Okay, so we got a quorum Okay, so
This time I'd entertain a motion to adopt the agenda.
I make a motion to adopt the agenda.
I'll second.
Okay, motion made, seconded.
Any discussion, changes?
Okay, hearing none, all those in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
Aye.
Okay, then also let's move on to approve our minutes from July 22 to entertain a motion
approve the minutes from July 22nd.
I'll second.
Okay, motion made seconded.
Are there any additions, deletions, corrections, changes at all?
Okay, hearing none.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Okay, and I guess this time we will close the City Council meeting.
at 8:17, and we'll open the public hearing for a petition for partial alleyway abandonment.
Obviously, petitioner not here, but I guess my thoughts on it, and I want to confirm my thinking is right with Steve.
So he doesn't want to abandon the entire alley, right?
He just wants to abandon the alley on lot three.
and develop it in between these lots two and one.
So it's just this bottom half right there.
If this is developed, can you see that, Steve?
So if that is developed, then we should be good as far as accessing the lots one, two, and three.
Or do you think we should have him do something else?
Yeah, I think he should have to finish Robinson off.
And is that along the southern border of three?
Straight up.
Between one and two?
Right here.
Robinson, come down this way and then connect this alley over to there.
Okay.
Okay.
That way it gives us access to... To the lot.
Because we can't get our garbage truck down here and turned around.
Okay.
They put their cans over here and then we can pick cans there.
Okay.
So I guess my thinking on the abandonment then, I sent him a letter on behalf of the city if this is okay with the council that
If this and this and that is all developed, then we will grant his petition to abandon this right here.
And then I'll send with that an invoice for the publication in the newspaper that the city was billed from the leader.
Those are my thoughts on it.
No, that sounds good to me.
Steve, as long as you're good with... I think that provides better access to not only the garbage truck, but if there's a fire back there or something.
Yeah, we need that.
So then I guess what I'll do, I'll send him a letter and I'll have a clean copy of this and I'll highlight specifically where the city wants it completed.
And then do we want to have in there, I guess, a deadline for when that should be done?
What's reasonable for that?
I don't know the state of it out there.
I would assume it would have to be at least done before he started building on it.
Yeah, prior to construction.
Because I think he still has to put a water and sewer main extension in too.
Yeah, after completion of water and sewer or something.
Yeah.
Okay, let's do that.
So then does he have to have any of that engineered to finish the street?
The water and sewer would have to be engineered, but that's straight Montana code.
But the city streets, they just have to be to city standards.
I mean, he could even do them in gravel.
They don't have to be asphalt.
Maybe I should send the ordinance with
the description of Alley.
Yeah, I think we have it in our book.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure we do.
And if not, we just go off the public works standard.
Okay.
No city ordinance.
Okay, I'll double check that before I send the letter.
I mean, that was the same qualifications we made for the other people on the north side of town for extending that street.
I would assume when you engineered it automatically sent it through, wouldn't it?
Did Scott have that engineered at all before for any of that?
WWZ did engineer it when Scott first subdivided that, but I think Taylor looking at the one that he had gave Seth with the utilities, looks like they're thinking of doing it a different way.
I think he was bringing the water and sewer in a different direction.
[Crosstalk]
Okay, so I guess my plan then would be to send a letter of conditional approval stating he complete, you know, what we indicated on this map after his completion of water and sewer, and it could be asphalt or gravel, and then I'll double check.
I'm pretty sure we do have a city ordinance defining alley parameters, but if we don't, I'll just go to the public works definition and include that in the letter to him.
That sounds like a plan.
That is what I shall do.
Sounds good.
Yeah, I think that's...
He should be, has he been talking to you about any of this?
Like questioning you between meetings?
No, he really hasn't.
I mean, he brought me that plat.
Okay.
That was about it.
Okay.
Yeah.
You know, my big thing is I don't want to have too many things to deter him from developing that and building a nice, whatever he's planning on building.
So, yeah.
So, I mean, really with like you're saying, Steven, it's just going to be some gravel work.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, if we're not making him pave it, it's, I wouldn't think it's going to be a big of a deal.
Because if he puts the sewer extension in and he doesn't grant it back to the city right away, he can charge whatever he wants for people to tie into his main.
But then if there's an issue, it's his responsibility.
If there's a break on it, he has to fix it.
So he would want to more than likely get it completed and then turn it over to the city?
I don't know.
Not necessary.
If it's PVC, I don't know.
I'd wait until I sold those two lots.
That's what I would do, personally.
Yeah, because then he can recoup some of his costs of putting it in.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Because we only charge people $200 to tap in.
I mean, he could charge whatever he wanted for them to tap in.
But again, that goes back to my first point about that may deter people also from doing it.
But he lets them choose his neighbors.
It sure does.
$30,000 to tie it.
Did, was Taylor coming this morning?
I don't know, he didn't say anything.
Okay, well, I mean, I assume he's not, or I assume he thought it was 8.30.
Well, that's just, yeah, I know.
Yeah, but you want me to text him?
I don't think it's necessary.
I don't want to wait for him.
We'll just have to rehash what we just told him, which will be in a letter anyway.
So we're not stopping him.
We're telling him.
We're letting him move forward.
Yeah.
And just giving him time frames.
He just wasn't able to ask any questions
or propose any alternate ideas.
But we can work through that.
If he doesn't like something, he can come back.
If he wants to make a change, we'd have to have another public hearing.
Yeah, uh-huh.
But I kind of think that was the plan anyway.
Sure.
Because I know he wanted to ensure access.
So as far as I know, I don't know about this portion of it.
But it was my understanding he planned to complete these portions.
OK.
Okay, well, I guess with that being said, we will close the public hearing at 8:25 and resume the city council meeting.
So yeah, public comment.
Any public comment, Steve?
I'm not public, remember.
Okay, I didn't know if you just picked up a nice little tidbit out there.
it more.
Okay, so John you're technically public.
I know you're here to kind of go over the results of that core test, but okay.
Okay, utility clerk report and nothing really new to report from Janet.
Pool manager report.
Steve, you are the assistant pool manager.
You don't get paid for it either.
Deep clean on the 18th, and we'll be done for the season.
Next year we do have divisional swim meet here, so plan ahead for that.
25th and 26th of July.
I don't know if he wants to come look at that pool after I drain it.
Yep, so that was going to be one of the questions I had.
It closes the 17th, if you know when.
I'll start draining it that week.
So yeah, I talked to him on the way up here.
Okay, moving on, public works report.
Steve, we'll keep it with you.
Well, we got done using our crack sealing machine for the rental, and then what else we got going on?
We started doing our blacktop, got one on Smith Avenue done for everybody.
Otherwise, business as usual.
Okay.
Pump went out of our other truck, I haven't got a chance to look at it yet, so we're running the rental right now.
But I'm gonna go, I can't, I gotta bring it down here and work on it, because it's a slop hole up there, so.
Hopefully get it out of there today, bring it down here and look at it.
Okay.
I texted him on Friday and said I can't afford a rental, so we need to figure it out.
engineers are working on a wire harness or something is what I was told.
I'm going to contact him today because he said he would call me on Monday and never did.
You know they got right on it.
It was kind of a little bit of excitement in the air.
Yeah.
Not much excitement you can get for a garbage truck.
You know they ordered it and were going to take it down there wasn't a buy.
I would have thought they had enough time beforehand to have all the everything there.
How long have they had it out?
They've had it since the middle of March, I think it was.
Wow.
Yeah.
End of March, maybe?
Yeah.
But they did say up to six months, didn't they?
I thought it was three months to order, three months to put it on.
I thought that's what they said.
90 days to order, 90 days to put it on.
OK, maybe that's what they said.
Maybe if I keep bugging them, it'll go a little quicker.
Yeah.
Okay.
So also, anything else for Public Works?
I don't think so.
Okay.
And then we do have the vendor policy.
So I got a few examples from Bozeman, Billings, Glasgow, and Glendive.
When I looked in our ordinances, we had something in our books in Chapter 5, but it was repealed by an Ordinance 89-5.
So I guess I wanted to maybe take a look at that ordinance and see what it was and why maybe there is this very specific reason the Council repealed what little we did have before I proposed something for the Council.
