The agenda was approved as presented.
The council reviewed the fire department report for the month. Total payment requests for the evening came to $1270.70. They were approved.
The council reviewed the public hearing comments. The council then moved to adopt Resolution 10-27-11-01, assessing the proposed dollar amounts. It carried.
Brown presented the council with a pay request for the street projects totaling $97,959.81. The council approved the request.
A request from Central Valley Co-Op to tap into the force main was the next item on the agenda. Engel told the council he had been approached by management at the local office. The co-op would like tap into the force main located on the south side of 8th Ave. Brown told the council that in his opinion the hook-up would be very doable. The council then asked who would be paying for the pipe, which will need to be bored under the new road. After a lengthy discussion the council felt that if the co-op wanted to tap into the force main, the city would have no problem with that. Further discussions on costs will be needed.
A water-related situation on 2nd St. was addressed. Currently one property has another property’s water line running right next to the first property’s house. A question was then raised about whether the city needed to move the line into the alley. Legal council told the council that if the line has been there for a number of years, there is a right. However, seeing the road will be open next spring, the council may want to look into moving the line.
The council approved the minutes of the October 13, 2011 meeting as presented.
The council reviewed the claims submitted for the evening totaling $52,613.50. The claims were approved as presented.
The Investment and Disbursement Register were presented next for approval. The council had a lengthy discussion about the funds for the Municipal Liquor Store. The council approved moving funds from the capital restricted fund to the liquor store to cover some of the improvements that are being done to the store.
Engel went over his items for the evening. Engel told the council he had been approached by the developer in Crown Ridge about possibly lowering the hook-up fees for city utilities. The council felt that new housing within the city is a positive action, but also felt the fees were within reason having been looked at only a couple of years ago. The council moved to leave the hook-up charges at the current rate.
Louks started his report by asking the council their intentions for some of the equipment the fire department had received from the DNR. The department has some generators and trash pumps that either need to be brought to working order or returned to the DNR. The council felt it would be worthwhile to at least try to get one of each in running order if possible.
Louks told the council the ambulance service had received monies from the state. A resolution to pass them along to the ambulance service was made.
During open discussion, the council again went over the financial situation at the Municipal Liquor. The council also discussed the applications for the manager position. After some discussion, the council decided to hold a special meeting next Thursday, November 3 at 7 p.m.
The next regular meeting of the Ellendale City Council will be Thursday November 10 at 7:30 pm.
