrol officers | Chief Kostiuk explained that due to a number of individuals moving up to full-time and other part-time officers not being able to fill shifts, it is time for the Police Department to open up the application and testing process for officers. Chief Kostiuk noted that typically the department tries to conduct this training and establish a roster of qualified individuals on an annual basis.
MOTION by Councilor Krause to approve authorizing the International Falls Police Department to open the application/testing process for part-time patrol officers. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED authorizing the Administration Department to externally advertise the vacant Office Clerk position | City Administrator Bergstrom explained that the Office Clerk position is now vacant due to the internal promotion of Lisa Riggs to Administration Support Specialist. City Administrator Bergstrom noted that no individuals of the Local 49 bargaining unit expressed interest in signing the internal posting; therefore, she is requesting to externally advertise to seek applications and fill the vacant position.
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve authorizing the Administration Department to externally advertise the vacant Office Clerk position. Motion seconded by Councilor Krause and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Orders for Corrective Action in Matters of Hazardous Houses | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve Orders for Corrective Action in Matters of Hazardous Houses at the following addresses:
Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| REPORTS:
Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads |
City Attorney Shermoen explained that he has met with the new City Attorney, Chelsea Nelson, of Anderson Law, to prioritize criminal cases. Mr. Shermoen noted that Ms. Nelson will focus on criminal prosecution of those landlords who have failed to comply with rental licensing requirements. Mr. Shermoen explained that the plan is beginning November 1, 2022, all new cases will be transferred to the new City Attorney for processing.
City Attorney Shermoen explained that he is working on a Developer’s Agreement for the Multi-Modal site and he hopes to have something to the interested party by the end of the week. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | None. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba stated that the next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 15, 2022 at 5:30 P.M.
Mayor Droba adjourned the meeting at 5:43 P.M. |
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
ATTEST:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
