##VIDEO ID:6g_rhmhbWXM## all right it's 5:30 we'll get this city council meeting started it is October 21st 2024 uh if you could all join me in pledging allegiance to the flag I pledge alce 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 all all right please note that all members of the council are present uh first item on the agenda is to approve the agenda chair would entertain a motion to approve I'll make that motion we have a motion by councelor Holden do we have a second second second by councelor Wagner discussion hearing none call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we go to approval of the minutes uh first set is our public hearing from October 7th chair would entertain a motion to approve those move to approve we have a motion by councelor Buller I'll second second by councelor Kaylor discussion hearing none call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we go to the council meeting from uh October 7th chair would entertain a motion to approve that I'll make the motion motion by councelor Holden do we have a second second second by councelor wner discussion hearing none call a question I I hi I vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we have the um Committee of the whole meeting from last Monday chair would entertain a motion to approve that so Move Motion by councelor bowler second second by councelor Wagner discussion hearing none call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we go to the payments and claims uh and approval um we have a resolution before you it has um monies going by transfer to the 401 permanent Improvement of $66,667 66 that's coming evenly from the 60 601 water and the 603 sewer in the amount of $ 33,333 33 we have mon uh funds going to the reserve for Capital outlay 403 in the amount of $2,567 25 coming from the 601 water of $4,695 and the 603 sewer of $ 5,874 125 for total transfers of $87,200 33.9 our accounts payable International Falls uh regular claims of 643,902 49 for a total accounts payable of $648,500 councelor Kaylor second second by counselor Buller discussion hearing none call the question I I hi I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we go to audience does anyone in the audience have anything to bring forward that's not on the agenda please that was a pretty stealthy look back just wanted to make sure if there was any ladies in the audience that they could go first yeah um Eric strand I was here at the last council meeting and just wanted to um be mindful of my five minutes here um just wanted to be mindful of my uh my time with you folks the on the other uh council meeting I was in attendance um just there was a couple things in The Gazette article that I just wanted to review but um in the article it was uh kind of quoted that I had estimated a $2 million cost I really don't recall that a specific estimate if I did I have no I have no basis on on what that on on what that cost might be um really the concern really was over the residential neighborhood uh and also cited in the paper with slow access to other areas of the city I I really had specifically referred to uh the increase ined emergency traffic on 19th Street 2 Avenue East Memorial Drive and um and I and I did specifically say turning it into a into a drag strip um The increased traffic of the emergency vehicles really does concern me especially without bringing 22nd Street out it's just not a good idea and I did specifically identify 22nd Street not being completed into 2 Avenue East as the you know as one of the chief reasons so I I I really would like that to be to be noted um and and mayor you had specifically addressed upgrades over time and and multiple uses of the property um what so what what else is really planned for the property other than the law enforcement Services uh not multiple uses just like your correcting stuff I I guess I can too um building it in stages to have office space first have the the uh the area where the the vehicles can go in just it only being utilized for a a police facility but yeah just staging it to uh to accommodate so it wouldn't be one big one big uh fix to get it all up and running in like the first year it would be office space and then uh be able to park the vehicles inside and then just working its way to being what we need need it to be okay okay um and I know you had mentioned modern policing and I and I have not talked with the um with the police chief but if that really does mean more is done from the vehicles and the vehicles are really not called out from a station and you know pull away from the desk and and head out into the vehicles um why why isn't Backus sufficient then I mean they they they have their home it was again these leasehold improvements they have their home and if everything is really done more remotely I I just I just don't see the I I just see this as a whole duplicate with a whole lot of resources a whole lot of money being put into Backus that you can't pack in a box and and bring with you a lot of those things that would that went to Backus can be packed up um and brought over there um some of the it stuff uh was able to be reused some of it was not able to be reused um but ultimately what it what it comes down to is long-term uh um long-term use with uh with bakus we were paying um a pretty pretty substantial uh rent fee it's uh a little bit lower than what we were paying at the county when we when we uh were there and so now if we can put that into one building and be able to maintain our own Building without having to pay rent we see that as a cost savings over time yeah and and I see pulling away from the county to me that was that that's the deal of the day I mean you have a home you have both agencies together you have uh efficiencies within that and really what that is is it's Synergy it's Synergy being able to do more as one unit than you can as separate and and I think we we can all agree we don't have we don't have these unlimited resources where everybody gets to play in their