So I might just after the mating bug, Janet or Sonia for that ordinance because I did not have it.
But I do have examples, but I just wanted to look at that, that why did we take that out of ours?
Was there a specific reason at a swim eight years ago or something like that, that we did it?
Okay.
Okay.
Nope.
We're not in any hurry to do that.
Just want to get it done right.
Okay, all right, moving on.
Zoning administrator report.
We have offense permitted to apply to Daniels.
Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff, Steve.
All right, well, at this time, I'd entertain a motion that we approve fence permit at 205 Daniels.
I'll so move.
I'll second.
OK, so motion made seconded.
Is there any discussion?
OK, hearing none, all those in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
OK, motion carries.
Moving on, study commission report.
Wyatt?
Okay, and then Greg, are you available for that meeting as well tomorrow?
Yeah, I plan on attending.
Okay, perfect.
That sounds good.
Okay, fire chief report.
No, who else does?
The other night we had a storm come through.
Yeah, you know, I know there's, we've got that wall unit air conditioner.
Would we want to consider doing one of those split units or whatever?
We actually talked about that.
It would be the best time to do it.
Because if you've got to pull that out to repair it, just fill it in or whatever, then do a... The one that's got the heat pump too?
Yeah, that's what I would do.
That would make the most sense.
I mean, the price difference between the two is nominal.
I mean, the heat in that room would be perfect for heating that room.
Yeah, through 90% of the year.
And if you go with the upper end ones, you're going to get it down to minus 22 as the new ones.
So that's pretty much 90% of the year.
We're not looking at any major purchases this year.
I think the only thing is those racks.
Maybe.
Well, I don't use it all.
I mean, I think we have something pretty good with our budget.
No, not so much pulling some, well, not kind of shuffling some funds around to get some other projects done, but.
Wade called and wanted to go on about
More than just a patient.
To spend that money every year is kind of mindless.
Those cups don't get round enough.
No.
The only time they get round is during the pump test.
The other part of the pump test is, is that an ISO?
But they don't require it every year either.
Okay.
I think they only require it every five years, don't they?
Man, it just seems like that's so hard on those pumps when you're doing that.
It is.
Like it stresses it.
Well, and especially since they don't get run.
I mean, they get run during hose tests usually.
Hose tests and pump tests.
And then you run the holy living piss out of them during the pump test.
Yeah, and that's tough on them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay, yeah, as long as it doesn't affect the ISO rating, any of that, I don't know, because we're, it seemed like we're kind of stuck at a five, and I don't remember the whole matrix.
Did you get the final report on that?
I haven't seen one.
I haven't gotten it either.
But, you know, there was, looking at the, just simply, like, the homeowner's insurance side of things, if we can go from a five to a four, then that,
Homeowners insurance can come down so that that does affect the whole city when we went through this year We got a lot of credits this year that you normally didn't get change the equipment or hydrants were placed so I'm kind of curious to see if it does drop this year.
Yeah If we buy a ladder truck
I'll try to reach out to her today and just see where that is.
You know, Perry's usually looking for that too.
And he hasn't said nothing.
He hasn't said nothing.
He hasn't come to me.
For some reason, I thought in the past that it kind of showed up in the fall, the results in it.
Well, she came at a weird time.
Didn't she come in the winter?
Yeah, that's when they always come.
They always want a new freaking pressure tester.
Yeah, hydrant flow in the wintertime.
And was she, wasn't she pregnant one of these last times she came up to?
That's interesting.
But I guess she's got a job to do, so.
Okay, anything else for Wyatt or from Wyatt?
Thanks for the heads up and we'll keep us posted on the, well,
I guess the racks, if that's whatever, but then where would the money come from just our building fund for the new AC?
That would probably come out of the city buildings, out of the general fund also.
Okay.
But I have no idea what that costs either.
What are those mini splits, a couple thousand?
Yeah, if we can find a 410 unit
We could get it down to around $3,500, I think.
So we're not looking over $5,000.
I mean, the install can be done by us.
I mean, I have all the...
I can put them in.
I just did one at Mr. Tate's, so that can be volunteer work.
Two guys, about four hours for most of them.
Yeah, it's not a big deal to see them.
No, they're quick now.
Well, he said a pedal.
I thought it was a new rope.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
No, thanks.
Okay, so moving on.
Thanks, Wyatt.
We have sheriff's report, law enforcement advisory board, draft minutes, so you'll see that in your packet.
No sheriff, so no report.
Is there a reason he's not sending people or coming to this?
Well, I don't know because I've heard
I haven't talked to him yet.
I've heard that Rex isn't working, but then I could have sworn I saw him.
Rex is working at dispatch.
He's got some medical issues, so he's at dispatch.
So he's at dispatch, okay.
And then I also heard Kade is potentially moving.
That was a, I'll just say a third hand, you know, kind of scobey rumor mill story that someone asked me if I knew and I said no.
So I was going to, so I had people complain to me that there was, and just take this for what it is, too much law enforcement presence at the fair.
And to the point where people, they're just not going to come back.
That was the comment.
Well, I said, I get it.
I said, it did sound like they were looking for reasons to pull people over.
Blinkers, rolling through stop signs, which
You know, it's allowed probably 362 days out of the year, and then they did it.
But then I heard, I was listening to the radio, and the Montana Highway Patrol has got some like campaign or something going on, where they're, I don't want to say, you just crack down on them.
Well, there's like a DUI task force, I think.
Yeah.
Yes.
So, and we did have several Montana Highway Patrolmen in town.
You know, this might not necessarily be, you know, the sheriff calling in the cavalry to, you know, ask for help.
It might just be, you know, there's an event here.
So we're sending in... They were at the same thing in Plentywood, too.
I had heard, and I had heard that it wasn't, I mean, again, third-hand, that it was part of, because they used to do it on the western part of the state all the time.
Okay.
That it's not the local law enforcement.
during the summer when there's lots of activity to go in for.
Pretty much any of the fairs and rodeos, they just hit random.
So I don't think it was intentional to us, it was just we drew that weekend.
So that would have been, you know, a conversation we could have had with Clint is just discussing that, but otherwise I
I don't have anything else.
The meeting went well when we had it.
It was a couple weeks ago.
Any word on the tower?
That fiber?
No, I know the commissioners are meeting yesterday and today, so... On what?
Yeah, they're meeting this morning.
That's where we'll get to.
Okay.
We switched over to fiber.
Yeah.
Yeah, they've been down there working on it.
It's all done.
It was done a couple weeks ago.
Yeah.
Well, they've got a couple more things to connect into it, so.
Yeah, Redtail does.
Yeah.
But Neimont's portion is done.
Is done, yeah.
Because there was some scuttle that we were late getting services there and that wasn't the case, so.
And if everybody remembers, I think it's probably on record, I asked about the FAA for this tower when they said they were going to build one, so.
I think we either need to get on them to patrol the chicken ordinance, or we need to make an ordinance to allow chickens.
Because there are more coming to town, and it looks like people are planning on bringing more to town.
Well, my personal opinion on it, as a citizen and as the mayor, is I would encourage the passing of
a lot of chickens in town.
But we'd have to have the rules and regulations and stipulations.
Every January, they come in and pay $100 recertification, and then Public Works goes and inspects them.
There's people who think they're hiding chickens right now.
we know they're there.
You know, I think they forget that we drive up and down every alley twice a week, so if there's a new little building going in, or all of a sudden the fence is two feet taller for some odd reason, it doesn't pass the sniff test all the time.
So how many more people do you suppose right now?
Well, I know there's one on the east side of town, and it looks like on the west side of town someone's putting together
an enclosure for some.
So I know there's at least two on the east side.
And then hopefully if we do something about the chicken, maybe we can do something when the cows come back to town.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, so since you brought up the chickens, I did get a call yesterday from Matt Owens.
Oh, yeah?
He referenced the letter.
He apologized.
He said,
He ordered the checkers from, I forget which state, he's like, and when I ordered them, I had low hopes that they'd even make it here alive.
He's like, but they came here, they all made it, made the trip, and he said, but when he ordered them, he thought, he's like, you know, shoot, I wonder if there's a rule against this.
And so, anyway, he said he won't do it again.
He's like, the birds are all gone now anyway.
I don't know where they went.
I haven't seen one run into town.
