by Katie Friedman
At the Tuesday, December 20, meeting of the Maple Lake City Council, City Engineer Matt Mohs apologized to the city and to resident John Haack, on behalf of Mohs’ employer, Stantec (formerly Bonestroo), for having provided insufficient information on the placement of drainpipe connecting to Haack’s property, causing extra excavation expenses to Haack in his attempt to comply with sewer infiltration reduction requirements.
Mohs said information shared at the previous council meeting had led him and City Engineer Phil Gravel to conclude that Stantec should have provided more detailed specifications regarding a short deviation in the pipe’s path that caused Haack, his contractor and Public Works Director Jerry Sawatzke to believe a second trench would be necessary to connect the building to city sewer lines.
Haack thanked Mohs for stepping up to the plate, saying, “I do appreciate his initiative in getting ahold of me and trying to get it resolved.”
“It was pretty clear to us that something wasn’t quite right and that we had something to do with that,” Mohs said. “I thank Mr. Haack for working with us. Phil and I put our heads together and we talked about this, and we talked to Jerry, and we said, ‘Something’s not right and we want to make it right,’ and that’s the important thing.”
In a letter to the council, Mohs and Gravel wrote, “We will not offer any excuses – all we will offer is that we will do the right thing and participate financially to help offset the additional costs incurred by Mr. Haack because complete information was not available.”
Mohs told the council that after contacting Haack and admitting “some fault on our part,” the two parties, along with Sawatzke, met and reached a financial agreement that both feel is fair.
Mayor Mike O’Loughlin gave credit to the engineers for owning up to a mistake, and council members agreed that Stantec’s show of integrity was refreshing to witness.
The council also approved a special assessment agreement in the amount of $1,710 (including a $40 surcharge and subtracting $330 to be covered by Stantec) for two years at an interest rate of three percent. Council members Deb Geyen and Shar Dircks voiced concern that Haack owes $7,036 to an existing special assessment agreement and is three years behind in payments, but Haack said that delinquency was a matter of protest, unlike the agreement he was currently pursuing. Council member John Northenscold said the city can’t pick and choose who it helps based on past performance.
Regarding other items on the agenda, the board:
•Heard from Wright County Deputy Dan Cotten that a few more parking violations had been issued and that deputies had seen a few miscellaneous domestic calls and traffic citations, but that “nothing out of the norm” had occurred in recent weeks.
•Granted Maple Lake’s Lake Association a temporary permit to sell liquor on the ice at its 37th annual Maple Lake Ice Fishing Derby February 4, 1-3 p.m. Greg Thomes, representing the associations, said sales on the ice are outside any set jurisdiction, and that the county allows it if the affected city and township each sign a document granting permission. City Attorney Rhonda Pagel pointed out that the city’s public ordinance requires individuals who serve liquor to go through some training, and to give the event’s organizers notice that they will not receive approval next year if they don’t pursue that training over the coming year. “It’s offered through the county,” she said, “and it’s free. Just because of the number of people there, and the fact that these individuals don’t typically serve, it is important that they know the rules and regulations, and it would be beneficial.” Thomes also took time to honor Geyen, the top fundraiser for the 2011 Arctic Plunge, with thanks and a trophy.
•Approved the 2012 liquor store budget and the purchase of a handheld inventory scanner for the liquor store at a cost of $2,295, to be included as an item in a software upgrade. Liquor store manager Carole Bestland reported that the 2011 budget reflected a gross profit of $25,118, and that through November 2011, the gross profit was $40,454. The 2012 budget she presented the council reflects a gross profit of $40,955. Bestland said she wasn’t happy with November’s net income, which barely broke even, but pointed out that the lack of ice on the lakes might be a factor. She said she and City Clerk Linda Hruby had done comparative research on similar-size cities and found they were “right in the ballpark” with Pelican Rapids. With a gross profit for the year of $40,000, she said, “We’re not in trouble.” At Bestland’s suggestion, the council approved transfer of $20,000 of that profit to the general fund. Northenscold expressed concerns over a previous vote to discontinue membership in the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association, saying that with more than a million dollars invested in the liquor store, the city should consider the $650 annual fee as bargain-priced insurance against future encroachment from outside competition. Bestland said she’d not been impressed by any service the organization had provided over the years, and that it would continue to lobby on behalf of all city-owned liquor stores regardless of Maple Lake’s financial support. Council member Lynn Kissock pointed out that the council had already voted, and that Maple Lake’s contribution wouldn’t make or break the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association either way. Northenscold agreed to drop the matter, but said he felt the city was enjoying the benefits of the organization’s work without contributing its fair share to the cost.
