##VIDEO ID:5Buf5KoXT7Q## I'd like to call this meeting to order regular city council meeting city of International Falls 5:45 p.m. Monday January 6th please join us as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance Al to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for [Music] all can be noted for the record all members of the city council are present this evening next up item on the agenda is to appr approve the agenda with any additions or deletions did the council receive the updated agenda with the addition is there any discussion on the most current agenda move to approve it a motion by councilor buler to approve the agenda second second by councelor Holden any discussion question i i i i all vote Yes motion carries 5 agenda is approved thank you next item on the agenda is the approval of M the minutes from the regular city council meeting on Monday December 16th I'll move motion by councelor Kaylor is there a second second second by councelor Wagner discussion question I I I I I'll vote Yes minutes are approved on a 5- z vote thank you next on the agenda payments of claims and approval payment of accounts payable first being the transfers city of International Falls to fund 101 the general fund from fund number 812 the lodging tax Fund in the amount of $246 185 there's also accounts payable claims city of International Falls claims 1,192 18139 airport commission claims $28,000 843 84 cents airport major Capital project claims 25,7 $45 total accounts payable and claims 1,247 4282 the mayor would look for a motion to approve payments and claims I'll make that motion motion by councelor Holden second second by councelor Wagner any discussion on the adoption of payments and claims seeing no discussion call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes this carries 5 payments and claims are approved next on the agenda is open Forum uh from the audience if anyone from the audience would like to come forward uh up to five minutes to address the council you may there would also be ample time at the end of the meeting uh to do so as well moving seeing no none at this time uh we do not have public hearing or the letting of any bids so we'll move to Old business first item of old business is to approve the second and final reading of an ordinance fifth series to amend section 10-30 shade tree disease Disease Control and prevention I'll move have a motion on the floor by councelor Kaylor is there a second second by councelor Buller discussion on the topic question I I I I I'll vote Yes ordinance is approved 5 Z next next on the agenda number two uh would be to remove from the table from a previous meeting the financial management plan for utility funds uh from Northland Securities that was presented on November 4th uh so to continue discussion on this we would need a motion and second to take from the table and then we could begin discussion so do we have a motion to do so I'll make that motion motion by councelor Holden is there a second I'm move second by councelor Kaylor discussion question hi hi hi hi I'll vote Yes 5 that simply gets this agenda item off of the table and into the open and discussion can begin I uh would like to thank the council the reason this was tabled I believe is that I had asked you to at a at a previous um council meeting so I've done some review uh of this and my questions I I don't want them to be um the word I'm looking for I don't want to be a roadblock but I I think it's noteworthy that there's plans to move ahead with the rehabilitation at the water plant and if we need to do those types of things obviously we need to do them um so that we have water pipe to our homes and it's safe and drinkable obviously um but the rates uh are going to go up significantly overtime under this proposal uh and with the addition of the storm water overtime which comes uh out of typically where the city would carry a levy during the the budget process um and into our water bills um so I I just want to put it out there that if we need to do this Within reason you know we can approve it we can deny it we can discuss it uh but I you know I think it's fair that the community at least know that the status of our utilities they're obviously going to need work but these are these are Hefty rates my family uses 5200 gallons of water on average a month and we're looking if we stay in our same home and have the same water usage at a $250 month water bill in eight or nine years and um that's that's significant this impacts our Working Families here that have enough struggles as it is uh so I want to reiterate I'm I do not want to be an obstructionist to the project to the rates um I also spoke with Betty on there is a water increase by ordinance which we would have our first reading later in the agenda um so even if we adopt the plan tonight my understanding is we would still have to adopt the rates annually by ordinance that is correct mayor okay yeah this I just this is their plan this is the study this is the idea they gave us to not the um you know we don't have to go by this but this if we want to have the funds available and part of the problem is is is uh we're not in dead enough to get help from the state to uh rehab or unless something changes or we don't have we're not up high enough in the affordability scale of what we pay in our cap able of pain Accord this isn't according to me according to the state to have you have to meet a certain levels before you can qualify for some PFA funds to help for the rehab and stuff like that so that's our all power this come from that none of us and and I appreciate everything you're saying and and we all agree we need some improvements it was 12 years ago on the water plant operator told us you know it isn't new plant you know and and that no one likes to raise the rates um maybe we can find a compromise and what we can do and where it goes but there's really something to seriously we need to think