It's funny, because they kind of pop out from the bushes and look at you.
And then, you know, like a damn cartoon character, you kind of look at you.
Or you have to slam on your brakes so you don't run over them.
Yeah, they're up by the hospital and on Timmins and all over town.
So we were kind of playing like a Chukar sighting bingo at Nemo for a while there.
But it doesn't sound like they'll make it through the winter.
They're not acclimated to our balmy winters.
So is there anything else you want me to do or just let the trucker drive away?
No.
So I told him, I said, we're not pursuing legal action against you.
We wanted to let you know, hey, shouldn't have done it.
Don't do it again.
You know, the fact that we have sent a letter now, if for whatever reason he does something, again, we have grounds to... I agree.
probably not necessarily my some on the agenda but I mean if this is something the council wants on the agenda we can get it back on there but to me it's a done issue one and done yeah okay so good yeah so that worked out good so yeah I know we're not on that was going to bring that up under mayor comments council comments but since we are kind of still talking about
Law enforcement stuff.
And I agree, Steve.
I mean, that's the thing is either we enforce the ordinances or... No point in writing them.
We change them, I guess.
Yeah, I agree.
You know, because... Unfortunately, it shouldn't be that way.
No.
Yeah.
But... Yeah.
Well, should I send letters to people with chickens in town?
Do you want me to address it with them or how do you want me to handle that?
about it and let me know?
Well, I know what the textbook answer is.
Yeah.
It's an obvious yes.
Because we do have an ordinance against it.
I would be fine with drafting a letter citing the ordinances that they're breaking, but also in their
I guess I would like to have a paragraph that says City Council is open to passing this so you're not breaking the law.
Come to a meeting with some ideas and let's just get it passed.
Yeah, and I was, it was her neighbor who approached me about it because the house is for sale and she's worried that, you know, potential resale value if, you know, there's chickens next door.
And that one, I don't know if their coop thing would meet zoning code either.
Okay, maybe I'll get addresses from you after the meeting then for the letters.
Okay, I will do that.
Okay.
About an ordinance, is there, there's certain cities that have allowed it?
Yep, usually still no roosters and then you just limit the number of chickens and then address, you know, the code of your coop and permitting for the coop and stuff like that.
Or even permitting for the chickens themselves.
File a permit and say I want, you know, five chickens and six limits or something like that.
So if we had a general idea of what we could
could go with.
Me, as a chicken owner, I would not want them in town.
I know there's people both ways.
My biggest thing is I don't want it to affect the neighbors.
You know what I mean?
That's what kind of, I guess, upsets me about it is you're not taking into account the effect you're having on the neighbors around you.
thing is they won't have as many chickens as I have.
We have 20 chickens.
In one or two instances I think that the neighbors probably paid off with three eggs.
Yeah, I agree.
You keep your mouth shut you
No, no.
I mean, and that's the thing.
That's my worry.
It's the ones that, you know, aren't responsible.
Well, then we'd have to get a, you know, a half a dozen chickens and don't take care of them and don't clean the poop.
The problem is the enforcement of that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I think this will be a good approach where it's, it's basically a warning letter.
Like, Hey, we know what you do.
Yeah.
And, you know, it only takes one to throw it off for everybody who's behaving.
So, okay.
Council comments.
Anybody have any council comments?
Just my usual rant about the county dump.
I don't get it.
I was out there, you know, brush, trees and stuff this last weekend and all the transfer station dumpsters are locked up and gated and skid steers and stuff parked in front of them.
Yes, because they were... Nobody was working because they wouldn't pay the normal guy the overtime hours to man the dump on Saturday.
Really?
Yes, because Paul came in Saturday to haul our trash.
and he got a full truck, he didn't even get down to town, he had nowhere to dump it.
Yeah, I was gonna say, I mean, because they had the gates locked to the big, the actual dump.
Yeah, you're not supposed to dump in there at all.
No, yeah.
Yep.
Yep, so that was, because Mason seen Paul hauling on Saturday and called him, he says, are you hauling?
He says, yeah.
He says, well, you won't be able to dump because I'm off because they don't want to pay me overtime because Michael Thorne was gone all week.
And so they just didn't open the dump on Saturday.
I guess as a taxpayer and not only a city council member, and I've said this before, it pisses me off because why did we build a transfer station then?
Yeah.
Really?
I mean, why did the county spend that kind of money on doing what we did, building the transfer station, buying the containers, buying the truck to haul 'em,
building the roads for people to get in access to them, and then building a hut, putting power to it, and none of it is being used.
Yeah.
We have less service now than we did prior.
Yeah.
And then yesterday, we couldn't get out there till afternoon to dump the trucks.
That's why garbage didn't get hauled all day yesterday.
So Paul's hauling them today because he couldn't get out to dump until 3:00 yesterday.
our big truck back, then we're driving to Plentywood.
But then we're incurring the cost of hauling again.
And I really think they shouldn't be dumping their truck in there.
When that truck gets full, they should haul that truck to Plentywood.
Because I mean the last place they pick is Flaxville, so you're halfway to Plentywood.
Instead they drive back here and dump it in those containers, take the time to push it in the containers,
pack the container, and then load the container up and haul it to Plentywood.
I mean, it doesn't make any sense.
Well, like I've said too, and I've voiced this before, is our trucks aren't necessarily spec'd to haul.
I don't know, I just don't agree with the way it's being operated, I guess.
That's my dump rant.
Well, just, it's just no, there's no rhyme or reason to the way they're doing it, I guess.
I don't understand that.
Well, and then they wait until all three cans are full before they haul them.
I mean, you could easily haul all three of those cans in one day.
Yeah.
And then their Plentywood dump doesn't open until 11.
So then when he picks the can to haul, he doesn't leave here until 11.
Like you could leave here at 10, then you're there at 11 when it opens.
Right.
I think we'll need to be more specific in our next garbage agreement.
I agree.
It expires this year.
Does it expire in January?
Yeah, we used to do it in one year.
Yeah, through December 31st.
We definitely need to add more stipulations for the people that we take care of.
Well, the city is the biggest user of the landfill.
We're the biggest customer, you could say.
And really, I mean, the customers are already paying for the landfill and their taxes.
They're only paying the city to haul their garbage.
That's what I mean, as a taxpayer, it pisses me off.
Yeah, because that landfill tax is all coming out of everybody.
Because I've always thought that, you know, I'm not going to try to, you know, bust something apart or break something down and shove it in the...
a garbage can, take it to the landfill.
But then you go take it to the landfill and you can't dump it anymore.
That's my biggest fear of what's going to happen.
It is, and that's what's going to happen is people are going to start shoving stuff in cans that shouldn't be there.
My philosophy is it's better to be open than just leave them closed.
I mean, if they're open, at least people can use them.
Half the time I come in and my
So they just, they need a container at all their offsite locations.
Big containers, yeah.
They do.
Yeah.
Get rid of, you know, a battery of... And then you only got to run one truck.
Yeah, then you don't need a garbage truck, you just need a container truck.
Yeah.
That's what I've been saying since the beginning is what they should do.
I mean, it doesn't take much until a bunch of dirt up to make a ramp for those containers that want to enrich on them.
Should I think they did that in a day?
Okay, any other council comments?
Okay, sorry for yelling.
It's okay.
Okay, partial alleyway abatement.
So we're just going to send in the letter, right?
Yep.
Okay, so nothing to really vote on.
Or do we need to vote on what's in the letter?
Yeah, I think we should vote on conditional approval of the
Okay, so I would make a motion to approve the... Samantha, did you say that?
I'll move that we approve.
Conditional approval.
Conditional approval.
Yep.
I second.
Okay, so motion made and seconded.
Is there any further discussion?
Okay, hearing none, all those in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
Okay, motion carries.
Okay, let's see, let's skip over asphalt core samples and let's just get the rest of the agenda done.
Okay, John, what do we got here?
So I did get the core sample results from
Sampled four locations, kind of spread throughout the street.
Samantha, you want one?
Yes, please.
Thank you.
Get an extra.
So I kind of spread them out.
Starting on the highway side, I did right, left, right, left.
The drawing here shows where the core locations were at.
So the results, basically, core results one and two and four were all within the specified
Station, or I'm sorry, test number three, which was at station 13 plus 48, which was right near where the damage was, was light compaction.
