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NOTICE OF ALBANY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
There will be a
meeting of the City Council in and
for the City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota at
6:30 o’clock in the evening
on Wednesday, August
5, 2009, in the
Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the said City.
AGENDA
1.
Convene meeting
2.
Audit Bills
3.
Act on regular Council minutes of the meeting held on July
15th
4.
Open Forum/Public comments
5.
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor – present list of
unpaid water bills and recommendation to discontinue water service
pursuant to Ordinance 30
6.
Patrick Smith, Geronimo Wind Energy – present proposed Wind
Farm project consisting of 19-30 wind turbines in Albany Township
north of the City.
7.
Stan Hanson, City Engineer – present pay application number
three for Golf View and Fairway Drive Improvements and discuss other
on-going improvement projects.
8.
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor
9.
Daron Gersch, Utility Department and Community Education
Liaison
10.
Dennis Sand, Park Department, and Equipment
11.
Tom Kasner, Fire Department and EDA
12.
Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club
13.
John Greer, Police and Street Department
14.
James Stueve, Police Chief - National Night Unit Program
update
15.
Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm – update Council on CapX 2020
Project, a high-voltage transmission line expected to run from
Monticello to Fargo, ND.
- request by Initiative Foundation
for donation
16.
Mayor’s announcements and letters
17.
Announce meeting date (August 19th) and adjourn
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Pursuant to due call
and notice thereof a regular meeting of the Council in and for the
City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota, was called to order by
Mayor Dennis Sand at 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday,
August 5, 2009, in the Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the
said City.
Other Council members present were: Tom
Kasner, and John Greer. Councilor Jack Evens was absent. Councilor
Daron Gersch arrived at
6:35 PM.
Also present
were: Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm., Stan Hanson, P.E. Bonestroo, Inc.,
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor, Ted Boran, Patrol Officer,
Albany Police Department, James Stueve, Police Chief, and Don and
Barb Krebs, Albany Township residents.
After due
discussion, a motion was made by Tom Kasner and seconded by John
Greer to authorize the payment of the following:
Check Numbers 59639 to 59699 and 13281 to 13295. All voted for
the motion and it carried.
Mayor Dennis
Sand called for any corrections or additions to the minutes of the
regular meeting held on July 15th and hearing none declared them
approved.
Mr. Mergen presented to the Council a list of unpaid utility bills and
recommended that they be discontinued pursuant to Ordinance 30.
Mayor Dennis Sand, with the consensus of the Council, directed Mr.
Mergen to make one last personal contact with each and if the
utility bill remains unpaid, he may proceed to discontinue the
individual’s water service.
Councilor Daron Gersch arrived for the meeting.
Mr. Hanson presented to the Council pay application number three for the
2009 Golf View and Fairway Drive Improvements submitted by Larson
Excavating,
Holdingford,
MN. After
due discussion and upon the recommendation by the City Engineer, a
motion was made by John Greer and seconded by Daron Gersch to
approve said pay application in the amount of $88,004.15. All voted
for the motion and it carried.
Patrick Smith, Justin Pickar, and Ken Anderson, representatives from
Geronimo Wind Energy,
Edina,
MN, a wind
energy development company, were present for the meeting.
Mr. Smith appeared before the Council to present information on the
proposed Albany Wind Farm 45 Megawatt Project north of the City
consisting of nearly 30 wind turbines to be located in
Albany and
Krain
Townships. Mr. Smith noted that several land owners are being solicited for
potential wind turbine sites and their goal is to submit an
application to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for final
approval. Mr. Smith also noted that the XCEL Energy sub-station
adjacent to
13th Street and Shamrock
Lane would be utilized for their project. Mayor Dennis Sand, with the
consensus of the Council, had no objection to their project.
