New Richland City Council
By CARRIE GILBERTSON
Staff Writer
The New Richland City Council met for their first June meeting on Monday night at City Hall. Anthony Martens was absent, with all other council members present.
Radio Link Internet was again present at the meeting to discuss housing their equipment on the water tower. The council approved the drafting of a contract to this effect. The contract will allow not only for the use of the site, but also for exclusive usage of the frequencies utilized in the service, with the exception of emergencies and advance agreements made with other users. This pertains specifically to equipment housed on the water tower. In return for the use of the site, Radio Link Internet will provide the city with three Internet connections when it becomes feasible to do so, or $150 monthly.
The maintenance of the tower was also discussed in regards to the Internet equipment. Radio Link Internet has agreed to move their fixtures if necessary for maintenance. The council has also agreed to allow for the erection of a temporary structure, likely in the form of a crane, in the event that the devices need to be moved completely off the tower. This would be at the cost of the company, but would allow for minimal interruption in service for the residents using this feature.Mayor Christine Gislason and councilperson Amy Ihrke held a committee meeting with the ambulance department leadership last week. They are recommending that the city hire a company that specializes in filing to write up the run reports. Due to their expertise, there is a great possibility this company can assist in collecting a greater amount of debt, reducing the city’s uncollected debt to roughly seven percent.
Ambulance staffing is currently under negotiation. Jennie Johnson will continue in the role of chief while changes are being developed. The council is currently working hand in hand with the ambulance department to develop a compensation plan for the position. Due to state regulations and the affordable care act, the plan must be carefully determined to offer the best options to both the chief and the city. Look to the Star Eagle for future coverage of the story.
The police department had 117 calls for service in the month of May. All initial contacts and follow-ups have been completed. The squad car battery was replaced last week. Part-time officer Adam McKane has started working for the city. The hiring of a full-time officer has been delayed at the recommendation of councilperson John Hullopeter, due to budget issues. This will be discussed further at a future meeting when all council members are present.
The fire department has hired two new candidates, pending background checks. The council looked over and approved the applications. The new 800 MHz radios necessary to comply with state regulations will cost over $100,000. The county is currently looking at doing an 80/20 split with the county paying the 80 percent and the city covering the cost of the other 20 percent. The fire trucks have undergone pump tests. The older fire truck passed the test, but the newer truck is having difficulties making the cuts. The repairs necessary to fix the valves and other parts involved were estimated at $4400-5000. The council approved the repair up to $5000. Jeremy Parpart also requested that the city consider getting a water softener installed. This would make washing the city vehicles a much easier task as well as take some of the strain off the plumbing in the building. John Hullopeter will be looking into the cost of the purchase and installation.
The maintenance department needs new tires on both their Chevy truck and the dump truck. A rough estimate for the replacement of the tires is $245 for the Chevy and $1900 for the dump truck. Mulch is needed to refill the playground at the park. No decisions were made as to where to get this from or when. The costs were discussed and will have a great impact on the final decision.
The Humane Society has requested permission to hold a spay and neuter clinic in New Richland. The date for the event has been set for August 11th.
The next city council meeting will be June 24th at 6:30 p.m.