At the May 10 regular city council meeting, the Harmony Council accepted a resignation from council member Tony Webber effective June 1. A resolution regarding his resignation will be voted on at a special council meeting on May 19. Anyone interested in filling Webber’s term, which ends this year, should submit a letter to the city by the regular June 14 meeting.
Tom Olinger from Abdo Financial Solutions was scheduled to present the 2021 financial statement audit to the council, but due to technical difficulties, was unable to do so.
The consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the April meeting, the claims and April checks, and cash balances. A liquor license was approved for Estelle’s Eatery as well as a request from the Harmony Chamber for the July Fourth parade route. The parade will take the same route as it has in recent years and will have the same detour.
City Administrator Devin Swanberg asked what the council would like to do for the citywide clean-up. Last year, Bill Hanson from Chatfield came in to do it, but he is not available this year. Richard’s Sanitation from Preston was the only other hauler who was willing to do the pick-ups. The cost would be similar to last year and would come to a total of $6,000-$8,000. The council approved hiring Richard’s for the citywide clean-up. Swanberg will check to see if he’s available on June 19 as that’s the day after the citywide garage sales. More information will be sent out in the May utility bills.
Swanberg is working on obtaining a quote for a UV system for the wastewater treatment plant which would replace the chlorine system currently used. The city spends about $20,000 a year on dechlorination tablets so switching will save money. “We’ll try to find ways to fund this without increasing the tax levy,” Swanberg said. The remaining $110,000 of American Rescue Dollars can be used for infrastructure costs such as the UV system, and Swanberg will look into grants to cover the rest of the cost.
The council approved a quote of approximately $5,000 to seal coat and paint stripes in the parking lot.
The roof of the community center has been having some issues with leaking snow and rain. It was recently discovered that the roof wasn’t properly installed, leaving gaps in the fitting. The council approved repairs to the roof.
A Harmony resident spoke to the council over the phone about her recent water bill which was significantly higher than average. She asked the council to adjust the water bill, noting that her alarm system that detects water leaks never went off. Since the sudden jump in her bill, the water meter seems to be working normally again. The council decided to have the meter tested before making any decisions regarding the bill.
The EDA recommended that the council approve a loan request from Farm Charm to purchase the old yarn store. The council passed a motion approving the loan.
The council reviewed a TIF agreement change request submitted by the EDA for Jeff O’Connor, which would change it to a pay-as-you-go TIF. Due to rising construction supply costs, O’Connor expects that the project expenses will be higher than originally anticipated. Swanberg noted that there is no risk to the city. The council approved the request.
Morem Electric is working on installing the electric car charging station. The station will be added to Google maps so people can find it.
The next regular Harmony City Council meeting will be held on June 14 at 7 p.m., and a special meeting Thursday, May 19.
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