The regular meeting of the Grey Eagle City Council was called to order by Mayor Joseph Arnzen at 7:00 pm on the 8th day of August 2023 in Council Chambers. Council members present were Brad Johnson, Roland Ahrendt, Brian Hollenkamp and Chris Browen. There were no council members absent. Also in attendance were John Call and Beth Ramacher, and guests: John Young, Duane Karls, Sam Tschida, Bryan Bye, Doug Evans, Jackie Friese, Paulette Crowe, John Thompson, Ashley Thompson, Wes David, Jen David, Anita Sunderman and Alisha Sunderman.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the amended agenda. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the minutes of the July 11th meeting. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Sam Tschida was present to request a building permit for a 12’x20’ utility shed. A motion was made by Brad Johnson to approve the building permit application. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
John Young was present to discuss the track at the old school. He would like to see it cleaned up, weeds sprayed and graded to use for walking and running. Road construction is scheduled in the area for 2024 and this would provide a safe alternative for people.
Duane Karls was present to request a building permit for an 18” high fence/water barrier. A motion was made by Roland Ahrendt to approve the building permit application. A second was made by Chris Browen and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. Duane was also given a preliminary drainage plan for the south side of the City Hall/Fire Department building. Bryan Bye and Joe Arnzen will meet with Duane for further discussion.
Discussion was held about complaints the Council has received regarding The Muddy Tailgate drive-through. MnDOT will be setting up a meeting with The Muddy Tailgate and the City of Grey Eagle to further discuss.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the Temporary Liquor License for the Grey Eagle/Burtrum Lions for the tractor pull to be held September 4, 2023. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve Partial Pay Estimate Number 16, for $157,495.88, to C&L Excavating. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Bryan Bye presented a letter from C&L Excavating requesting $11,626.25 towards the MN State Highway 28 Bituminous Pavement Replacement. A motion was made by Brad Johnson to offer $5500.00 toward this project. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote, with all member voting in favor, motion carried. Bryan Bye will present this to C&L Excavating.
Further discussion was held about the streetlight by The Junction. Joe Arnzen will talk to Joe Muellner and report back to the Council.
Discussion was held regarding the utilities at 317 Woodman Street North. Further discussion has been tabled for the time being.
A motion was made by Brad Johnson to have Herdering grade the alleys in town. A second was made by Roland Ahrendt and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve the quote from Locators & Supplies Inc, in the amount of $6520.00, for utility tracer wire locating equipment. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Discussion regarding a moratorium/preliminary ordinance was discussed regarding cannabis. The City Attorney will be contacted for next steps and recommendations.
Various park items were discussed: tennis court fence, park signs, bleachers and dugout. Quotes were presented to fix the south fence around the tennis courts. This has been tabled until further notice so the Council can go and take a closer look. There is no update on the bleachers. Joe Arnzen requested to get a quote for the dugout; the Clerk will obtain this. Quotes from PJ Signs were presented to replace signs in the park. A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve two new 18”x24” signs, in the amount of $180.00. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve attendance at the Clerks Academy on September 14-15, 2023 for $250.00. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Roland Ahrendt to approve Resolution 2023-07: Accepting a $1000 donation from Swanville Dollars for Scholars Gambling for the Grey Eagle Fire Department. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried. The resolution is as follows:
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-07: A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $1000.00 DONATION FROM SWANVILLE DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS GAMBLING FOR GREY EAGLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
WHEREAS, money has been donated by the Swanville Dollars for Scholars; and
WHEREAS, the City Council feels that the donation will benefit citizens of the area;
1. That the City Council of the City of Grey Eagle formally accepts the donation from the Swanville Dollars for Scholars for the Fire Department.
2. That the City Clerk is authorized and directed to make the appropriate revenue and expenditure budget adjustments as needed to reflect this donation and its intended use.
Adopted by the Grey Eagle City Council this 8th day of August 2023.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to add “Grey Eagle Fire Department” to the checking account name so that future checks can be received and deposited. A second was made by Brad Johnson, and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
Applications for the maintenance position were reviewed. A Special Meeting will take place on the 15th of August 2023 at 7:00 pm to conduct interviews on the approved applications.
The Council discussed the 2024 preliminary budget. Snow removal expense was discussed but will remain as is; 2022-2023 had extremely high snowfall totals.
There was a brief discussion on a 2024 Fall Festival. The Mayor has requested that the person(s) interested in putting on this festival come to a future meeting.
The February-June 2023 reports from PeopleService were discussed.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to approve payment of Claims #2804-2823, totaling $22,114.65 and include additional payments of the following: MN Power $2118.61, MN Power $47.94, Rahn’s $290.25, PJ Signs $100.00, GovOffice/Catalis $667.80, Bitz Plumbing $583.14 and Quinlivan $175.00. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A closed session was held for an employee evaluation for Beth Ramacher. A motion was made by Brad Johnson to pay holidays and $300 per month towards health insurance starting in 2024. A second was made by Brian Hollenkamp and upon vote with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
A motion was made by Brian Hollenkamp to adjourn the meeting at 8:44 pm. A second was made by Brad Johnson and upon vote, with all members voting in favor, motion carried.
The next regular meeting of the Grey Eagle City Council will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 in Council Chambers.
Beth Ramacher, Clerk/Treasurer
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