MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

July 2, 2010

 

Mayor Darrell Mehlhaf called the city council to order at 5:45 p.m. on July 2, 2010 in the finance office at city hall. Roll Call: Darrell Mehlhaf, Ronald Diede, Jerry Fischer, Jerome Hoff, and Scott Simonsen present; Galen Guthmiller and Jerome Kotalik absent; a quorum was present. Others present: Finance Officer Peggy Thranum, Superintendent Roger Heckenlaible, City Engineer Vernon Arens (entered at 5:55 p.m.), Dr. Chris Christensen and Erik Kaufman.

 

Fischer moved to approve the agenda with the following changes: Add–Baby Pool - Delete Resolution CWSRF application-sewer and CWFCP application-water. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

                                   

REGULAR MEETING ITEMS: Hoff moved to approve the minutes of the June 7 regular meeting. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to approve the June finance report. Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

FINANCE REPORT:

 

  General

  Water

   Sewer

Perpetual Care

Totals

Checking Balance 5/28/10

254,216.98

17,037.54

14,872.82

1,044.28

287,171.62

     Warrants:

(30,921.45)

(8,831.05)

(7,362.64)

0.00

(47,115.14)

     Receipts:

47,244.98

12,035.14

5,757.25

0.00

65,037.37

     Interest:

59.39

4.43

2.90

 

66.72

Month End Checking  Balance 6/30/10

270,599.90

20,246.06

13,270.33

1,044.28

305,160.57

Water Deposits Held

 

(4,650.00)

 

Restricted

(4,650.00)

General Purpose CD

50,000.00

 

 

Account

50,000.00

Designated Purpose CD's

118,076.35

52,953.05

58,112.29

50,981.48

280,123.17

Total Cash Assets:

438,676.25

68,549.11

71,382.62

52,025.76

630,633.74

Profit or (Loss) for the month

16,382.92

3,208.52

(1,602.49)

0.00

17,988.95

 

Simonsen moved to approve the warrants. Diede seconded; all ayes.

 

WARRANTS APPROVED: Payroll: Council 503.72; Mayor 161.61; Finance 1031.38; Building 124.91; Police 2711.18; Streets 1589.91; Garbage 517.12; Cemetery 121.29; Ambulance 323.12; Pool 1783.53; Parks 431.78; Library 256.82; Development 136.79; Water 897.39; Sewer 897.39; Group Insurance: Wellmark BCBS, 2489.88; Principal Life 704.33; Avesis, vision 30.32; AFLAC 143.64; Menno State Bank, payroll taxes 2926.61; SDRS, retirement 1315.36. Professional Services: Bonnie Heirigs, 3 cemetery mowings 1890.00; Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service, 288 residential 3600.00. Utilities: Golden West, Phone 440.91; NorthWestern Energy, electricity 1527.18; Verizon Wireless, police cell phone 36.30. City of Menno, water-Erin Magnuson 3.39 and Greg Price 1.40; Deposit Refund, Gerald Handel 100.00, John Hess 100.00, John Kisley 100.00, Erin Magnuson 96.61, Greg Price 98.60 and Teddy Schelske 100.00; Arens Engineering, Hwy 18 water-sewer 2460.00; Avera Queen of Peace, Drug Testing 113.00; Banyon Date Systems, support 770.00; Bertsch Law Office, Legal Fees 333.24; BPI, receipt book 28.29; B-Y Water, 1.937 million gallons water; 6491.00; Commercial Asphalt, 5.73T patch mix 441.21; DENR, drinking water fee 300.00 and general discharge permit 50.00; Dept. of Revenue, sewer samples 261.00; Edelman Feed & Supply, Tempo 45.15; Fensel’s, pool R&M 39.32; Fred Haar Co., mower blades 71.91; Handel Repair, police car air conditioner R&M 668.15; Hawkins, chemicals pool 1435.30 and water 604.97; Kirschenman Electric, oil 4.00; Klaudt Service, fuel 767.75; Luikens Repair, Sweeper 280.00; Menno Fire Department, ˝ fire school/6 1325.60; Menno Food Market, supplies 79.22; Menno Lumber, supplies 598.61; Mettler Fertilizer, spray lagoon borders 95.17; Petty Cash-General, supplies 71.87; Petty Cash-Water, postage 15.85; Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service, parks 5/15/10-9/15/10 375.00; SDARWS, dues 335.00 & smoke testing 210.00; SD State Treasurer, sales tax garbage 250.45, pool 157.19, parks 1.39, & copies .66; SCPI, publishing 269.43; Team Lab, weed killer 772.20; Walter Welding, R&M cemetery sign 950.00 & parks 142.79; Western Office Plus, police ink cartridges 69.96; Johnny Woehl, paint stripes 5th Street 325.00 & paint 106.69.

 

The mayor stated we are no longer on the STIP plan as our project goes to bid in October 2010.

OLD BUSINESS: Dr. Christensen stated the business manager had been in contact with several people in Pierre concerning the gym bathrooms. They felt there wouldn’t be a problem with the codes since the remodeling would improve the facility. Hoff moved to enter into a contract with the school for 25% of the cost of new bleachers for the old gym and 50% of the bathroom remodeling, interest free for a term of 4 years. (Approximate total, $20,000.) Final decisions for the projects will be left to the discretion of the school board. Diede seconded. Roll call-all present aye, no nays; motion carried. Dr. Christensen left at 6:05 p.m.

