Mountain Lake City Council hosts MLPS School Board
The Mountain Lake City Council moved to hold the city’s place for funding of potential sewage treatment system updates at its Tuesday, February 3 meeting by authorizing Bolton & Menk to prepare and re-submit the necessary revisions and updates as required each year to the applications to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Project Priority List and the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA).
This action came after Andy Kehren of Bolton & Menk, the city’s engineer, reviewed the sewage treatment upgrade project.
While sewer main replacement, which was a part of the 2012-2014 Utility and Street Project, reduced I & I (inflow and infiltration) entering the city’s sewage system, the amount on average is above what the treatment ponds are permitted to receive. The quality of water being discharged from the ponds is also a problem.
Alternatives under consideration, including a mechanical treatment facility or the building of additional ponds, location and cost were all discussed.
The sewer portion of the 2012-2014 project was funded by State of Minnesota PFA loans. When the PFA application was prepared, the city was encouraged to submit a two-part project to increase the opportunity to receive grant funding; with the sewage treatment upgrades as the second part.
The city anticipates that much of the funding for the sewage treatment upgrades will be grants.
Meeting with the School Board
The city council hosted members of the Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board and MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom for a discussion about areas of joint interest.
Superintendent Strom presented enrollment statistics, financial information and a facility repair schedule.
Additional topics of discussion were the continuation of the school district’s current operating levy and the extensive repairs of the school building.
The city’s recently-completed three-year utility and street project was reviewed.
The need to upgrade or replace the city’s current sewage treatment system and those approximate costs, as well as other areas of shared interest were considered.
In other business
* Appointed Bryan Bargen and Tim Swoboda to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
* Named the Hanson Agency as the local agent for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) Policy from April 1, 2015-April 1, 2018. The City of Mountain Lake rotates the local agent appointment between qualified insurance agencies in the city.
* Decided to not waive the monetary limits on municipal tort liability established by Minnesota Statutes Section 466.04 in connection to the LMCIT Liability Coverage Waiver.
* Reviewed the history of garbage collection in the city and the current contract with Hometown Sanitation. No action was taken.
* Scheduled Tuesday, February 10 as a council work session to identify and discuss 2015 council goals.
* Reviewed the Conservation Improvement Plan (CIP) 2014 summary as well as the 2015 goals. No action was taken.
* Tabled the review of the 2014 budget to the Tuesday, February 17 council meeting.
* Reviewed the bonded indebtedness schedule as of 12/31/14. No action was taken.
* Mayor Mike Nelson closed the public meeting and opened a closed meeting to discuss on-going Mountain Lake Trail litigation under attorney-client privilege at 8:51 p.m. The closed meeting was closed and the public meeting re-opened at 9:20 p.m. No action was taken.
