MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HILLS CITY COUNCILNOVEMBER 11, 2003 ? 6:00 P.M.The following Council members were present at the opening of the meeting: Mayor Jim Jellema, Councilmen-Linus Svoboda, Keith Elbers and Arlen Leenderts. Absent: Councilman Dana Dahlquist. Employees present: Joanne Goehle, City Treasurer; Connie Wiertzema, City Clerk; and Wayne Ward, City Maintenance. Guests present: Eugene, Diane and Carmine Immediato; Kelly Demuth; and Brenda Winter-Hills Crescent. Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Elbers to approve of the minutes of October 14th and 23rd. Motion carried. TREASURER?S REPORT: Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Svoboda to approve payment of the October expenditures: General $7,058.99; Park $1,829.57; Fire $12,503.53; Street $5,694.73; Legion $1,607.30; Barbershop $194.82; Sewer $3,025.06; Garbage $4,046.33; Recycling $472.05; Water $6,137.96; Baseball $142.68; Softball $417.97; Civil Defense $124.00. Motion carried. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Elbers to renew general fund CD#17947 for one year. Motion carried. General Checking 40,595.51General Fund CD#17947, 2.5%, 12/2/03 234,392.53General Fund CD#17760, 2.5%, 3/15/05 20,477.61Sewer Fund CD#17877, 2.5%, 10/18/03 21,000.00Sewer Fund CD#18171, 1.0%, 1/18/04 30,070.57Fire Truck Replacement Fund CD#17710, 1.75%, 1/13/04 20,051.31Hills EDA Security Deposit Account 2,466.56Hills EDA Checking 4,188.15Southern Hills Apts. Account 4,989.94Southern Hills CD#17759, 2.5%, 3/15/05 5,056.71EDA CD#17850, 2.5%, 5/7/05 27,963.43EDA CD#17268, 1.75%, 1/26/04 10,538.57EDA CD#18160, 1.5%, 10/17/04 20,000.00TOTAL 441,790.89Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Elbers to approve of the Treasurer?s report. Motion carried. Ward confirmed to the Council that a small number of outside water meters have been installed. The Council agreed to continue with installing outside meters on a gradual basis. Outside meters will be installed on all new homes at the time of construction. The Council instructed city maintenance to begin inspecting all water meters for current readings, proper installation, and for sump pumps running into floor drains. The Council felt that these items should be inspected on a routine basis. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Svoboda to approve of a two-year Refuse Contract with Town & County Disposal, with a 3% increase in garbage and recycling rates. Motion carried. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Elbers to adopt a Resolution to revise the Municipal Utilities Ordinance, Chapter 3, Section 3.13, Subd. 3 pertaining to delinquent accounts, that charges for city utilities shall be due on the date specified by the City and shall be delinquent 15 days thereafter, rather than 30 days. Motion carried. Motion by Svoboda, seconded by Elbers to approve of the Notices to Hills City Residents, which will be inserted with the 2004 utility billing books, and mailed to customers in January. Motion carried. The Council continued discussion regarding Ryan Burgers trailer house, which is located on City property at 120 West North 2nd Street. The Council is not in favor of deeding the property to the owner of the trailer; have no interest in purchasing the trailer house; and beginning January 2004 the City will begin charging a fee to the owner of the trailer house. Eugene, Diane and Carmine Immediato, and Kelly Demuth appeared at the meeting to discuss the pending sale of the depot building, and easement to Kelly?s Roadhouse Bar. Eugene Immediato informed the Council that he would agree to allow Kelly an easement, but felt that he was entitled to compensation by reducing the amount of his bid by $3,000 for the purchase of the depot building. Immediato and Demuth agreed to a 15? wide easement from the southwest corner of Kelly?s back entrance proceeding west to the alley, at an angle in order to avoid a utility pole. Leenderts made a motion, seconded by Svoboda, to reduce the sale of the depot building to $8,000, and that a check for the entire amount be delivered to the City of Hills within 24 hours. Immediato agreed to the $2,000 reduction and payment deadline. The Warranty Deed will include the easement as stated above. Motion carried. Motion by Elbers, seconded by Leenderts to grant renewal of on-sale and off-sale liquor licenses to Kelly?s Roadhouse Bar for 2004. Motion carried. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Elbers to adopt a resolution to participate in a hazardous mitigation planning process proposed by Rock County. Motion carried. The Clerk was instructed to contact the Home Center for the purchase of new oven for the American Legion kitchen. Discussed special assessments for Park View 2nd, 3rd and 4th Additions. The Council agreed, in accordance with City Ordinance, Chapter 10, Subd. 4, that initial water and sewer expenses for Lots 2-6 in Park View 4th Addition, and Lots 1 and 2 in Block 1 of Park View Third Addition, will not be assessed to the properties, but paid by the Hills EDA as the developer. Special assessments will be applied to Lots 1-5 in Block 2 of Park View Second Addition, and Lots 1-4 in Block 2 of Park View Third Addition, per the January 14, 2003 minutes. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Elbers to apply special assessments to three properties for the removal of garbage, mowing, and fill for an abandoned cistern. Motion carried. The Council discussed whether to reconsider the waiver of water and sewer tapping fees. In accordance with a Resolution adopted in 1994, water and sewer tapping fees were waived to encourage the construction of new homes. No changes were made, but the Council will refer to item three of Resolution 94-4, "That waiver of these tapping fees must be pre-approved by the City Council at the time a building permit is requested."The Council was informed that Sue Stueven, leader of a local 4-H club has applied for a 4-H Community Pride grant for playground equipment for Rez Park. The Thunder Baseball Association has agreed to work the Sunday Open Gym program from December through March. The regular December City Council meeting will be rescheduled and notification will be published. The Council discussed two properties in which the owners were notified for the removal of junk vehicles and completion of a fence. One property owner has removed and/or licensed their junk vehicles, and is currently working on completion of a fence. The second property owner is in total compliance by having removed a junk vehicle from their property. The Clerk was instructed to send a letter to a property owner regarding the City?s burning restriction ordinance. Motion by Leenderts, seconded by Elbers to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:45 P.M.Connie J. WiertzemaCity Clerk(11-27)