own sandbox we we need to we need to share and we need to show some synergies and and I would really suggest for the next Administration that that be a focus is repairing this relationship with the county I think it was the deal of the day it was efficient where it was and it appears that there's sufficient room at the new facility to to bring in the city so I I hope that's I hope that's actually actually considered um so I I was I I was um I was curious on um on August 5th's minutes um there was a conference attended by administrator Bergstrom and councelor Kaylor talked about housing issues throughout Minnesota um you got to be kidding may I continue finish your sentence or your um so what I'm what what my thought is is is what are the housing Dems throughout Minnesota and I see in this local area that slab on grade homes home sites are in huge demand MH you have a almost a 2 acre parcel it's 200 ft Frontage by 433 ft deep you could reserve 50 ft on the south side for driveway and snow areas you could have four Lots 480t by 150 ft Lots you the front lot you could reserve the property talking about the cability oh okay gotcha yeah and you could have um a 33t uh burm slash uh barrier in the front you could have five Lots you could invite developers to to come in and make proposals but here's five lots that would generate 15,000 Plus for County taxes when has that property ever had a dime of taxes collected on it oh valid point very valid point when oh so here's here's here's an opportunity and to me this is longer range planning than than putting this police station out in the middle of this residential neighborhood and and I can't you know if if I I just couldn't believe that that that that wouldn't have been brought up in a in a meeting like you folks went to is you know and yeah multif family and things like that so um I I certainly think it would be a good use of resources to take that money for the um facility condition assessment the Strategic pH facility review and the preconstruction services demo the property bring in a developer and let's get some let's get some homes on the tax roles of what's in demand in within City Limits so I just want to address the one thing that that you had said about uh moving from back or moving from the uh the law enforcement center in that time the the major H hiccup that we had is as they were talking about the new jail we just needed to know how much our rent would be moving forward and we were not able to get that answer we had asked multiple times and then finally we got to a point at the end of the year when we had to come up with a decision they still were not able to give us the dollar amount of what our rent would be uh we had a handful of conversations with the county um on that and we weren't able to come to a resolution and what we wanted to do is look at uh at bakus and then as they move forward with the jail be able to have conversations to what that looks like into the future so it it was never off the table but it was uh it was definitely conversations that uh that fell through on both sides okay so appreciate thek appreciate the followup we'll see you at the next meeting I have 38 properties to visit and talk to see you there all right all right we will uh go to the consent agenda we have um four items on the consent agenda uh first is approve the 2025 renewal of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan 653 the approval of the 2025 senior gold Medicare blue RX plan and the 2025 renewal of the Ameritas dental plan approve the LMC it liability coverage waiver uh not to wave the limits on the municipal tort liability and authorized signatures chair would entertain a motion for the consent agenda I'll move we have a motion by councelor Kaylor do we have a second second we have a second by councelor Wagner discussion or no discussion call the question I I I hi I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next uh we have the um consider portable recording devices body worn cameras for the International Falls Police Department uh we did have a public hearing um two weeks ago um we did have a couple of people that had uh voiced their opinion via email or uh in person with uh the police chief that they were in favor of it so at this time uh it's before us the chair would entertain a motion to move forward I'll make that motion with the body camps we have a motion by celor Holden do second second by guys let me talk we got a motion by councelor Holden second by councelor Wagner any discussion hearing none call the question I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 next we have a request to use Smoky Bear Park and co-sponsor the home for the holiday event Andrea Pastor good evening everyone is this on does it matter it is on okay um my name is Andrea Pastor I work at Rainy Lake Medical Center we are asking to co-sponsor the home for the holidays prayed again this year this is the 30th Anniversary So like um other years the event is on Black Friday which this year falls on November 29th uh the pre prade activities would begin in Smoky Bear park at 4:00 we would have some food trucks we're also going to offer some free hot chocolate and cookies we'll have fires um Christmas light displays and this year in lie of reindeer we're going to have alpacas so something different just to spice things up a little bit uh the parade will begin at 6 the parade route will remain the same as last year which is um heading west to east on Main Street so it starts um on 8th Avenue goes down Third Street and then ends at 3rd Avenue Highway 53 you turn north and it end so I believe that's the same parade route as the Fourth of July parade uh the judges and MC's will sit on a trailer but may move to the north side of the street this year um previously they've been on the south side but have requested to move to the north because of the wind what if the wind comes from a different angle this year well I I thought the same thing we'll see how it goes unless any concerns with that we'll