The Canton City Council made quick work through a long agenda at their December 14 meeting as it prepared for the new year and closed out business for 2023.
Photo by Melissa Vander Plas
One of the main points of conversation dealt with upgrades and improvements to the kitchen of the town hall, which included the purchase of a new stove, two Blackstone griddles and the repair of the exhaust system.
Mayor Josh Nordsving reported that the Canton American Legion wished to purchase two Blackstone griddles from Village Farm and Home for use during its annual pancake breakfast held in the townhall. The griddles will remain there, but are portable so they can be moved outdoors for the Canton Day Off breakfast as well.
This led to a further discussion about other upgrades needed in the townhall, which included replacing the current stove and ovens. Koliha said she had received cost estimates from Kingsley Mercantile in Harmony for two options of gas stoves. The council chose to purchase a Whirlpool gas stove for $999, which has cast iron grates with the capability of adding additional griddle space.
Public Works Director Jon Nordsving noted that the exhaust fan in the kitchen needs repair to boost its “power.” The council directed him to contact Newman’s Heating and Cooling out of Mabel to look at it to determine what needs to be done.
Plow truck purchase
The council approved the purchase of a new snowplow truck from Decorah Auto Center in the amount of $92,000. It is a 2024 Ford with an F 550 Chassis.
Options to sell the current plow truck could include putting it out for sealed bids or setting a price and seeing what interest there might be. Nordsving noted he has had a conversations with a few other communities that might be interested in adding it to their snow removal fleets.
He had received an estimated value of $40,000 from the dealership, so the council opted to set the price at that amount and offer it to the other communities. Nothing will be done to sell the current snowplow truck until the new one is delivered to the city, which could be a month or two out, Nordsving said.
Reports
In city reports, Clerk Anne Koliha said she had been working to finalize the 2024 budget as well as gathering information regarding possible vacation of streets and two city-owned parcels of land. When talking to the city attorney, Koliha told the council that the process may not be as easy as first thought. The attorney recommended putting the parcels out for bids or setting a price and offering it for sale. While Koliha said it was not something that had to be dealt with immediately, it was something to ponder for the future.
Koliha also reported that she and Public Works Director Jon Nordsving had applied for a grant through the Minnesota Department of Health to update the fluoridation equipment for the city’s water system. The grant was awarded in the amount of $2,300, with a 20% required match from the city.
Finally, she noted the joint meeting with the Mabel City Council and the Mabel-Canton School Board had been rescheduled for January 17, at 6 p.m.
In his public works report, Nordsving thanked Koliha for her work writing the aforementioned grant. He also mentioned he had been working on end-of-the-year reports and planning a bit of remodeling in the pump house to accommodate the new fluoridation equipment.
Finally, Nordsving reminded residents to winterize and turn on heat tapes to prevent frozen pipes and water meters.
Other business
In other business, the council approved a 3% cost of living adjustment for city employees, with Koliha noting it had been included in the proposed budget.
The council approved the final general fund budget for 2024 and certified the final tax levy. Koliha noted she had trimmed the budget and was able to bring the levy down to a 7% increase over last year instead of the preliminary proposed increase of 11%. The final budget was certified at $315,070, with the levy being $181,370, generating an additional $11,864.96 for the general operating fund. The council also approved the final budgets for the water and sewer funds, as well as the fire department.
The council adopted the 2024 fee schedule, which noted changes in the garbage and recycling rates, sewer rates and the costs to replace water meters.
The council designated the 2024 election polling place, opting to continue to do mail in ballots for its residents. It was noted that residents can still opt to vote in-person on election day at the Fillmore County Courthouse or deliver their ballots personally to the courthouse.
Gambling permits for the fire department, Canton Community Association and Canton American Legion were also approved.
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