MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

May 7, 2007

 

Mayor Larry Tolzin called the city council to order at 7:30 p.m. on May 7, 2007 in the council room at city hall. Council present: Dennis Aisenbrey, Galen Guthmiller, Gary Herman, John Huber, Jerome Kotalik and Darrell Mehlhaf and Finance Officer Peggy Thranum and Superintendent Roger Heckenlaible. Erik Kaufman, Judy Headley, and Aaron Matthaei were also present.

 

Aisenbrey moved to approve the agenda with the addition of the following items for discussion: Restricted Use Site Employees and Siren. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

REGULAR MEETING ITEMS: Herman moved to approve the minutes of the April 2 regular meeting. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to transfer $20,000 from the Sales Tax Fund to the General Fund per the 2007 Budget. Kotalik seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Aaron Matthaei entered the meeting at 7:35 p.m.

 

Herman made a motion to approve the April finance report. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

FINANCE REPORT:

 

  General

  Water

   Sewer

Garbage

Perpetual Care

Sales Tax

Totals

Checking 3/29/07 Balance:

73,773.22

16,052.23

12,483.32

22,207.36

1,764.28

50,597.06

176,877.47

     Warrants:

(44,226.89)

(5,206.51)

(2,607.07)

(3,897.19)

0.00

0.00

(55,937.66)

     Receipts:

16,467.44

6,578.08

4,010.76

3,652.00

0.00

6,532.40

37,240.68

     Interest:

31.99

11.67

9.30

14.71

 

38.26

105.93

Checking 4/30/07 Balance

46,045.76

17,435.47

13,896.31

21,976.88

1,764.28

57,167.72

158,286.42

Water Deposits Held

 

(3,050.00)

 

 

Restricted

 

(3,050.00)

General Purpose CD's

50,000.00

 

 

 

Account

 

50,000.00

Designated Purpose CD's

87,679.03

20,541.33

31,981.65

1,544.96

45,532.86

 

187,279.83

Total Cash Assets:

183,724.79

34,926.80

45,877.96

23,521.84

47,297.14

57,167.72

392,516.25

Profit or (Loss) for the month

(27,727.46)

1,383.24

1,412.99

(230.48)

0.00

6,570.66

(18,591.05)

 

RECEIPTS: Water 6313.08; Sewer 4010.76; Garbage 3601.00; Late Fees 80.00; Ambulance 794.80; City Hall Rent, South Central Child Development 30.00 and Denise Handel 30.00; Tree & Park CD Interest 4.52; Lease, Menno Livestock 100.00; NSF Fee, Kimberlena Whitehurst 20.00; Alcohol Beverage Fund Remittance 1113.60;  Copies-3 Ken Zeeb .30; Work Comp Refund 400.00;  Cemetery CD Interest 159.89; Sales Tax 1% 6532.40 & 2% 6532.38; 5% License 428.67; Real Estate Taxes, Mar. ‘06 6470.66; Penalty & Interest 12.11; Prior Taxes 290.51; Water-On Fee, Garden Gate 10.00, Football Field 10.00, & Howard Kuhlmann 10.00; Water-Off Fee Howard Kuhlmann 10.00; Water Deposit, Julie Andersen 100.00 & Stephan McCray 100.00; Water Reconnect Fee, Kimberlena Whitehurst 25.00; Restricted Use Site Fees 51.00; Interest Earned 105.93. Total Receipts: $37,346.61.

 

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

 