determine where makes the most sense and yeah um post prade events will include fireworks uh We've allocated $5,000 which we've worked with Adam anasa to secure um and from what I understand the the fireworks will be set off on a trailer this year on the street so they'll be a little bit further away from PCA and they'll help us maintain that barrier um we're asking that the road closure starts at 3:00 in front of smoky Bear Park and then the full Road closure would happen at 5:00 p.m. I have been working with um the city folks to make sure that all of that can happen any questions or concerns yeah s was exciting yes I I I have a request and if you say no I have no problem with that okay um one of the things that I've seen in other communities and I think it's so wonderful especially since that we have this home for the holidays parade and and celebration could we work with our um um our Public Works and whether it's at Smoky Bear park or the the uh Christmas tree that we have at the end of the block by the chamber building have an official lighting of a Christmas tree I failed to mention that so thank you for reminding me I did talk with the city I didn't even know that I did talk with them when I met with them earlier um we are going to do an official parade lighting down at Smoky Bear park with those big trees by Smokey Bear so we're going to do that at 5:00 oh perfect so I apologize that I forgot put that in my notes I apologize for not reading your notes cuz I didn't I didn't know that I just I had talked to Betty about it last year after the event and I'm like wouldn't that be really cool if that's the first time we turn on the lights so so perfect I chair would entertain a motion to approve all of the amazing things that Andrea just talked about I'll make that motion to we have a motion we have a motion by Council lighting too harly SL press a button my nose turns red we have have a second by councelor Wagner any discussion hearing none call the question I I I I all vote Yes motion carries 5 Z thank you thank you thank you all right next we have um a resolution approving a bingo event for the International Falls Chamber of Commerce to conduct Bingo on December 5th at the VFW uh chair would entertain a motion to approve that I'll move we have a motion by councelor Kaylor do we have a second second second by councelor Holden discussion hearing none call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z next we have a couple of Public Works recommendations the first is uh approve submitting an application for active Transportation grant funding for the 9th Street local Road Improvement project chair would entertain a motion to approve that I'll make that motion we have a motion by councelor Buller all second second by councelor I almost wrote holding but I know it's not it's gayor you can give them the credit ah it's all right it has to right it has to be right in the official minutes anyway so we have a motion in a second any discussion hearing none call a question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z and next we have a resolution for uh the mpca Clean Water partnership program application process chair would entertain a motion to approve that so Move Motion by councelor Buller I'll second second by councelor I almost did it again Kaylor you did we have a motion in a second any discussion hearing none call the question I I I I I'll vote Yes motion carries 5 Z any other business to come before the council hearing none we'll go to reports of the board's committees department heads City administrator I have nothing additional this evening mayor thank you City attorney I have nothing additional either thank you department heads reports of the mayor council committees boards and commissions I would just U report that I noticed that the one uh building we talked about last week that I think it was that Committee of the whole or Public Works has been knocked down into the pile over on first s West okay that there was concern about okay uh anything else uh just that once again the one Watershed one plan public comment get together SL barbecue is tomorrow at the Elks club from 5: to 7:00 there will be brw and hot dogs and I believe potato salad and chips and it's an open house there'll be some people there but mainly there'll be there the information will be there so you can take a look at it and if you have any comments get back to the group perfect anything else all right we'll go to audience anyone to have anything to please mayor thank you sorry um just to note that the airport steering committee did um the county and City have both approved moving forward with the RFP for the airport Consulting and those rfps are out on their website the city County website and so we'll be moving forward with that process how's the deadline I believe it was December early December for the RFP replies yes the end of October to get it out and then December for correct all right we'll go to audience if anyone has anything in the audience hearing none correspondence uh in your packet you have uh the International Falls Public Library meeting information from October 6th uh reminders we have a special Committee of the whole meeting scheduled for November 4th at 4m. uh and that is to discuss uh financial management uh for utility funds um and then we have a public hearing on November 4th as well and that's going to be for the 5th Avenue West ass assessment and then our city council meeting will be on November 4th as well so we have a whole slate of meetings that day and I would like to I may more than like you won't be here for the special Committee of the whole I'll be traveling back from the cities and hopefully I will be back for the regular council meeting I'll probably be here so the one day I told everyone I have to be in international falles on Mondays so here I am um so yeah perfect uh with no other uh information in front of us this meeting is adjourned we're going right into uh well maybe not right into but we have a Eda meeting