Mr. Mergen presented the following bids he received for the construction
of a new salt shed at the City’s Public Works Department,
34502 Co. Rd. #41:
BIDDER - Construction
AMOUNT
Mike’s Construction $12,300
Master Builders of
Avon $12,471
John Overman Construction $12,950
Dean Mitchell Construction $12,985
BIDDER - Excavation
AMOUNT
Lange Trenching, Inc. $1,500
Craig Bardson Excavation $2,890
BIDDER - Paving
AMOUNT
Central MN Paving $3,660
Hardrives $4,600
Monson Corp. $9,760
Central Specialties $12,745
Mr. Mergen recommended to the Council that the low bids from Mike’s
Construction, Lange Trenching, and Central MN Paving be approved in
the amount of $17,460. After due discussion, a motion was made by
John Greer and seconded by Daron Gersch to approve the
aforementioned low bidders in the amount of $17,460. All voted for
the motion and it carried.
Mr. Greer informed the Council that the Stearns County Highway Department
is planning on resurfacing
Stearns Co. Rd. #157, the service road between
Albany and
Freeport
beginning in 2010, but the project may be pushed back until 2011 due
to the County’s budget uncertainties.
The Council took notice of a proposed amendment to Ordinance 41, Sidewalks
and Streets, relating to the regulations of tables and chairs to be
placed on public sidewalks. Mr. Greer informed the Council that the
Planning Commission at their July 14th meeting
recommended that a draft ordinance be prepared after receiving a
request by a business owner on
Railroad Avenue (Mainstreet) for the placement of tables and chairs on the public
sidewalk. Mayor Dennis Sand with the consensus of the Council
directed the City Clerk/Administrator to forward the proposed
amendment to the Planning Commission to be presented and discussed
at their next meeting for discussion and recommendation to the City
Council.
Mayor Dennis Sand opened the
evidentiary hearing regarding an administrative fine dated July 19th
issued to Mr. Mathew Thomas Mracek, 1210 6th Avenue, St.
Cloud, MN, a bar tender at The Well Saloon, 411 Railroad Avenue,
for violating Ordinance 60.24, (Liquor).
Mr. Mracek was not present for the meeting. Mr. Stueve informed the
Council that Mr. Mracek requested that he be placed on the agenda to
object to the citation he received. Mr. Boran appeared before the
Council to provide information as to why the administrative fine was
issued. After due discussion, a motion was made by John Greer and
seconded by Tom Kasner that the request for action to dismiss
the aforementioned violation of Ordinance 60.24 be denied. All
voted for the motion and it carried.
Mr. Schneider informed
the Council that he attended an open house invitation on August 3rd
at the Albany Elementary School, sponsored by CapX2020, a
345-kilovolt transmission line, to be constructed from Fargo, ND to
Monticello, MN and proposed transmission line routes, three of which
are being proposed near the City of Albany. Mr. Schneider noted
that one route is proposed along Quaker Road adjacent to the City’s
Wastewater Treatment Ponds and south of the newly constructed Albany
Business and Industrial Park (340th Street) adjacent to
Wells Concrete, Inc. Mr. Schneider noted that the other two routes
are nearly three miles and nine miles north of the City. Mayor
Dennis Sand, with the consensus of the Council, directed the City
Clerk/Administrator to draft a letter to CapX2020 objecting to the
proposed transmission line route adjacent to the Albany Business and
Industrial Park and the said route three miles north of Albany.
The Council had no objection to the transmission line route proposed
along Stearns County Road 17 or nine miles north of the City.
The Council took
notice of a proposed amendment to Ordinance 77, Weeds and Grass, and
establishing an administrative penalty. Mr. Mergen informed the
Council that the owners of vacant lots in the subdivisions are not
mowing on a regular basis. Mr. Mergen noted that many property
owners only begin to mow the lots upon receipt of a letter from the
City informing them that they are in violation of the City’s
ordinance and throughout a summer, several letters get drafted due
to the property owners’ negligence which is time consuming for
himself and staff when he could be working elsewhere in the City.