about and you right the people need to know this is where we're at and part of it we're in this place is cuz others didn't want to make the hard decision you know but I understand we understand the rates but um it doesn't seem too much when you turn on your water someday or go to turn on your water someday and you have no water coming and that's where this all comes from but like you said we don't have to necessarily go exactly by this or whatever but I agree with that not going by it exactly and taking a harder look at it I'm a little concerned about the public what they're going to have to pay for water rates I mean it it's uh it's a city that has a lot of elderly people including myself um and so I think we have to take a short step uh you know take a look at what really needs to be done what has to be done right away and what doesn't have to be done right away I worked on that plant back in 1990 when it was first built so I'm real familiar with it and I think we can take a harder look at it myself I um and then you know go from there so well I think all the the input is is positive um there's different schools of thought on it and our city engineer sitting here don't worry I'm not going to call you forward if we're if we're not going to sell water more water I don't see how the rates can ever go down or else we're just going to live on the depreciation from the investment and if we have fewer water accounts this will have to continue to go up to cover the cost of making it so um as far as how long how far along we are with with the plant improvements and when that's there's I've spoke quite a bit to representative scraba and Senator hosch child um I I spoke to as well about I hope we're going to see some type of bonding request that we would authorize to the state with the hope that they do have a bonding Bill to get us some relief on the project if that's what the council's priori is going to be I think we have to make it our priority because the indication we had from them when they were up here was that this year is going to be the year for uh seage treatment plants and water plants and not brick and mortar buildings so um if we're going to get board we got to do it now yeah and get the money get into into the system anyway so that we can and and I think the study we did on it kind of indicates where the weakest links were where we need to start and that's why we did the study to to find those spots out so we can not rehab the whole water plant but we can start little by little so that we can keep our clean water and keep our Water Production I suggest that little by little you know take a look at it because this is a real big deal I mean we can't just go out 100 miles an hour and then have rates that are way too high um that's the way I feel about it so our thank you counselor um are we right to assume in what I've found in the plan is that they're really with other than storm water and the rate increase we're going to consider later tonight the big hikes in the water rates naturally would come assuming that we followed the schedule of the water plant Rehabilitation and that they would come mostly in 26 and 27 after we had bonded and obviously our Capital costs went up so but I at this time though I would uh this is a plan they gave us a fall I would move to accept the plan but you know we can adjust it accordingly if we need be say it would be very nice if this happened that we' got bonding money and we didn't have to do it at all we cannot and if things changes we can always lower rate for whatever reason but I think at this point just to keep the process going and uh I think we um I move that we accept this plan we do have a motion to accept the plan by councelor Kaylor I'll second we have a second by councelor Buller uh any further discussion on adoption of the plan uh by Northland yes secur do this uh Mr Bates yes um it's public comment is not open for anything not on the agenda this is on the agenda say said so in the rules it says so in your information go ahead public comments on things that are on the agenda I just I'm actually just looking to clarify something that if if the council as a whole is comfortable yeah want we need to clarify something actually that he said that's it um not about this specifically I he brought it up which is that are am might understand that we're not in enough debt in order to get State funding is that what yes for some for something yes that's 100% correct Mr baates if you were to look the funding that they offer for these types of plans you have to get so much from your own Community before they step in so essentially what they've been saying is us as a city have been not putting enough on the consumer consumers up to this point that they won't reach a helping hand in okay that's I just try to clarify yeah no no perfect thank you the I know right as backwards as that is but yeah charge it enough that's yeah and the and the floor is open for discussion before we vote so um yeah I have some familiarity it's a double-edged short if if if you have the money you expend the money you get the product if you go into the debt they'll limp you along I don't think either is um they both have their pitfalls uh but I would remind before we vote as well that this is the adoption of the plan and that we would still adopt rate increases and the rates by ordinance which would take two readings is that correct yes on an annual basis yes on an annual basis this is is not a requirement for you to follow each of these increases on that year depending upon where you're at in processes where you're at with projects on whether that's a a necessity at the time to do so each year if you CH choose you would do by ordinance uh increases that is correct so and the reason I'm asking is we're not approving a water plant rehab in this document um there's none of that bigger stuff going on uh so with that being said I would call the question I N I I I'm going