A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of International Falls, Minnesota was held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 3rd day of October, 2022 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilors Buller, Ditsch, Holden, and Mayor Droba.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilor Krause.
| APPROVED agenda with deletions and additions | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve the agenda with deletion of;
and additions of;
Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the September 19, 2022 regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve minutes of the regular City Council meeting of September 19, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the September 26, 2022 special City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve minutes of the special City Council meeting of September 26, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 62-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt Resolution No. 62-2022 approving transfers, payment of claims and accounts payable for the first monthly City Council meeting. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| Alert-All Corporation | Fire Safety Week | 1,571.00 | 74351 | ||
| All Season Equipment Inc. | Tires – Street/Parks & Rec., Stihl Parts | 484.36 | 74352 | ||
| Amazon Capital Services | Supplies – Amb / Hazmat / I.T. / Fire | 2,347.73 | 74353 | ||
| Ameritas Life Ins. Corp. | Dental Insurance Premiums | 1,882.32 | 74354 | ||
| Anderson Law Offices, P.A. | Legal Fees | 1,360.00 | 74355 | ||
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Clean-up | 5,201.92 | 74356 | ||
| Auto Value Int’l Falls | Parts-Amb/WP/Un.124/62, Fuel-Un.202 | 615.15 | 74357 | ||
| BCBS of MN | Health Insurance Premiums | 6,137.19 | 74359 | ||
| Border Boxes | Paper – Engineering / Street | 360.00 | 74360 | ||
| Borderland Humane Society | Pound Operation | 2,250.00 | 74361 | ||
| Bound Tree Medical, LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 4,002.28 | 74362 | ||
| Bremer Cardmember Service | Trn – Eng/Sew/WP/Str.Lt/Pol/Admin/IT | 5,024.65 | 74363 | ||
| Brian Kelly | Travel Expense | 140.00 | 74364 | ||
| CherryRoad Media Inc. | Minutes | 942.09 | 74365 | ||
| City of Int’l Falls – Fund 101 | Lodging Tax Transfer | 1,143.18 | 74366 | ||
| City Water Department | City Buildings – Water Usage | 2,288.65 | 74367 | ||
| Convention & Visitors Bureau | Lodging Tax | 21,720.33 | 74368 | ||
| Crandall’s Septic Pumping | Bass Tournament | 4,035.00 | 74369 | ||
| Diversified Inspections/ ITL Inc. | Annual Inspection – Grounds | 2,971.49 | 74370 | ||
| Earl F Andersen | Maintenance & Repair – Street | 572.15 | 74371 | ||
| Electric Pump Inc. | Sanitary Sewer | 2,206.00 | 74372 | ||
| Erickson’s Lawncare | Fertilizing – Smokey Bear Park/VNP/Ball fields | 4,830.00 | 74373 | ||
| Galls, an Aramark Co., LLC | Clothing – Fire | 7.38 | 74374 | ||
| HACH Company | Lab Supplies | 141.55 | 74375 | ||
| Hydro-Klean, Inc. | Shorewood #2 Pigging | 1,780.00 | 74376 | ||
| Super One Foods – Int’l Falls | Department Training | 86.28 | 74396 | ||
| Innovative Office Solutions, LLC | Supplies – Administration | 319.78 | 74377 | ||
| Int’l Falls Fire & Rescue EMS | Heart Saver CPR Training – City Staff | 1,440.00 | 74378 | ||
| Int’l Falls Post Office | Permit #79 Escrow | 2,000.00 | 74379 | ||
| Int’l Falls & Koochiching County | City Share September 2022 Project | 70,866.61 | 74380 | ||
| IUOE Local 49 | Health Insurance Premiums | 32,644.00 | 74381 | ||
| Koochiching County Auditor/Treasurer | Chamber Bldg Property Taxes (2nd Half 2022) | 1,503.00 | 74382 | ||
| Lake of the Woods County | Property Taxes (2nd Half) | 182.00 | 74383 | ||
| Lawson Products Inc. | Supplies – Street Garage | 528.17 | 74384 | ||
| LVC Inc. | Training – Fire Exting., Troubleshooting – Wtr | 1,045.00 | 74385 | ||
| MacQueen Equipment Inc. | Supplies – Street, Parts – Sanitary Sewer | 5,137.81 | 74386 | ||
| Marco | Antivirus/Microsoft Exchange | 588.50 | 74387 | ||
| Marco Technologies, LLC | Contr/Print/Copy-Fir/Adm/PW/Wat/Sew | 1,457.56 | 74388 | ||
| MedicareBlue Rx | Health Insurance Premiums | 1,820.00 | 74389 | ||
| Melanie Clarity | Sewing – Fire Department | 6.00 | 74390 | ||
| Menards International Falls | Sup-Fire/Pol/WP/Str, M&R-Strm/G.Bld | 883.07 | 74391 | ||
| Mershon Technology Interests | Dell Computer – Police | 1,009.98 | 74392 | ||
| Meyers Glass | Animal Control – Var. Locations, Door Repair – VNP | 1,455.56 | 74393 | ||
| Michael Wallace | Travel Expense – Water | 140.00 | 74394 | ||
| Midcontinent Communications | Internet-W Plnt/Str Gar, Cable-Fire/Amb | 524.90 | 74395 | ||
| Minnesota Child Support | ID 0014487664, Locator Code 27 | 50.00 | 74397 | ||
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 224.63 | 74398 | ||
