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 17th day of June 2024 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Droba and Councilors Holden, Kalar and Wegner
MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilor Buller
| APPROVED agenda with an addition | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve the agenda with the following addition.
Public Safety Committee recommendation: 1. Approve letter to Rainy Lake Medical Center regarding ALS ambulance staffing (Council action) Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the Monday, June 3, 2024, regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve the minutes of Monday, June 3, 2024, regular City Council meeting.
Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 33-2024 Approving Transfers, Payment of Claims, and Accounts Payable | MOTION by Councilor Wegner to adopt Resolution No. 33-2024 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| A Plus Pest Management LLC | Pest Control | 759.34 | 78772 |
| Acme Tools-Grand Forks | Sup-Water/St, Tools-Water, Toro | 2,827.23 | 78773 |
| Adam McIntyre Painting | City Beach Canopy | 4,395.00 | 78774 |
| Aladtec Inc | Online Scheduling Software | 4,373.00 | 78775 |
| Allied Generators | Generator Inspection-Mun | 700.00 | 78776 |
| Amazon Capital Services | IT Supplies | 210.60 | 78777 |
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Cleanup | 3,693.60 | 78778 |
| Andy Kittelson | Meal Allowance | 54.00 | 78779 |
| Aqua-Pure Inc | AF 4650 T, Qrtly Service | 5,375.00 | 78780 |
| Automatic Systems Co | VFD Water Plant | 110,622.00 | 78781 |
| Barnum Companies Inc | Install Gate | 12,465.00 | 78782 |
| Bert’s | 2024 Ford F150 | 1,285.00 | 78783 |
| Bolton & Menk Inc | Engineering Services | 64,801.50 | 78784 |
| Border Boxes | Shipping-Water Plant, Fire Dept | 99.50 | 78785 |
| Bound Tree Medical LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 1,272.50 | 78786 |
| Brad Hagen | Meal Allowance | 82.00 | 78787 |
| Brian Jespersen | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78788 |
| Brian Youso | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78789 |
| Cenex Voyager Fleet | Gas-Pol/Fire/St/Amb/P&R/VNP | 5,005.52 | 78790 |
| CherryRoad Media Inc. | Council Mtg/Dates/Min/Proc/Ordin | 1,594.10 | 78791 |
| Citizens for Backus/AB | Lease Agreement-Suite 305 | 6,446.33 | 78792 |
| City of Int’l Falls-Fund 401 | Water Funds Transfer | 66,666.66 | 78793 |
| City of Int’l Falls Fund 403 | Water Funds Transfer | 20,567.25 | 78794 |
| City of Ranier | Water-City Beach | 12.50 | 78795 |
| Coca-Cola Bottling Co | Powerade/Water-Fire Dept | 288.00 | 78796 |
| Core & Main | Parts-Water Dept, Meters | 6,772.05 | 78797 |
| Costin Group Inc | Govt Relations | 2,000.00 | 78798 |
| Crandall’s Septic Pumping | Portable Johns–City Parks | 810.00 | 78799 |
| Dakota Supply Group | Mueller Ez-Tap | 4,611.06 | 78800 |
| Earl F Andersen | M&R-Storm, Supplies-Street | 1,447.25 | 78801 |
| Falls Lumber Company | M&R-Storm | 197.84 | 78802 |
| Flow Measurement and Control | Certification Closed Pipe Flow Meter | 1,487.00 | 78803 |
| Forestland Sales & Service | Supplies-Ground | 19.95 | 78804 |
| Friend’s Garbage Service LLC | Monthly Garbage Service | 1,805.31 | 78805 |
| Frontier | Monthly Telephone Service | 2,975.57 | 78806 |
| Gall’s | Cloth-KKost/Olso/Swen/MGed/Sears | 1,000.00 | 78807 |
| Gopher State One-Call | Monthly Billing | 180.90 | 78808 |
| Graybar | Supplies-VNP | 66.00 | 78809 |
| Hawkins Inc | Cylinder Chgs | 1,227.43 | 78810 |
| Hometown Billing LLC | Ambulance Billing | 2,324.00 | 78811 |
| IIA Lifting Services, Inc | Ladder II Aerial Testing | 2,150.36 | 78812 |
| Industrial Health Sv Ntwk Inc | Testing Fees, Annual Program Fee | 296.90 | 78813 |
| Innovative Office Solutions LLC | Sup-Fire/Water Adm | 43.43 | 78814 |
| John P MacLean | Meal Allowance | 54.00 | 78815 |
| KGHS/KSDM | City Talk | 150.00 | 78816 |
| Kooch Co Env Services Dept | Demolition | 12.00 | 78817 |
| Linde Gas & Equipment Inc. | Oxygen-Ambulance | 1,454.62 | 78818 |
| LMC Insurance Trust-WC | Annual Liability and Auto Insurance | 254.48 | 78819 |
| Locators & Supplies | Marking Paint | 1,356.87 | 78820 |
| Logan Hulst | Travel Expense Reimbursement | 108.00 | 78821 |
| Madden Galanter Hansen LLP | Labor Relations Services | 1,118.00 | 78822 |
| Melanie Clarity | Sewing-Sears/Gedde/Sweney | 24.00 | 78823 |
| Menards International Falls | Supp-P&R/Strm Swr/Gar/St Lght/St | 1,683.04 | 78824 |
| Michael Musich | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78825 |
| Midco | Cable-Fire Hall/Amb, Internet-Wtr | 760.44 | 78826 |
| Minnesota Child Support | ID 0014487664, LOC Code 27 | 68.40 | 78827 |
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 2,163.05 | 78828 |
