By Rich Wicks
The Mabel City Council met in regular session June 11, with all members in attendance (Liz Folstad, Gary Morken, Mayor James Westby, City Clerk Karen Larson, Terry Torkelson, and Kirsten Wyffels). Regarding the issue of grass not being mowed satisfactorily within the city, Larson said, “Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal with this before. Unfortunately, it became an issue.”
She explained that if a complaint about grass length comes in, the city first checks to see if the property is in violation. If so, Larson then sends a letter to the owner, giving seven days for the property to come back into compliance. If that doesn’t solve the issue, the city would send in a mower, and the owner would be billed. Larson said the city needs to determine the amount that would be billed, and she said the price needs to be high enough to be a deterrent. After discussion, the council voted unanimously to set the price at $150 per mowing plus $50 for administrative costs.
The council heard from Curt Marx (Davy Engineering) regarding the city’s manhole project. A month ago, Marx had informed the council that the project was in serious jeopardy due to a subcontractor that had not shown up. Marx summarized, “What a difference a month makes.” He said the overall contractor, Municipal Pipe Tool, has had crews in working on the project, and he recommended approving a change order to set the completion date as August 3. The council approved this.
The council considered whether or not to pay to have the city sprayed to kill mosquitos. Rich Welter, representing Mosquito Control of Iowa, presented materials outlining the service he can provide. He said the spraying makes a very significant difference in the number of mosquitos in a city. He also explained that although many serious diseases can be spread by mosquitos, this is rare in Minnesota, so the benefit for Mabel would be basically just cutting down on the mosquito “nuisance.” Council members asked about the safety of the chemicals used, and Welter explained it’s a chemical that is often used inside buildings to control flying insects. Wyffels said it is also commonly used as a treatment for scabies, in which it is applied to a person’s skin for up to twelve hours at a time. The annual cost for Welter’s service was estimated at $3,000. Morken said he didn’t support the idea of spending that much on something that is only a nuisance. The council voted to approve the spraying this year (Morken was the only member voting against it).
The council discussed, and approved, temporary liquor licenses for Hesper Mabel Area Historical Society and Mabel Lions Club, for Steam Engine Days. They also approved the request from the Mabel Liquor Store to allow sales from a “horse tank” in front of the business during the bean bag tourney.
The council also discussed the practice of “jake braking” by truckers within the city. This is a method of deceleration that truckers sometimes use to save on their brakes, but it causes a loud “rumble” which citizens complain about. It was pointed out that if signs were to be installed about jake braking, they would cost $965 each, and the city would likely need at least three such signs. No action was taken at this time.
John DeGeorge addressed the council regarding his candidacy for Fillmore County Sheriff. He told of his many years of service with the sheriff’s department, and outlined his goals. The council noted that a joint meeting of Mabel City Council, Canton City Council, and Mabel-Canton School Board will be held on July 24 at 6 p.m. in the school library.
Election judges were named for 2018, including Brock Bergey, Dee Ann Erickson, Linda Turner, Donna Johnson, Lavonne Mengis, and Chris Hansen. The primary election will be August 14. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. The next regular meeting will be August 8, at 7 p.m. at the community center. The public is welcome.
Leave a Reply