I did try to get a hold of, I forwarded these as well to hard drives, and then I followed up with a call, I don't know if Will is out, but I did not return back, or get a call back from them on when they,
plan to come and repair that, but I guess it would be my recommendation since we did the basically kind of divided into four quadrants is to request that they remove and replace at least the top two to three inches of asphalt on the south side of the street from roughly station 13 plus 00 to the end of
They did also check the cord thicknesses on that as well.
The cords were all good.
The minimum thickness was four inches and up to basically four and 4.37, so just under four and a half inches.
They did get the thickness there that was required.
It's just that test three, which was around 1348,
I guess I, in my opinion, I don't know if it was worth removing all the way down to the gravel because it just, I feel that down close is better compacted.
Your wear surface is gonna be on the top, obviously.
We have not, like I said, we still have, after the previous meeting, we're still withholding retainage from the contractor and we have not signed the
and it's the one year warranty period from that point, so.
Last I needed to talk to hard drivers, they were waiting to, trying to get a crew in the area to come up and make the repairs.
Obviously they're busy for the summer, so.
You guys, are there any questions?
No, I mean, I feel we're willing to work with them.
Sounds like they know, they're gonna make it right.
It is what it is.
hurry up and get it done, you know, so we can start that one-year clock.
Correct.
And get the retainers paid.
Well, yeah, and then just finish getting paid.
Yeah.
I'm kind of glad the warranty's not going until later.
That way, a whole season of winter and spring in there.
Yeah.
And, Craig, that is correct, right?
Just looking, I didn't see where we signed a substantial completion.
I didn't think we had.
Yeah, no, appreciate it.
Yeah, I guess as they are in touch with you, you know, just keep us posted because I know we'll have to let the hospital know as quick as we can because that truck comes up every couple weeks.
Sure.
Has there been any other conversations with the hospital?
I know we talked at the last meeting I was at about kind of having a conversation with them if there were other options about
going on the outside of the curb?
So I did talk to the trucking company.
He had talked to Cody Brinton at the hospital and then he passed on my number.
And he said that he is going to tell the drivers to try to take a different way in and out.
The reason sometimes he has to back out jackknife like that is because just how people are parked in there.
So, so that kind of falls back on the hospital to say, you know, and, and it's, you know, it's really frustrating when I go there for whatever it is, all the good parking spots are taken by all the employees when I feel they should park across the street in that vacant lot that they bought.
You know, and if you get all those employee vehicles out of the way, you know, sure the,
you know, the people going to the clinic.
probably park kind of goofy, how people come and go, seem to park, but I think they need to have a lot less traffic there on the Timmins side, because he kept referencing that Timmins exit, entry and exit.
So, versus the one on the north end that's on.
If you didn't have any boys parking there, they could throw some cones up and stuff.
Well, I was just going to say, you almost just shut that parking lot off on the days that truck comes.
Yeah, I mean, people can park on the street.
There's handicap access all the way around.
I mean, they all parked on that other street when it was closed for COVID or whatever they wanted to.
Yeah.
Staff's already got a parking lot on the southwest side of the building.
Yeah.
I don't think that's fully utilized.
Yeah.
Somebody wants to walk through the building to get to work.
Sure.
In the clinic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That was all I had on that.
I guess I was just curious on the 3rd Avenue.
I know we sent the city a letter of conflicts as far as tying in the driveways, especially on the south side of the street.
I just didn't know if the city had any timeline for wanting to get that completed just for our kind of summer or fall workload and schedule.
When you would want to bid that out?
My plan, I guess, my idea to the council is going to be to just hold off on that a little bit.
I feel We've talked about this a little bit, like, just the intersections
if we can go around and just repair, say, a half dozen of our roughest and busiest intersections, because you drive down any of our city streets, the roughest spots are all in the intersections where everything's been tied and re-tied together and whatnot.
And we're looking at maybe pumping the brakes a little bit on a big expenditure, but still trying to get some street maintenance done.
But then, the next big project is still, my idea is to do the third avenue, kind of hopscotch around town a little bit.
Yeah, I mean, the design is, I'd say, 75% complete.
We're just, like I said, those tie-in issues, and then the finalize of the bid package and whatnot.
So it'll take us a little bit to get it wrapped up, but I don't want to have you guys expecting to bid
I've done and you're waiting on us.
So yeah.
No.
Okay.
No, I think we're just kind of in a holding pattern right now.
Sure.
Okay.
Perfect.
So, all right.
Well, if you have any other questions for me, we're good.
Appreciate you coming.
No problem.
Thank you guys.
Okay.
Um,
Okay, transformer replacements.
So I know I called Seth and kind of picked your brain a little bit about it, and I guess I kind of forgot about Brian, you probably would be aware of him too, but those older transformers that have that... PCBs.
Yeah, PCBs.
So there was Lon Swank was doing some work over for Liana Handran.
the back side of her store and there was three of those older transformers and either all one or all of them were leaking and so he noticed because he was clearing some brush and he's like everything's dead well he looked up and I had no idea you know this you know this stuff's Greek to me but he knew exactly what was happening so he told me and he's like I'm walking away I'm not doing anything till MDU switches those out
I didn't know the history of it, so I shot an email to Sonya and Samantha to kind of say, you know, is this something?
Well, excuse me, I better back up a minute.
Perry Wolfe also came and talked to me and brought some pictures in and said, you know,
you know, this stuff's toxic.
So I told them, I said, you know, we'll get it on the agenda so it's on the public record because if there is an environmental, negative environmental impact of some sort, at least we brought it up and, you know, we can go back and say we discussed some options or whatever.
So I don't know, Samantha, if there's anything we need to reach out to MDU for, like if they need to repair or replace all these.
Oh, there can't be that many left, I guess.
There's quite a few.
Oh, is there?
I think they probably keep a list.
Yeah, I'm sure they do.
Like I said, you know, when I have dealt with it in the past, I think, I don't think they replace them until they're visibly leaking.
Visibly leaking.
output.
And that's the way that they've been dealing with it.
But, you know, I don't think they check them every year either.
So it just seems like with all the other environmental things that you're having to do to do anything that this, which seems like it's
Well, there's one in my alley, right straight behind my house.
It's not leaking, but it's... How do you know?
I guess you can just tell because... They're black.
Okay.
Yeah, they're... I mean, you can just see they're all kind of oxidized on the outside.
They look really old.
Yeah.
And a lot of times you see like an oil stain on the outside of them because that's what it is.
That's what it is.
It's leaking that oil that is the coolant for the inside.
It was the original coolant that they used 40 years ago.
Yeah.
50 years ago.
Okay.
Somewhere in there.
They quit putting them up in the 70s or something?
Yeah, I think they're probably from the 50s.
They were probably installed in the 50s, but they were declared bad in the 70s and early 80s.
They'd probably look at it as cheap of a firm to be up there and just replace them as they go.
They'd enter them all in.
Oh, for sure.
They don't want to do a mass change-up.
But I think, I don't know, and I don't know this for sure, but I think by law, if it's visibly leaking, they have to change them out.
Yeah, it is.
It's in the EPA stuff.
So, I mean, if you see oil on the outside of the container, it's leaking.
Yeah, I think it's just prompt notification to MDU, and maybe I can get a list and just put everyone, you know, this is where they're at in town, and maybe the city could publish something saying, this is where they're at.
If you see anything, this is the number you call.
And I think it could be as simple as that, really.
Because people probably don't know or recognize it, and they know who they know.
Well, the average person doesn't.
Yeah.
Like I say, there's a lot of them in this town that are still young ones.
Aged.
And I'm above average, and I didn't even know it, Brian, so.
Yeah, well.
I mean, Steve, you guys, do you guys ever look up when you're in the alleys?
So, Steve, let me rephrase.
Steve, I need you guys to look for chickens, chuckers, oil from up above.
Yeah, yeah.
So then that's what the article in the little paper, or in the paper should be is, you know, here's the clear signs, you know, dead foliage.
You know, and I'm sure we never really look for dead grass around holes, but I can mention when we're hauling trash or whatever, driving down.
Yeah.
I mean, most of them are in the alleys where there isn't a lot of landscaping.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's just, yeah.