to abstain plan to adopt uh would carry with three eyes one nay and one abstention next item uh on the agenda under old business would be to remove from the table the rehabilitation of the VOR garage if there's interest in removing it from the table please signify motion so moved by councelor Wagner second by councelor Holden no discussion on this question all I right I all V yes we are off the table and ready to discuss the rehability it ation of the Public Works Factor garage and Street garages discussion by Council I I would be willing to lead some discussion on this I think that um the public and amongst the council should discuss it my understanding of this is that it has spun from the facility study that was begun about three years ago y that's correct okay um so this is a big project I believe about $3 million in totality close enough 2983 I whether we need it or not I think the facility study was clear that um that was going to start if there was any facility that we were going to work on it was fire and EMS um and then it moved on and I think that Public Works was last on the list we're not building a new fire and EMS facility that I'm aware of we're at least not today building a new police station that I'm aware of um so you know in terms of this Public Works project um I I don't think it's fair to the citizens of our community that we perpetually start putting them into debt utilities um those the rates should sustain them um but if we're going to spend $3 million uh in in public Works to do these projects we've gotten along I don't know if there's been a new VOR ordered or it needs to fit in a garage or won't fit in the garage um but I don't land bed at night wanting to go into thatb the next day I've spent some time at the street garage and it's been discussed a bit but if we start going in to death on some of these items um when's when's this going to end we're between our Levy and our local government Aid we're taking in a million and a half $2 million more than just three four years ago I'd have to look so some leeway on that and now we've put in front of us that we're going to go into debt um so I'm I'm concerned I would ask the council if if they're concerned I spent some time with um Emma in her office regarding the financing uh of the project and I too am concerned because we've got so many projects that for some reason were willing to go out on the limb and it's going to cost the taxpayers a lot of moneyy okay you got a whole bunch of them here here here here all at one time okay and I've thought about it some of these buildings I've worked in I mean I didn't have a problem with them um I don't know how fancy you know it's got to be or what but I just think if we look at all the different places we're eyeballing for fixing up and doing this and doing that we're going to be in trouble down the road that's my opinion and I'm looking at the future is what I'm looking at I don't know how we can get stretched out you talk about we can't get help on a lot of stuff because we are good in the black totally I know that for a fact but how we got other stuff we got ambulance situation I mean the list goes on and on and on and I don't see how the taxpayers can and I don't mind saying that how they can pick up the tab that's my opinion thank you counselor I like the comment that you brought up about the debt we do have um the ambulance debt out there and I'm looking at Chief manasa and I think he knows we talk about the ambulance when we have time to and I know we will be more um you know the ambulance debt is out there we've accumulated it and I want to be cautious talking about that that uh it's there and it doesn't necessarily mean that that anybody did anything wrong or we could have not had the debt to begin with but that debt still falls on the international Fall City taxpayer yeah um we've been well I haven't been looking for Solutions like councelor Kaylor has because I know that you go to the meetings and give reports and everybody's having the same issue but if we were to make a motion tonight and say let's use the general fund and let's let's clean up on the ambulance de and let's move forward and maybe we're going to get our taxing district and uh maybe we're not uh you know I don't know if we could pay it and remain solvent and so to take on additional debt in other departments um you know if we absolutely had to in her back was to the wall maybe this is at the will of the council but I'll leave it at that the counc I think is we've gone by without any salt and sand storage building for many years which has been totally wrong all this salt is leeching into the ground because we don't have cover for it and that's part of this part of this project is a new salt and sand shed that we can store it inside property like it should be um but what else going to get mpca is going to come in and going to tell us and we're going to have to do it sooner or later no matter what or and we'll probably get fine too yet because it's it's not legal it's not legal at all I got that don't work in the blue building that we're pumping that out so I mean there's issues there that we have that are hidden issues that we need to address those issues for sure if we can't do all of it we need to address those for that I I I I totally agree with you on that okay but how much more do we need to do than that what what is that building need over there really needs all I'm talking I'm talking the city garage now yeah which one the blue one the well that's our that's our building for our equipment and stuff what we're talking about now is in this project that's part yeah that's part of it that's the raing has nothing to do with it okay I I can see the salt shed I mean I can because that is important but I think we got to look at all these different projects and be careful what we do well there's some environmental and safety concerns for employees here Mike that need to be addressed