CITY OF WANAMINGO
City Council Regular Meeting
Monday, November 14, 2022 7:00 P.M.
Wanamingo City Council Chambers – 401 Main Street
Wanamingo, MN
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Holmes.
PRESENT: Council: Ryan Holmes, Larry VanDeWalker, Jeremiah Flotterud, and Eric Dierks
City Administrator: Michael Boulton
ABSENT: Council: Stuart Ohr & Deputy Clerk: Karen Masters
ALSO PRESENT: Brad Kennedy, Goodhue County Deputy Sergeant Jim Lawler.
ADOPT AGENDA: Flotterud motioned to adopt the agenda, seconded by Dierks. Passed 4-0-0.
CONSENT AGENDA: VanDeWalker motioned, seconded by Dierks. Passed 4-0-0.
PRESENTERS:
A) Brad Kennedy reported on:
1) Compost pile hauled out and land applied – 27 City dump truck load/16 spreader loads
2) Rented brush cutter attachment for the skid loader. Cleared out volunteer trees growing in the storm water retention bond on the east side of 3rd Avenue/5th Street E intersection. Attempted to clear volunteer trees on stormwater retention pond off Nelson Drive and the Industrial Park Pond near MN TH 60/3rd Avenue.
3) Nelson Drive storm sewer retention pond needs to be cleaned out this winter. The outlet line is plugged with silt. Staff is waiting to hear back from Jason’s Sewer Sucking & Excavation to see if they wish to do the work and obtain a quote. Schumacher Excavating Inc. will also be contacted to obtain a quote for the cleanout.
4) Swept Streets and removed leaves from the street with the leaf vacuum. Sucked out the storm sewer catch basins of leaves as well.
5) Removed a portion of mulch in the front of the Medical Center and replaced with river rock. The remaining mulch in front of the Medical Center will need to be removed and replaced with river rock in the spring.
6) Route 60 Plumbing & Heating replaced the overhead shop heater. This has been scheduled since March.
7) Fully cleaned out one of the three tanks on the North digestor at the wastewater treatment plant. This included shop vacuuming out the floor and removing a large pile of rusted metal. Installed new PVC piping with a number of small head for the aeration of the tank. If this works this will be replicated on other holding taking with each of the digestors in the future.
8) 2022 Utility Improvement project update – Xcel Energy plans to install transformer and power at the site the week of November 14th. The asphalt patching was completed in various locations around town. City Staff have concerns with both the MN TH 57 asphalt patch by City Hall and the asphalt patch on Nelson Drive by MN TH 57. The water main looping installation was completed by R.A.W. There are items that need to be completed or addressed including cleanup, grading, tracer wire issues (Nelson Drive to the north side of MN TH 60. The water main looping project will have 5% retainage or $20,000 held back plus an additional $20,000 held back to ensure asphalt patching and tracer wire issues are addressed. Boulton stated that delays with Xcel Energy installing power have delayed the operations of the new water tower. This could delay the removal of the existing waters towers this winter.
Mayor Holmes stated that there was a party interested in purchasing the old City grader. The interested party, Jeff - who works for RDO, is a collector. Boulton stated that the City has only been offered $3,500 for the grader at the time when Iron Planet/Ritchie Brothers was selling these same models for close to $20,000. Kennedy stated that metal scrap on the grader was worth nearly $1,500. There was consensus by the Council to ask $4,000 for the grader.
B) Jim Lawler, Goodhue County Sheriff’s Sergeant reported on:
1) Goodhue County Deputies placed the Halloween themed no overnight winter parking warning sheets on vehicles parked on the streets.
2) US HWY 52/MN TH 57/Goodhue County 8 intersection to be fully opened on November 14th. The northbound ramp to US HWY 52 from MN TH 57 and the southbound US HWY 52 offramp to MN TH 57 are already open.
NEW BUSINESS:
RESOLUTION:
22-068 = Re-Establishing the Polling Precinct and Precinct Location for the City of Wanamingo: Dierks moved to approve, Seconded by Flotterud. Passed 4-0-0.
22-069 = Certifying General Election 2022 Local Council Election Results: VanDeWalker moved to approve, Seconded by Dierks. Ryan Holmes received 511 votes with 5 write-in votes for Mayor. Eric Dierks received 438 votes, Rebecca Haugen received 423 votes, and there were 12 write-in votes for City Council. here were officially 550 votes cast in Wanamingo on Tuesday November 8th out of 720 eligible voters (plus 48 voters registered on election day) or roughly 71% turnout. Mayor Holmes thanked Council members Eric Dierks for running again. Mayor Holmes thanked Rebecca Haugen for filing and running. Holmes thanked VanDeWalker for his 16 years of service on the Council acknowledging that he only has one regular meeting left of service. Passed 4-0-0.
