City Council Meeting – August 6, 2024

Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the Redwood Falls City Council was called to order in the Municipal Chambers on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Roll call indicated Mayor Tom Quackenbush and Council Members Matt Smith, Denise Kerkhoff, Jim Sandgren, Larry Arentson, and John T. Buckley were present, constituting a quorum.

Also present were Finance Director Kari Klages, City Attorney Trenton Dammann, Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering, and Deputy City Clerk Caitlin Kodet. City Administrator Keith Muetzel was absent.

A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Buckley to approve the agenda. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the July 16, 2024, minutes as presented. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Grady Holtberg, Redwood County Economic Development Coordinator was present to greet Council as the newly hired Economic Development Coordinator for Redwood County.

A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:

1. League of MN Cities Liability Coverage Waiver Form
2. Purchase of Fire Department Turnout Gear
3. Materials/Services Exchange with Brady’s Lawn Service

Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Marty Seifert with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities was present to give an update on the 2024 legislative session.

HR Coordinator Sheila Stage was present to introduce the Updated Employee Sick Leave Policy and Earned Sick and Safe Time Notice.

Ms. Stage stated the earned sick and safe time (ESST) law was recently updated to clarify who qualifies for Earned Sick and Safe Time. The changes were effective as of May 25, 2024. With the recent changes to Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Law changes found in Minnesota Statute 181.9445 the City is updating the Sick Leave Policy and Earned Sick and Safe Time Notice based on these law changes. The change that affects the City of Redwood Falls is who qualifies for ESST. The ESST law change clarifies that employees anticipated to work at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota are covered by the ESST law. The changes to the law also establish that ESST requirements don’t apply to volunteer or paid on-call firefighters, volunteer ambulance attendants, paid-on-call ambulance service personnel, elected officials, individuals appointed to fill vacancies in elected offices, and individuals employed by a farmer, family farm, or family farm corporation who work for 28 days or less per year. Additionally, certain family caregivers can waive their ESST rights.

A motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve the Updated Employee Sick Leave Policy and Earned Sick and Safe Time Notice. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

City Attorney Dammann introduced Ordinance No. 92, Fourth Series – An Ordinance Amending The Redwood Falls City Code of Ordinances §10.35 and §11.15, Subd. 4 Pertaining to Grass, Weeds, and Other Vegetation.

Mr. Dammann stated Staff is proposing changes to the City Code of Ordinances to make the City’s regulation of grass, weeds, and other vegetation consistent with Minnesota law, specifically Minn. Stat. § 412.925 relating to the installation and maintenance of “Managed Natural Landscapes,” which cities must allow to be installed and maintained on all parcels of land. “Managed Natural Landscapes,” as defined in Minn. Stat. § 412.925, may exceed 8 inches in height and be allowed to go to seed, but Minnesota cities can still require maintenance of these landscapes, including the elimination of noxious weeds. Under the changes to §11.15, Subd. 4, weeds and grasses that are not part of a “Managed Natural Landscape,” may not exceed 8 inches or be allowed to go to seed.

Mr. Dammann stated during the process of updating City Code to reflect changes in state law, it was also determined that the existing City Code does not take into account other types of property and situations within the City of Redwood Falls that in all fairness and practicality should be exempt from regulation. A list of exempt properties and conditions has also been added to §11.15, Subd. 4 to take these property interests into account.

A motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Smith to waive the reading of Ordinance No. 92, Fourth Series – An Ordinance Amending The Redwood Falls City Code of Ordinances §10.35 and §11.15, Subd. 4 Pertaining to Grass, Weeds, and Other Vegetation. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering introduced Ordinance No. 93, Fourth Series – An Ordinance Granting a Franchise To Sweetman Sanitation, To Collect and Haul Residential Municipal Solid Waste Generated By Residential and Multi-Residential Units Located Within The City of Redwood Falls, Minnesota

Mr. Doering stated following the approval of the 2024 Solid Waste Collection RFP process by the Council on May 21, 2024, proposals from participating vendors were opened on June 25, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. and read aloud in the Council Chambers. The three proposals opened and read allowed in the order received were: Sweetman Sanitation Inc. of Echo, Waste Management of MN, and West Central Sanitation of Willmar. The Solid Waste Committee met the same day at 3:00 p.m. to review the abstract and rank responses to the RFP.  The ranked cumulative scores out of 300 total points are as follows: 291-West Central Sanitation, 268-Sweetman Sanitation and 195-Waste Management of MN. At the regular meeting of the City Council held on July 2, 2024, the Council heard public comment before selecting by motion and vote to award the five-year (September 23, 2024 – September 21, 2029), City of Redwood Falls Residential Solid Waste Vendor franchise agreement to Sweetman Sanitation. Staff has worked with Sweetman Sanitation on the development of Ordinance No. 93, Fourth Series.

A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Smith to waive the reading of Ordinance No. 93, Fourth Series – An Ordinance Granting a Franchise To Sweetman Sanitation, To Collect and Haul Residential Municipal Solid Waste Generated By Residential and Multi-Residential Units Located Within The City of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Finance Director Klages introduced U.S. Card Systems Consultation Program Proposal.

Ms. Klages stated in an effort to effectively manage continuously increasing credit card processing fees, Staff is looking to partner with U.S. Card Systems and utilize their Consultation Program. U.S. Card Systems is a credit card processor with an Interchange Management Division that specializes in getting credit card processing fees significantly reduced for businesses. U.S. Card Systems will consult and negotiate savings on behalf of the City of Redwood Falls as well as continue to assist in monitoring those fees moving forward. The initial review of our credit card statements for City Hall, the Redwood Area Community Center, and the Liquor Lodge determined an estimated savings of $11,360 a year. This savings is after consultation fees which are equal to 1/5th of the total savings negotiated by U.S. Card Systems (approximately $239.80 per month). U.S. Card Systems will not assess any fees until we have written confirmation of a successful negotiation to lower the City’s credit card processing rate structure.

Ms. Klages stated with the highly specialized and complicated field of credit card processing, the benefits of partnering with U.S. Card Systems goes beyond the annual savings. They are experts in the field and will continue to monitor our current processing fees as well as review any future credit card processing vendor proposals. Staff recommends approval of the U.S. Card Systems Consultation Program Proposal.

A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Buckley to approve the U.S. Card Systems Consultation Program Proposal. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Mayor Quackenbush introduced the Proclamation Declaring August 17, 2024 as “Joe Hendry Day.”

A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the Proclamation Declaring August 17, 2024 as “Joe Hendry Day.” Motion passed by unanimous vote.

Mayor Quackenbush stated Minnesota Farmfest is held at the Gilfillan Estate, August 6-8, 2024. Mayor Quackenbush attended Farmfest today.

Council Member Buckley stated the City Council candidate filing period is open until 5:00 p.m. on August 13, 2024. Open positions are for Ward 1 Council Member, Ward 2 Council Member, and At-Large Council Member.

Public Works Project Coordinator Doering stated City Staff will prepare bonding requests in June of 2025 to submit to Minnesota Management and Budget.

Bills and Claims were presented to the Council for informational purposes.  No questions, comments or concerns were raised.

There being no further business, a motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Arentson to adjourn the meeting at 5:59 p.m. Motion passed by unanimous vote.