I got that and and unless you want these people working there with the chance to get sick from some of this stuff these drains these traps got that I agree with I told I just said I agree with that the salt check I agree with that so you know there I mean where do you what don't you do but this was more than just that well it has uh bathrooms in it it has lot of stuff I mean it's got to be all looked at how fancy or whatever my understanding was that some of this has to do uh please correct me if I'm wrong uh with a one campus scenario in public works and eliminating the South Falls Water shop that's part of it that all come out of the uh facility study that came on and uh was to move it all there so to be a little more centralized you know more efficient that's part of the reason that's where it's coming from but mainly even if we didn't do that that I went took a tour of the blue building and the regular shop last Friday and it's a working safety hazard for a lot of gu I can't believe no one's broken leg or tripped hit their head over the drains they got metal whatever on top of the drains cuz they're sinking into the ground um it's very inefficient heating wise they got four big heaters trying to keep it warm in the VOR garage we we do have a new VOR coming we had to order a bigger one cu the last one they got um they they can't drive on the they not supposed to be driving on the road so they had to get a bigger one that actually uh is compliant for what they're hauling and what they're doing with it and the VOR and they so they have to make the factory garage there bigger cuz there's nowhere else to store it now there's some things in there like just make the door bigger whatever possibly that they can do the only other place would be to put it would be at the water treatment plant but I don't think we want a sewer VOR uh stored at the water treatment plan we don't have to get to graphic about what that does for a living and the money is supposed to come the money we budget the same amount every year for capital outlay or Capital Improvements and we've had discussions about this garage and we come to a consensus in the committee and when we brought it to the council before time the engineers look at it is instead of investing in some uh equipment that money is going to be going to pay off the debt to get this rehab and we're not going to and that's something we're going to have to get over is getting into some cuz we we cannot save enough before we improve things anymore we just can't at the cost we can't save up enough for it to gets worse and worse and worse so it is budgeted items like it said there and it's going to be and it will be coming out of future um Capital Improvement funds that much and that will just be less for you know they might not have the a new frontend loader when we need it or not and a lot of that changes too because it's become more of a leasing deal than actually buying let's hopefully get it cheaper that's where the money is going to be coming from unless we change cut back on everything for what we improve or what we budget for over the years it's going to be the same amount of what we're doing now it should not increase that amount at all for our budget unless we decide to go back to the 2015 budgeting we're already in 2023 I believe yeah other discussion from the council do we think that it would be fair to send this back to Public Works committee and get a sense from Northland how they would Finance it how it would play into each fund that we're going to budget for or Levy for so that we know how going into budget season that it would affect our ly it it we can bring it back but we've been through this and this is kind of what we I think it's already there it's already in the budget yeah it's budget it's already there well I spent an hour with Emma over the financing of it and and I left with an inconclusive answer um I well and Emma please understand I'm not in any way calling you on the carpet but I I I don't I don't read this in here is what I read is that we go to a car dealership and I may have a job I may not I go pick a truck they spot me the vehicle and I say Well Finance it for me and they'll get it financed for me they want to sell a new car and you know then I have to figure out how to pay for it and obviously that's we pass it that's what we're going to have to do here if I may mayor and Council um as indicated in um the Public Works director's note there he would be working with Northland Securities to um get the necessary financing based on what he currently has for budgeted dollars that he would be using to finance and pay the debt service it's not um he's not going to be doing more than that only what he would have available with his current budgeted dollars to pay um annual Debt Service under understand so that could be you know if that's the budgeted dollars then if they had to make it 57 years or 23 years or 16 years they would just manipulate that to to make it fit I mean we had and I don't have the paper that was broken down in how many years wasn't it they gave it to us well at Public Works that how much and I don't know the numbers off the top of my head whether it's 15 20 or 30 and we recommend one I can't remember at the time but I and right now the PO control is giving the npca is giving uh loans for these buildings s salt sand storage buildings at 1 half% and and we and we've already approved this at the last meeting the salt shed salt shed we did to apply we to we approved applying for the loan for that yeah we did at the last meeting and in my conversations over at the Street Garage you know I'm not going to hide that the one thing that they thought that they needed was the salt shed if they got to pick I didn't the the other items weren't really addressed for for what it's worth so I offer my unsolicited opinion how about if I solicit it that would be great it's not a legal opinion but I have sat on this