MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

September 7, 2011

 

Mayor Darrell Mehlhaf called the city council to order at 7:30 p.m. on September 7, 2011 in the finance office at city hall. Roll Call: Darrell Mehlhaf, Ronald Diede, Jerry Fischer, Galen Guthmiller, Jerome Hoff, and Scott Simonsen; Jerome Kotalik absent; quorum present. Finance Officer Peggy Thranum, Superintendent Roger Heckenlaible and Erik Kaufman, Barb and Larry Tolzin, Roger Simonsen, David Bender, Aaron Matthaei, Shawn Black, Verlyn and Sharon Hauck, Tom Ulmer, Bruce Anderson, Willard Goehring and Vernon Arens were also present.

 

Fischer moved to approve the agenda. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

                                   

REGULAR MEETING ITEMS: Hoff moved to approve the minutes of the August 1 regular meeting. Guthmiller seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to approve the August finance report. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

FINANCE REPORT:

 

  General

  Water

   Sewer

Perpetual Care

Totals

Checking Balance 7/29/11

374,557.84

50,138.51

63,464.67

646.95

488,807.97

     Warrants:

(33,427.87)

(30,499.90)

(7,523.08)

0.00

(71,450.85)

     Receipts:

31,182.46

24,783.64

9,374.49

675.00

66,015.59

     Interest:

49.87

5.93

8.72

 

64.52

Month End Checking  Balance 8/31/11

372,362.30

44,428.18

65,324.80

1,321.95

483,437.23

Water Deposits Held

 

(4,050.00)

 

Restricted

(4,050.00)

Water Reserve $300/mo (1st 11/2010)

(3,000.00)

 

 

(3,000.00)

General Purpose CD

50,000.00

 

 

Account

50,000.00

Designated Purpose CD's

42,812.60

30,172.35

36,220.59

53,327.00

162,532.54

Total Cash Assets:

465,174.90

67,550.53

101,545.39

54,648.95

688,919.77

Profit or (Loss) for the month

(2,195.54)

(5,710.33)

1,860.13

675.00

(5,370.74)

 

Fischer moved to approve the warrants. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

 

WARRANTS APPROVED: Payroll: Council 672.72; Mayor 259.46; Finance 1297.29; Building 130.18; Police 2681.49; Streets 1978.48; Garbage 499.67; Cemetery 126.39; West Nile 152.20; Ambulance 519.13; Pool 3373.58; Parks 175.96; Library 270.88; Development 140.88; Water 1258.92; Sewer 1086.01; Group Insurance: Wellmark BCBS, 2564.96; Principal Life 819.06; Avesis, vision 47.98; AFLAC 178.09; EFTPS, payroll taxes 3558.38; SDRS, retirement 1399.57. Professional Services: Rocky Zeeb’s Garbage Service, 294 residential 3675.00; Bonnie Heirigs, 2 cemetery cuts 1260.00. Utilities: Golden West, Phone 357.66; NorthWestern Energy, electricity 2354.13; Verizon Wireless, police cell phone 36.58; SDML, conference registration 100.00; SD Quest, sales tax 293.93; Deposit Refunds: Derek Fischer 100.00, Josh Hollestelle 100.00, Warren Johnson 100.00, Katie McNinch 100.00, Stan Rich 100.00, & Logan Smidt 100.00; Overpayment-water: Richard L Auch 32.01, Donald Herrboldt 13.59, Margo Larson 42.01, Daniel Mettler 35.13, Donald Okrina 23.55, Mike Smidt 44.18, Robert Winter 10.88, Jim Woehl 37.05, & Zion Reformed Parsonage 37.63; Reimbursement-Lifeguard training: Tessa Goehring 2nd yr. 45.00, Cody Herrboldt 3rd yr. 55.00, Emily Massey 1st yr 45.00, Shiloe Rich 2nd yr 45.00, Chelsea Wentz 1st yr 45.00 & Michelle Zeeb 2nd yr. 45.00; Arens Engineering, Highway 18 water 1455.80 and sewer 405.00; Barnes & Noble, library books 854.58; Bertsch Law Office, legal fees 309.01; BPI, office supply 79.46 vacuum 341.99; B-Y Water, 2.569 million gallons 8387.00; City of Menno, w-s-g Rocky Zeeb 2nd St. Rental 100.00; Classic Collision, Ford pickup R&M 206.15; Dept of Revenue, samples water 12.00-sewer 234.00; Germans from Russia Heritage Society, library books 140.50; Klaudt Service, police fuel pump-R&M 578.90-fuel 1482.52; Luikens Repair, Chevy pickup fuel pump, distributor cap, rotor, etc. 470.07-yellow dump truck hose-fittings 54.18; Matheson Tri-Gas, oxygen 22.70; Maxwell Sign, Gail Guthmiller memorial labels 15.00; Menno Food Market, supplies 34.44; Menno Lumber, supplies 13.95; MARC, lift station degreaser 541.40; Petty Cash-General, supplies 68.31; Petty Cash-Pool, postage 17.84; Petty Cash-Water, postage 30.80; SDML, Handbook, Municipal Officials-attorney 60.00; SDSWMA, dues 100.00; SCPI, publishing 163.65; Slowey Construction, water 23,417.58-sewer 8030.34; SD One Call, locates 143.35; Team Laboratory, lift station degreaser 847.69; Vantek, batteries-supply fire 240.30 ambulance 260.00; Western Office, police supply 73.35.