•Following a public hearing on the matter, approved the 2012 fee schedule, with the adoption of a five-dollar increase on building permits for work done on roofs, siding, windows and fences, from $25 to $30. A survey of what neighboring cities charge for such permits showed that Annandale, Buffalo and Howard Lake also currently charge $25, though Buffalo is proposing a hike to $80. Cokato and Kimball currently charge $35, and while Kimball proposes no change, Cokato is looking at raising its fee to $43.75. Clearwater charges $45. Rockford currently charges $50 and has no price hikes planned. In Monticello, charges are assessed according to property value. Albertville takes a similar approach, with a minimum fee of $125, as does St. Michael, with a minimum charge of $150. In addition to city fees, all permits are subject to a five dollar state surcharge. Noting that a fee schedule works in part as a public safety tool, O’Loughlin and the council members agreed they nevertheless wanted to keep the fees as low as possible. Geyen expressed concerns that respective water and sewer connection fees of $2,800 and $7,500 for new construction seemed excessive, but was assured by O’Loughlin and Kissock that those fees covered necessary infrastructure maintenance and improvements, and were in line with what neighboring communities charge. Northenscold suggested lowering the fees might make Maple Lake more attractive to new-home builders, and Geyen pointed out that more consumers would bring everyone’s cost down. The council agreed to examine the matter further at a future workshop.
•Approved the fund balance policy, which establishes specific guidelines the city will use to maintain an adequate level of fund balance to provide for cash flow requirements and contingency needs, as major revenues such as property taxes and other government aids are not received until the second half of the fiscal year.
•Heard from Mohs that preliminary work on the sewer inflow and infiltration facility plan has begun. Engineers are working with Sawatzke to identify areas for additional televising and quotes will be gathered in January.
•Approved a project acceptance form for Birch Avenue improvements.
•Approved a project acceptance form and retainage pay application #3 in the amount of $1,625.79 for the airport wetland fill removal project.
•Approved acceptance forms, change order #7 and final pay application #10 for $15,504.66 for 2010 trunk sewer reroute improvements. All punch list items have been completed, Mohs said, with landscaping warranty items to be addressed in the spring. Change order #7, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s request, rectifies quantities and makes contract and paid amounts match, and is part of the paperwork in processing a project through close-out.
•Due to a lack of agenda items, canceled the January 3 meeting.
•Made note of upcoming city calendar items, including the fact that city offices will be closed Jan. 2, 2012.
Within the consent agenda, the board approved the meeting minutes of December 6, the December 20 disbursement list and November check register, the November liquor store financial reports, an application for exempt permit – gambling premises to the Church of St. Timothy on April 14, 2012 at the American Legion Post 131, an engineering memorandum, acknowledgement of LMC 2011 dividend of $12,237, and a number of fund transfers: $6,500 from Ambulance to Fire Relief Association, $6,500 from Fire Department to Fire Relief Association, $5,000 from Ambulance to Fire Department, $10,000 from General to Airport, $46,875 from Water to Water Treatment Plant (2009A), and $80,168.75 from Water to Water Treatment Plant (2009B).
In attendance were council members Shar Dircks, John Northenscold, Deb Geyen and Lynn Kissock, Mayor Mike O’Loughlin, City Attorney Rhonda Pagel, City Engineers Matt Mohs and Phil Gravel and Deputy City Clerk Lee Ann Yager.
The next city council meeting will be Tuesday, January 17, at 7 p.m.
At the Tuesday, December 20, meeting of the Maple Lake City Council, City Engineer Matt Mohs apologized to the city and to resident John Haack, on behalf of Mohs’ employer, Stantec (formerly Bonestroo), for having provided insufficient information on the placement of drainpipe connecting to Haack’s property, causing extra excavation expenses to Haack in his attempt to comply with sewer infiltration reduction requirements.
Mohs said information shared at the previous council meeting had led him and City Engineer Phil Gravel to conclude that Stantec should have provided more detailed specifications regarding a short deviation in the pipe’s path that caused Haack, his contractor and Public Works Director Jerry Sawatzke to believe a second trench would be necessary to connect the building to city sewer lines.
Haack thanked Mohs for stepping up to the plate, saying, “I do appreciate his initiative in getting ahold of me and trying to get it resolved.”
“It was pretty clear to us that something wasn’t quite right and that we had something to do with that,” Mohs said. “I thank Mr. Haack for working with us. Phil and I put our heads together and we talked about this, and we talked to Jerry, and we said, ‘Something’s not right and we want to make it right,’ and that’s the important thing.”
More information appears in this week’s Messenger.
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