Council before and I recall Council even before that putting off what needs to be done so we are looking at a huge price tag right now but what is that price tag if we don't fix this if the building falls into further disrepair if we start getting work liability actions because this building is so dilapidated or it's so dangerous for these workers I from a personal perspective I'm one of the younger people in this building and I know that struggle I know that struggle by buying old homes buying old cars whatever it may be and maintenance is a huge key to what you possess and I think it has been overlooked for a very long time along with a lot of the generation that's here and I understand that and I'm not angry about it but when we have that generation looking down or having issues with what this council's doing at my generational level where we have to spend this money to fix what's being passed down to us it's just the way it is and I am scared to see what these random things that break and we have to fix them within a week look like and I would be scared of what it looks like in 5 years when we can't avoid it anymore and how expensive this actually is that's just my unsolicited opinion thank you Chelsea well I would prefer to see a motion to send this back to Public Works committee see what the budget looks like what the repayment looks like and then we can at least present it publicly before we vote on it with that being said if someone offers a motion of some other kind we would move we've already passed the salt shed thing so I'm going to make that motion to send the rest of it back to the public works we already agreed on the salt chit so that's a done deal right Betty we agreed to that yes correct so the rest of it I want them to take a look at it we have a motion on the floor by councelor Holden to send back to Public Works committee for further discussion the rehabilitation of the equipment and VOR garage is that correct councilor Holden do we have a second to that motion I'll second have a second by councelor Kaylor is there any further discussion question well I do have discussion but I'm I want but we will have it at our next Public Works meeting which is next Tuesday yeah next Tuesday is Public Works 230 2:30 and then the next council meeting we'll come here and we'll make a decision one way or another and we'll be at the committee of the whole later next did I say Tuesday Monday that's why you were looking at me like that Monday it's only two more week but then we our next regular city council meeting after we discuss it in public works we discuss it at our committee a whole we should be able to come here make a decision next um at our next regular council meeting because I think everybody will have plenty of time to have looked in it looked what they thought a big help if you have any ideas and words it's about would be to talk to Ted about the plan here and I'd just like to also add whether it's these projects or the fire department or the police department these aren't just our supervisors and our directors of these departments just coming up with these random ideas they're somewhere along the line they've been directed to come up with these plans and they brought them to us and this is just what they thought what they found out from our Direction they're I just want to make that clear that they're just not coming up with this and this did come from the facility study and uh Ted asked us um that day so I'm staying at 7th Street you said yes so he went forward with looking at how we can fix this stuff because we weren't going to make a $40 million public uh Works garage we're all pretty sure that or whatever the and then add on another one so that's where this came from but that I'm fine with mov it along again but I by our next council meeting come up with the answer yes or no is that your motion then we that's my second with my second with that uh that amendment is a motion if he's fine with that wait I might as well confuse you a little bit your first night you had the second end the discussion the floor is still open for discussion yeah but that's all I have to discuss but that would be my second that it's just next week okay question I I I I yes motion carries 5 Z moving on to the consent agenda I'll move to accept the consenter agenda I was second oh were you g to do you want to ask for a motion before I start see I either don't say on time answer question I just jum ahe I I would like to uh thank you councelor Kaylor I did have one question uh on item number six which was travel and continuing education training expenses for Public Works staff as presented I read through that I think there was like 11 conferences on it um I don't know if it's necessary if that's for one person or if that's for several or how many go to those conferences or I just mainly caught my attention that there was 11 conferences I think that's what the number was mayor if I may technically there's no discussion on consent agenda but you could remove it discuss it separately however the um the note does indicate that it's various Public Works staff so different public work staff depending on lur and different things that each of them need um throughout the department um would be attending these various trainings throughout the [Applause] year thank you Betty uh yeah as far as the discussion um there wasn't a motion so if I broke protocol um I would that might have been me doing that I would ask for a motion to approve the consent agenda pursuant to sending item number six to Public Works committee I'll make that motion do have a motion on the floor by councelor Holden do we have a second I'll second it seconded by councelor Buller any discussion just that the these discuss I'm sorry I'm sorry so uh call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes consent agenda is approved 5 zero moving on to new business consider approval of the revised special assessment the cost