The Houston City Council meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. on October 11, 2016. In attendance were Mayor Edwards and Councilmembers Knutson, Sanden, Schultz and Schutte. City officials also in attendance were City Administrator Peterson, Randy Thesing, Ed Jacobs, and Audrey Hegland. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the meeting was opened to public comments, of which there were none.
The meeting moved on to business before the council. Fire Chief Krage presented a new Standard Operation Procedure, or SOP, for the Houston Fire Department. The new SOP was hand typed from scratch, copying over all unchanged words from the previous document. Changes to the new SOP included meetings moved from Tuesdays to Wednesdays, mandatory EMR certification for all members, and allowing any department member to contact law enforcement if they are in the passenger seat, as opposed to only the chief or assistant chief. The position of fire marshall was eliminated: it was determined that no one in the area had the proper license or knowledge to fit the definition of the old SOP, but Chief Krage mentioned it could be reinstated if necessary in the future. The fire department would also move to more strict tracking of attendance and violations of training requirements for its members, and after a warning from the chief the offender will be referred to the city personnel committee for action. A copy of the new SOP, upon approval, will be given to all personnel and is available burned onto a DVD. The city approved the new SOP unanimously.
The city then heard the first proposal for a tree carving in the city park. The International Owl Center offered to find funding of $2,000 for an owl-themed carving by Molly Wiste. The carving will be done during the next International Festival of Owls in March of 2017.
Administrator Peterson presented an annexation update: a ruling was near completion regarding parcels on the outskirts of town that had already been developed using city infrastructure. One parcel, currently owned by Green Acres, is considered “rural in character” and will create a notch in the northern border of the city should the annexation be finalized. The city still needs to provide a map with certified pre-annexation boundaries by November 1, but there was general optimism that a 15 to 20-year-old issue appeared solved.
Administrator Peterson presented grant applications for updates to Houston’s crinking water treatment program. In her own words, the city is “making good progress” toward securing money from the right sources. The city has been working with both CEDA and SEMCAC to procure grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and both grants and loans from the Minnesota Public Facility Authority. The plan is to apply for monies in both infrastructure and housing, using the funds in this funding cycle, if not the next. The city hopes to secure home improvement funds up to $20,000 per home in low income housing for repairs such as roofing and siding. If approved, the city will be eligible for funding starting in July.
Davy Engineering submitted a contractor pay request to the city for a utility repair and street improvement project on Ellsworth Street. The City chose to withhold $4,800 of the total payment until the final step of the process, seeding, is completed. The city then reviewed their policy for rentals of the community center rentals. For certain non-profits, weekday rent of the center is free but weekend rentals require a payment. Some of the routine local meetings, including Boy/Girl Scouts, Legion, and others are also grouped under the non-profit policy. The largest issue had to do with equipment storage, facility damage, and cleaning following what is often several events back-to-back at the community center. The council decided to continue the current policy and lauded both Peterson and Hegland for their hard work maintaining the busy community center schedule. The council then heard and accepted the resignation of Sue Fletcher from the position of assistant at the Houston Nature Center.
There was a lengthy debate regarding a feedlot application near a spot in east Houston that has been platted as a subdivision. At a public hearing on September 29, the issue was tabled for a possible ruling on the October 27 meeting. Administrator Peterson said it was “hard to tell” if the expansion would be supported, and had been in talks with a Twin Cities firm specializing in zoning disputes. Should the 250 head feedlot succeed on the 27th, Administrator Peterson asked for a special meeting to weigh the possibilities of involving the city attorney in raising opposition.
Finally, the city heard departmental reports. The chamber reported that, despite the trail being underwater, the Taste of the Trail event at Houston went very well, particularly the Library’s Story Walk. The Chamber will be focusing next on holiday events, and will have a member meeting on October 20 at 7 p.m. at the Houston Legion. Regarding City Maintenance, the water department reported a break at 3 p.m. that was repaired by 5:45 p.m. of the same day. Maintenance also extended special thanks to the Houston Fire Department with their assistance following the recent high water event.
The city police report focused mainly on a recent incident at Houston High School, where a minor was arrested after postings on social media lead to the minor being charged with terroristic threats. The subject of the nationwide clown appearances was brought up, and plans were made for volunteer formations to assure a safe and secure Halloween experience for all Houston residents. The library reported a quote gathered from Caledonia Lumber for wall and ceiling repair. The council also discussed placing future large library expenditures into the General Fund, and approved the Caledonia Lumber quote for go ahead. Parks reported on their recent pancake breakfast, and in securing possible supporting funds from local foundations. The meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m.
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