Meeting = Minutes of the Richmond City Council

Meeting=20 Minutes of the Richmond City = Council

Thursday=20 February 17, 2011

Council=20 Workshop

Item #1: = Call=20 to Order

Mayor=20 Hemmesch called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at the Richmond = City Hall.

Council Members noted = as being=20 present: Mayor Hemmesch, = Tim=20 Paczkowski, Jeff Mackedanz and Scot = Kron. Absent: Mike Mathiasen.

Also present = were: Martin Bode, Finance Director = / Interim=20 Administrator; Adam Ripple, City Attorney; Randy Jenniges, SEH; Chuck = Merten,=20 Fire Chief; Marilyn Zenner, Administrative Assistant; Gordon Dingmann, = Public=20 Works Director; Fran Ramler, City of Cold Spring Councilor; Steve Stang, = Paynesville Ambulance Service Director; Beverly Mueller, PAHCS Director = of Acute=20 Care; Deb Vogt, PAHCS Board Member; Tom Fennel, Gold Cross Ambulance = Service;=20 Tom Travague, Gold Cross Ambulance Service; Bob Thelen, City of Cold = Spring=20 Councilor and Dan Weber, City of Cold Spring Fire Chief.

Item #2: = Pledge of Allegiance

Mayor=20 Hemmesch asked those present to stand and recite the Pledge of = Allegiance.

Item #3: = Approval of City Minutes of February 2, 2011 and February 2, 2011 = Workshop.

Mayor Hemmesch asked = if there were=20 any additions or corrections to the meeting minutes. None presented.

A Motion was Made to Approve the = City=20 Council Minutes of February 2, 2011 and February 2 Workshop. Motion Made by Mackedanz, = Second by=20 Kron. Motion Passed=20 Unanimously.

Item #4: = Approval of Agenda

Mayor Hemmesch asked = if there were=20 any additions or corrections to the presented agenda. None Presented.

Motion to Approve Agenda. Motion by Kron. Second by Mackedanz. Motion Passed=20 Unanimously.

Item #5. = Consent Agenda.

Mayor Hemmesch read = aloud the list=20 of the following consent agenda items:

a. = ; =20 Approval of Just and = Correct=20 Claims

b. = ; =20 Resolution 113 =96 = 11 Resolution to Accept = February 2011=20 Donations

c. = ; =20 Resolution 115 =96 = 11 Resolution Approving = January Journal=20 Entries

A Motion was Made to Approve the = Consent=20 Agenda as Presented. = Motion Made by=20 Paczkowski, Second by Mackedanz. = Motion Passed Unanimously.

Mayor Hemmesch recessed the regular meeting at 6:33 = p.m. in=20 order for the Council to discuss the following workshop discussion = items:

A. = Ambulance=20 Service =96 Gold Cross Ambulance Service (GCAS), Paynesville = Ambulance Service=20 (PAS), Paynesville Area Health Care Services (PAHCS) and City of Cold = Spring.

Mayor=20 Hemmesch started the discussion off by stating that the City Council of = Richmond=20 is concerned about its community receiving prompt ambulance = service. The following items were = discussed:=20

-City of=20 Richmond has=20 been considering starting their own ambulance service in order to = provide its=20 community with prompt emergency transportation.

-Primary=20 Service Area (PSA) for most of Richmond = is Gold=20 Cross, which is approximately 20 miles from one of their bases in = St. Cloud. = Paynesville=20 Ambulance Eastern=92s PSA line comes up to Casey=92s Convenience Store = or CSAH 9 on=20 the West edge of Richmond, approximately 14 miles from = their=20 base.

-Richmond = community is on=20 the outside fringe for both ambulance services.

-GCAS=20 stated that for the past two years they have been placing an ambulance = in the=20 City of Rockville for about 10-12 hours per = day. However, those hours are not = guaranteed=20 as that truck may be called to assist in St. Cloud or = elsewhere.

-It was=20 noted that there have been times when it has taken GCAS longer than 30 = minutes=20 to respond to a call in the Richmond community. Reasons noted for such a = delayed=20 response was: truck not in area and possible communication problems at = the=20 Stearns County 911 Dispatch Center.

-Also=20 noted was the length of time it takes for GCAS to decide they cannot = provide an=20 ambulance of their own to respond to any given call and to call for = mutual aid=20 from another ambulance service. = A=20 case in point was discussed where about two years ago PAS was paged for = a mutual=20 aid call to Cold Spring 1 =BD hours after the original 911 call was=20 made.

