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 September 2024 at the hour of 5:30 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Droba and Councilors Buller, Holden, Kalar, and Wegner.
MEMBERS ABSENT: None.
| APPROVED agenda as presented | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve the agenda as presented. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED minutes of the Monday, August 19, 2024, regular City Council meeting | MOTION by Councilor Kalar to approve the minutes of Monday, August 19, 2024, regular City Council meeting.
Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 46-2024 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable | MOTION by Councilor Holden to adopt Resolution No. 46-2024 approving transfers, payment of claims, and accounts payable. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
CLAIMS
| A Plus Pest Management LLC | Pest Control | 2,538.50 | 79297 |
| Ameritas Life Ins. Corp | Dental Insurance Premiums | 1,259.68 | 79298 |
| Anderson Law Offices, P.A. | Legal Services-Criminal & Civil | 6,242.67 | 79299 |
| Andrew Holler | Lawn Cleanup | 249.60 | 79300 |
| Axon Enterprises Inc | Taser Cartridges | 2,522.00 | 79301 |
| BCBS of Mn | Health Insurance Premiums | 5,042.27 | 79302 |
| Blake’s Mobile Services, LLC | Backhoe/Vactor Repairs | 1,890.00 | 79303 |
| Bolton & Menk Inc | Proj. 0U1.128590 Repair Flood | 1,006.50 | 79304 |
| Border States | Laydown Yard Lights | 9,514.92 | 79305 |
| Borderland Humane Society | Pound Operation | 2,250.00 | 79306 |
| Bound Tree Medical LLC | Ambulance Supplies | 729.68 | 79307 |
| Bremer Cardmember Services | Training-Pol/Haz, Sup-St/House/Fire | 1,952.38 | 79308 |
| CherryRoad Media Inc. | 2023 Annual Disclosure Notice | 63.59 | 79309 |
| City of Int’l Falls-Fund 101 | Lodging Tax Transfer | 1,142.46 | 79310 |
| City Water Department | City Buildings-Water Usage | 1,610.13 | 79311 |
| Convention & Visitors Bureau | Lodging Tax | 21,706.79 | 79312 |
| Core & Main | Supplies-Water Department | 624.63 | 79313 |
| Crandall’s Septic Pumping | National Night Out | 465.00 | 79314 |
| dsgw Architecure | Design Public Works Building | 9,208.20 | 79315 |
| Earl F Andersen | Memorial Bench | 2,112.70 | 79316 |
| Erickson’s Lawncare | Fertilizing-SBP/Kerry Park/VNP | 6,270.00 | 79317 |
| Hook & Book/Roche’s Towing | Towing-Police Dept | 100.00 | 79318 |
| Hydro Klearn | Storm Manhole Rehabilitation | 15,985.00 | 79319 |
| Innovative Office Solutions LLC | Supplies-Administration | 50.05 | 79320 |
| Int’l Falls US Post Office | Permit #79 Escrow | 5,000.00 | 79321 |
| Int’l Falls/Kooch Cty | City Share 2024 Maj Capital | 47,500.56 | 79322 |
| IUEO Local 49 | Health Insurance Premiums | 29,707.00 | 79323 |
| Jorson & Carlson Co | Ice Scraper Knives Cleaned/Sharpened | 465.52 | 79324 |
| Kraus-Anderson Const. Co. | Pay App #1-2220024-04 | 174,021.04 | 79325 |
| Lawson Products Inc | Supplies-St Lighting/Garage | 1,683.94 | 79326 |
| M.A.P.E.T. | 2024 MAPET Annual Conference. | 60.00 | 79327 |
| MacQueen Equipment Inc | Maint & Repair Equip-Street | 500.67 | 79328 |
| Marco | Antivirus/Microsoft Exchange | 615.25 | 79329 |
| Marco Technologies LLC | Contract/Copies-Pol/Wtr/Sew/PW/Fire | 1,606.01 | 79330 |
| MedicareBlue RX | Health Insurance Premiums | 1,761.30 | 79331 |
| Menards International Falls | M&R Bldgs-GGB/Grnd, Sup-Grnd/Str | 1,310.89 | 79332 |
| Meyers Glass | 624 8TH St Boarding | 1,155.00 | 79333 |
| Michael Wallace | Travel Expense-Sanitary Sewer | 322.80 | 79334 |
| MIDCO | Internet-Wtr Plnt/Gar/Wtr/Fire/Amb | 1,077.12 | 79335 |
| Minnesota Child Support | ID 0014487664, Locator Code 27 | 68.40 | 79336 |
| Minnesota Energy Resources | Utilities | 55.14 | 79337 |