So, so you're not really going to notice it unless you know what you're looking at.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Okay, maybe I'll draft a notice and send to you guys to look at before we send it to the leader, and then we can just hang a couple around town or something too.
Sure.
And have it hanging here or something.
Okay.
Yeah.
Sounds good.
I think it's a good idea.
Okay, sidewalk ran free.
Morgan!
Oh, yes?
I'm ready to go forward.
Is there anything else that needs to be voted on?
I'm about ready to go into this appointment.
consent items.
I guess, yeah, the consent items is all the agreement for drug testing.
Yeah.
Oh, the drug testing.
Well, let's let's skip to that here.
Sonia, it's the same as it was, right?
Yes.
She's just an annual agreement.
Okay.
Okay.
So, yeah, we are going to skip around here for the record.
So, under administration, item A, agreement RDT services LLC
entertain a motion that we approve the contract with them for this year for our required drug and alcohol testing.
I'll make a motion to approve the new fiscal year for the RVT services.
And I'll second that.
I'll second that.
Give it to Greg.
OK.
OK, so we've got a motion made and seconded.
Is there any discussion?
So it's the same price on you.
Okay, perfect.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Okay, and then, I guess since we're here, consent items, the back of your packet were the consent items.
I would entertain a motion to approve.
I move to approve the consent items.
Okay.
Gray, were you making the motion?
Yeah, I was.
Okay, well, give it to Greg, and then do I have a second?
I'll second.
Okay, Brian seconds.
Okay, any discussion?
Okay, hearing none, all those in favor?
Aye.
Okay, so motion carries.
So, Greg, thank you for jumping on.
Good luck at your appointment, and we'll see you when you get back.
Alright, thanks so much.
Have a good day.
You too, thanks.
Okay, oh yeah, sidewalk ramp.
So Sonia, where did you find this 5051 Superior?
Oh, the sidewalk thing.
Yeah.
Yes, it's just the... Yeah, I know what... What the period does.
Okay.
So who... Is there a request for a rent?
Yeah, so... Oh, yeah.
Over by the Dale Fossum.
Across from the Firehall?
Yeah, across from the Firehall, kitty corner from Lutheran Church.
Okay.
he had requested that a couple be put in.
Basically, I think just around his... He wants ramps on both corners of his house and the fire hall.
He thinks that there should be those ramps.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's requesting that.
I guess I never noticed.
I guess that was left to us.
Yeah, and you know, since the Lutheran Church is doing
Are they going to do a ramp on their side of it?
Are they replacing that whole sidewalk?
Well, they replaced the whole sidewalk.
Yeah.
Scott's already got, he already... On the north side of the church.
Yep.
See that?
We never did pass that sidewalk ordinance or it was repealed or whatever in the book.
So all it says is you have to replace what's there.
You don't have to upgrade it to ADA standards or anything.
I would think if the church is a commercial business, Scott might have to upgrade that to ADA.
I think it would affect their insurance and things like that if they weren't ADA compliant, in my mind.
Because normally anytime there's a change, it has to be brought to ADA compliancy per the state.
Yeah, I don't think that even necessarily needs to be in our ordinances because I think it's a separate law.
I think it's a state law that
That's for the blind people.
Yeah, I think Brian's right.
Yeah.
Well, this would be... I mean, this would be the perfect time to do it.
We could do... I feel it'd be easy to justify the fire hall one, because that is our city fire hall.
I mean, so we could for sure do that side.
You know, where I have hesitation is...
where it's owner's request?
Well, yeah, the owner's request.
Like, taking into consideration his proximity, you know, where he lives, got, you know, church there, his sidewalk would start the path to Main Street as you come, you know, that direction.
Jared Wilson?
Is that his name?
A motorized scooter guy?
Yeah.
He, you know, he's asked, of course he's kind of had some goofy requests about removing all the rocks off the gravel street, you know, but, you know, I see him coming through town, he kind of jockeys his way where he gets his little wheelchair scooter on and off of the, you know, certain places, so.
But, so yeah, I guess we'll need to,
decide what we need to do.
And maybe we try to budget for it.
We try to do a couple a year, but then you're going to find a contractor who's going to want to just do one or two a year.
Or you can work it into your street project.
have to then, right?
Because we'd be doing new curb and gutter.
We're doing new curb and gutter.
Well, I don't know.
With the intersections, I was thinking just, you know, go back.
Just the asphalt and the subgrade, depending on what kind of condition it's in.
And then, you know, if we have to move any of the manholes or the water shutoff, you know.
no bumps.
That was just my idea with the streets, not doing a full blown.
But there are some areas that do need curb and gutter, where the boulevard trees kind of buckled it up or whatever.
Yeah, and I think, like you say Steve, probably
know, like with that 50-50 program that Sonya found, there's a lot of people in town that would replace their sidewalks if they'd only have to pay 50% of it.
So we haven't necessarily voted to sort of the city to start budgeting for that, right Sonya?
So if we were to start today, I'm not saying we're going to, but we don't have any money, we didn't allocate any money for the 25-26 fiscal year towards sidewalks.
No, but our
Well, we'd probably have to kind of get an idea, too, what it would cost per ramp, you know what I mean?
How many yards of concrete, how much labor we're talking.
We'd almost probably have to have a bid put out for it.
Some sort of a bid.
Just to see, per location, what it's going to cost.
Yeah, I don't know.
Well, and maybe, now might be a good time, Scott should have a pretty good idea if he's doing all that sort of work.
How much concrete is going to go, if he does, in fact, do a ramp on
Yeah.
Do you have to tear it out or can you just... No.
You're going to have to tear it off.
Saw it off?
Because, I mean, you could saw it off, but I don't know where you're going to... I mean, you'd be calling somebody out of Willis-Gunner Billings.
Yeah, and you'd be down to thicknesses that... Yeah, I mean, the curb would end up being an inch thick, probably.
Yeah, that's not going to... I see.
Okay.
But I think we should obtain some pricing so that we know what to put in the budget, period.
I mean, per ramp and change.
And there's enough concrete contractors in the town, we shouldn't have any problem getting at least a couple of prices.
And I imagine you probably have to do the textured pad, too, don't you?
For the blind?
For the blind people, yeah.
So that's going to add extra costs.
That's going to add extra costs.
So let's go back to this 50-50 thing.
So let's say we budget 25,000 bucks, you know, just throwing a number out there.
Would we want it, the criteria, would it be first come, first serve, or would it be, okay, seven people,
applied, we go and say okay well these sidewalks are in the worst shade, these sidewalks are on the busiest streets, these sidewalks are this, that, or the other.
Would we want to build a criteria list or would we want to do a first come first serve?
Yeah, I would think so.
You'd have to do a matrix of some sort.
How many square feet of busted concrete or heaved concrete?
Or narrow, concrete.
I mean, some of the sidewalks are like two feet wide.
And the thing is, too, that is only for replacement.
That doesn't do new sidewalks.
So if you want a brand new one, you're all on your own.
Yeah, I see what you're saying, because there's some streets only have sidewalks on one side.
Yeah.
Or somebody tore their existing walks.
Yeah, existing ones.
we put this on to actually vote it in, I guess we should figure out the criteria.
It seems like the town of Superior, they did quite a bit of work on that.
Yeah, it seemed pretty neat.
Yeah, how they decided how many they were going to do and how they were going to pick.
inspections yeah I mean I'm I'm all for putting this on the agenda next meeting voting it in and then we don't have to necessarily you know then we can decide how much money to throw at it each year you know if we
You know, let's say we work out the verbiage and language and we get it voted in, well, yeah, we'll start it starting next July 1st or whatever.
That's fine.
I just thought it would be a good time to discuss it when Dale brought up this.
And really, now's a good time to do it, because by the time we work through this, we're going to be outside of concrete pouring season.
So we're not kind of rushed.
If we start this in April, and then how slow government works, we wouldn't have passed until God knows when.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
We could just copy and paste this one.
Superior does.
I don't know, Steve, if you wanted to take a look at it and take some stuff out that you don't like or add some stuff that you think is missing.
Again, this is not my... But I think they pretty much covered most of the bases.
It looks pretty thorough.
Yeah.