-PAHCS=20 inquired into the possibility of the PSA being remapped to possibly = improve the=20 response times for the Richmond community.

-To help=20 improve the response time to the Richmond community the City of Cold = Spring=20 inquired if it was possible for Gold Cross to place an ambulance in the = City of=20 Cold Spring.

-GCAS=20 noted that they are looking at ways to retool their current management = system in=20 regards to personnel and equipment allocations in hopes of improving the = response times for the Richmond area. GCAS noted they would be = willing to=20 provide quarterly response reports for the City of Richmond.

Mayor=20 Hemmesch thanked every one for their participation in this=20 discussion.

B. =20 ROCORI=20 Fiscal Agent Agreement =96 Attorney Adam Ripple

-Attorney=20 Ripple reviewed with the Council Resolution 117-11, a Resolution that = approves=20 of a Fiscal Agent Agreement for an Escrow Agreement and Hold Harmless = Agreement=20 and Indemnification Agreement relating to the ROCOPRI Trail=20 project

SRTS Update =96 City Engineer = Randy=20 Jenniges

Engineer=20 Jenniges informed the Council that he would be meeting with the state=20 coordinator for SRTS on February 22, 2011, to discuss the State=92s = concern over=20 the change in the route the City had made after the state had awarded = the grant=20 to the City of Richmond.

C. = 2013=20 Main Street=20 Project - City Engineer Randy Jenniges

Engineer=20 Jenniges reviewed with the Council a draft of the 2013 Main = Street=20 Project Cost Summery work sheet that he had created. The project, which includes=20 approximately one and a half blocks of Main Street in the down town = business=20 area, and also includes work to be done from Main Street on two blocks = of Grant=20 Ave. N., one block of 1^st Street N., on each side of Grant = Ave. N.,=20 three quarts of a block of Hall Ave S., one block of Central Ave. S., as = well as=20 one block of Ivy Ave. N. = Total=20 estimated cost to the City is $1,244,000.00. The purpose of the project is = to make=20 needed repairs to these areas: water, waste water, storm water, curb and = gutter=20 as well as street repairs. = Ninety=20 percent of the project cost would need to be paid up front to the County = at the=20 time the bid is awarded. = SEH is=20 looking into any possible Grant funds that might be available. Other funding considerations = would be to=20 bond for the project and fund the payment of the bonds through special=20 assessments and property taxes.

D. = Rural=20 Service District (RSD) =96 City Engineer Randy Jenniges

Engineer=20 Jenniges briefly reviewed with the Council of how a RSD is made up and = the=20 process for putting it in place; i.e. the RSD creates two types of = service=20 district: urban and rural. = Urban=20 district would include properties that are traditionally thought of as=20 developed, such as: commercial, industrial, government facilities and=20 residential properties with ordinary sized lots. The rural district would = include=20 properties that are traditionally considered undeveloped and might = include:=20 vacant land, agricultural land and rural residential properties. The next step in this process = is for the=20 Council to approve of a RSD boundary map where the parcels have been = designated=20 as either being urban or rural.

E. = 2010 Annual=20 Fire Report 2010 and 2011 Township Invoices

Fire Chief=20 Chuck Merten and Interim Administrator Martin Bode reviewed with the = Council the=20 2010 Annual Fire report as well as the 4^th quarter 2010 = Township=20 invoice along with the 2011 Township budget invoice.

F. = City Hall=20 and RLCA Roof =96 Interim Administrator Martin Bode

It was=20 noted that the roof at the Arena had been leaking again. This leak appeared to be more = from ice=20 damming on the North roof edge as opposed to the damage that was done = during the=20 2010 hail storm. Director = Mooney=20 has removed the bottom six feet of ice and snow build up along the North = roof of=20 the Arena. The leak has = since=20 stopped.

The City=20 Hall roof started leaking again. = This time the leak came through the ceiling tile in the = administrator=92s=20 office. Director Dingmann = removed=20 as much of the ice and snow from off the roof as possible and patched = two holes=20 that he found. Council = reviewed a=20 bid to install a framed steel pitched roof that was received from Randy = Linz=20 Construction in the amount of $39,700.00. =20 The City has previously received a bid of approximately = $20,000.00 to=20 repair the existing flat roof. = The=20 Council directed Director Dingmann to obtain additional bids from other = area=20 contractors.

G. = Arena=20 Security System - Interim Administrator Martin Bode

The=20 Council again considered installing a security system at the Arena. The Council asked if the new = security=20 would help lower the insurance premium at the Arena. Staff will look into getting = an answer=20 to that question.