WARRANTS APPROVED: Payroll: Council; 537.43; Mayor 400.59; Finance 1624.17; City Hall 115.44; Police 3687.46; Streets 3266.35; Cemetery 112.08; Ambulance 232.16; Library 216.17; Development 395.31; Water 1225.00; Sewer 1225.05; Garbage 224.75; Wellmark BCBS, Group Insurance 1374.44; Principal Life, Group Insurance 545.61; SDRS, Retirement 1123.32; Menno State Bank, Payroll Taxes 2727.41. Professional Services: Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service 3183.75 and City Wide Cleanup 638.13. Utilities: Golden West Co., Phone 326.94; NorthWestern, Electricity 1810.43; Verizon Wireless 70.02 & 70.37. Water Fund: B-Y Water, 1.503 M. Gallons 3686.00; NSF Check Kimberlena Whitehurst 22.71 and Mike Wade 26.00; City of Menno, Jonathan Sleven Deposit Paid on Account 100.00; City of Sioux Falls, Samples 40.56; One Call Systems, Locates 24.05; Petty Cash, Postage 14.18; Postmaster, Stamped Envelopes 221.50 & Stamps 23.70; Second Century Publishing, Water Quality Report 168.89; Bertsch Law Office, Postage 85.44; Zeeb Insurance, Insurance 1338.17. Sewer Fund: NSF Check Kimberlena Whitehurst 11.00 and Mike Wade 11.00; Dept. of Revenue, Samples 320.00; Fensel’s Electric, R&M 17.87; One Call Systems, Locates 24.05; Landshark Scuba, Professional Services 525.00; One Call Systems, Locates 24.05; Petty Cash, Postage 53.54; Walter Welding 34.00; Zeeb Insurance, Insurance 917.97. Garbage Fund: SD State Treasurer, Sales Tax 203.57; NSF Check Kimberlena Whitehurst 13.00 and Mike Wade 13.00; Second Century Publishing, Ad 54.76; Zeeb Insurance, Insurance 146.88. General Fund: Power People 4-H Club, Flowers for 5th Street 200.00; Bertsch Law Office, Legal Fees 413.40; Klaudt Service, Police-Street-Ambulance-Park Supply & Police R&M 1193.76; Linweld, Fire R&M 30.00; MADC, Dues 2190.05; Menno Athletic Club, Annual Contribution 4000.00; Menno Baseball Association, Annual Contribution 1500.00; Menno Lumber, Street R&M 13.60; Petty Cash, Supplies 18.49; Postmaster, Stamps 41.00; Printed Impressions, Vouchers 112.00; Radar Shop, Recertify Police Radar 39.00; Rames-Bender Post 152, Annual Contribution-Junior Legion Baseball 1000.00; SD Governmental Finance Officers’ School, Registration 75.00; SD Governmental Human Resource School, Registration 35.00; Second Century Publishing, Minutes 356.93; Martin Sieverding, Professional Services-Computer 100.00; Clarence Simonsen, Ambulance Laundry 8#’s 18.00; Vantek, Police Radio R&M 46.00; Western Office Plus, Typewriter Ribbon 22.14; Zeeb Insurance, $17,841.98 and Reynolds Welding, Oxygen 5.40. 

 

Herman made a motion to release annual contributions to the following organizations: Menno Athletic Club $4000, Menno Baseball Association $1500 and Rames-Bender Post 152, Junior Legion Baseball $1000. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

SCHEDULED BUSINESS: Tolzin stated the care center was interested in purchasing some mix from us to fix pot holes in their parking lot. Since they want to redo their parking lot in the future, it was suggested to fill them with gravel.

 

Judy Headley, Administrator of the Menno-Olivet Care Center asked the council’s permission to install another driveway near the day care so parents could drive in one, drop off their children and drive out another, thus eliminating the need to back up. Several parents have expressed concerns for the safety of the children the way things are now. The council gave their permission to do this as long as the culvert installed is comparable in size with the one they have in the other driveway (larger than 12”). Headley left the meeting.

 

7:45 p.m. David Herrboldt and Clyde Tarrence entered the meeting.

 

Maintenance reported they had called the city engineer concerning drainage problems and were told we should have a report in a couple weeks.

 

School Board President David Herrboldt asked the council if they would share the cost of cleaning out the ditch on the south side of the track field to allow better water drainage since a culvert from the city runs into this ditch and has silted in. Mehlhaf made a motion to pay for two (2) hours labor for Todd Hertz to clean out the ditch on the south side of the school track field. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Herrboldt presented the council with two bids to make the bathrooms in the old gym handicap accessible, Jim Woehl $15,000 and Redlinger Brothers $28,000. Walls would have to be torn out to make 32” doors. Tolzin wanted to know why they were doing this when they had state of the art handicap bathrooms that meet all standards just down the hallway. Following further discussion, Tolzin offered to contact the ADA to send someone down to go over the bathroom remodel plans to make sure they meet all the standards. No decision was made.

 

Herrboldt asked why the bill submitted for repair on the radiator in the gym bathroom had been refused for payment. He was told it is because the city hauls the snow piles away from the school and doesn’t charge the school for that service. Heckenlaible stated they had received complaints from citizens in the past for doing this. He said they haul snow piles from around the school only after all their other work is caught up. City maintenance removes piles of snow from the east and west ends of the north side of the school, east side of the school near the shop and where the buses are parked and from near the corners of the playground and the south parking lot. Herrboldt and Tarrence left the meeting at 8:10 p.m.