Of the ones I've seen in other cities, this is pretty much the way it... other than, you know, what the percentage of payment is for the owner and the city.
that you're going to add it next budget year then?
I think so.
Yeah, that way we're not rushed.
Yeah, because we're not going to get it completed prior to this.
And the way Morgan likes to spend money, we probably don't have any left.
Oh, I don't think so.
Oops.
The 27-28 budget's already gone.
We're going to have to push this out a few years.
Yeah, Scobey's like Enron.
See, I got us into this thing.
It looked so good on paper that if I could just get three people under me, we were going to make so much money.
Pyramid scheme with city money.
Um, but I'm still, we could probably find a little place in our budget to do a ramp on at least the fire hall side this year, especially if Scott is doing his big church and school project.
Um, I know if I were to ask Scott right now to add to it, he'd probably kill you.
Yep.
Cause every time he has a truck coming at rains, we've had more rain this July than the last.
So if you would well, I guess at least it would give us a you know something to start with something to start with we'd have an idea what the You know at least the labor the time and materials and I mean obviously the concrete's gonna change the price gonna change labor is gonna change but we have an idea of what we're looking at for Yeah, total cost, you know, yeah Something to anticipate I mean so some other things I'm
You know, so what if there's three people come in, and they're doing their whole sidewalk, and they all meet the criteria, but we end up running out of money?
First come, first served.
So then it goes on a first come, first served.
Well, and I don't think it would be that hard to budget for it, right?
Because you're talking about a block width, or a lot width, or two lots width, you know?
So I mean, if you budget for so many lot widths for a year,
once we get a baseline of labor and ballpark concrete costs.
I mean, we can budget for three lots of concrete here.
Figure out what our sidewalk costs out here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, you just figure it per square feet.
I mean, per yards of concrete.
You're going to say out here they have to meet federal standards for sidewalks.
And handicap ramps on the corners.
So does that mean it's
5 feet is the new standard.
So if they tear out a 4 foot, they've got to put a 5 foot back in.
Right.
Which means when we tear it out at the park, we're going to have to put at least a 5 foot back in.
It's not a sidewalk though.
And it wasn't a pyramid.
It's a pad.
It's a pad for activities.
It's an activity pad.
That's not how any of this works.
Well, then we're going to wait to vote this in until we get our project voted in.
Well, you want to do that this year, this won't be a bet, though.
That's true.
Right.
Well, the thing is that that's not a sidewalk, though, is the thing on what we want to do on the park.
I mean, it's concrete and you can walk on it and it gets you from here to there.
It's not a sidewalk.
Do we even have room to do five feet?
I guess I just go through.
There's five feet between the edges and that.
Okay.
All right, well it'd be five feet then.
Uncle.
Okay, so yeah, more to follow.
Are we, will we be ready to, um,
Will we be ready to get this on the agenda for next meeting to vote?
Or do we want to just, because I'm afraid we will put this off and then all of a sudden it's April.
I would just as soon get this going.
But Steve, I kind of want you to.
I can read through and look at it and submit to Samantha the changes I want.
The end of August meeting is going to be huge here.
Is it?
Yes.
It's all our budget hearings and all that stuff.
Yeah.
Also, put it on upcoming then.
If I give Steve too much time, then he puts it in the pile that he doesn't look at.
It'll be a form this big.
Or that.
Okay, no, this will be good.
At least we kind of got the ball rolling on some ideas here.
And since everybody reads our minutes and listens to the meeting, maybe they'll approach us with some
Constraint ideas.
Yes, some of that as well.
Non-use rate amended policy.
I wasn't sure if we had anything on that or not.
Well, I do have a question, I guess.
So, our Water Right Chapter is Chapter 13, and we do have, I guess, discontinuing service, but you guys want an actual abandonment of service, or what
We charge that non-use rate if they're hooked to the main.
And that's before discontinuation of service?
Yeah, I mean like you can have your water shut off, but you still pay for that non-use rate if you're hooked to the main.
The only time we've ever turned a bill off is when they've dug it up and disconnected.
Yeah, and there, because I did see we have a voluntary discontinuance.
So I guess what, can you just lay out a little more specifically?
Do you want to look at our discontinuing service provision and say, and let me know, I guess, because I didn't know what more you wanted than what's already existing.
Because it's kind of there in a sense.
I don't know.
It's hard.
I know.
And I didn't really know where to go with it, just because you guys deal with that.
At what point do we quit charging a non-use rate?
Yeah.
Well, and that's kind of the piece of language we want in there.
After we send it to the taxes, you know, the first time.
But then are you, are the people that don't pay their bill a benefiting group?
Yeah.
And the people that pay every month for their non-use are?
When do we consider a property abandoned?
And it's costing us more to deal with it than it is to... Yeah.
And we just have to do it like we had before after so long, no matter if it's on non-use for so long it gets turned off.
So we just have to define abandonment of water use?
Time frame and... Okay.
Because we're gonna have to have a time frame that specifies whether it's
180 days or 90 days or whatever.
On this particular property, it's over 4,000, almost 5,000 now, and so that's a lot of debt.
Yes.
We're showing on our... Yeah, that we don't want... I don't know if we're going to get that money.
I filed two tax liens now.
One last year, one this year.
Do you want to make it a monetary amount?
Oh, that would work too.
Yeah.
Can we?
I don't see why you couldn't.
It's no different than setting a time frame.
You're picking a point at which it's abandoned.
So you reach a threshold of unpaid and it's deemed abandoned?
Or after two years of tax loans?
Yeah.
See, because the problem is, I get the, well, it's not fair for this or that, but what's going to happen is we're going to end up eating this entire cost.
So we still got to have a,
What's a lot worth compared to what they owe us?
Well, yeah, you look at property taxes and back taxes for, you know, utility bill for us.
It'd never go for that, I don't think.
And then you still have to tear down the house and clean up the lot.
And I hate that just the city goes in there
and connects it from the main.
Well, maybe that's what we do.
Because then that makes that lot even less valuable.
Yeah, then the problem is if somebody does buy it and tear the house down, all of a sudden they're hooking up new city services when they're already there.
They have to pay to reconnect.
And what we did before is, when Gordy's did it, he just dug down and basically cut the top off the curb stop so you can't go down and put your key on it.
So if someone wanted to go put new water in there, all they'd have to do is dig down and put a new curb stop on it.
We're going to have to come up with something that is not arbitrary.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's either going to be a time frame or a monetary.
Yeah, one or the other.
And we could even have and or whichever is first or something like that.
Yeah, sure.
You know, we have a max amount of money and max amount of time.
Yeah, and whichever occurs first, the money or the time.
Yeah.
So I guess basically it's just defining abandonment of water that we would end our discontinuance fee, basically.
Right?
That's what I need to do?
Yeah, I think so.
12 months or whatever that amount is.
This one's at two years.
Why let it go more than that?
If you're not doing anything for a whole year on it, you're not going to do anything, period.
No.
I don't think.
Yeah.
I don't know.
We had one in Flaxville that wouldn't pay it for a year just to put it on their taxes so their mortgage would pay it.
And then did that go a year, we just put it to taxes again.
That's why you shut them off.
They won't do it anymore.
The reverse mortgage one is getting taken care of.
Finally, HUD contacted us.
So that was the second bad account.
That's been getting charged a non-use rate every year.
So it's when water is delinquent and has been turned off.
So it's 12 months after being turned off.
That's when we would do it.
I don't know if 12 months is long enough.
Something like that.
Two years?
I mean, that's where we're at with this one, right?
Right.
We're at two years on that one.
Because like you say, a lot of people, I have people that pay yearly.
A few of them, not very many.
Sure.
Oh, gosh.
These people pay in advance.
They don't wait.
You know, it's these other considerations that we need to give a lot of weight to, like showing these negative balances on the reporting side.
Rule development was asking me, what is this?
That's why I don't know if we let it go two years.
There's more to it than just... Is there a definition of abandoned properties?
Taxes never go away.
Yeah, I guess it depends on the type of property right you're talking about as far as abandonment goes.
But the city has wide discretion.
Yeah, we need to think about
Maybe I can start with a year and a half and get a draft of that for us to look at.
I haven't heard of any other communities discussing this issue.
I mean you wouldn't even really necessarily call it abandonment of property, you could just call it abandonment of services.