22-070 = Approving the Renewal of Agreement with Goodhue County for Building Inspection and Authorizing the Mayor and City Administrator to sign the Agreement: Flotterud moved to approve, Seconded by VanDeWalker. Passed 4-0-0.
22-071 = Approving Pay Request No. 2 to R.A.W. Construction for the Water Main Looping Portion of the 2022 Utility Improvements: Flotterud moved to approve, Seconded by Dierks. Boulton stated that the pay request is for $121,774.80. A punch list for the project has been compiled. There is roughly $20,000.00 for the 5% retainage and an additional $20,000 for the water line tracer wire and paving patch concerns that will be addressed before paid. Passed 4-0-0.
22-072 = Authorizing and Approving a 2023 Lobbyist Contract for the Proposed North Zumbro Sanitary Sewer District State Capital Request: VanDeWalker moved to approve, Seconded by Flotterud. VanDeWalker stated that the City of Wanamingo could not afford to send the City Administrator to St. Paul on a regular basis to monitor the capital request. Dierks stated that he had hesitations in October due to the costs of the lobbyist contract. Dierks had concerns with investing in a lobbyist where the outcome is not guaranteed. Dierks also stated that he was not sure what specific work a lobbyist would do as part of the contract. Boulton stated that lobbyists help assist with drafting language for a bill, assist with finding an author/sponsor, assist with getting hearings on the bill, builds relationships with support groups, work to ensure that the committee chairs keep the bill under consideration through the legislative process, speak to legislators and staff at the correct times to ensure the bill moves forward through the legislative process, and directs the clients (the Cities) as to when they need to testify or contact legislator or their staff. Boulton stated that the initial investment in lobbyist can pay for itself a hundred-fold (spending $40,000 to get $6 million) if the request is approved through the legislative process and is funded through law. Flotterud asked that if the Cities revied money for land acquisition and plant design do we plan to go back for additional funding. Boulton stated that if the State makes the initial investment to land acquisition and design work it is easier to come back for an additional request once the project is shovel ready and the State has already made the initial investment. Boulton stressed that if the Council does not move forward with the capital request and potentially the help of a lobbyist the Council should provide direction for replacement of the WWTP. Boulton stated that the Cities may need to start looking at their own plant if they do not wish to continue investing in the share plant planning. Holmes stated that the City should continue to pursue a shared plant/State Bonding Request rather than the alternative of starting to look at our own separate WWTP’s. Flotterud asked how many years we could operate the current Wanamingo WWTP. Kennedy stated that the plant should be able to operate for ten more years. Kennedy stated that we need to have a plan in place for replacement in the near future. Passed 4-0-0. Boulton stated that there may need to be additional strategy for lobbying to the legislative majority party for the 2023 session. Last session the strategy focused mainly on collaboration and long-term O & M savings. Boulton state that the strategy should focus heavier on building resistance to climate change and environmental improvements from the singular discharge point. This should be in addition to the collaborative effort and long-term O&M savings.
22-073 = Approving Pay Request No. 6 to Caldwell Tanks Inc. for the Water Tower Portion of the 2022 Utility Improvements: Dierks moved to approve, Seconded by Flotterud. Boulton stated that the pay request is for $43,320.00. The tower will be fill and sanitized as soon as the electrical and control installation is completed. A punch list for the project will be compiled. Passed 4-0-0.
OLD BUSINESS:
The Council reviewed 2023 Proposed Property Tax Rate (from 84.109% in 2022 to 75.954% in 2023) – Property Tax Effect, and 2023 Proposed Property Tax Effect Tables provided by Administrator Boulton. Administrator Boulton received additional data to show potential changes to homeowners’ property taxes with the proposed levy (roughly a decrease of $58.52 for $100,000 value, a decrease of $102.97 for $150,000 value, a decrease of $147.41 for $200,000 value, and a decrease of $191.84 for $250,000 value City portion of a property tax increase per year). This is depending on home valuation changes from the past year. Most home saw a 10%-20% increase in valuations from 2021 to 2022. This would show changes on the low end of value increases to roughly $29 for $100,000 home, $51 for a $150,000 value home, $74 for a $200,000 value home, and $96 increase for $250,000 value home. It would show increases of $110 for $150,000 value, an increase of $150 for $200,000 value, and an increase of $200 for $250,000 value City portion of a property tax increase per year) on the high end. The new commercial and residential growth in 2021 helps offset the levy increase from going onto existing property owners.
*Next City Council meeting on 12/12/2022
Adjourn: At 7:54 PM a motion to adjourn was made by VanDeWalker and seconded by Dierks. Passed 4-0-0.
Signed: Ryan Holmes, Mayor
Attest: Michael Boulton, City Administrator