 

SCHEDULED BUSINESS: Arens updated the council on the Highway 18 project. SRF loan applications have been sent in. The mayor and finance officer should attend the September meeting in Pierre when our loans and grants will be brought before the board. Our water-sewer plans for Highway 18 need to be completed and sent to DENR before July 15. The state will go to bid for our project October this year. After Highway 18 plans are finished, he will wrap up the wastewater study and present his recommendations to the council.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Hiring a maintenance worker will be done at the end of the meeting.

 

Fischer moved to purchase two loads of oil for chip sealing. Simonsen seconded; roll call–all ayes; no nays.

 

Diede moved to hold the budget meeting July 26 at 6:30 p.m. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

 

Hoff moved to begin the city wide meter reading sometime the week of July 19. Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to add the gym to the city’s liability insurance for $27 a year. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to purchase a compact refrigerator for city hall. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

 

Hoff moved to approve Johnny Woehl painting the stripes on Fifth Street and to pay for the paint. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Fischer moved to approve the two-year vision policy from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2012 for the renewal rate of $8.57. Diede seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to adjust the daily rate of $10 a day to $8 a day for camping at the city park if you stay 30 consecutive days or more, which would waive the 10 day camping limit. The $240 must be paid in advance. Hoff seconded; roll call-all ayes.

 

Fischer moved to pay expenses for the STIP meeting in Mitchell on July 22. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

The mayor asked the city attorney to render an opinion on pumping water from one property to another or an adjoining street ditch. This action is defined under our nuisance ordinance. Section 22-2 defines a nuisance as unlawfully doing an act, which act annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others. “It is the city attorney’s opinion that pumping water from one location to another location is creating a nuisance. Not only is it creating a pool of water or a larger pool of water, it is also annoying the neighbors.” Section 22-4 provides that: “The mayor shall give notice to any person creating, permitting, or maintaining any nuisance to abate such nuisance forthwith; and if such person shall neglect or refuse to do so within a reasonable time after such notice, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor . . . .”

 

Money needs to be set aside in the budget to replace the street sweeper. Maintenance is experiencing a lot of problems with the current 1974 model that was well used when we purchased it.

 

Simonsen moved to set the hearing date for a Temporary Malt Beverage Permit for the Menno Fire Department on September 11, 2010 from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the Menno Fire Hall. Diede seconded; all ayes.

 

All council members will receive a copy of the audit when it has been approved by Legislative Audit, The mayor reviewed the following proposed audit adjustment corrections detected during the recent auditing procedures.

 

  1. The Municipality of Menno should have an updated policy handbook. The amount of detail is at the discretion of the council.
  2. Separate receipts should be written for each type of revenue.
  3. The Municipality has an equipment rental policy; however, this activity is to be discouraged.
  4. It appears that the water loss is too high when comparing the amounts purchased and sold. It should be considered to possibly going to remote readers rather than a self-read system.
  5. The Municipality should bill for Interfund sales of goods and services such as water and sewer usage by other departments. This would require the installation of addition meters in some locations.
  6. Only entities associated directly with the Municipality should use the Municipality’s employer identification number.

Hoff moved to make the following change to our Labor & Equipment Rental Rates Policy. “The following labor and equipment rental rates shall be used when city workers perform work that is to be billed to another party for another governmental entity, unless otherwise contracted. Diede seconded; all ayes. These rates would be used in the event of a disaster or in the event we would provide services for another town.

 

The administrative rule regarding the minimum rate requirements for grant programs has changed.

Rule 74:05:07:08.01. Application review. The secretary shall review an application in accordance with the following guidelines:

  1. Applicants that are either incorporated municipalities or sanitary districts must have established rates for the project that meet the following minimum rates:

(a)     Drinking water - $25 per 5,000 gallons per month;

(b)     Wastewater - $22 per 5,000 gallons per month.

Hoff moved to comply with the minimum required rates for wastewater so we qualify for grants. Sewer rates beginning September 1, 2010 will be $12 0-1000 gallons and $2.50 every 1000 gallons thereafter. Simonsen seconded; roll call-all ayes.

 

Fischer moved to table discussion on sewer averages to July 6. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Hoff moved to table discussion on metering city services until July 6. Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

Hoff moved to hold a special meeting immediately following the hearing on July 6 at 6 p.m. to discuss sewer averages, metering city services and water meters. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Maintenance was directed to have Bender’s Sewer and Drain come and run a camera through the pipes at the baby pool to see if they can determine where the leak is.

 

For Your Information: Thank you to Roberta Stoebner for paying for a couple scoops of sand for the sandbox in the park.

 

We were notified that RC&D Coordinator, John Deppe passed away May 27.

 

We received a thank you for our business from Wieman Land & Auction.

 

Hoff moved to go into executive session at 7:55 p.m. to discuss applications for maintenance workers. Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

The mayor declared them out of executive session at 7:59 p.m.

 

Simonsen moved to hire Ron Luikens as part-time maintenance to begin work immediately for approximately 20 hours a week at $8.12/hour. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

 

Simonsen moved to adjourn at 8:03 p.m. until Monday, August 2, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

ATTEST:                                                                    CITY OF MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Peggy Thranum, Finance Officer                                    Darrell J. Mehlhaf, Mayor

 

Published once at the approximate cost of $_________.