| Minnesota Industries | Supplies-Water Dept | 60.64 | 79338 |
| MN Chiefs of Police Assoc | Training Reg-Olson | 65.00 | 79339 |
| MN Pollution Control Agency | Waste/Water Cert Exam-Mostad | 55.00 | 79340 |
| MTI Distributing Inc | Maint/Repair-Grnd | 524.57 | 79341 |
| N Koochiching Area Sanitary | Effluent/Backwash/Surcharge | 137,387.30 | 79342 |
| North American Bank Company | Inserting System Lease | 181.75 | 79343 |
| Premier Specialty Vehicles | Ambulance Parts | 8,739.26 | 79344 |
| Rainy Lake Medical Center | Medical Supplies | 182.69 | 79345 |
| Rainy Lake Oil | Fuel-Street Garage | 547.25 | 79346 |
| Randy’s Tire & Auto Repair | Unit 204 | 868.99 | 79347 |
| Shannon’s Inc | Maint/Repair-VNP | 226.16 | 79348 |
| Shred-n-Go Inc | Recycling Police | 83.93 | 79349 |
| Soundnorth | Office Supplies-Water Dept | 269.00 | 79350 |
| Streicher’s | Cloth Allow-PT Hulst | 1,533.90 | 79351 |
| Sun Life Financial | Life Insurance Premiums | 585.54 | 79352 |
| Taylor’s Plumbing & Heating LLC | Bldg Maint-City Beach | 600.00 | 79353 |
| The Nelson Trust | Health Insurance Premiums | 44,837.76 | 79354 |
| UHL Company Inc | Bldg Maint-City Hall | 1,600.60 | 79355 |
| Verizon | Monthly Cellular Service | 2,098.76 | 79356 |
| Vestis | Cleaning Services | 1,305.47 | 79357 |
| Wagner Construction Inc | 1″ Minus, Pay Application #3 Lift Statn | 42,392.26 | 79358 |
| WEX Bank | Gas-Fire/St/Amb/P&R/Grnd/Pol/Wtr | 3,875.27 | 79359 |
| Widseth Smith Nolting | Engineering Services | 7,857.50 | 79360 |
| Ziegler Inc | Fuel/Oil | 176.67 | 79361 |
| The following checks were issued under blanket authorization: | |||
| AFLAC | Supplemental Insurance | 182.08 | 102372 |
| American Heritage Life Ins Co | Supplemental Insurance | 9.64 | 102373 |
| Bay Bridge Administrators LLC | Supplemental Insurance | 354.51 | 102374 |
| Bremer Bank NA | Federal Withholding | 44,107.80 | 102375 |
| Central Pension Fund Source A | Retirement | 4,899.92 | 102376 |
| Intl Falls Ambulance Service | EMT Dues | 147.00 | 102377 |
| Kane Kostiuk, Sec/Treas | Cop Dues | 140.00 | 102378 |
| MN Child Support Pmt Ctr | Wage Assignment-Child Support | 424.54 | 102379 |
| MN Department of Revenue | State Withholding SWT | 8,617.02 | 102380 |
| MSRS-Empower Retirement | Empower Retirement | 8,251.00 | 102381 |
| PERA | PERA Life Insurance | 38,072.56 | 102382 |
| Sun Life Financial | Supplemental Insurance | 881.56 | 102383 |
| The Hartford V-LTD | Voluntary LTD Insurance | 795.47 | 102384 |
| United Way of NE Minnesota Inc | United Way | 42.00 | 102385 |
| AUDIENCE: | Nathan Myers, 1310 9th Avenue, stated he has been walking throughout the city for the past 6 weeks and has noticed there are several streets and avenues where the sidewalks have overgrown bushes/hedges and where citizens are parking vehicles in the right of way causing citizens no access to the sidewalk. This has become a safety issue for walkers and bikers. Administrator Bergstrom shared the Public Works department will be contacted regarding the overgrown bushes/hedges and the Police Department for the vehicles impeding sidewalks. |
| PUBLIC HEARING: | None. |
| OPENING BIDS (AND/OR QUOTES): | None. |
| OLD BUSINESS:
APPROVED Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 56, 5th Series an Ordinance amending Section 2-9, Salaries of Mayor and Councilor |
MOTION by Councilor Wegner to approve Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 56, 5th Series an Ordinance amending Section 2-9, Salaries of Mayor and Councilor. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden. Motion passed 3-2 with Councilors Buller, Holden, and Wegner voting “yea” and Mayor Droba and Councilor Kalar voting “nay.” |
| CONSENT AGENDA:
APPROVED as presented |
