At the June 4 meeting, Mayor Ron Reisner brought up a suggestion from resident Jason Sethre to convert the old volleyball courts to a pickleball court. The game is quickly increasing in popularity with courts and teams springing up in nearly every small town, many of them being funded according to Reisner.
“It’s gotten to be a big thing,” said Councilor Jordan Kearns to the suggestion. “I think it’s worth looking into.”
“It’s very trendy,” added Councilor Tammy Danielson.
In order to convert the sand courts, the city would need to put down an asphalt or concrete court. Reisner indicated the current sand could be an excellent base for a project of that type.
“I thought it was kind of a good idea,” added Reisner. “That’s just a sand trap right now.
The council tabled the discussion and will seek estimates for the conversion. Danielson noted a grant from the state, which opens July 25, could very well fit the bill. The grant is for entertainment, leisure, and lifestyle improvements in the community.
Other new business included a discussion of a new computer for city hall. The current computer is running a Windows 10 system, which is set to cease updates shortly. Computer Dynamics is putting together an estimate for the city to upgrade.
“I think it’s important that she has a system that’s working, updated, quick, fast for the amount of computer work she has to do. If she needs two monitors, I think that makes sense to do that as well.
The council tabled the decision until next month.
Present at the meeting was a representative from the Consolidated Energy Company. The company is based in La Crosse, Wis., but serves Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. One of their drivers resides in Fountain. The company was present to speak about the opportunity to supply the city with gas and diesel.
Reisner indicated the city has used Bodine for fuel since as long as he can remember. Clerk Mary Tjepkes asked about how to determine the “going rate” of fuel. The company can put the city on an email list that can provide regular quotes for rate updates, as often as daily. The company can also monitor the system to automatically check the tank levels utilizing cellular technology, which gives a live reading all day.
“Let’s see if we can get a better deal on fuel,” suggested Reisner.
Kearns questioned whether or not the fire department could get an additional barrel for fuel. Fuel is currently filled 3-4 times per year. The fire department tracks their fuel usage and Tjkepkes manually breaks down the amounts used by the department and public works. Consolidated Energy Company uses a tracking device within their units that automatically tracks the number of gallons used, which can all be downloaded at the end of the year for annual reports and budgeting. With an app link and personal pin numbers, the fire department and public works can be tracked separately, which would speed up efficiency.
The council will entertain switching service based on rate estimates that will be provided.
A quote for the asphalt on First Street where the road was torn up to put a waterline in. State Line Asphalt provided an estimate for $3,100. The council approved it unanimously.
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