MINUTES
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OF REDWOOD FALLS, MINNESOTA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
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, February 18, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.
Roll call indicated Mayor Tom Quackenbush and Council Members Matt Smith, Larry Arentson, Jim Sandgren, John T. Buckley, and Denise Kerkhoff were present constituting a quorum.
Also present were City Administrator Keith Muetzel, Director of Finance & Administrative Services Melissa Meyer, Public Works Project Coordinator Jim Doering, City Attorney Amy Busse and Council Secretary Caitlin Kodet.
A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren 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 Kerkhoff to
approve the February 4, 2020, minutes as presented. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda.
1. Approve 3.2% Malt Liquor License Application – Redwood Speedway
Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Parks & Rec Director Ross Nachreiner was present to introduce the 2020 Joint City-School Projects request.
Mr. Nachreiner stated the Community Center Board met on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, to review a list of project requests. The Board recommends approval of the 2020 Joint City-School Projects included in the agenda packet and requests to disperse the 2020 Joint City-School funds to the Independent School District #2897.
Mr. Nachreiner stated the money that is not spent each year will carry over to the next year allowing for larger purchases to align with the Community Center Board’s Capital Improvement Plan. The School District holds the funds and is responsible for the purchases.
A motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Smith to approve the Community Center Board’s project requests and the disbursement of the 2020 Joint City-School Funds in the amount of $10,000. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Utilities Superintendent Chuck Heins was present to introduce Resolution No. 8 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Hospital Electric Circuit Development in the amount of $106,200.
Mr. Heins stated when Carris Health decided to build the new hospital on the east edge of Redwood Falls, City staff met with DGR and decided that the best plan was to install a new mainline circuit from the South Substation past the new hospital site to our East Substation. Installation was planned in two phases over a period of two years. However, in order to get temporary power to the hospital site for construction, a significant
portion of the new hospital circuit was installed. With a significant portion of the work already completed, staff recommends constructing the entire project in one year at a lower cost. DGR’s original estimate for the entire project was $1,438,300, but with the requested change order, they are now projecting a cost of $1,373,000 for the project.
Mr. Heins stated the City changed the scope of the original Task Order #9 and therefore we need to repeal Resolution No. 17 of 2019 and replace it with Resolution No. 8 of 2020.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Buckley to waive the reading of Resolution No. 8 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Hospital Electric Circuit Development in the amount of $106,200. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve Resolution No. 8 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Hospital Electric Circuit Development in the amount of $106,200. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Utilities Superintendent Heins introduced Resolution No. 9 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Downtown Electric Conversion in the amount of $23,700.
Mr. Heins stated this conversion will include approximately four blocks of electric distribution line from overhead to underground, extending behind the State Farm office building going east to Swain Street. This conversion will give the City an electrical back feed from Swain Street to the downtown area, allowing the City to convert the existing overhead to underground with a minimum number of outages. The estimate on the engineering only portion of the project is $23,700. DGR is estimating the entire project to cost $283,000 including engineering.
A motion was made by Council Member Sandgren and seconded by Council Member Smith to waive the reading of Resolution No. 9 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Downtown Electric Conversion in the amount of $23,700. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Buckley to approve Resolution No. 9 of 2020 – Amendment to Engineering Agreement for Downtown Electric Conversion in the amount of $23,700. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Utilities Superintendent Heins introduced the East Substation Electric Circuit Development Project – Authorization to Advertise for Bids.
Mr. Heins stated Public Utilities staff recommends authorizing bid solicitation for the materials for construction of the mainline circuit from the East Substation, past the new Carris Health – Redwood hospital site, to the South Substation. The new circuit will not only feed the new hospital complex, but it will also provide some redundancy and reliability for voltage support of two existing substations. This project was in the 2020 Capital Outlay – Enterprise Fund section of the budget.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve the East Substation Electric Circuit Development Project – Authorization to Advertise for Bids. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Doering introduced Resolution No. 10 of 2020 – MnDOT Grant Application to Install Airport Building ADA Lift.
Mr. Doering stated Resolution No. 10 authorizes staff to submit a grant application to the Minnesota Department of Transportation – Aeronautics and approve the quotes provided by Everstrong Construction and Premier Lift Inc. of Owatonna to conduct the necessary renovations in order to install a lift at the airport. The grant is for a 70/30 grant of $48,703.20 or 70% with $20,872.80 or 30% being the local Airport share. The total project cost is estimated to be $69,576.00.
Mr. Doering stated two other providers were asked to provide renovation quotes however both denied interest in the project. In conjunction with the renovation quote from Everstrong Construction in the amount of $21,476.00, Resolution No. 10 also approves the sole source quote of Premier Lift Inc. of Owatonna in the amount of $48,100.00, which provides a lift solution to fit the existing space requirement of the constructed elevator shaft at the airport. The installation of the lift system brings the Airport into ADA compliance.
A motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Kerkhoff to waive the reading of Resolution No. 10 of 2020 – MnDOT Grant Application to Install Airport Building ADA Lift. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Arentson and seconded by Council Member Smith to approve Resolution No. 10 of 2020 – MnDOT Grant Application to Install Airport Building ADA Lift. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Doering introduced Resolution No. 11 of 2020 – Public Facilities Authority Drinking Water Revolving Loan Application.
Mr. Doering stated Resolution No.11 authorizes submitting the loan application to the Drinking Water Revolving Fund administered by the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for $1,084,165.00. The project will loop the water system, which currently dead-ends at Valley View Drive. The project will allow that portion of Redwood Falls to be supplied water from two directions. Currently, there is only one main supplying water creating a risk of shutting off the water supply to a large number of residences and businesses in the event of a main break. This project will connect a second watermain creating a loop that will allow staff to isolate future main breaks and reduce the number of homes or businesses affected with a water shut off.
A motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Buckley to waive the reading of Resolution No. 11 of 2020 – Public Facilities Authority Drinking Water Revolving Loan Application. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Arentson to approve Resolution No. 11 of 2020 – Public Facilities Authority Drinking Water Revolving Loan Application. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Doering introduced the 2020 Street Seal Coating Project
Authorization to Advertise for Bids.
Mr. Doering stated staff recommends authorizing the development of bid documents and bid solicitation materials for the 2020 Seal Coat Improvement Project and Work Order 2020-1, not to exceed, $9,500.00. The
2020 Seal Coat Improvement Project has a construction estimate of $242,000.00 for streets, alleyways and parking lots. Development of bid specs, hosting, contract development, and construction calibration/testing is not to exceed $9,500.00. Total estimated project cost is $251,500.00 that includes construction costs, contingency costs, and the work order. Parks & Rec budgeted $24,000.00 to cover costs related to the sealcoating of the pool and baseball field parking lots that are included in this year’s project scope. The Liquor Lodge also budgeted for their incurred portion.
Mr. Doering stated a March bid opening is being drafted with Council bid award to follow in April. The anticipated start date would be after August 17, 2020, to allow the Street Department time for crack sealing and patching of the project areas. Seal coating streets and alleys was budgeted in the amount of $190,000.00. The project area consists of all streets and frontage roads south of TH 19/71, east of Gould Street and West of Dekalb Street.
A motion was made by Council Member Buckley and seconded by Council Member Sandgren to approve the 2020 Street Seal Coating Project – Authorization to Advertise for Bids. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Public Works Project Coordinator Doering discussed the 2020 City Archery Deer Hunt program.
Mr. Doering stated the 2019 Archery Deer Hunt Committee met on February 13, 2020, to review the 2019 results and review the program policies. The committee decided to continue with the previous year’s provisions with one requested change. The committee requests the Deer Hunt Coordinator and City staff to have the discretion to replace a participant if the participant dropped out during the hunting season due to unforeseen circumstances.
A motion was made by Council Member Kerkhoff and seconded by Council Member Buckley to approve the submittal of the 2020 Archery Deer Hunt application to the Department of Natural Resources; implement the 2020 fees at $20.00 for the application fee and $40.00 for the hunting fee with 20 participants selected by a minimum proficiency test and lottery draw with a 20-hour minimum in-stand expectation to qualify to participate in 2021; Double Earn A Buck, 20 hunters with a maximum bag limit of 40; season to coincide with the full archery season September 12 – December 31; discretion for the Deer Hunt Coordinator and City staff to replace a participant if they drop out during the hunting season due to unforeseen circumstances; and continue with Hunt Coordinator, Paul Parsons. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
City Administrator Muetzel informed Council of the Local Board of Appeal & Equalization meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting allows property owners to contest the 2019 value assigned to their property.
City Administrator Muetzel informed Council of a public informational meeting he attended with Mr. Doering regarding the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) fees. The MPCA announced a state-wide initiative to restructure their fees in order to meet their goal that the cost of programs be funded by a minimum of 30 percent user fees. The balance of the funding would come from other sources.
Mr. Muetzel stated if the proposal moves forward this would affect the City of Redwood Falls with an increase to the wastewater and stormwater permits of approximately $4,000 per year. Input was provided to the MPCA to allow municipalities some time to be compliant with the new fees and not implement them immediately.
City Administrator Muetzel reminded Council there would be no meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, due to the Presidential Nomination Primary Election. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The next Council Work Session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
Bills and Claims were presented to Council for informational purposes. No questions, comments or concerns were raised.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Council Member Smith and seconded by Council Member Arentson to adjourn the meeting at 5:45 p.m. Motion passed by unanimous vote.