 

SCHEDULED BUSINESS:  Arens discussed the progress of the highway project with the council and answered questions. He left at 8:41 p.m.

 

Diede moved to give the council’s approve to allow the grocery store to install a ramp in front of Menno Food Market on Fifth Street to eliminate the steps allowing for easier access to the store. Fischer seconded; all ayes. Black left at 7:50 p.m.

 

Guthmiller moved to hire James Mettler to install the drain pipe for the west side drainage project and to purchase two drop structures for the project. Hoff seconded; roll call-all ayes.

 

Dave Bender left the meeting at 8:02 p.m.

 

Kotalik will begin work on the east side drainage project in a couple weeks. The collapsed sewer on Fifth Street is scheduled to be fixed September 23.

 

8:05 p.m. Tolzin expressed his concern for the council’s motion to charge minimum utility rates for residents even when their service is shut off. They would be paying for a service they weren’t receiving. Sharon Hauck asked if the council would consider removing the charge for garbage. Tolzin suggested charging a larger on/off fee and forgetting about the $45 minimum. The mayor reminded them that not only do their utility charges pay for the water, sewer and garbage service they receive, but also for the infrastructure and upkeep of the systems. The council welcomed their comments and said they would take them under advisement. Fred Sayler had entered the meeting at 8:09 p.m. Goehring, Ulmer, Tolzins’, Simonsen, Sayler, Anderson and Haucks’ left at 8:45 p.m.

 

Hoff moved to approve a Temporary Malt Beverage Permit for the Sodak Stamm Chapter GRHS on October 22, 2011 at the city/school gym. Simonsen seconded; all ayes.

 

Hoff moved to approve Change Order No. 2 for salvaging and reinstalling fire hydrants as part of the US Highway 18 reconstruction project in the amount of minus ($3930.00). Fischer seconded; all ayes.

 

OLD BUSINESS: “To Do List” Maintenance is to call in locates and haul grindings into Klaudt’s alley and the alley behind Jake Luikens (they are receiving heavy traffic due to the construction); set up barricades for the car show; set up seating for Band Day September 30.

 

Diede moved to allow Verizon Wireless to install a pole at the baseball field for two directional antennae to improve cell service in Menno. Guthmiller seconded; all ayes.

 

A bill for $794.61 was turned into our insurance for damage done to Lavern Wagner’s truck.

 

On/off fees will be discussed at the next meeting.

 

There was nothing new to report on the gym tucking pointing or bathroom remodeling.

 

NEW BUSINESS: Simonsen moved to approve the second reading of Ordinance #2011-3, an ordinance setting the appropriations for the 2012 budget. Guthmiller seconded. Diede, Fischer, Guthmiller, Hoff and Simonsen voting aye (Kotalik absent), none voting nay; motion passed.

 

There were no delinquent water-sewer-garbage accounts to report.

 

Hoff moved to proceed with proper procedure and have the city attorney contact the four nuisance property owners with a letter of inspection. Guthmiller seconded; all ayes.

 

Fischer moved to pay expenses for the Rural Health & Community Vitality Conference in Sioux Falls on October 4. Hoff seconded; all ayes.

 

Diede moved to hire Commercial Asphalting to do some street matting, but to stay under the bid limit of $25,000. Guthmiller seconded; all ayes.

 

For Your Information: The August MADC packet and SEFP report were distributed to the council.

 

Mehlhaf read a thank you for the use of the meeting room from the Menno Girl Scouts Troop 50538 and shared the cookies the girls brought in.

 

Guthmiller moved to adjourn at 9:24 p.m. until Monday, October 3, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Simonsen seconded; all ayes

 

ATTEST:                                                                      CITY OF MENNO, SOUTH DAKOTA

 

                                                                                                                                               

Peggy Thranum, Finance Officer                                                Darrell J. Mehlhaf, Mayor

 

Published once at the approximate cost of $________.