Mr. Mergen recommended that the penalty for those property owners
who violate the ordinance be set at $250 per platted lot or $250 per
acre or any lesser portion thereof. Mr. Greer noted that amendment
will require the City to mail an annual (one) notice to the property
owner alerting them of the ordinance requirements and penalty for
violation which will encourage more frequent mowing rather than
having the City wasting staff time viewing these vacant lots for
weed and grass violations. After due discussion, a motion was made
by John Greer who introduced the following ordinance amendment:
Amendment to Ordinance77
Weeds and Grass
And amendment to Appendix A
Establishing an administrative
penalty under Ordinance 77
The motion for the
foregoing amendment was seconded by Tom Kasner and after a full
discussion thereon and upon a vote being taken thereon, the
following voted in favor thereof: Mayor Dennis Sand, Councilors
Daron Gersch, Tom Kasner, and John Greer and none voted against the
same. The full text of the said Amendment is on file at the office
of the City Clerk/Administrator for public inspection during normal
office hours.
Mayor Dennis Sand announced the next
regular Council meeting for 6:30 o’clock in the evening on
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 and adjourned the meeting at 8:05 PM.
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
NOTICE OF ALBANY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
There will be a
meeting of the City Council in and
for the City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota at
6:30 o’clock in the evening
on Wednesday, August
19, 2009, in the
Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the said City.
AGENDA
1.
Convene meeting
2.
Audit Bills
3.
Act on regular Council minutes of the meeting held on August
5th
4.
Open Forum/Public comments
5.
Stan Hanson, City Engineer – present pay application number
four for Golf View and Fairway Drive Improvements and discuss other
on-going improvement projects.
6.
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor
7.
Daron Gersch, Utility Department and Community Education
Liaison
8.
Dennis Sand, Park Department, and Equipment
9.
Tom Kasner, Fire Department and EDA
10.
Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club
11.
John Greer, Police and Street Department
12.
James Stueve, Police Chief
13.
Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm – present proposed 2010 budget
14.
Mayor’s announcements and letters
15.
Announce meeting date (September 2nd) and adjourn
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Pursuant to due call
and notice thereof a regular meeting of the Council in and for the
City of Albany, Stearns County, Minnesota, was called to order by
Mayor Dennis Sand at 6:30 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday,
August 19, 2009, in the Council Room at 400 Railroad Avenue for the
said City.
Other Council members present were: Tom
Kasner, Jack Evens, and John Greer. Councilor Daron Gersch arrived
at 6:33
PM. None were absent
Also present
were: Tom Schneider, Clerk/Adm., Stan Hanson, P.E. Bonestroo, Inc.,
Joseph Mergen, Public Works Supervisor, and Mike Kosik, Editor,
Stearns Morrison Enterprise.
After due
discussion, a motion was made by Tom Kasner and seconded by Jack
Evens to authorize the payment of the following:
Check Numbers 59700 to 59739 and 13296 to 13325. All voted for
the motion and it carried.
Mayor Dennis
Sand called for any corrections or additions to the minutes of the
regular meeting held on August 5th and hearing none declared them
approved.
Councilor Daron Gersch arrived for the meeting.
Mr. Hanson updated the Council on the progress of the construction of the
2009 Golf View and Fairway Drive Improvements. Mr. Hanson
recommended that no action be taken on the pay application request.
Councilor Jack Evens, Albany Golf Club Liaison, presented to the Council
the said Club’s Checkbook Register for review and consideration.
Mr. Evens noted that several course improvements have been completed
and the overall operations of the club are going quite well this
year. After due discussion, a motion was made by Jack Evens and
seconded by Daron Gersch to authorize the payment of the following
bills: Check Numbers 33276 to 33553. Voting for the motion were
Councilors Daron Gersch, Jack Evens, and
John Greer
and none voted against. Mayor Dennis Sand and Councilor Tom Kasner abstained and the motion carried.
The Council took notice of the proposed 2010 Budget which included the
Police, Fire, Street, Park, Library, and Administration Departments
including the Capital Equipment Fund and employee benefits. Mr.
Schneider noted that the proposed levy increase is 3%, the same
increase in the previous year. Mr. Schneider also noted that the
Council must certify the proposed 2010 levy to the Stearns County
Auditor on or before September 15th.
Mayor Dennis Sand announced the next
regular Council meeting for 6:30 o’clock in the evening on
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 and adjourned the meeting at
7:40PM.
Tom Schneider
Clerk/Adm.
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