 

 

OLD BUSINESS: “To Do List”: Nothing was added.

 

There was no action taken on Land Purchase.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Huber made a motion to set June 4 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 following malt beverage licenses and for the following temporary malt beverage permit. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

  • New License - Retail (on/off sale) Malt Beverage - Larry 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 – 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.
  • 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.

·         Temporary Malt Beverage Permit to the Menno Baseball Association for July 4, 2007 at the Menno Baseball Field.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to pay expenses for Thranum to attend Human Resources/Finance Officers’ School in Pierre June 12-15. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Aisenbrey made a motion to pay Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service $150 per load and the tipping fees for the city wide clean up. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to approve signing the papers stating we do not want terrorism coverage on our insurance. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Heckenlaible wanted to know if we were charging enough for treated wood at the restricted use site since we have to pay to have it hauled to the Mitchell Land Fill and pay the $39 per ton tipping fee. No action was taken.

 

Huber made a motion to approve turning claims over to Advanced Asset Alliance in Sioux Falls for collection. Mehlhaf seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber made a motion to approve the estimate from Walter Welding in the amount of $1150 to put a new floor in the tandem dump truck. Kotalik seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Aisenbrey moved to allow Jody Fischer to run the concession stand at the softball field again this year. Herman seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Guthmiller moved to increase the price we get for gravel to $20 for a small scoop and $30 for a large scoop. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Huber 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. Mehlhaf seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

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

 

Guthmiller moved to allow Hento and Herman to check out police cars at the Sioux Falls Auto Auction and if they find one that is reasonable to purchase it. Huber seconded, all present in favor; motion carried.

 

Mehlhaf made a motion to table discussion on a truck route until the June meeting. Guthmiller seconded, all present in favor; motion carried. Heckenlaible was asked to draw up plans for a truck route to be presented at the next council meeting. This is being done due to the high cost of maintaining the city streets,

 

Gail Mettler Swain has contacted Tolzin several times concerning the sale of her property at 112 S High Street. She is asking $9000. Huber made a motion to table further discussion to the next meeting. Aisenbrey seconded, all present in favor; motion carried. This property could be used as commercial property.

 

For Discussion: Huber asked the councils opinion on moving the siren from the water tower to the fire hall so that it could be run with the generator. Last weekend when the storms went through the area, we couldn’t sound the siren because the electricity was off. The fire department took the trucks out and ran the sirens to warn people of the approaching bad weather, but a lot of people didn’t know what was going on. (An ad will be placed in the paper informing people of this practice until the problem with our siren can be solved.) The timer that sets the siren off has been moved to the pumphouse from the Golden West building. If the siren is moved to the fire hall, the timer will also be moved. The council saw no problem with moving the siren to the fire hall. Mehlhaf will look into obtaining a pole to place the siren on.

 

Heckenlaible stated doing this would move it one block further east, hopefully allowing those that live on the east side of town to be able to hear it better. Herman stated the purpose of the siren is to warn people that are outside, not necessarily those that are in the house. You will never have one that is load enough for everyone to hear it.

 

Emergency management is working to obtain warning sirens and a generator for use at the pumphouse.

 

We received a call this morning informing us that Ray C. Mettler wishes to resign from his position at the restricted use site. We have employees that work for the city that can take over this position and have an application to consider. These items will be placed on the June agenda.

 

For Your Information: The packet from the April development meeting was included in the council packets along with the SEFP Report.

 

The testimony written by the city to the DOT concerning Highway 18 Improvements was included in the council packets.

 

Because water was really backing up here, the culvert on the west side of New Hope Assembly was removed. Heckenlaible asked to delay fixing this until we find out what the highway plans are going to be. The church will be contacted concerning this.

 

Mehlhaf suggested installing a grated inlet in the alley between the 200 block of East and Pine Streets for water to drain into and connecting this to the storm drain on Highway 18 to allow the water to drain out of the alleys. The engineer will be contacted to include this in the Highway 18 project.

 

Herman made a motion to adjourn at 8:55 p.m. until Monday, June 4, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Kotalik seconded, all present in favor.

 

ATTEST:                                                                    CITY OF MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Peggy Thranum, Finance Officer                                    Larry Tolzin, Mayor