Photo by Barb Jeffers
The Whalan City Council moved forward with plans for spring and the tourist season during the March 11 council meeting.
Present at the regularly scheduled March council meeting were Mayor David Hallum along with councilmembers Thore E. Johnson, Sheila Higbe, Owen Lewis (via Zoom) and Kim Berekvam. City Clerk/Treasurer Theresa Grossell was also in attendance. There were no absences.
The Agenda was approved, with several additions. A discussion about Porta-potties was added under New Business. Three items were added under Miscellaneous including League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference, Online Training and AcenTek Video Service Notification.
Minutes of the regular meeting held on February 12 and the Treasurer’s Report were approved.
New Business
A porta-potty will be rented for the season. The city needs to get porta potties in place. They are normally delivered the beginning of April each year. Grossell will contact On-Site Sanitation to have one placed at the ballfield. The DNR will place a porta-potty on the trail soon as well.
Continued Business
•Update on the Lanesboro Area Community Foundation (LACF) Grant Application. The application has been submitted. Grant recipients will be announced at the LACF Annual Banquet on April 7.
•Update on Utility Poles Repair. Three utility poles have been identified as needing replacement. One pole is worse than the other two. The council discussed whether to replace one or all three of the poles. Discussion then turned to whether or not the city of Whalan would be contracting with MiEnergy to take over the city electric service.
•The topic was tabled until after a public meeting can be held to get input from city residents and landowners about electric service options.
•Approved holding a public meeting to discuss city electric options. The date of the public meeting will be published in the Fillmore County Journal once a date has been set.
•It needs to be determined whether or not there is a leak in the city gas pump. City maintenance worker Randy Berekvam will start taking measurements in the tank periodically and report back to the council.
•Music in the Bluffs next steps were discussed. Grossell has added the dates to the city website. Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce will post information on their social media and calendar as well.
Miscellaneous
•Clerk Grossell gave an update on work she has completed as well as what she is currently working on. Audit work has been finalized and submitted. COVID Reporting and Annual Electric Reports are due by the end of March. Poetry Grant has been submitted. Meeting with MiEnergy soon regarding services available, rebates and more.
•License renewals due in May in order to be effective on June 1.
•Grossell informed the council that the League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference will be taking place in Rochester, Minn., June 26-28 if any council members are interested in attending.
•Approved Grossell completing clerk foundational online training. It is an online self-paced training at a cost of $55.
•AcenTek Video Service Notification. Grossell reported to the council that the city has been notified that after an audit of AcenTek’s records it was discovered that an agreement with AcenTek back in August 2021, where a 5% franchise fee would be added for residents who have video services through AcenTek, was never implemented. The fee will now start to be charged and the City of Whalan will start receiving a quarterly franchise payment from now on.
Adjourn
The next regularly scheduled City of Whalan City Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 8 at the Whalan Town Hall. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information visit the city of Whalan website at cityofwhalan.weebly.com, or call the Whalan City Office at (507) 467-2212.
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