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the separation of employment with Zachary Scofield effective August 21, 2024. Motion seconded by Councilor Kalar and carried unanimously. |
| NEW BUSINESS:
Sharon Ball, resident-discuss vendor incident that happened at the International Falls Bass Championship |
Sharon Ball, 120 Cedar Road, addressed the Mayor and Council regarding an incident of tree branches being cut on city property next to her vendor booth at the International Falls Bass Championship on Friday, August 23, 2024. Ms. Ball asked if the individual had approval from the city to cut the branches and that action be taken against the person that did the cutting. |
| APPROVED 2024 Taxi License for TK Taxi LLC, | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve a 2024 Taxi License for TK Taxi LLC, Tracey Harmening, Owner. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED 2024 Homecoming Parade request of ISD 361 | MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve the 2024 Homecoming Parade request of ISD 361. Motion seconded by Councilor Holden and carried unanimously. |
| ADOPTED Resolution No. 47-2024 approving the application for exempt permit for PCA Hunting & Raffle Contest, Inc | MOTION by Councilor Wegner to adopt Resolution No. 47-2024 approving the application for exempt permit for PCA Hunting & Raffle Contest, Inc., to conduct a raffle on November 11, 2024, at PCA, 400 2nd Street. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| APPROVED Order of Removal or Repair in the Matter of Hazardous Building located at 1008 3rd Street | MOTION by Councilor Holden to approve Order of Removal or Repair in the Matter of Hazardous Building located at 1008 3rd Street. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| CONVENE CLOSED MEETING
|
MOTION by Councilor Kalar to recess the open meeting at 5:55 P.M. and move to close the meeting. Motion seconded by Councilor Buller and carried unanimously. |
| RECONVENE OPEN SESSION :
APPROVED separation of employment of Steven Donabauer and post for open mechanic position
|
Mayor Droba reconvened the open meeting at 6:15 P.M. Mayor Droba gave a summary of the closed meeting noting discussion occurred regarding separation of employment of City of International Falls employee Steven Donaubauer. Mayor Droba asked for the council’s approval to post the open mechanic position if the separation of employment is approved.
MOTION by Councilor Buller to approve separation of employment of City of International Falls employee Steven Donaubauer effective September 3, 2024, and post for the open mechanic position. Motion seconded by Councilor Wegner and carried unanimously. |
| Reports of the Administrator, Attorney, and Department Heads | Fire Chief Mannausau gave a brief update that the fire department had radios that were damaged during the most recent power outage. Chief Mannausau asked how he should report the damages. City Administrator Bergstrom advised that he make a list of the damaged equipment and she will report to the insurance company. |
| Reports of Mayor and Council Committees | Mayor Droba shared the Labor Day Picnic was a great success.
Councilor Buller gave an update of the Airport Commission meeting noting that Koochiching County Administrator Adam Coe has questions regarding the annexation of the Airport and property details. Buller asked City Administrator Bergstrom to reach out to Mr. Coe to understand his request. |
| AUDIENCE | None. |
| ADJOURNMENT | Mayor Droba reminded everyone that the next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 16, 2024, at 5:30 P.M. Mayor Droba adjourned the meeting at 6:25 P.M. |
Harley M. Droba, Mayor
Attest:
Betty Bergstrom, City Administrator