of the bituminous Paving which would have been pursuant to our hearing that we held at 5:00 did we we would there was no motion to move anything forward so we would not address that at this time we would just skip the item yeah take it off we didn't do nothing with that right right yeah do we want a motion to postpone to a certain date just leave it can just get added to the next agenda you don't have to do any sort of formal motion okay moving on to number 200 under new business and mayoral Proclamation declaring January 26th through February 1st 2025 as Catholic schools week at St Thomas acinus school I'll make that motion motion by councelor Holden do we have a second I'll second second by councelor Kaylor discussion seeing no discussion call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 item three request approval of year 2025 license renewals that may include tobacco Andor liquor applications as presented I'll move second we have a motion in a second first by councelor Kaylor second by councelor Buller is there any discussion I believe this would be for quarters Inc doing business as quarters Fuel and car wash is that correct okay discussion question hi hi hi hi I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 license is approved item number four adopt resolution airport Improvement Grant agreement number 1058 723 for state project number a 361-1222 [Applause] bowler is there a second second second by councelor Holden discussion question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z number five Public Works committee recommendations consider first reading of contract ordinance setting rates collected as Revenue supporting water and sanitary utility operations for 2025 there yes a I make that motion a motion to approve by councelor Buller do we have a second on the ordinance second excuse me we have a second on the floor by councelor Wagner discussion I would add that because this is an ordinance being the first reading it would take a second reading and approval to approve the rates I believe that the rates that Mr broa had asked for were per of the utility rate study call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z number six consider first due agreement for service contract for the International Falls fire rescue EMS Adam manasa Fire Chief and EMS [Music] director thank you mayor um so a brief synopsis of what we're looking at uh we have multiple software platforms that we need to run our operation uh those are dictated by state law on the MS side and NFPA on the fire side along with some uh other nice to have software scheduling and pre-planning to that nature uh what We've ran into over the course of a couple years here is the state has issued a free image Trend subscription on the fire side and we pay for an EMS subscription along with some archiving from image trend on the EMS side that we pay for uh we did that with the promise that image Trend was going to integrate and have one platform to serve all that has not happened so in talking with other departments neighboring departments uh Hibbing is already on this clo is transfering and Virginia is looking at it as well uh so we're looking at changing over to First due that offers everything on one platform so again we pay quite a bit of money to various organizations this would get everything Everything Under One Roof one service provider and do everything that we're currently doing and hopefully a little bit more so that's what we're looking to do uh the first year is uh a little bit higher as outlined in the the contract here and after initial implementation then uh it goes down from there so for a yearly subscription um it's a 133-page document in front of you I don't know that I need to go through every page but I'm certainly here to answer any questions that may arise my only question is it it's comparable to what we have but better hopefully in Service delivery or Price Point actually the answer is yes to both so um so the the person that I'm dealing with with first do and then the implementation people so I'm going to be very blunt I don't know what happened at image Trend but a lot of these people came from image Trends so I think there was some discourse within the company before these people broke out started their own company took those ideas that were going to be to merge the two and uh started their own company and it seems to be very success very successful so far thank you the only note I would have just for Council is aware and Betty is aware the contract that is in the packet uh the date on on the very top of the first page is August 31st 2024 the revised contract is exactly the same other than it says December 31st 2024 that is an electronic format that I could not print out so uh if we cannot handle that electronically then we'll have to make some other arrangements so I would just my only comment is that uh we handle that offline other than normal contract business I would say wonderful thank you Chief any questions for chief I'd assume you'd want to move on this right away thank you any discussion and we can move forward with the motion I'll make that motion motion by councelor Holden second second by councelor Wagner discussion on the contract question hi hi hi I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z thank [Applause] you next is to adopt the resolution adopting and implementing the Rainy River Rainy Lake comprehensive watershed management plan I think that's me I was going to say I think this is your I mean yeah yeah unfortunately this one was more active than the Rainy River quick one that I was appointed to again and never met but that's a story for another yeah this is for the last uh well going on two years now uh with uh The Soil and Water um District at the county they got money and this is all part of the grant process that to come up with a plan and it's called the one Watershed one plan and it's the upper as you can tell in your packet