Street sealcoating, crack-filling discussed with Bargen Inc. representative
THE MOUNTAIN LAKE City Council. Seated front, from left, Council Member Dana Kass, Mayor Mike Nelson and Council Member Darla Kruser. Standing back, Council Member Andrew Ysker, left and Council Member David Savage, right.
Jim Peterson and Dave Bucklin, both of the Lake Commission, updated the Mountain Lake City Council on the status of the Mountain Lake Golf Course Sediment Basin at the group’s Monday, August 5 meeting.
An engineer’s estimate of the project cost of $31,840.20, including a 20% contingency, was reviewed. The project will be eligible for a $7,500 cost share grant from Cottonwood County Soil and Water District funds.
Discussion was held on ways to reduce the project’s cost.
An agreement will be needed with the golf course for maintenance and clean-out of the sediment basin.
Council members directed the Lake Commission to refine the project cost and attend a future council meeting when the final cost is determined.
Also a topic of discussion was repair work on the sediment pond (plunge pool) of the storm sewer outlet near Mountain Lake.
Street sealcoating, crack-filling needs discussed
Attending the meeting was Jerry VanDyke, a representative of Bargen Inc., to discuss the company’s soy-based product, RePlay, that is used in lieu of sealcoating city streets.
VanDyke noted that some cities, counties and private organizations are testing the product, with a few using it extensively. The 5.25-mile Mountain Lake Trail was treated with the product following its construction. Ideally, RePlay should be used on new streets that have not been seal coated. In Mountain Lake, those streets would be the ones re-constructed as part of the 2012-2014 Utility and Street Project.
Discussion was held between VanDyke and council members on applying Replay, an eco-friendly product, to a suggested test area, Prince Street from Cottonwood County Road 1 to 11th Street. The cost would be twice the cost of sealcoating. The council asked VanDyke if a lower price was possible.
Other comparisons to sealcoating were additionally discussed.
Crack-filling on streets treated with the product should cost loss, but will still be necessary.
The city’s street department budget for crack-filling and sealcoating was also discussed.
In other business
+ Concluded that a final decision on salaries and per diems for council members be tabled until the Monday, August 15 meeting.
+ Hired Levi Grams as a Street & Parks Department employee (part-time for the Mountain Lake Trail and Parks – 20 hours per week), effective September 1.
+ Held a discussion on the 2017 Budget, most notably on principal and interest payments in 2017 for the city’s bonded indebtedness and Island View Campground rates. Both of the city’s union contracts – with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) and Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS), will expire at the end of this year. In relation to contracts with both of those unions, the current pay scales for neighboring or same-sized cities in southwest Minnesota will discussed.
+ Heard from Garret Wall, who was in attendance at the meeting to request that the council amend Ordinance #3-14 (Regulation of Animals within City Limits) to allow chickens anywhere in the City of Mountain Lake. At the present time, chickens and other farm animals are only allowed in the designated Farm Animal Overlay District, which is generally on the outer edges of the city limits. Mountain Lake City Administrator/Clerk Wendy Meyer reviewed the history of the ordinance. Possible aspects of a revised ordinance were discussed. Administrator Meyer will provide council members with ordinances from other outstate cities with a population similar to Mountain Lake.
+ Heard a review of the first reading of the draft ordinance for Ordinance #9-16 (Establishing Section 9.15 Temporary Family Health Care Dwelling) from Administrator Meyer. No action was taken.
+ Held a public hearing and final reading for Ordinance #7-16 (Opting Out of the Requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.3593). Mountain Lake Mayor Mike Nelson opened the public hearing at 6:35 p.m. and presented a brief explanation of the law, and the city’s decision to opt-out. There were no questions or concerns from those present. The public hearing was closed at 6:39 p.m. When the council meeting was opened, members adopted Ordinance #7-16 carried unanimously.
City of Mountain Lake Meeting Dates
+ Mountain Lake City Council meets the first and third Mondays of every month at 6:30 p.m.
+ Utilities Commission meets the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at 7 a.m.
+ Economic Development Authority (EDA) meets the second Friday of every month at 12 noon.
+ Lake Commission meets the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m.
+ Library Board meets the second Wednesday of every month at 4:45 p.m.
+ Police Commission meets the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.
+ Planning and Zoning meets the last Monday of the month, if needed.
+ Tree Commission meets quarterly – January, April, July and October – at 7:45 p.m.
