The Whalan City Council met on May 8, 2017, with Mayor Tuftin and Councilmembers Lewis, Johnson, W. Berekvam and K. Berekvam present. City Clerk Melander was absent.
As many area residents take up hobbies such as beekeeping, the council has been approached by the renter of a residence to have a colony of bees in their backyard. The council will do research on the subject and will request further information from the resident before making a decision on whether or not an ordinance is required.
Minutes
Motion by Lewis, second by W. Berekvam, to accept the minutes of the April 2017 walking tour read by Mayor Tuftin. Motion carried.
Minutes from the regularly scheduled monthly meeting on April 10, 2017, will be read at the June meeting as a copy could not be located during the May meeting.
Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer’s Report and Bills Due were read by Tuftin. Income as of April 30, 2017 was $5,350.98 and expenses were $9,550.76. Motion by Johnson, second by K. Berekvam, to accept the Treasurer’s Report and Bills Due as read. Motion carried.
Visitor’s comments
Donna Novotny, curator of the Whalan Museum attended the meeting to discuss several items. Years ago, the Erickson Rose Legion and Auxiliary was granted a lifetime lease of the building. Novotny requested to have documentation of the lifetime lease for their files. The council will ask Melander to provide the document to Novotny.
Whalan Museum was given a phone booth by AcenTek of Houston, Minn., and it has been placed outside the town hall. The phone booth is a non-working phone booth.
Novotny noted that the city hall building, which includes the museum upstairs, would benefit from bug control.
Novotny discussed placing a bike rack near the city hall/museum building. The council will table the project until the June meeting when Novotny will return with a proposal.
May is Poppy Month and Novotny stated, “We find this very important,” and asked if she could place the proclamation of May being Poppy Month in the city marquee. She also presented each council member and each guest at the meeting with a poppy.
There will be a Memorial Day program will be held on Sunday, May 28, 2017, at 7 p.m. at the city hall. There will musical entertainment along with cookies and cake. Everyone is welcome.
Wes Harding with the Root River Trail Town committee attended the meeting to share information with the Whalan city council about the 60–mile Garage Sale that will be taking place on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. The nine communities along the Root River Trail System will be participating. To have your sale listed on a Google Map of the sale, call Harding at (507) 467-3044.
Old Business
Additional donations received to the Stand Still Parade include $500 from MiEnergy, $500 from AcenTek and $400 from the city of Whalan.
Three grills for the softball field have been ordered and paid for. They are in the process of being shipped.
Johnson is in the process of researching types of lifts for removing the sander from the snow truck. He will report further at the June 2017 council meeting.
Follow-up discussion on the condition of the alleys in town. Item tabled until June 2017 meeting.
New Business
One proposal for garbage collection was received from Advanced Disposal. The city is waiting to see if other bids come in or if they can contact additional businesses for bids.
Demary’s inquiry about a 12x16x13-foot shed on skids was tabled until more information is obtained.
Discussion was held on the HF861 Bill (Small Cities Road Assistance Program). Motion by Lewis, second by W. Berekvam, to pass a resolution to show support of the bill which is in legislation. Motion carried.
Street sweeping is done and looks good.
Burn pile is cleaned up. The council thanked council members Johnson and Lewis, along with Larry Johnson for their hours of work in clearing the area.
The council reviewed the salary of City Maintenance worker Lanny Landsverk. Motion by K. Berekvam, second by Lewis, to raise Landsverk’s salary from $11.00/hr. to $15.00/hr. Motion carried.
Motion by W. Berekvam, second by Johnson, to raise the salary of summer maintenance helper Garrett Melander from 9.50/hr. to 9.75/hr. Motion carried.
Motion by Johnson, second by W. Berekvam, to place an ad for the Stand Still Parade in the Fillmore County Journal. Motion carried.
The council began developing a work plan for 2017. Council members will come back to the June 2017 meeting with road proposals for city streets.
Motion by Johnson, second by Lewis, to adjourn. Motion carried.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Whalan City Council will take place on June 12, 2017 at the Whalan City Hall.
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