Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday March 27, with Mayor Swearingen, Councilmen Reiter, Lassahn and Groth present; absent was Councilman Goebel. Also attending the meeting: Clerk Hojberg, Assistant Clerk Zimprcih, Municipal Liquor Store Manager Pete Paulson and Maintenance Supervisor Josh Otto.

After approving the agenda as presented, the council heard from Clerk Hojberg. During her report, Hojberg told the council the numbers have been steady and improving at the Municipal Liquor Store. Discussion was held and council members felt this would be a good chance to move some monies that were borrowed during the remodeling process. A motion was made to repay $5,000 from the Liquor Store Fund to the General Fund. The motion was passed.

Hojberg told the council she was still doing some research on the contracts for the antennas on the water tower. Hojberg asked the council if the City will be providing a dumpster again this year for the annual spring clean-up. The council moved to provide a dumpster on May 3. There will also be a trailer available to put metal and some electronics on. The council will run an ad in the paper with more details closer to the date.

The claims for the evening were presented to the council. After reviewing the claims the council approved them as presented. 

The minutes from the Public Hearing and the regular Meeting held on March 13, 2014 were approved.

The council next heard from Otto. He informed the council he had gotten two bids on televising and cleaning sewer lines scheduled to be in the street repair project. The low bid was Underground Tech from Waseca, who would do both for $3,000, half the next bidder.

The council approved the work from the low bidder. Otto said he has the water meter no-read list down to approximately 25. He explained it is a rather slow process but felt the City is getting closer to 100%. Otto asked the council for approval to attend some upcoming classes and testing for water and sewer. On April 9, he will take a water exam and June 10-12 he will attend waste water seminars. The council approved both and any expenses. Otto next asked the council for a pay increase. He told the council he had done some research in surrounding towns and many of them have pay schedules in place. The council will have a committee gather information and put together a pay schedule for the council to approve at a future meeting. 

Paulson was next on the agenda. He said the first three months of the year of been very good. Asked about how Sundays were doing, Paulson told the council they had been very good until last week, when the MLS was not real busy. Paulson asked the council to consider a new Point of Sale system for the MLS. He felt there would money saved in different areas that could help the MLS bottom line. The council moved to have Paulson get a system that will fit the MLS. Paulson felt this could be accomplished for under $7,000.

Mayor Swearingen told the council that surveyors would be in town starting next week. Swearingen said he had an interested party who would like to look at the street Christmas decorations to see if they could be improved to LED lights. Council members who are also part of the Commercial Club welcomed any help to improve the looks. Swearingen asked the council to consider approving the building of a deck for concerts. This deck would be placed south of the Community Garden. Swearingen explained the deck would be made so it could be taken and used other places. The deck would be 20 x 20. The council asked that no action be taken until next meeting so that they could get a better look at the location. 

The council wanted their minutes to reflect congratulations going out to the NRHEG girls’ basketball team for capturing another state title.

The next meeting of the Ellendale City Council will be April 10 at 7:30 p.m.