H. = Utility Bill=20 41 Main Street West - Interim Administrator Martin Bode

Interim=20 Administrator Bode informed the Council that Robert Schaefer, owner of = the=20 commercial property at 41 Main Street West, is once again questioning = why he has=20 to pay a City water and sewer utility bill when the property behind him, = at 43=20 Main Street West, owned by Jason Muellner, receives water and sewer off = of his=20 commercial line and not directly from the City=92s water and sewer = mains. Mr. Schaefer stated he has to = pay to=20 heat his property in order for his water line not to freeze when he does = not=20 have a tenant occupying his place and if the City wants to bill him for = a=20 service he=92s not using then he feels he has the right to shut that = service=20 off. With legal council = from=20 Attorney Ripple, Bode informed Mr. Schaefer that the issue of the = residence at=20 43 Main St=20 W. receiving water and sewer service from his = commercial property was a civil matter between him and Mr. Muellner and = that the=20 City would not get involved.

Attorney=20 Ripple further noted to the Council that if Mr. Schaefer would request = the water=20 to his property be shut off at the curb box the City response should be = not to=20 honor the request being the City has knowledge that another residence is = being=20 serviced by that line.

I. =20 Administrator=92s Contract =96 = City=20 Attorney Adam Ripple

Attorney=20 Ripple reviewed with the Council the administrator contract draft for = Martin=20 Bode. Ripple noted that = it is the=20 same contract the City had previously approved for the former city=20 administrator. Interim=20 Administrator Bode suggested removing paragraph II-G that addresses=20 comprehensive time, noting that in his opinion, salaried people are paid = to do a=20 job not bank comp time when and if the job takes longer than a standard = 40 hour=20 work week. Attorney = Ripple reviewed=20 with the Council a memorandum that he had prepared regarding this = question.=20

Interim=20 Administrator Bode requested the Council to consider removing paragraph=20 III-5.

The=20 Council requested to see the City=92s current salary range for City of = Richmond = employees. The Council was provided with = a copy of=20 Resolution 262-09 Appendix A. = It=20 was noted that the Council, at its December 16, 2010, had approved of = Group XIV=20 (Finance Director / Deputy Clerk) Step 8 for Interim Administrator = Bode=92s=20 salary. The closest step = in the=20 Administrator / Clerk group would be Group XVI Step 3.

(Reconvene=20 Council Meeting)

Mayor=20 Hemmesch at 10:11 p.m. reconvened the regular council=20 meeting

Item #6 = Consideration=20 of Resolution 114-11 Appointing Administrator / Clerk /=20 Treasurer

=20 Tabled to Regular = City Council Meeting of March 2, = 2011

Item #7 = Consideration=20 of Resolution 116-11 Approving Bode =20 Contract

=20 Tabled to Regular = City Council Meeting of March 2, = 2011

Item #8 = Consideration=20 of Resolution 117-11 Approving ROCORI Trail Fiscal Agent=20 Agreement

A Motion was Made to Approve = Resolution=20 117-11. Motion Made by = Kron, Second=20 by Mackedanz. Motion = Passed=20 Unanimously.

Item #9 = Purchase=20 Requests, Allocations & Transfers

A Motion was Made to Approve = Purchases=20 Request. Motion Made by = Mackedanz,=20 Second by Paczkowski. = Motion Passed=20 Unanimously.

Item #10 Other Matters of Concern and = Related=20 Items

Councilor Kron noted that in the Just and Correct = claims=20 there was $50.00 paid to the River Lake Stars for promotions? Interim Administrator Bode = explained=20 that the RLCA, as an enterprise = fund, can use revenue dollars for advertising = and=20 promotions of its business; tax dollars were not used in this case. Council expressed concern that = tax=20 payers in town might not know the difference and requested Director = Mooney to=20 consult with the Council on future promotion expenses.

Item #11 = Approval of the Minutes of the = Closed City=20 Council Meeting of February 2, 2011.

A Motion was Made to = Approve. Motion Made by Kron, Second by = Mackedanz. Motion Passed=20 Unanimously.

Mayor Hemmesch asked = if there were=20 any additional items for the Council to consider that evening. Hearing no further comments, = he asked=20 for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

Motion to Adjourn. Motion by Mathiasen. Second by Mackedanz. Motion Passed=20 Unanimously.

Mayor Hemmesch = declared the=20 meeting adjourned at 11:14 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Martin M. Bode

Interim Administrator