At the September 26 meeting of the Chatfield City Council, the preliminary budget and levy for 2017 was set reflecting a $132,468 increase, or 9.31% over the last levy. Councilor Ken Jacobson was absent.
City Clerk Joel Young, who was absent, had detailed a preliminary budget with a $122,468 increase, or 8.61%. In his notes he had explained that the city’s “storm water needs are large.”
The preliminary budget and levy once set can be decreased, but not increased when the final levy is set in December. Councilor Robert Pederson explained that there is extra funding for storm water in the budget, but they are “cheating on maintenance of streets.” Mayor Russ Smith agreed everything is costing more, noting the city’s tax base is also getting bigger.
Councilor Paul Novotny commented that Young’s itemized numbers show that inflated costs are raising the levy 3 to 4% on regular expenses. Also, every year there is something, like drainage ditches and the front steps of the Thurber Building, that is over and above the regular expenses. Novotny maintained we are four years away from doing a street project, suggesting we should add more money to this (the budget). Then we will have the option to talk about it more before the end of the year and can work to chip it down. He suggested adding $10,000 to the increase, acknowledging it costs a lot to run the city.
A motion to set the preliminary levy at $1,554,864, which reflects a 9.31% increase, was approved unanimously. The public hearing was set for 7 p.m., December 12.
Public Works
Mark Welch, G-Cubed, recommended the lowest bid from Integrity Tree Service at a cost of $3,675 for tree removal from County Road 10 to Highway 52. The bid was accepted. Welch noted there has been quite a bit of erosion from the recent heavy rains and some areas will need to be built up. The slope on the south side needs to be stabilized. The Union St. drainage project is still expected to be done later this fall.
Brian Burkholder reviewed two change orders for the water meter project. The project has been upgraded from a drive-by system to a fixed network. The change orders raise the total project cost from $386,381 to $410,867. Most of the increased cost is for four collectors. The upgrade will allow the meter information to be accessed in the deputy city clerk’s office. Water department employees will not use their time to do drive-by reading of the meters.
Burkholder noted that there will be additional expenses for the installation of the collectors, power poles, and the installation of large meters for commercial uses. Household meters will be installed by Metering Technology and Solutions as part of the bid price.
Other business in brief
• The agreement between the EDA and the city was updated concerning The Center for the Arts. The League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust has agreed to provide insurance coverage for the Arts Center and add it to the city coverage as a “covered party.” The updated agreement between the city and EDA reduces the funding for the Arts Center from $60,000 to $50,000 or the approximate cost the city is paying to have the Arts Center insured.
• A first reading of a proposal recommended by city staff to set the pay for the mayor and city council effective January 1 was approved. Pay for the mayor and city council has not been raised for decades. The proposal sets the mayor pay at $4,700 per year plus $35 per special meeting. It sets council member pay at $3,000 per year plus $25 per special meeting.
• Approval was given for the second reading of the ordinance to opt out of granny pods, along with its publication. Cities and counties were given the option to opt out of the state law creating and regulating temporary health care dwellings.
• Approval was given for a cell phone for the fire chief, with a one time cost of $100 for the phone and $56 per month for service.
• Smith read a pledge for the monarch butterfly, which has suffered a population decline of more than 90% in the last two decades. The decline is due to loss of habitat both in the United States and in Mexico. Individuals can commit to help restore habitat by growing milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant on which monarch larvae will feed. Flowers from the plant provide fuel for their flight south.