| Minnesota Industries | Supplies – Sanitary Sewer/Water Dept. | 54.82 | 74399 | ||
| North American Bank Co. Woodbury | Inserting System Lease | 181.75 | 74400 | ||
| Northern Lumber & Hardware | Tools – Wtr/Strm, Sup – Wtr | 50.37 | 74401 | ||
| Petty Cash -B. Bergstrom | Sup-Admin/Bldg Off/Pol/Eng, Lic-Pol | 447.04 | 74402 | ||
| Power Plan | Unit 710L, John Deere Parts and Labor | 691.67 | 74403 | ||
| Range Paper Corp. | Supplies – GG Bldgs / Street / VNP | 554.56 | 74404 | ||
| REM North Star Inc. | Account Deposit Refund | 20.00 | 74405 | ||
| Robert Bahr | Top Soil | 1,050.00 | 74406 | ||
| ServiceMater of Int’l Falls | Cleaning Services – VNP | 4,500.00 | 74407 | ||
| Shawna Thoreson | Overpayment Refund – 923 15th St | 9.72 | 74408 | ||
| Soldo Consulting, P.C. | Investigation | 1,046.25 | 74409 | ||
| Soundnorth | Maintenance – Street Garage | 49.98 | 74410 | ||
| Stephen F. Befort | Arbitration Hearing | 350.00 | 74411 | ||
| Steven M Shermoen | Legal Fees | 7,104.00 | 74412 | ||
| Streicher’s Inc. | Clothing – Kennedy | 74.99 | 74413 | ||
| Sun Life Financial | Life Insurance Premiums | 588.91 | 74414 | ||
| TC Lighting Supplies & Recycling | Recycling | 63.31 | 74415 | ||
| Ted Brokaw | Travel Expenses | 518.75 | 74416 | ||
| Teleflex Medical | Supplies – Ambulance | 677.50 | 74417 | ||
| The Nelson Trust | Health Insurance Premiums | 39,188.64 | 74418 | ||
| Verizon Wireless
|
Monthly Cellular Service | 1,719.58 | 74419 | ||
| Verizon Wireless Services, LLC | Supplies – Police | 50.00 | 74420 | ||
| Viking Electric Supply Inc. | Supplies – Street Lighting, M&R-Bld Maintenance | 764.82 | 74421 | ||
| Viking Industrial Painting | Pay Est. 3 – Elevated Water Tower | 66,696.00 | 74422 | ||
| Water Conservation Services Inc. | Water Leak Survey | 4,800.00 | 74423 | ||
| WEX Bank | Gas-Demo/Strm/Fire/Str/Amb/Wtr/Sew | 3,715.57 | 74424 | ||
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | |||||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 206.62 | 101523 | ||
| AllState – American Heritage | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 101524 | ||
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 44,306.62 | 101525 | ||
| I.U.O.E. Local Central Pen Fund | Retirement | 4,469.89 | 101526 | ||
| Intl Falls Fire Department | Dues | 420.00 | 101527 | ||
| Intl Falls Ambulance Service | Dues | 126.00 | 101528 | ||
| Justin Franz, Sec/Treas | C.O.P.S | 120.00 | 101529 | ||
| MN Revenue | Wage Assignment | 202.88 | 101530 | ||
| MN Child Support Pmt Center | Wage Assignment | 622.14 | 101531 | ||
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding | 8,205.50 | 101532 | ||
| Empower Retirement | Deferred Comp | 9,033.00 | 101533 | ||
| PERA | Retirement | 37,303.12 | 101534 | ||
| RCB Collections, Inc. | Wage Assignment | 139.94 | 101535 | ||
| Sun Life Financial | Supplemental Life Insurance | 919.04 | 101536 | ||
| The Hartford | Voluntary LTD Insurance | 695.13 | 101536 | ||
| United Way of NE MN Inc. | Employee Donation | 15.00 | 101538 | ||
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| PUBLIC HEARING | None. |
| OPENING BIDS | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS | None. |
| CONSENT AGENDA:
APPROVED as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the Consent Agenda as presented:
Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED Commercial Loan Program Renewal for On A Wing Quilting, Valorie and Larry Sjoblom |
MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve the Commercial Loan Program Renewal for On A Wing Quilting, Valorie and Larry Sjoblom, due to extenuating circumstances. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 63-2022 approving Commercial Loan Program funding in the amount of $24,999.99 to Temple Towers, LLC | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to adopt Resolution No. 63-2022 approving Commercial Loan Program funding in the amount of $24,999.99 as requested by TruStar Federal Credit Union on behalf of Temple Towers, LLC to improve the former Masonic Lodge building, 416 3rd Street. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED recommendation to hire Jay E. Taylor and Kane N. Kostiuk as part-time Patrol Officers for the International Falls Police Department | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve hiring of Jay E. Taylor and Kane N. Kostiuk as part-time Patrol Officers for the International Falls Police Department effective October 4, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| CONVENE CLOSED MEETING
|
Mayor Droba announced that the City Council would proceed into a closed meeting session with the City Council, City Attorney, City Administrator in accordance with Minnesota Statute 13D.05, Subd. 3 (c)(3) for the purpose of discussing labor negotiations, facilitated by Brandon Fitzsimmons, Flaherty & Hood, P.A.