| Minnesota Industries | Sup-Street/Storm/Garage | 415.85 | 78829 |
| MN Power | Utilities | 32,446.77 | 78830 |
| Mitch Lessard | Travel Expense | 108.00 | 78831 |
| MN Bureau of Criminal App | DMT Recert | 75.00 | 78832 |
| MN Dept of Transportation | Hwy 53 City Share | 289,853.66 | 78833 |
| MN Highway Safety & Research | Police Training | 510.00 | 78834 |
| Motorola Solutions Inc | Mobile Radio Accessory | 430.40 | 78835 |
| MTI Distributing Inc | Maint/Repair-Street | 222.30 | 78836 |
| N Kooch Area Sanitary District | Effluent/Backwash/Surcharge | 196,032.08 | 78837 |
| NAPA Falls Supply | Maint-GGB/St/Wtr Plnt, Lub-St | 267.23 | 78838 |
| Nicholson’s Garden Center | Grass/Coleus for Cement | 862.56 | 78839 |
| Northern Fire Suppression, Inc | VNP-Annual Fire Suppression Inspect | 1,960.00 | 78840 |
| Northern Lumber & Hardware | Tools-St/P&R, Sup-Wtr/Gar/P&R/St | 684.86 | 78841 |
| Northland Securities Inc | Utility Study | 2,200.00 | 78842 |
| Office of MNIT Services | Wide Area Network (WAN)s | 267.73 | 78843 |
| O’Reilly Automotive Inc | M&R-Amb/San Swr/Fire/St, Sup-Gar | 842.52 | 78844 |
| Precise MRM LLC | 5MB Flat Data -96 | 1,440.00 | 78845 |
| Rainy Lake Designs | Spring Cleanup/Moving Landscape | 2,150.80 | 78846 |
| Rainy Lake Medical Center | Medical Supplies | 241.08 | 78847 |
| Range Paper Corp | Sup-St/Fire/Amb/Wtr Plnt/Eng | 1,764.08 | 78848 |
| Robert Heinlen | Meal Allowance | 82.00 | 78849 |
| Sand Creek EAP LLC | Employee Assistance Program | 2,727.00 | 78850 |
| Servicemaster of Intl Falls | Cleaning Services, Windows-VNP | 5,561.25 | 78851 |
| Seton ID Products | Supplies-Water Plant | 442.40 | 78852 |
| Terry Christie | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78853 |
| Terry Wood | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78854 |
| The Sherwin Williams Co | Paint | 77.34 | 78855 |
| Tom Lynch | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78856 |
| UHL Company Inc | Bldg Maint-VNP | 2,547.75 | 78857 |
| United States Treasury | PCORI 2024 | 186.00 | 78858 |
| US Bank Operations Center | Go Bond Interest | 34,337.50 | 78859 |
| Viking Electric Supply, LLC | M&R-VNP, Supplies-Water Plant | 306.61 | 78860 |
| Wagner Construction Inv | PSI Concrete | 839.00 | 78861 |
| Willi Kostiuk | Police Benefit | 150.00 | 78862 |
| William Lahmayer | Travel & Training | 432.88 | 78863 |
| WMG Lyfjaberg LLC | Medical Director | 300.00 | 78864 |
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | |||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 182.08 | 102287 |
| American Heritage Life Ins Co | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 102288 |
| Bay Bridge Administrators, LLC | Supplemental Insurance | 370.17 | 102289 |
| Bremer Bank, NA | Federal Withholding | 45,754.31 | 102290 |
| Central Pension Fund Source A | Retirement | 5,060.50 | 102291 |
| City of Int’l Falls | HRA-Police/Fire | 572.00 | 102292 |
| City of Int’l Falls | Health Insurance-49ers | 2,517.00 | 102293 |
| IAMAW District W3 | Union Dues | 2,076.50 | 102294 |
| IF Fire Dept Relief | Volunteer Firemen Dues | 350.00 | 102295 |
| Int’l Falls Ambulance Service | EMT Dues | 147.00 | 102296 |
| Int’l Union of Oper Engineers | Union Dues | 945.00 | 102297 |
| Kane Kostiuk, Sec/Treas | Cop Dues | 140.00 | 102298 |
| MN Child Support Pmt Ctr | Wage Assignment-Child Support | 845.95 | 102299 |
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding SWT | 8,707.93 | 102300 |
| MSRS-Empower Retirement | Empower Retirement | 7,590.00 | 102301 |
| NCPERS Minnesota | PERA Life Insurance | 144.00 | 102302 |
| North Kooch Area Sanitary Dist | Health Insurance Premiums | 450.00 | 102303 |
| PERA | Public Employees Retirement | 39,473.77 | 102304 |
| United Way of NE Minnesota Inc | United Way | 42.00 | 102305 |
| AUDIENCE: | Lois Lundin thanked the Mayor and Council as members of the Economic Development Authority for the money KCC-TV received to purchase audio equipment to be able to provide programming to Midcontinent Communications for broadcasting on local channel 7. |
| PUBLIC HEARING: | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS: | |
| APPROVED second and final reading amending the Midcontinent Communications franchise agreement including an additional ten-year term | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve second and final reading amending the Midcontinent Communications franchise agreement including an additional ten-year term. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVED road closure for Elks Lodge #1599 annual Corn and Brat Feed |
Councilor Kalar requested to have a portion of 3rd Street closed from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. for the annual Elks Lodge Corn and Brat feed on August 16, 2024.
MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve road closure for Elks Lodge #1599 annual Corn and Brat Feed scheduled for Friday, August 16, 2024. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED engagement letter from VIA Actuarial Services to provide GASB 75 Other Postemployment Benefit (OPEB) services for the City of International Falls | City Administrator Bergstrom stated VIA Actuarial Solutions provides GASB 75 Other Postemployment Benefit services to the City of International Falls. The city is required to include this information in their annual audit.
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve engagement letter from VIA Actuarial Services to provide GASB 75 Other Postemployment Benefit (OPEB) services for the City of International Falls. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Right-to-Know Hazardous Communications Written Program | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve Right-to-Know Hazardous Communications Written Program. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED hiring seasonal Office Clerk for the Police Department | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve hiring Marianne Gray for the seasonal Office Clerk position for the Police Department. Motion seconded by Councilor Kalar and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED a contract with Timeclock Plus (TCP) to provide electronic scheduling for the Police Department | Chief Kostiuk stated he would like to contract with Timeclock Plus to provide an electronic scheduling software program for the Police Department.
MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve a contract with Timeclock Plus (TCP) to provide electronic scheduling for the Police Department. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| Public Works Committee recommendations:
a. APPROVED replacement of Vactor Sewer Truck |
MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve replacement of Vactor Sewer Truck. Motion seconded by Councilor Kalar and carried unanimously.
|
| b. ADOPTED Resolution No. 34-2024 a Resolution of Application applying to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for a loan for improvements – 9th Street & 6th Street project
|
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to adopt resolution No. 34-2024 a Resolution of Application applying to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for a loan for improvements – 9th Street & 6th Street project. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| c. ADOPTED Resolution No. 35-2024 Resolution of Application applying to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for a loan and/or grant for a lead service line replacement project
|
MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt resolution No. 35-2024 Resolution of Application applying to the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for a loan and/or grant for a lead service line replacement project. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| d. APPROVED change order to the 2023 Street Improvements Project | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve change order to the 2023 Street Improvements Project to include three frontage road areas: along US TH 71 (1.5” overlay), intersection of US TH 71 & Valley Pine Circle (1.5” mill & overlay), and Valley Pine Circle at Menards south entrance (1.5” overlay). Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously.
|
| e. APPROVED emergency replacement of a failing culvert on Shorewood Drive | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve emergency replacement of a failing culvert on Shorewood Drive. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegener and carried unanimously.
|
| f. APPROVED expenditure of the low quote for the bandshell demolition with reimbursement from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust | Public Works Director Brokaw stated that contractors have agreed to remove the bandshell by July 2, however the concrete stage will remain at this time.
MOTION by Councilor Wegner to approve the expenditure of the low quote from Wagner Construction in the amount of $68,574.00 for the bandshell demolition with reimbursement from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, as part of the insurance claim for this project. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously.
|
| APPROVED letter to Rainy Lake Medical Center regarding ALS ambulance staffing | Fire Chief Mannausau noted there is an unforeseen temporary shortage of paramedics for the summer on the ALS side. The Chief recommended a letter be drafted to RLMC to make them aware of staff shortages, so they can make alternative ALS services available.
MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve letter to Rainy Lake Medical Center regarding ALS ambulance staffing. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads | The International Falls Police Department Activity Report for May 2024 was available for review along with the May 2024 Fire/Rescue/EMS Activity Report. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | Councilor Kalar noted the Pride March had a nice turnout for their event. Kalar also stated he discussed the lead line project, need for floats for the July 4th parade, and updates on the bandshell at the monthly Radio City Talk Show.
Mayor Droba noted the 4th of July Commission will be meeting on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Droba was very excited to share there will be a marching band in the parade. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba reminded everyone that City Hall offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in honor of Juneteenth. Mayor Droba further noted the next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 1, 2024, at 5:30 P.M. Mayor Droba adjourned the meeting at 6:05 P.M. |
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
Attest:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
