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Home My WebLink About1995 [08] Aug 17 Page 2838 August 17, 1995 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City I of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, August 17, 1995 at 7:00 p. m. in the City Hall. IIJ::MBJ::RS PRESENT: Mayor Donald Bud Reber; Councilors Ross Rieke, Bob Loso, Ken Hiemenz. Clerk/Administrator Rachel Stapleton. Cory Ehlert absent. OTHERS PRESENT: Judy Weyrens, Je:ff Youngt Art Hiemenz, Edith Hiemenz, Tara Ploumen, Tina Reinert, Greg Kacures. Mayor Reber called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with Councilors Loso and Hiemenz present. AGENDA: Loso made a motion to approve the agenda as presented; seconded by Hiemenz. Ayes: Reber, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. CONSENT AGENDA: Loso made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as :follows¡ seconded by Hiemenz. 1. Minutes of the July 13t August 3 and August 10, 1995 City Council meetings. 2. Fire Service Contract between St. Wendel Township and the City and Town o:f St. Joseph. I Ayes: Reber, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. BILLS PAYABLE: Deputy Clerk Judy Weyrens presented the bills payable. After short discussion, and request to check the amount the Council previously approved to pay Bauerly Brothers for paving an alley in the mobile home court, check #21333, Loso made a motion to approve the bills payable check numbers 21332 - 21360 and Super America and St. Joe Gas & Bait, both :for gas¡ seconded by Hiemenz. Ayes: Reber, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. Loso made a motion to approve the overtime and callouts as presented; seconded by Hiemenz. Ayes: Reber, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. TREASURER'S R~ORT: Judy Weyrens, Deputy Clerk, presented the July treasurer's report. Weyrens also presented a final financial report on the Beautification Project. She stated the City will be reimbursed $18,605.32, plus $2,000 pledged by the Jaycees. These funds, plus $4,500 received by the City will be the reimbursed amount to the I designated building fund, for the funds underwritten for the project. Rieke arrived at 7:10 p.m. Loso made a motion to accept the July treasurer's report as presented¡ Page 2839 August 17, 1995 seconded by Hiemenz. Ayes~ Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes~ None. Motion carried. OLD BUSINESS BIKING ON SIDEWALKS: After short discussion Mayor Reber made a motion to amend the ordinance regulating biking to prohibit it on the north side of Minnesota Street, £rom College Avenue to First Avenue NW only; seconded by Loso. Ayes~ Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes~ None. Motion carried. BURNING OF LEAVES: Council discussed and generally agreed to ask £or citizen input on burning o£ leaves regulations, as agreed at the June 17, 1995 Council meeting. The Citizen input will be requested through the newspaper and considered at the September 21 Council meeting. CLERK/ADKINISTRATOR REPORTS: 1) Finance Charges - Hiemenz made a motion to approve the imposition o£ £inance charges to delinquent receivable accounts at a rate o£ one and one half per cent per month; seconded by Rieke. Ayes~ Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes~ None. Motion carried. 2) The SEH UPDATE, the Newsletter o£ the City Engineers £irm contained a very nice article on St. Joseph's planning for growth, authored by City Engineer Joe Bettendor£. 3) Recommendations were received £rom our attorney on the £ence issue and complaints received by the Council at the last meeting, £rom the Rueckerts. Rueckerts have been contacted that they do not have to apply for variance on the £ence issue and £urther complaints should be directed to the appropriate o££icial. The other complaints the Council received will be dealt with by the appropriate o££icials as recommended. 4) The request for vacation o£ the right o£ way property on the corner o£ Minnesota Street and Second Avenue Northwest has been withdrawn by Dale and Diane Schneider. 5) The Rental Housing Inspector has required that the trim on the Annex building is painted as a condition o£ the rental license. Maintenance indicated that they may not have time to get this job done this year. Stapleton suggested having a "Sentence to Serve" group do the job, if they are available. Council was supportive of this plan. 6) A report from Tom Gross o£ Berkley Administrators, the City's Workers Camp Loss Control Consultant was received. The report was the result o£ a visit o£ the St. Joseph Fire Hall survey as requested by Fire Chie£ Dave Theisen. The report indicated cramped conditions and inadequate space for the number o£ vehicles stored. Page 2840 August 17, 1995 7) Truth in Taxation hearing was set for November 30, 1995 at 7:00 - p. m. , with a continuation hearing set for December 7 if additional time is needed. 8) The Multi Foods semi were notified to park in the alley as directed rather than on College Avenue. In doing so they reported that the truck clipped a telephone wire. The Council requested that the telephone company is directed to raise the wire to an acceptable height (18 feet). 