Yeah, abandonment of water service.
That sounds better.
That's more descriptive.
So it'd be a year and a half post-discontinuance, okay?
Yeah, it's a good start, yeah.
Okay.
I will... Or post once curbs stopped off or whatever.
Yeah.
Because curbs off needs to be turned off.
Okay.
At what point do you do that?
Three months.
Three months?
Yeah, that's 90... So maybe you go a year and three months.
Hmm.
I mean that's... Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't know, just an idea.
I'll shut up now.
I've just never had a problem where people, they're not even paying tax liens on it.
Yeah.
Yeah, so... Usually you file a tax lien and it gets paid.
Yeah, I wonder why they haven't done a tax, I guess, sale.
The county hasn't.
Does that affect, I mean, as far as tax liens go, does that affect their credit?
Or does it go on their credit?
I don't know if it would.
I don't think it does.
Yeah.
Yeah, probably not, because someone would have to be reporting it.
I don't think it would unless it was tied to a mortgage and you were defaulting on that and it was kind of tied into that.
But I don't think they would be looking up... No, I don't.
So people really, I mean, they have no reason to... No incentive.
There's no incentive to make it right.
I think people walk away from property all the time.
follow through with our ordinance to roll over there with the equipment and start tearing it down.
Well, I think that one should be probably the first one we do.
Yeah.
Honestly.
Yeah, when, you know, what's the cutoff date?
And I know there's, they're storing stuff in there.
So, you know, we'd have to give them notice that it's coming down.
On such and such a day.
have the chair and deliver that one.
Yeah, it would have to be, yeah.
Out of personal service.
Yeah, it would have to be.
Okay, I will get a draft of, I guess, a subsection of our Chapter 13 for you guys to look at with that.
Okay.
Okay, and then, Samantha, we get to keep it with you since you put something on the agenda.
Yeah, and I, Ben kind of gave me an idea of the history of this pipeline pivot, and I guess, was there a rule development meeting
that Ryan referenced.
I guess in his email, he said that a meeting with Rural Development was scheduled, and he was wondering the outcomes of that meeting.
Was that?
And I didn't know what... Is he referring to us about the wastewater PER, the funding?
Oh, I wonder if that's what he... I was confused by what he was... I thought I was missing something.
Most of it, yeah.
That's the only thing.
Yeah, because I wasn't
through it you know we are going to be doing something at some point down there on at least the force main once we can figure out what you know what's going on with that.
Do we have an ETA like next year?
No it's this has been ongoing for a while trying to get the PER.
But does the force main cross any part of his property?
It goes underneath, yeah.
It does.
Between where our pivot starts.
See, we didn't buy the whole thing.
Remember, we only bought the circle.
So there's room that he still farms from outside the circle to the state ground that he farms.
But wasn't there an easement in place?
There is an easement for it.
For that line and for work on it.
I don't know what the size of the easement is.
I'm sure if we've
after he seeded through there, I'm sure we would be required to pay damages for the crop.
Yeah, crop damages.
But there's an existing easement.
I remember, I closed it, and I remember recording multiple easements, so maybe I'll just pull that and just say when work is done, we'll abide by the terms of the recorded easements.
Yeah, because there was an easement for us to drive in there, and then there's a utility easement for the forestry.
I wonder if there's, I know there was two separate ones for sure, so I guess that would be my response is just that we would abide by the terms of the recording.
Pretty straightforward.
Yeah, okay.
And I'm sure the verbiage in easement states that we have the right to maintain that service, right?
Yeah, and then he would be entitled to liquidate
That's what you're gonna get.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, I'll just pull those easements and email them to Ryan.
Okay.
I think as of right now, I don't really know if there's much more information I can provide.
No.
Because there's nothing really set.
No, we don't have a plan.
No, and there's no, yeah, there's not a scope of work ahead or anything, so.
Okay.
I will do that.
Because, yeah, due to depth, we're not going to do much damage other than... No, and the only way you would pay crop damage is if there was a crop actually seeded.
If it was there in the off season.
That's what I would say.
You just go and do it after he harvests.
At least that section.
Sometimes we'll even work with the landowner there and say we'll wait to plow the section of cable until he gets the crop off and then you don't have to worry about it.
Yeah, it saves all that pain.
and put it in and then dig in our pivot and pull it through that way or something.
Then you're not even, I mean, it's probably cost more, but.
Yeah, there's no disturbance there, yeah.
So I have a question.
So I just, I read about this in the paper.
What is the issue with the force made?
H. Just H?
No, just H. H.
It's timed out.
PID.
Pressure irrigation pipe.
So it's thin-walled PVC.
I was looking at the aerial.
You have two river crossings there.
Under the river is C900.
I would say you'd be better off to burst the whole thing.
We have the cheapest option.
Yeah.
And then you don't have a lot of disturbance.
You can put HDPE through it so it's not
yeah yeah part of it so most of it's only like three feet deep it's not even different than the rivers and that's c900 so you wouldn't even replace them c900 that's going to be good for another 20 years so 20 to 30 always drumming up work john aren't you
than a replacement anyways, because then the engineers share too much money.
No, they wouldn't offer it.
$150,000 project turns into $2.5 million.
So anything involving wastewater, does it have to be engineered because it's got to go through DEQ?
It's a public wastewater system.
Unless it's a repair.
Right.
Replacements do, repairs don't.
But by replacing a section of pipe, is that a repair?
Yeah, a section if it were to lead.
What I've been told by DEQ is the way they look at it is basically if you're replacing more than a 15 or 20 foot section of pipe, they want to do it.
Yeah, it's the same rules.
plumbing board has, you only are allowed so much to repair.
Well, as long as you're doing the same size or an improvement.
You can upgrade, but you just can't drop the standard.
See, we've been working on this for a while, and the problem is we don't qualify for any grants.
So, like, we need to get our rate up to about 50 bucks a month and we're at 35 for sewer.
And, you know, so, although at some point in the future it'll be 50 bucks, it's not gonna be 50 bucks next year.
So, you know, so now we're talking all alone and when you got a project that, you know,
can be done for $750,000, then an engineer comes in and says, nope, $2.3 million.
Have you talked to a contractor just to see what it would cost?
Yes, I have.
Yes, I have.
He said $750,000 is cutting it high, but it would save us from arguing later.
And that's it.
That's not knowing any background or specifics.
Probably three pits on the whole thing, or maybe four, or maybe three sections.
You have to pull it in easy, especially with it being thin-walled.
How big is that, the fourth main pipe?
I believe it's ten inch.
Ten inch.
Okay.
See, I was thinking it was bigger, but for some reason I thought it was.
Okay, so you have enough to fire an email back?
Yep.
Okay.
Geez, Samantha, keep going.
I heard you on the phone with Logan earlier.
Yes, I called Logan just to confirm, so he has drafted the Public Safety Commission agreement and I was confirming that it would supersede our current agreement for law enforcement that was good through 2027, I think, that we just signed.
It's dated January 6th of 25.
go through June 30th, 27.
But really, it reflects, he reflected the same budget that we were currently working with.
The hope, I guess, for the agreement is that it would probably be three people.
We would have someone that the city wants, someone that the county wants.
Those two people appoint a third, and then the director is our current sheriff.
And it's basically a board that we're not kind of fighting with the county and city for resources.
Are you patrolling the county more?
It would be a group effort for all of Daniels County for law enforcement.
And with the mill levies that were passed, there would be more funds available to the Sheriff's Department, maybe a little bit better pay, maybe we keep deputies longer, we don't have so much turnover, things like that.
And we would be able to allocate all of our funds to one board.
And then the board itself would control the purse strings of the Sheriff's Department.
And so it would take, and really, with our agreement, it takes a little bit of power away from the county and gives us a little bit more say from the city through our appointee to the commission.
Cuz now, we just sign an agreement, this is what will pay you, and you enforce our ordinances.
That's basically the influence we have over them.
And this would let the city have a little bit more on the ground level influence.
So our city person says, what about the horses in town?
Directly to the sheriff at a regularly occurring meeting.
And then that person can report back to us, you know, sheriff's reports and things like that.
Then we're not needing that at our council meetings from the sheriff's department.
We just have our commission, you know, appointee reporting back to us.
So it's a public at large.
