MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

May 1, 2006

 

Mayor Larry Tolzin called the city council to order at 7:30 p.m. on May 1, 2006 in the council room at city hall. Council present: Dennis Aisenbrey, Galen Guthmiller, Gary Herman, John Huber, Jerome Kotalik, and Darrell Mehlhaf, Finance Officer Peggy Thranum and Superintendent Fred Sayler. Ron Kraft, Erik Kaufman, Rick Kemmis, and Shannon Herrboldt were also present. Ray Woehl entered at 8 p.m. and Kathy Wollman at 8:15 p.m.

 

Herman moved to approve the agenda with the following additions: Shannon Herrboldt-Buildings, Ray Woehl, Safety Committee, and Kathy Wollman. Kotalik seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

REGULAR MEETING ITEMS: Huber made a motion to approve the minutes of the April 3 regular meeting with the following correction: “John Huber is to be listed with the council present”. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Guthmiller moved to approve the April finance report. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

FINANCE REPORT:

 

  General

  Water

   Sewer

Garbage

Perpetual Care

Sales Tax

Totals

Checking 3-30-06 Balance:

58,808.26

39,460.05

23,266.77

30,811.31

276.28

38,710.29

191,332.96

     Warrants:

(17,183.24)

(5,098.93)

(1,642.83)

(5,675.71)

0.00

0.00

(29,600.71)

     Receipts:

18,756.66

6,531.97

3,712.69

5,697.75

0.00

7,517.67

42,216.74

     Interest:

34.49

23.24

14.40

17.52

 

26.27

115.92

Checking 4-28-06 Balance

60,416.17

40,916.33

25,351.03

30,850.87

276.28

46,254.23

204,064.91

Water Restricted Cash

 

3,100.00

 

 

Restricted

 

3,100.00

General Purpose CD's

50,000.00

 

 

 

Account

 

50,000.00

Designated Purpose CD's

58,582.46

20,000.00

11,605.41

1,502.03

45,146.00

 

136,835.90

Total Cash Assets:

168,998.63

64,016.33

36,956.44

32,352.90

45,422.28

46,254.23

394,000.81

Profit or (Loss) for the month

1,607.91

1,456.28

2,084.26

39.56

0.00

7,543.94

12,731.95

 

RECEIPTS: Water 6491.97; Sewer 3712.69; Garbage 5642.75; Late Fees 50.00; Ambulance 2961.66; City Hall Rent, South Central Child Development 45.00; Tree & Park CD Interest 4.52; Tracy Hill, Professional Services 25.00; Gravel, Roger Heckenlaible 10.00, Joe Heirigs 20.00, & Rudy Kirschenman 15.00; Alcohol Beverage Fund Remittance 935.74; Cemetery CD Interest 122.33; Sales Tax, 1% 7517.67 & 2% 7517.65; 5% License 382.01; 25% Road Tax 235.26; Wheel Tax 632.20; Real Estate Taxes 5800.29; Water-On/Off Fees Edgar Schaeffer 20.00 & Football Field 20.00; RU Site-After Hours Admit, Gene Bender 10.00 & Earl Keller 10.00; RU Site-Shingles, Menno School 10.00; RU Site, Painted Wood Menno School 5.00; RU Site, White Goods, Adella Auch, 10.00 & LaVern Aisenbrey 10.00; Interest Earned 115.92.