it's the upper Rainy River you or Rainy Lake and down to the the river to get all together and it's to do with uh making it better and and it's what it's doing is replacing the plan that's coming up it's times up and it's voluntary all the things you know in here their ideas but there should be some funds to help with some of the improvements that they're asking for like some of the goals are like uh five septic systems a year trying to improve them things like that so the water doesn't Le shter and getting a covered inventory to help water move all like on County Roads and stuff that's what it is and this is just to prove it it's us the city reer and county each had Representatives on the board along with and Jason was there for the city along with people from other agencies there were different committees that came and got this together was a lengthy uh thorough process and I learned more about water than I ever knew and other things so I'd recommend us uh adopting this policy that was a good summary just of it Jason what we've been up to so move we have a motion by councelor buer second second by councelor Holden discussion I'll be the one to ask a question is there any inherent liabilities by joining the plan that no we take on as a city not no any more discussion question I I I Ty I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 resolution passes number eight which was the addition to this agenda a resolution authorizing a funding request to the Minnesota Department of transportations active Transportation program could we have some background information on this thank you Jason um yeah a couple of months ago um we were directed to apply for this These funds for this uh active Transportation program and it's for a bike trail or pinus trail from 14th uh Avenue to 11th Street along Wayside there and as part of that application packet we need to pass this resolution of support um and if we are awarded the grant it would cover the full cost of the project so thank you okay I'll make the motion by councelor buler to approve second second by councelor Holden discussion on the resolution question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z resolution is approved any other business reports of board's committees and department heads because this is my first meeting of the year as a mayor we obviously have the police and EMS reports in our packet I don't recall that uh you've typically came forward to I don't have any questions and I doubt the council does either so let you really want to it's been both ways so it's your [Laughter] decision any other reports with that we can move to audience open form this is the last opportunity to come forward and address to council for this meeting we'll move on to [Music] correspondence convention and visitors bureau meeting information from October 17th 2024 and as well the 2025 coocha Ching County board meeting schedule believe we typically review this place it in the file it's just correspondence information for you know mayor council of citizens y correspondence yep reminders offices are closed in observance of Martin Luther King day on Monday January 20th 2025 the next regular city council meeting is Tuesday January 21st 2025 at 530 p.m. and it was changed because of the observance of Martin Luther King day that being said there is no further business and this meeting is a journey --------- ##VIDEO ID:JXyBMcyoIiA## we'll call this meeting to order city council meeting our annual organizational meeting it's 5:30 p.m. first item will be to rise and pledge allegiance to the [Music] flag Al to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for [Music] all it can be noted for the record the council is present with no absences the next item on the agenda is organizational business first item being the selection of council president proem which would be the backup mayor for lack of better terms I'd like to ask the council I spent some time over the weekend reviewing previous YouTube clips of organizational committee appointments uh at the liberty of the council we could do that broadly uh with one motion a second and a vote or we can do them individually uh so I would would leave that up to the council looking all at me this is just way my chair is wal I take a vote of the all I will me for doing this group yeah okay yeah oh all of us I will uh I will read them and then we can proceed from there president pro M councelor Holden budget and finance myself councelor Buller councelor Holden Council councelor Kaylor councelor Wagner president protm as chair of budget and finance legislation and land use myself as chairman and councelor Wagner Public Safety councelor Holden and councelor Wagner is chair public Public Works and infrastructure myself as the chairman and councelor Kaylor with that being said those are the internal Council committee appointments and at this time we could entertain a motion to approve them I'll move have a motion on the floor by councelor kard is there a second second second by councelor Buller the floor is open for discussion seeing no further discussion question I I all all right I'll vote Yes internal committee appointments are approved 5 to zero thank [Applause] you next would be the other Council committee appointments the first would be to the Forest Hill Cemetery board councelor Wagner for a one-year term would the counil could could we do the same for this I'm comfortable is everybody else comforable with that y okay uh I will read them and then we can move yeah International Falls cocha Ching County Airport commission councelor Buller councelor Holden both for one-year terms ke the cucha Ching Economic Development Authority myself and councelor Kaylor North cooch Sanitary District reappointing councelor Buller and councelor Holden Northeast Minnesota Regional Emergency communication board councelor Holden and councelor Wagner for one-year terms rainy Rapid River zoning board councelor