A regular meeting of the Council for the City of Crystal
Falls was held in the Council Chambers of the City Hall on Tuesday, August 9,
2005, at 5:00 P.M. Central Time.
Roll Call: Mayor Hendrickson, Councilors Heikkinen,
Valesano, Thrasher, and Stachowicz.
Absent: None
Also Present City Manager Nordeman, City Attorney
Lawrence, City Clerk/Treasurer Olson, and a various citizens.
Mayor Hendrickson led the reciting of
the Pledge of Allegiance.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by
Councilor Valesano moved that the minutes of the regular meeting of July 11,
2005 be approved as written.
Motion carried.
A contingent of loggers was present at the meeting to contest the recently
increased truck permit fees for passage over city property. Following several
comments from the loggers Manager Nordeman advised the Council that he learned
just today that funds had been secured in the amount of $1,540.00 from the State
of
Michigan
to put chloride down on the roadway across the city property.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Heikkinen moved to form a
committee to meet with the truckers to discuss the truck fees recently imposed
by the City of Crystal Falls.
Motion carried.
Mayor Hendrickson appointed Manager Nordeman and Councilors Thrasher and
Valesano to sit on the aforementioned committee.
A date for the meeting with the truckers was set for Monday, August 15,
2005 at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Valesano moved to suspend the new
truck fees ($500/month or $2,000/6 months) and reinstate the $35.00/month fee
pending the committee meeting and recommendation to the City Council.
Motion carried.
Jeff Sjoquist of Coleman Engineering reported on the water project.
He noted that a special meeting of the Council will be needed soon to
proceed with this project, including
Superior Avenue
improvements, a new water supply, priority water main replacement,
re-submission of an application for funding, and the development of a Right Of
Way map.
Attorney
Lawrence
was directed to draft a letter for the Council to the Iron County Road
Commission regarding the
Urban Avenue
right of way issues, said letter will be considered for action at the next
regular meeting of the Council.
Councilor
Thrasher supported by Councilor Valesano moved to adopt the 2005-2006 Fiscal
Year Budget as presented by the City Manager, in the amount of $4,409,780.00,
including a wage increase for the full time City employees, exclusive of the
Manager and Clerk/Treasurer in the amount of 3.2% and further, to adopt
appropriation and tax levy resolutions in conjunction with said budget.
AYES: Mayor
Hendrickson, Councilors Heikkinen, Thrasher, Valesano, and Stachowicz. NAYS:
None
Motion carried.
Councilor
Thrasher seconded by Councilor Heikkinen moved to adopt the following:
APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION
WHEREAS,
in accordance with Chapter Five of the Charter for the City of Crystal
Falls, the City Manager has caused to be prepared a budget which was presented
to the Council; and
WHEREAS,
said budget, after due notice and public hearing has been adopted; and
WHEREAS,
pursuant to said budget is necessary that FOUR MILLION FOUR HUNDRED NINE
THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS ($4,409,780)
has been determined to be necessary to defray the expenditures and liabilities
of the City of Crystal Falls for the fiscal year of 2005 - 2006, the following
sums shall be and hereby are appropriated:
General
--------------------------------------
-$1,566,180.00
Major
Street-----------------------------------
$ 156,000.00
Local
Street Fund------------------------------
$
81,200.00
Industrial
Park Fund--------------------------- $
7,700.00
Recreation
Fund-------------------------------- $
3,500.00
Television-------------------------------------
$
206,000.00
Electric---------------------------------------
$1,708,000.00
Sewer------------------------------------------
$
349,000.00
Water-----------------------------------------
$
326,500.00
Trust
& Agency---------------------------------
$
1,000.00
Electric
Reserve & Contingency-----------------$
2,500.00
Perpetual
Care Fund---------------------------- $
2,200.00
_____________
$4,409,780.00
BE
IT RESOLVED, that
said sums appropriated will be raised by taxation, sales of services, and other
various revenues collected by the City of Crystal Falls as provided for in the
2005 - 2006 fiscal year budget.
Ayes:
Mayor Hendrickson, Councilors Heikkinen, Thrasher, Valesano, and
Stachowicz. Nays:
None
Resolution adopted.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Valesano moved to adopt the
following:
TAX
LEVY RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, in
accordance with Chapter V of the Charter of the City of Crystal Falls, the City
Manager has caused to be prepared a budget which was presented to the Council;
and
WHEREAS, said
budget, after due notice and public hearing has been adopted; and
WHEREAS, pursuant
to said budget it is necessary that THREE HUNDRED FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
($314,000) for General Operation be raised by taxation; and
WHEREAS,
the Taxable Valuation for the City of Crystal Falls is NINETEEN MILLION
SIX HUNDRED SIXTEEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT DOLLARS ($19,616,898);
now, therefore,
BE
IT RESOLVED that the City of Crystal Falls levy 17.50 mills to be
assessed against all real and personal property located in the City of the
aforesaid municipal purposes.
Ayes:
Mayor
Hendrickson, Councilors Heikkinen, Thrasher, Valesano, and Stachowicz.
Nays: None
Resolution adopted.
Councilor Valesano seconded by Councilor Stachowicz moved to accept the
bid on the float trailer from Lud Stoor Agency in the amount of $405.00.
Motion carried.
(The other two bids received were: James
Hoffman - $307.55 and John J. Kudwa - $250.00.)
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Heikkinen moved to direct the
Clerk/Treasurer to invest the proceeds from the sale of the float trailer for
future use in the purchase of playground equipment at
Lincoln Park
.
Motion carried.
Councilor Stachowicz seconded by Councilor Valesano moved to revise the
Employee Handbook, Article XI, Insurance, paragraph four (4) to read:
“Pensioned employees and their spouse will receive full available
hospitalization until date of the pensioned employee’s demise if collecting
said pension under City of
Michigan Municipal Employees Retirement System
.”
Motion carried.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Heikkinen moved to direct the
City assessor to appraise the remaining vacant lots at the
City
Industrial Park
to help determine the sale price for future buyers.
Motion carried.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Mayor Hendrickson moved to designate City
Manager, Charles Nordeman as the official representative of the City to cast the
vote of the municipality at the annual Michigan Municipal League convention to
be held in
Grand Rapids
, September 20 – 23, 2005.
Motion carried.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Heikkinen
moved that the payrolls and disbursements in the amount of $337,834.51 for the
month of July 2005 be approved, and the City Clerk is instructed to draw checks
on the City Treasury in payment of same.
Motion carried.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Mayor Hendrickson moved to
approve the disbursements from the Electric Utility Construction Account in the
amount of $12,052.62 as drawn on checks #1083-1088 by the City Clerk.
Motion carried.
Councilor Thrasher seconded by Councilor Valesano, moved
to accept the following reports for the month of July 2005:
1.
Police Chief’s report indicating 211 complaints, 3 of which
were closed by arrest and 3,215 patrolled miles.
2.
Joint Fire Authority report submitted by Fire Chief John Ahola
indicating answering 6 fire calls; spending approximately 76 man-hours fighting
fires; and holding 1 practice and training sessions.
3.
Chief Electrician’s report of department activities.
4.
Public Work foreman’s report on department activities.
Motion
carried.
Mayor Hendrickson directed Attorney Lawrence to pen a
letter to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) regarding compliance with the
procedure stated in the DDA bylaws for the approval and payment of expenses
incurred by the DDA.
Councilor Heikkinen seconded by Mayor Hendrickson moved
to adjourn this meeting of the City Council.
Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 6:24 p.m.
