Call to order:
The regular Randolph City Council meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Robert Appelgren.
Roll Call:
Present:
Mayor Robert Appelgren
Council Members Sarah Podritz, Jacob Friedrich, and Jacob Toledo was absent
Treasurer Sandy Nicolai and Clerk Mary Haro
Public Comments:
Denise Podritz wanted to thank the firemen for staining the pavilion. It looks great.
Harlan asked if he could collect the excess materials of wires, pvc pipes, etc. left at the water tower and dispose of them. The Mayor will contact Nate at Northfield Wifi to see if he wants the materials and if he does not then yes Harlan can collect the materials.
Dean Sathre asked about the colored water. He was told that our chlorinator broke and needs a new head which was ordered to fix it. It was also noted that we will be flushing hydrants next week. Dean noted that the color water comes from not flushing the hydrants and that they have not been flushed since last year He noted that the tower was being fixed and could not be flushed then because of the water pressure but that they need to be done soon. He also asked if all the meters have been installed and it was noted we have approximately 60 left to install.
Also it was noted that the Mayor called KLM and told them that they need to get the tower fixed and until it is we will not pay the final invoice.
It was noted that Bryce should come to our meetings to address these issues. It was asked if we have a contract with him. We hired Bryce as our water operator and has the job until he quits or we fire him. It would be nice to have someone in town because for one thing they would have to drink out water and also they should be more accessible. Bryce should be told to come to our next meeting. Also it was asked if he goes to the pump house every day so we will check the daily log to see and also he should be giving a copy of the monthly logs to Clerk Haro so she will be prepared to do the yearly water report.
It was noted that there is a communication problem with Bryce and the council and if it doesn't get better than we need to find someone else. We could check with another city to see who they use. We need 100% commitment of being there daily and making sure there are no issues and if there are issues we need to be notified immediately.
It was asked if there is a job description of what he should be doing Robyn Hoerr from MN Rural Water indicated that they provide free technical assistance free of charge to assist with water systems, position descriptions and help with training new staff if it is needed.
Dean also asked about the garbage haulers in town and the time they pick up the trash. He noted they are coming in too early. The mayor will look into this and will call them and discuss this with them.
Prior Meeting Minutes
A motion to approve the August 12, 2020 council meeting minutes as written was made by Friedrich, seconded by Podritz. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.
Treasurer's Report
We received approximately $5,600 in water bill payments. We also received approximately $35,000 from the state for COVID.
Motion to accept the treasurer's report as written was made by Podritz seconded by Friedrich. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.
Approval to Pay Bills
Motion to approve the payment of bills for September, except the $27,000 payment to Classic Protective until the completion of the project, as written was made by Friedrich, and seconded by Podritz. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.
Sandy received a check for the Fire Relief Association that should be deposited and a check written to them. Appelgren made a motion to approve the $10,000 in and /out to the fire department, seconded by Friendrich All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0
Old Business
No old business.
New Business
Wellhead Protection Plan
Robyn Hoerr gave an update on the city's Wellhead Protection Plan. We are in the process of amending our original plan which is due to the Minnesota Department of Health in early 2022. The first step is to identify where the water is coming from that supplies the city well and also look at the vulnerability of the area around the well. We are a good point to see if there are any questions. She discussed the 10 year time of travel. Because we have less than 500 people in the city, Robyn will assist us and write the plan. We should list any issues with the drinking water in the plan and down the road we could apply for grants for those issues. Haro is meeting with Robyn to work on the plan and if any other council member is interested in attending the meeting, Haro will notify the council when the meetings will take place.
NCRWMO Joint Powers Agreement
Clerk Haro made a motion to approve the joint powers agreement with North Cannon River Watershed Management Organization (NCRWMO), seconded by Friedrich. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.
Preliminary Budget – Tax Levy
We went through the budget prior to the meeting. A motion was made by Appelgren, to approve the preliminary levy in the amount of $136,120, seconded by Haro. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.
Ordinance re amending Lot Size
The opinion is not to increase the lot size so we will not move forward on this issue.
Miscellaneous
Sarah asked about the letter we received from Eagle Bank regarding the letter of credit for DRW Holdings LLC. The letter indicated that they received a call from Dan Wenstrom indicating the letter of credit is no longer required and will be cancelled effective September 25, 2020. This letter is dated the day after our meeting in which we did not approve the reduction of his letter of credit. Mayor Appelgren called the bank and told them that we did not release the letter of credit and the information in the letter was not correct.
It was discussed if we should take legal action. The council is not okay with this letter. There seems to be trend here. This is not okay by the council. We did discuss this with our lawyer. Clerk Haro will check with Korine and see how if there is any further action that we can and should be taken regarding the letter.
It was noted that the east side of the pavilion is rotting away and we need to get that fixed and they want to paint the picnic tables. We need to supply the paint and they will paint them.
Mike Slavik called to indicated they were holding a meeting tonight regarding COVID but he wanted to relay that if anyone needs help with questions regarding COVID that we can reach out to him or the call the county.
Jake indicated the date for the roads to be spray patched is set for September 14th. There should not be any vehicles on the street when they come around to do the patching. We will post this on Facebook and on the bulletin board to please remove vehicles. We should mark the holes that should be fixed.
Also it was noted that we are still owed park land or park money for the development of a park in the Hereford Hills development.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting made by Podritz, seconded by Friedrich, the meeting was adjourned at 7:54 p.m. All voting in favor, none opposed, motion passed 4:0.