Mountain Lake City Council members discuss committee reports
The Mountain Lake City Council received an update on the private sewer line replacement program as connected to the 2012-2014 Utility and Street Project at their Tuesday, March 3 meeting. The list of properties required to replace their private sewer lines in 2014 – and did not do so – was reviewed.
These owners need to contact the city with the name of their contractor. If they do not, the city will hire the work done and bill the owner as allowed by city code.
The Utility Commission intends to continue the replacement program in 2015, moving to properties outside of the project area.
Council committee reports
Council members discussed the information gathered on topics raised at their February 10 meeting.
These included:
* Improving the city website.
* Additional recreational activities, including an outdoor swimming pool.
* Improving highway identification signs.
* The empty downtown buildings.
* City staffing and the locations of offices in Mountain Lake City Hall.
The consensus was that additional research is needed.
It was agreed that a website committee should be formed consisting of city, Economic Development Authority and Mountain Lake Area Chamber of Commerce staff and elected/appointed officials. Representing the city on the committee will be Council Members Darla Kruser and Andrew Ysker.
In other business
* Adopted an ordinance on the 2012 International Building Code after reviewing the ordinance as well as a memorandum from City Building Official Steve Carson. The International Code is part of the state code, which the City of Mountain Lake has adopted. The ordinance is perpetual; when the State of Minnesota adopts International Building Code updates, Mountain Lake will automatically update.
* Reviewed a checklist of policies, appointments and data mapping related to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and then adopted the Data Practices Policy for members of the public. The council appointed Mountain Lake City Clerk/Administrator Wendy Meyer as responsible authority, with responsible authority designees Dawn Fast, city data; Lynda Cowell, utility data and Doug Bristol, police data.
* Adopted a resolution in support of legislation that provides additional state funding for city streets, including funding that can be used for non-municipal state aid (MSA) city street maintenance, construction and reconstruction. The League of Minnesota Cities had urged support for the resolution.
* The city is in its final year of a three-year labor and tipping fee contract with Hometown Sanitation. Discussed were possible terms of contract extension. Representatives of Hometown have been asked to attend the Tuesday, March 17 meeting with proposals.
* Approved the sale of the utility pick-up to Burton Stoesz of Mountain Lake for $769 and fire department pick-up to Alex Watts of Spirit Lake, Iowa for $2,275.
* Hired Lohrenz Excavating of Mountain Lake, the lowest of two bidders, at a cost of $2,750 for the demolition of property at 724 Prince Street.
* Administrator Meyer informed the council that there is a small condensation leak in the roof of Mountain Lake Public Library.
* She also shared that the city’s new auditors, Oberloh and Associates, have begun the 2014 audit.
* Meyer added that construction on the city’s new well, Well #7 continues, and that Milk Specialties Global has well issues.