 

WARRANTS APPROVED: Payroll: Council; 557.19; Mayor 161.61; Finance 1100.56; City Hall 109.11; Police 2286.19; Streets 1787.90; Cemetery 108.81; Ambulance 353.47; Parks 538.88; Library 210.49; Development 347.26; Garbage 298.05; Wellmark BCBS, Group Insurance 1321.64; Principal Life, Group Insurance 314.29; SDRS, Retirement 1113.36; Menno State Bank, Payroll Taxes 2462.53. Professional Services: Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service 4899.00; Bonnie Heirigs, 1 Cemetery Mowing 530.00. Utilities: Golden West Co., Phone 352.18; NorthWestern, Electricity 1787.79. Water Fund: B-Y Water, 1.323 M. Gallons 3326.00; Brown & Saenger, Copy Paper 30.50; City of Sioux Falls, Water Samples 39.00; Dakota Supply Group, Meters & Supply 343.95; Deposit Refund, Michelle Fischer 50.00; Menno Hardware, Supply 2.00; Menno Lumber, Pump House R&M 312.10; One Call Systems, Locates 1.73. Sewer Fund: Menno Hardware, Supply 6.36; One Call Systems, Locates 1.72. Garbage Fund: Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service, City Wide Cleanup 499.44; SD State Treasurer, Sales Tax 314.17; Second Century Publishing, Ad 52.50. General Fund: SD Dept of Public Safety, Ambulance License 7/1/06-6/30/08 12.00; Code Enforcement, Conference Registration 50.00; SDCEDC, Conference Registration 60.00; Bertsch Law Office, Legal Fees 76.00; Brown & Saenger, Phone Cord-Receipt Book 22.25; Klaudt Service, Police-Fire-Street-Ambulance-Park Supply 755.57; Lyle’s Signs, Replace High Street Signs 198.83; MADC, SEFP & other Dues 2000.00; Menno Hardware, Supplies 24.98; Menno Lumber, Building Supply & Pump House R&M 313.27; Menno Mercantile, Tractor R&M & Tow Strap 553.26; SEFP, Mileage & Hotel-GOED Conference 111.00; Second Century Publishing; Minutes & Notices 284.74; Simonsen Plbg. & Htg., Urinal R&M 66.62; Ken’s Electric & Refrigeration, Install Outlet at Softball Field 78.30; Elan, Return Imaging Unit 11.01 .

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to approve the warrants as presented. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Herman made a motion to release funds to the following: Athletic Club $4000, Menno Baseball Association $1500, and Junior Legion Baseball $1000. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

SCHEDULED BUSINESS: 7:35 p.m. Consultant Ron Kraft, retired Executive Director of the Yankton Office of Economic Development, spoke with the council concerning economic development. He explained the Economic Development Triangle: the foundation for all development is leadership that commits to it; the center is community development which is your product improvement – Quality of Life, a community that looks good, feels good, and works together; the top is economic development. Economic development is an ongoing, continuing process. You need to retain and expand the businesses you already have. Small business should be the “key” focus. Businesses will come to a community for the same reasons that businesses stay in a community. You need to attract visitors to your community and improve your product-what you have to offer (quality of life). He suggested partnering with surrounding communities. Larger communities depend on the smaller communities to provide their labor force and consumers. Kraft suggested doing an independent survey of the community as a place to start to find out what the residents and businesses think our problems are and what they want for Menno’s future. When the survey is completed, leadership training would begin. You use the survey and leadership training to create pride and accept responsibility, clean up the town, help existing businesses, identify resources required, make everyone a “salesperson” for Menno, and set goals and priorities. Kraft would be willing to lead this process and would expect around $500; District III would help and possibly have some overhead costs for some of the materials they would need to produce.

 

Ray Woehl entered the meeting at 8 p.m. and Ron Kraft left.

 

8 p.m. Rich Kemmis from Maguire Iron spoke with the council concerning repairs to the water tower. He presented the council with a new service contract for cleaning the tower and a contract for exterior painting. It’s our decision if we want to paint the exterior of the tank, but the belly of the tank needs attention soon. Maguire will take care of fixing the collar on the frost jacket and securing it and patching the rods at the joint.

 

Kemmis left the meeting at 8:15 p.m. and Kathy Wollman entered.

 

8:15 p.m. Fire Chief Shannon Herrboldt has been approached by people concerning older buildings in town that present fire hazards. He has been in touch with the state fire marshal who told him the city has control over how this is handled.