Yes, for the yes.
So it couldn't be you got none of the council persons or commissioners could be on it.
but we would find a person on behalf of the city representing the city's best interest, likewise for the county, then they appoint a third, and then the sheriff regulates as the director.
So I think it's a great idea.
And Logan basically has a framework for it.
And like I said, my things were, was it superseding our current agreement?
Yes.
It's reflecting the same budget?
Yes.
So those are my two main points.
but there's an exhibit to it that is in the packet.
And I guess the scope of services, that's where maybe we might, I would like maybe some input.
What are you guys getting complaints of, you know, reoccurring other than animals?
Is there anything that we want to be really specific in the scope of services that this commission would be providing to the city?
So it's just something I guess to think about there, but it's a really good start anyway.
But, cause in there, you know, prepare and submit quarterly financial reports to the city and county, and we could add, submit, you know, quarterly, you know, city court reports, or we can add more things in that that we would like to see.
So we can get more information without worrying about whether somebody's gonna show up at the meeting.
Exactly, mm-hmm, yeah.
That would make more sense.
Yeah.
So, I think it's a great idea, we just have to tweak, you know, with a fine-tooth comb, the terms of it.
Do you, according to Logan, do you think the commissioners are?
I think they're on board with it because Logan really, really wants it.
Okay.
And I think it's more so we need to bring our sheriff's department and dispatch into the century.
Sure.
And no levy would allow us to do that because we're just not currently there.
Not really to their fault, it's just there's just not funds there.
No.
So that's, Logan is a huge proponent of it.
So I guess Logan and I are going to meet because I said I would present it to you guys today and it seems like kind of somewhat positive feedback depending on the terms that we land on before we would vote on anything.
And then we were going to meet to go over, you know, I guess the county's thoughts.
And then the main thing is who can we appoint that would agree to be our city representative?
Because like I said, it can't be.
Can't be anybody.
Yeah, and I know Mike Thieben had said that at the law enforcement meeting, you know, now you're asking for more people to get on more boards.
That's the drawback of it.
Yeah.
Because statutorily, I don't think we could have a councilman or a commissioner on it.
That there's a statutory... Yeah, yeah.
So, that's the only down, you know, setback, I guess, is who the heck do we get to serve in that capacity for the city.
So we'll have our representative there.
Okay, perfect.
No, I'm glad this is moving forward.
It kind of went from doing nothing to really got kicked into high gear here over the last month and really just a couple weeks.
And a lot of other jurisdictions, I guess I can't think of any off the top of my head, have done this and have done it for a long time and have had good luck with it.
And more rural communities where there's usually one primary city than the rest of the county requiring rural law enforcement.
Just the reporting is one of the bigger things so that we know what's going on.
And that you're getting a return on your investment in the law enforcement services.
No, that's the only thing I see.
I agree.
I agree.
So I will make, yeah, Exhibit A, the reporting.
Make sure that we get that.
Would we want it more than quarterly?
Monthly.
Monthly?
Would make more sense to me.
Well, I guess a monthly, so he could, yes.
A monthly report.
Yeah.
Just we get a report.
Yeah.
So that once a month we're going to be able to have our meeting.
A lot of things, Bennett, you know, it kind of sets up your, kind of your routine.
Okay, I will go over that and then I'll let you guys know at the next meeting when Logan and I have met, county's temperature on it and if they had any, because Logan had it
I guess what he submitted to me, he was submitting to the commissioners at the same time.
He had sat down with the language he had drafted.
So our next meeting at the end of August, I'll be able to give you the county's temperature and then possible edits that I would recommend in the meantime.
So if you guys could just think of possible appointees for the city, then we can talk about that, maybe I'm approaching people.
Okay, sounds good.
If only.
Wouldn't that be nice.
Okay, so we did the drug and alcohol request for funds for planning grant.
That I think I just added just so it's
We submitted the community development block grant.
Yep, we submitted that paperwork.
Haven't seen it yet, but it should be coming.
And then that money will be direct deposited into our account?
It's deposited into the city's account.
We in turn write a check to the
Okay, and then, so next, Sonia, we got the tax lien.
Oh, yes.
That's just a notify council.
This is the tax lien that we will file today.
This is her second one.
So you're saying now, Sonia, the other one's taken care of, so this one's the... No, the other one, they still owe her.
No, I mean the other HUD took care of that.
We haven't actually seen the money yet, but we have sent all what is owed to HUD now.
And hopefully they will cover it.
Yeah, I told the guy, I said, you know, this is strange.
I felt that with these reverse mortgages,
the body's still warm by the time they come in and start, you know, reselling the house and doing this.
I said, we're going on a couple of years here and we're, we, no one reached out.
We couldn't get ahold of anybody.
We did nothing.
So, yeah.
I put him in contact with the son-in-law of the property owner too, so.
Well, that's, I, so the guy that I spoke with from HUD, he's, he's, he wanted the city to go over there and change the locks.
I said, well, we don't do that.
He said, well, is there any family there?
I said, yeah, as a matter of fact, the immediate family is here.
And I said, and the daughter's husband works for City Hall.
Oh, yeah.
Well, can I get his number?
Sure.
Yeah, that was when he called back here, and I was talking to him.
And I said, well, I'm his boss.
You want to talk to him?
Sure.
And he phoned right to him.
So yeah, it was strange.
We don't have that authority.
It's called breaking it down.
Unless you're telling us you're the owner and you're out for it.
He's like, who do you usually get to change locks?
I said, I can give you a list of contractors.
But I don't think anyone will probably want to go do it.
Versus mortgage in town, probably.
So anyway, yep.
Well, at least there's movement on that, so that's good.
It's been just a unique situation all around with everything.
Um, okay, yep, so we're good there.
We got the, Sonja, that number, that's just the 2425 number.
That's not added.
On the tax lien?
Yeah.
Yes, that might have to file a new one.
The old one's still there and this is the new one.
Yeah.
Yes, so total it's almost 5,000.
Oh, excuse me.
Okay, certified taxable values.
Just got that and haven't had a chance to look at it, but I wanted to get it on the agenda before next meeting when we'll be passing budgets.
Okay.
So I haven't had a chance to do anything with that yet.
Okay, gotcha.
Okay, so upcoming public comment tickets.
I always want to forget that.
Thank you.
Okay, so upcoming agenda, we've got public hearings.
Yeah, eliminating the wards is, are we just, when do we wanna actually move forward with that?
Do we wanna, should we just let the dust settle and let you get caught up on the other 73 taskers?
Yeah, I mean, that's up to you guys.
We'd have to publish notice and do all that jazz and see if there'd be any community feedback.
Okay.
I can do it whenever you would.
Okay, well, we just got through, well, this next election, I guess, there's going to be most of us.
There's going to be one, so.
So really, as long as we get it done before the next election.
Is it two more years?
Two more years, yeah.
But that doesn't mean, again, we start.
No, yeah.
Yeah, we want to wait until, like, the week before.
Yeah, and then we'll find out.
Yeah, exactly.
So yeah, there's really no rush now because it doesn't affect anything for the foreseeable future.
But again, we might as well just get it, get working on it and get it done.
Okay.
So I think all we, I guess, really have to do is that put it on an agenda and then publish the notice.
two publications and then have a hearing, if anyone were to appear on it, and then vote on it after the two publications.
So maybe I could have a calendar reminder since we have the budget coming up, maybe end of September, early October, we could do our publications for it.
Does that sound like a good aim date?
Yeah, let's get through all this stuff.
So I'll set myself a calendar.
Um, what do we have our dates for our September meetings will be our regular?
Regular second and fourth.
Tuesdays.
9th and the 23rd.
Okay.
Can't believe that's September.
Yeah.
Okay.
Is your August meeting the next August meeting?
26th.
Yeah, I'm gone next week so that's why we moved this one.
Maybe I'll add to
I'll make a note to reach out to you, Sonia, to add to our 9-23 agenda.
And I'll make myself a reminder, and then we'll do it then.
And I'll have my notice ready.
And I guess you guys will just have to approve my publication, and we'll get your publications in our meeting.
We can do it at our next regular scheduled meeting after that.
OK.
OK.
Okay, and we already approved consent items.
So at this time I'd entertain a motion to adjourn.
I so move.