MOTION by Councilor Buller to recess the open meeting and move to close the meeting at 5:50 P.M. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| RECONVENE OPEN SESSION | Mayor Droba reconvened the open session meeting at 6:16 P.M. |
| APPROVED Flaherty & Hood Job Evaluation System and Base Pay Structure | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the Flaherty & Hood Job Evaluation System to determine the comparable work value of the work performed by each class of the City of International Falls employees, authorizing city labor negotiations representatives to meet and confer with the exclusive representatives of the city’s employees on the selection of this job evaluation system, approving the City of International Falls Base Pay Structure, approving the Base Pay Structure will apply to all regular positions not represented by an exclusive representative, and clarifying that the base pay for all employees in such positions as of the date of this motion will remain the same pending future City Council action since such wages are within the Base Pay Structure ranges. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Pay Equity Implementation Report | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to approve the Pay Equity Implementation Report, authorizing the Mayor to sign the report, and authorizing submittal of the report to Minnesota Management and Budget. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Mayoral Proclamation Recognizing National Pregnancy and Infants Loss Awareness and Remembrance Day | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve Mayoral Proclamation Recognizing National Pregnancy and Infants Loss Awareness and Remembrance Day on October 15, 2022. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 64-2022 PERA Declaration for J. Taylor part-time Patrol Office | MOTION by Councilor Buller to adopt Resolution No. 64-2022 PERA Declaration for J. Taylor part-time Patrol Office. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 65-2022 PERA Declaration for K. Kostiuk part-time Patrol Office | MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt Resolution No. 65-2022 PERA Declaration for K. Kostiuk part-time Patrol Office. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 66-2022 approving delinquent water and sewer accounts to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer | MOTION by Councilor Ditsch to adopt Resolution No. 66-2022 approving delinquent water and sewer accounts to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 67-2022 approving delinquent grass and blight invoices to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer | MOTION by Councilor Buller to adopt Resolution No. 67-2022 approving delinquent grass and blight invoices to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 68-2022 approving delinquent rental license invoices to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer | MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt Resolution No. 68-2022 approving delinquent rental license invoices to be certified to the County Auditor/Treasurer. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Department of Public Safety Temporary Emergency Contract for Hazardous Materials Program | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve Department of Public Safety Temporary Emergency Contract for Hazardous Materials Program and authorized signatures of the Mayor and City Administrator upon receipt of the contract. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED low quote from Steve Boyum Construction for demolition at 816 9th Street | MOTION by Councilor Holden approving low quote of $21,600.00 from Steve Boyum Construction for demolition of home at 816 9th Street. Motion seconded by Councilor Ditsch and carried unanimously. |
| REPORTS:
Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads |
City Attorney Shermoen reported he has been working with an attorney regarding the Multi Modal site and expects to have a response to the draft agreement soon.
Shermoen also stated he has been assisting City Administrator Bergstrom come to a resolution regarding one of the city employees. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | Mayor Droba stated at the Legislation and Land Use meeting a discussion occurred regarding signage and detouring when work is being done on streets located in the city. The City will be working with Koochiching County to ensure proper signage is displayed, as this is a County State Aid Highway (CSAH) project. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba stated that the next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 17, 2022 at 5:30 P.M.
Mayor Droba adjourned the meeting at 6:36 P.M. |
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
ATTEST:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