 

Ray Woehl said he is going to clean his buildings up on Fifth Street and that all electricity has been disconnected from them, except the one next to Ed’s Food Market The city could purchase all his property for $50,000. He would like to know what the city’s plans are before he starts to tear things down.

 

Kathy Wollman, representing the Athletic Club, requested funds be released for them and was told this was already done. She requested permission for the club to sell fireworks. Kotalik made a motion to allow the Athletic Club to sell fireworks from June 27 through July 5, 2006. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried. Wollman left the meeting.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to enter into a Service Contract with Maguire Iron to clean and inspect our water tower for the amount of $990.00 every two (2) years. This contract will run for a period of ten (10) years. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber made a motion to enter into a contract with Maguire Iron to paint the exterior of our water tower according to the specifics of the contract for a lump sum of $13,500. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Herman made a motion to pay Ron Kraft’s mileage for coming to the meeting this evening. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

OLD BUSINESS: There being nothing to add to the “To Do List”, Aisenbrey made a motion to adjourn the retiring council at 8: 30 p.m. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Oaths of office for two-year terms were taken by Mayor Larry Tolzin and Councilmen Gary Herman, Ward I, Galen Guthmiller, Ward II, and John Huber, Ward III. The “new” council reconvened at 8:35 p.m.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Herman made a motion to elect Dennis Aisenbrey as council president. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to elect Gary Herman as council vice-president. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mayor Tolzin appointed the following committees and officers. He stated a Safety Committee would be appointed when the Personnel Policy Manual is finished.

Auditorium:…………….Aisenbrey, Tolzin                                      Attorney:……………….Ken Bertsch

Buildings:………………Herman, Guthmiller, Mehlhaf   Cemetery Sexton:………Marvin Schwitzer

Cemetery:……….……...Huber, Guthmiller, Kotalik                         Chief of Police:…………Mark D. Hento

Health:………………….Aisenbrey    , Huber, Mehlhaf                  Civil Defense Engineer:..Roger Simonsen

Library:…………………Aisenbrey                                                    Engineer:……………….Vernon Arens

Parks……………………Huber, Guthmiller, Kotalik                         Finance Officer:………...Peggy Thranum

Purchasing:……………..Aisenbrey, Herman, Guthmiller               Health Advisor:…………Doug Schafer

Sewer & Water:………...Guthmiller, Kotalik, Mehlhaf   Librarian:……………….Angeline Schoenfish

Solid Waste:……………..Herman, Huber, Kotalik                          Street Superintendent…...Roger Heckenlaible

Street:……………………Huber, Kotalik, Mehlhaf                          Water & Sewer Superintendent….Fred Sayler

Swimming Pool:………...Herman, Huber, Mehlhaf

Aisenbrey made a motion to accept the appointed committees and officers, including Fred Sayler as Water & Sewer Superintendent. Mehlhaf seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber made a motion to set June 5 at 7:35 p.m. in the meeting room at city hall as the date, time and place for a hearing on the applications for the renewal of the following malt beverage licenses and for the following temporary malt beverage permit. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

  • Renewal - Retail (on-off sale) Malt Beverage - Archie Klaudt & Delano Klaudt, d.b.a., Klaudt Service, Lots 6 & 7, Block 4, A. Mettler’s Addition, City of Menno.
  • Renewal - Retail (on-off sale) Malt Beverage – Thomas R Fischer, d.b.a. The Schnitz. N. 24’ of Lot 3 & S. 27’ of Lot 2, Block 2, Original Plat, City of Menno.
  • Renewal - Package (off-sale) Malt Beverage – Ruth Mettler, d.b.a., The Beer Garden, Lots 9-10, Block 2, Original Plat, City of Menno.
  • Renewal – Package (off sale) Malt Beverage – Country Pride Cooperative, Inc., d.b.a. Cenex-Pump 24, Lots 100 & 101 & Lot 101A of City of Menno.
  • Renewal – Retail (on/off sale) Malt Beverage – Glenn Kirschenman, d.b.a. The Pit Stop, E. 113’ of Lot B of Original Out Lot 33 & 34 & all of Out Lot 36, City of Menno.