9) There was a property accident at the shop that has been reported to the insurance company. A lawn mower rolled into and did damage to an employee personal vehicle. 10) Information was received today from the City Attorney, on the Rieke fence complaint. After consideration of the options proposed Loso made a motion to direct Twin City Testing to perform additional analysis and have a representative testify live at trial (date set for August 31) at an additional cost of at least $2,000; seconded by Reber. Ayes: Reber, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Rieke abstained. Motion carried. ItAYOH REPOHTS: The City Attorney's recommendation that we follow up on complaints by directing them to the appropriate people was received and we will follow his advice. COUNCIL REPORTS RIEKE: The Personnel Committee of Rieke and Ehlert met with the non- contract employees to receive their requests for wage and benefit increases for 1996. These employees are invited to the August 31 budget meeting for Council consideration of their requests. LOSO: 1 ) St. Joe Gas and Bait has requested to use city water to wash down the area of their project as needed. Loso made a motion to approve the request; seconded by Rieke. Ayes: Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. 2) A street light is needed between Second and Third Avenue Northwest on Minnesota Street. Rieke suggested that the city street lighting map is reviewed to see if this is a longer distance between lights. Mayor Reber stated that the City has taken recommendations from NS? on street lighting. After further discussion Loso made a motion to request a street light installed between Second Avenue and Third Avenue Northwest on Minnesota Street, placement on the opinion of NS?; seconded by Rieke. Ayes: Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. 3) The parking problem by Floral Arts is being reviewed. When the street was reconstructed under federal funds, federal regulations Page 2841 August 17, 199=. - requiring parallel parking were adhered to. Loso has been further reviewing this problem and will continue to work on this issue. HIEIIENZ: Negative comments were received on the newly installed four way stop intersection. Hiemenz recommended that they wait until after the students have returned for greater appreciation of it. RENTAL HOUSING FEES: Tina Reinert, Admired Properties, Inc. requested reconsideration of the rental housing fees for the Cloverdale Townhouses~ and to be omitted from the rental inspection requirement. Mayor Reber stated that even though the properties are inspected by other agencies he felt that the City should continue to follow rental housing inspection requirements for all rental properties. The Council concurred. Reinert discussed the high fees charged for rental inspections and formula for determining fees. She felt that the fees are extremely out of line. Stapleton discussed that the change in rental housing fees first took effect this rental year. Mark Lambert was also protesting the fees~ and manner in which they are calculated. Mayor Reber recommended that the City Attorney and Rental Housing Inspector confer and prepare recommendations for Council consideration. The Council also generally agreed to waive any delinquent fees until the matter is resolved. OVERLAY STREET IIIPROVEIIENT BIDS: Bids were received and opened for the 1995 Overlay Street Improvement project as follows: Hardrives, Inc. $34,160.00 Bauerly Brothers, Inc. $37,955.00 Hiemenz made a motion to accept the bid of Hardrives, Inc. of $34, 160, as the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, and award the contract, as recommended by the City Engineer; seconded by Loso. Ayes: Reber~ Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. WELL NUIIBER 4: Quotations were solicited and received for an 1,800 RPM 20 horsepower, submersible pump to be installed in the new municipal well. Quotations were received as follows: Traut Wells $ 7, 971. 00 Donabauer Well & Pump Company $11,561. 60 Loso made a motion to award to Traut Wells based on their bid of $7, 971 , as recommended by the City Engineer; seconded by Rieke. Ayes: Reber~ Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS: Jeff Young, Acting Chief of Police, gave the monthly police report. He also requested to purchase a training bag for $90.00. Loso made a motion to approve the purchase as requested; seconded by Rieke. Ayes: Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Page 2842 August 17, 1995 Nayes: None. Motion carried. - OPEN TU THE PUBLIC: Edith Hiemenz requested a change in traffic control is considered at the corner of Date Street and First Avenue NE. She would like to see a stop or yield sign to control the speed of traffic. Council concurred, and asked to get a recommendation from the City Engineer. ADJOURN: HiemE'nz made a motion to adjourn at 8:10 p.m. ; seconded by Loso; Ayes: Reber, Rieke, Loso, Hiemenz. Nayes: None. Motion carried. ~~ Clerk/Administrator