OHV exit resolution tabled until March

The OHV exit resolution returned to the agenda at the February 13 Houston City Council meeting, after consultation with the city attorney.

The exit committee updated the resolution following the recommendations of the attorney; the updated resolution and accompanying background were shared with the council members Friday, February 10. While some members of the council wanted to approve the resolution at the meeting, Emily Krage wanted to have more time to study the resolution changes as well as research some information in an email she’d received Monday afternoon. Cody Mathers felt the resolution would make a different statement to legislators if it was not passed unanimously. Ultimately, the council decided to table the issue until the March meeting. Mathers stated, “I want consensus. It’s all about inclusion of thought.” A decision to empower the exit committee consisting of Ron Evenson, Anna Benda, Karla Bloem, Larry Connery, and Cody Mathers to engage legislators was also tabled for now.

WWTP update

Matt Mohs of Bolton and Menk updated the council on the WWTP and asked for approval of pay applications 19, 20, and 21 as well as change order 2. At this point, only $37,000 is in retainage with $22,000 left on the lump sum contract. “The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and bigger,” Mohs commented as he informed the council the project will soon be completely finished. The change order was needed in order to pay for the removal of “a big chunk of the old sewer plant concrete” as well as exterior painting of the building that had not been included in the original bid. Concrete removal had taken a day and a half of labor. There was enough money in the budget to cover the change order.

Cedar Avenue

Mohs also presented upgrading the sanitary sewer on Cedar Avenue. The state will be working on the street sometime in 2028 to 2030; the city needs to take care of the sewer before that time. According to Mohs, the project clearly qualifies for the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding of just over $100,000. The plan is to use the money for lining the sewer as far as possible. ARPA money needs to be spent by the end of 2024; using the money for a single project will make the paperwork easier. Excavating the sewer for a total replacement is not a good option because of the high water table.

EV charging station

The council approved the installation of the EV charging station at the community center. Two parking spots close to the building on the east side of the building will be marked as reserved for EV charging.

A bid from Hoskins Electric was accepted for $1,993.64 to install the chargers. Funding for this and accompanying signage will come from a CERTS (Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Sources) grant which totalled $2,500.

Other business

In other business the council:

•Appointed Steve Westby and Emily Krage to attend the Owl Center Committee meetings to keep the council up to speed as the land contract is negotiated;

•Moved the public comment period back to the beginning of council meetings;

•Offered Joshua DeBoer employment as a police officer contingent on passing a background check;

•Approved advertising with a March 3 deadline for one seasonal part-time employee to mow and trim city property for around 15 hours a week;

•Removed the FAQ portion of the city website until the OHV situation is resolved;

•Directed City Administrator Michelle Quinn to renegotiate renewal of the contract with Waste Management;

•Approved the Cooperative Construction Agreement with MnDOT detailing the responsibilities of each party on the city dike; this was the last component in getting the levy work recertified;

•Approved the PFAS Cost Recover Program as recommended by Minnesota Rural Water;

•Heard from Houston Ambulance that it had been able to purchase a second Lucas chest compression system so each rig will have one; thanks were offered to the American Legion’s generous donation of $10,000; the total cost was $19,835;

•Approved selling surplus fire department vehicles;

•Approved purchase of downtown flower baskets ($35 each) with care to be done by Ken Carrier;

•Appointed Mayor Scott Wallace to attend the Valley View annual meeting.

The next meeting for the Houston City Council will be at 6 p.m. on March 13 at city hall in the council chambers. The public is welcome to attend; a public comment period will be at the beginning of the meeting.