Kaylor for a onee year term and the special Police Department fund councelor Holden councelor Wagner reappointed for one-year terms motion to approve other Council committee appointments second I have a motion uh to approve by councelor Wagner a second by councelor Buller is there any discussion on the other Council committee appointments seeing no discussion question I I I I I'll vote Yes other appointments are approved 5 to zero thank you external committee appointments Charter Commission on myself to fill a vacant term two years councelor Kaylor Lois lundine both reappointed fire Civil Service Brian Briggs reappointed the Forest Hill Cemetery board um there's a currently a vacancy uh we can reach out to fill that vacancy was there one or two vacancies do you remember just one just one so we can go ahead and post that tonight unless there is someone from the council that would like to be a appointed to that vacancy the Housing and Redevelopment Authority Richard De benedet reappointed International Falls cucha Ching County Airport commission uh this would be a citizen at large position reappoint Brian Briggs Library board both first term Michelle misner Katherine winkl there's no current vacancies to appoint on North cooch Sanitary District Northeast Minnesota area transportation partnership board Ted broka director of Public Works Northeast Minnesota Regional advisory committee fire chief Mr Adam manasa Mr Todd oela Information Systems Tech Planning Commission Willie kic and Ted broka and there are vacancies on the zoning board of appeals and until further discussion after speaking uh internally we would leave those open at least for a couple weeks here any discussion uh questions by Council uh yeah I just have a couple um of the appointments uh fire Civil Service Commission I don't have a problem with Brian Briggs being on there um but other than the fact he does not live in the city of International Falls and I'm not sure if that's a requirement for the Civil Service Commission um I'm I would assume it is but I do not know that but not that there's any other problems I'd have with them just the residency okay what no go ahead do you have other uh and same with and I there's no vacancies on the North cooing area sanitary sewer district but I believe uh Brian is also a representative for International Falls on that one also yeah and once again I have no other quals with them that other than he doesn't live in the city yeah he's he's under current term on North coo yeah okay Y and that has actually been brought up to us by a citizen here earlier this fall needs to be posted um depending on which direction we would like to go under suggestion um not to drop a bomb on you Chelsea pulled it up okay thank you um so it is actually in Minnesota statute um that except in a city having a combined police and firefighters Civil Service Commission um blah blah blah the can commission shall consist of three members who are citizens of the state and resident of such City so it is it is a statutory requirement residency is a requirement would that also apply uh to North cooch I I think that's in their bylaws in their and that being said Brian I know he was a resident when he was appointed to these maybe yeah well I we shouldn't move ahead with appointments if they're not eligible to be appointed um so I think it's a great catch yeah and yeah so I think we can uh I will I will motion to accept other appointments other than those two however the proper way to freeze that would be if that going enough motion to accept all the other appointments okay so we have a motion on the floor by councelor Kaylor to approve the ex external committee appointments except for those that are ineligible yes which we will uh repost are you comfortable with that councelor seconded okay and we have a second do you want to put in the vacant ones because we don't there there's nobody there we're not we're not approving anybody there CU they're vacant right for all yeah we're post them so as a friendly Amendment yeah comfortably with that and we have a second by Walt these are do a approve the external committee appointment subject to the motion and I just confirmed that so is that just anything that Brian Briggs is on or which ones no the the minutes the fire Civil Service Commission okay and North cooch sanitary even though it's vacant but he's on there I believe so it's okay for the airport commission y okay yep the airport commission is fine yeah okay any further discussion on the motion or the question seeing no further discussion the question I I I I I'll vote Yes you got to give me a kick every now and then or or W we'll just start I will start it motion carries 5 Z external committee appointments are approved thank [Applause] you next item on the agenda is the approval of payroll dates bi-weekly on Tuesday commencing tomorrow January 7th so moved second have a motion by councelor Wagner second second by councelor Holden to approve the payroll dates as presented any discussion question I I hi I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 payroll dates are approved next on the agenda is a resolution designating depositories of City monies I'll make that motion we have a motion to approved by councelor Holden do we have a second no second second by councelor Kaylor discussion question I I hi I I'll vote Yes this resolution carries 5 good news pay dates are approved yeah last on this evening's agenda for this organizational meeting would be to designate the official newspaper for required publications of city government as the Rainy like Gazette motion by councelor bull second by councelor Kaylor that was that was close any discussion question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z is there any other business uh to be discussed at this organizational meeting that being said we'll go ahead and adourn this meeting and we will be right back with you with a regular city council meeting