New substation completion bid awarded
Following a public hearing and final reading of a city ordinance placing additional parcels in the Mountain Lake Rural Service District, the Mountain Lake City Council approved the ordinance.
The ordinance adds six undeveloped agricultural parcels to the existing rural service district.
The public hearing was held as part of the council’s Monday, July 10 meeting.
Award bid for completion of new electrical substation
Also at the meeting, council members awarded the bid for completion of the new electrical substation to Conductor Power with a bid of $1,202,020.
Conductor Power will furnish equipment, materials and labor to provide a tie-line feed, substation commissioning, structure erecting, substation power and control electrical wiring and 69KV line for the substation.
Estimated completion time is 140 days.
The new substation is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Cottonwood County Road #1 and 1st Avenue North.
In other business
+ Updated on an initial meeting that was held with owners of property where the city intends to locate two 12-acre aerated wastewater treatment ponds. The property owners agreed to allow the archeological survey required by Public Facilities Authority (PFA), the project’s funder. Mountain Lake City Administrator/Clerk Wendy Meyer is requesting proposals for appraisals, also required by PFA. The two property pieces being eyed for the ponds are located east of 575th Avenue, southeast of the city’s burnsite.
+ Authorized the submission of a Point Source Implementation Grant (PSIG). The program was reviewed and discussed by Kehren and council members. The city had applied for and received the grant in 2016, but the program was not funded. There will be adequate funding in 2017. The PSIG program provides grants to units of local government to assist with the cost of water infrastructure projects. Funds for the PSIG program are appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature from the Clean Water Legacy Fund and state general obligation bonds.
+ Moved the bid opening date for the Mountain Lake Commercial Park Subdivision to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18, at Mountain Lake City Hall. Four contractors had contacted Kehren requesting the bid opening date be extended. Permits from the Union Pacific Railroad the the Corps of Engineers have not yet been received.
+ Approved partial pay estimate #2 in the amount of $47,798.49 for the sewer and water main replacement project on Cottonwood County Road #1. Holtmeier Construction Inc. of Mankato had submitted a bid of $218,987.50, earning them the work on the project. The project, coordinated with Cottonwood County, replaced two blocks of sewer line and one block of water line between 3rd Avenue and 6th Avenue. It included the elimination of one block of water main along County 1 between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue, along with replacing the block of water main between 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue with new 8″ diameter main. Sewer was also replaced, with new 12″ lines laid between 3rd Avenue to 6th Avenue, reconnecting service to Town’s Edge Auto. The Utility Commission is self-funding the project, using sewer funds for both the sewer and water work, with water repaying its portion of the cost. The move is being made to pre-empt any possible future water or sewer issues, as the county does not want any cutting into or digging up of the new concrete resurfacing slated to be laid from Highway #30, south to Cottonwood County Road #27 (3rd Avenue). City Engineer Andy Kehren of Bolton and Menk updated the council on the progress of the project and the plans of Cottonwood County to remove and replace the existing curb-and-gutter within the city limits as part of their County 1 concrete overlay project.
+ Approved the hiring of Tabitha Garloff for the 20-hour-per-week position as Economic Development Assistant. A panel comprised of staff, an Economic Development Authority board member and a Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce board member recommended the hiring. Garloff’s intended start date is Monday, July 17.
+ Learned that applications for the lineman position in the Utility’s Electrical Department had closed Friday, July 7, with 13 applicants submitting resumés. Mountain Lake City Council Member Andrew Ysker volunteered to serve on the hiring panel.
+ Reviewed information from other cities and a letter from the owner of 812½ 5th Avenue concerning fire calls by Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue. Following the review, council members decided that the fire call bills for 812½ 5th Avenue and 400 Heritage Drive, Apartment C will not be withdrawn or reduced. They also directed staff to use the monthly utility newsletter to remind residents to check and replace batteries in carbon monoxide detectors, and replace detectors every five-to-seven years.
+ Reviewed and discussed 2017 city revenues, expenses and fund balances as of July 6. No action was taken.
+ Updated on the work underway to complete the 2018 Capital Improvement Plan.
+ Reviewed the 2016 Street and Related Departments and Mountain Lake Police Department expenses and revenues. Following the review, the council approved the transfer of $10,975.49 to Street and Related Department reserves and $29,311.67 to Police Department reserves.
+ Reviewed the cost and tonnage collected during the the City-Wide Clean-Up held Saturday, May 6. The cost was approximately $800 under budget.
+ Discussed several hazardous properties. The tax-forfeiture status of several properties will be researched.
+ Learned that three new LED street lights have been installed along 10th Street from 4th Avenue to Boxelder Street.
+ Approved the resignation of Mitchell Schroeder from Mountain Lake Fire & Rescue, effective June 27.
+ Learned that Mountain Lake City Council Member Dana Kass will attend the Monday, July 17 Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board meeting. Mountain Lake City Council Member Darla Kruser briefly discussed the Monday, June 26 MLPS School Board meeting she attended.
+ Discussed during Public Forum were the weeds and cover crop on the Mountain Lake Commercial Park Subdivision property, and the clean-up of 1406 3rd Avenue.
+ The next city council meeting has been moved to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July, 20. Three council members are unable to attend the meeting originally scheduled for Monday, July 24.
+ The next “Coffee With The Council” will be held on Tuesday, August 15, 9:30 a.m., at Sweetfields. Attending will be Council Member Darla Kruser and Mayor Mike Nelson.
2017 meeting schedule
Council meetings will be held on the traditional first and third Mondays of the month – with the exception of:
- The second meeting in June had been rescheduled to Thursday, June 22 due to the annual Pow Wow celebration.
- Both July meetings were rescheduled to the Fourth of July on Tuesday, July 4. The first meeting of the month will be Monday, July 10 and the second, July 24.
- The first meeting in September has been shifted to Tuesday, September 5 due to the observance of Labor Day on Monday, September 4.
- New dates have been scheduled for both meetings in December due to local school holiday events. The first meeting of the month will be on Tuesday, December 5 and the second on Tuesday, December 19.
- Meeting start times are 7 p.m.
City of Mountain Lake Meeting Dates
+ Mountain Lake City Council meets the first and third Mondays of every month at 7 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.