·         Temporary Malt Beverage Permit to the Menno Baseball Association for July 4, 2006 at the Menno Baseball Field.

 

Guthmiller made a motion to pay expenses for Thranum to attend Human Resources/Finance Officers’ School in Watertown June 14-15-16. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber made a motion to pay expenses for Fred Sayler and Roger Heckenlaible to attend the Wastewater Collection Workshop in Yankton on May 4th. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Herman made a motion to hire Jenna Guthmiller as a full-time lifeguard and the following as substitute lifeguards: Natalie Friesen, Burgandy Herrboldt, and Cheri Zeeb. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to allow Jessica Wentz to give swim lessons for the 2006 season since Julie Bender resigned. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to place an ad in the paper informing property owners of Chapter 40 of the city ordinances which states they must keep their property properly mown and sprayed for weeds. If the property owner fails to do this, the city will mow and/or spray and assess the cost against the property. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber made a motion to have Tom Ulmer spray the city cemetery for $430. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Guthmiller made a motion to allow the Power People 4-H Club to plant flowers in the flower boxes along Fifth Street and to pay up to $200 for flowers. Kotalik seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Our flower planters are falling apart and replacing them has been discussed in the past. Walter Welding quoted a price at the June 6, 2005 council meeting of about $70 to make steel planters with plastic liners. Aisenbrey made a motion to purchase 6 metal flower planters with plastic liners from Walter Welding. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber stated we need to be sure to have money set aside for the Highway 18 Improvement project otherwise the state will take us off the plan. Pete Longman from the SD DOT will hold a pre-road design meeting at the state shop on May 31 at 10 a.m. He requests to meet with the maintenance men, any council who wish to be there and our engineer.

 

We have received some complaints about people who have animals within the city limits not cleaning up their lots so they don’t smell. The mayor will speak to them.

 

FOR YOUR INFORMATION: The 2005 Water Quality Report was included in the council packets. Thranum will get the postcards in the mail and the notice in the paper when the report will be published as soon as possible.

 

Freeman will host an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic class beginning in August of 2006. Anyone interest should contact one of the Menno EMT’s – Director Marsha Schelske, John Huber, Darrell Mehlhaf, or Amie Fischer. The city pays the cost of the class and requests two years of service to help defray the cost of the class.

 

Following discussion, Huber made a motion for the city to pay half the cost of the Community Assessment to be done by Ron Kraft and District III. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

The council was presented with notes from “Opportunity Roundtable”, a statewide conversational teleconference that Thranum and Greg Wilcoxon participated in on April 20. The topic of this session was “Small Town Economic Development Directors-how communities create and sustain the position and what those directors do.” Economic development directors from Eureka, Freeman, and Hill City were featured guests, talking about their towns’ successes and their jobs. (Wilcoxon was unable to attend the council meeting tonight because of a job related commitment.)

 

The MADC minutes and the SEFP Annual Report were included with the council packets. There wasn’t an SEFP facilitators report this month.

 

Our work comp carrier is suggesting we offer our firemen Hepatitis B shots. Chief Herrboldt wanted to know if the council was going to pay for part of the cost. No decision was made. The SDML Worker’s Compensation Fund Board of Trustees gives a 9% Loss Control Credit to Members of the Fund who respond to their Suggestions for Improvement.

 

Aisenbrey made a motion to adjourn at 8:50 p.m. until Monday, June 5, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. Herman seconded, all present in favor.

 

ATTEST:                                                                    CITY OF MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

 

                                                                                                                                               

Peggy Thranum, Finance Officer                                    Larry Tolzin, Mayor