April 7, 2009 Council Meeting

The meeting started with Public Works Gene P. telling about the summer help application process. The summer help workers will be able to submit applications to the City of Buhl by May 15 for summer work at $7.50/hour. The City will also be accepting bids on a white pickup for a minimum of $6500. Also, Spring Cleanup is June 1-4 with more details at City Hall.

In the Citizen's Forum, Thad H. from Buhl talked about a proposal for a new Disc Golf Course in Buhl. The course would be 18 holes, designed and paid for by the Hibbing Disc Golf Association (HDGA). This organization is a non-profit that receives grants to build courses. The course would be owned by Buhl, but mainly maintained by the Association, with Buhl responsible for mowing only. The HDGA would like to build the course around Judson Pit, but they are open to other areas for the course.

HDGA believes that the course would be of a large benefit to Buhl, and could be a potential money maker in the long term for the City. I have not made up my mind on this, and I have a lot of questions about the course and the long term ability of the City to maintain the course. I could use some feedback from you, so let me know what you think.

The first order of business was a Resolution supporting bills in the State of MN Legislature establishing the Central Iron Range Sanitary Sewer District. These bills really just re-established the district with new rules and guidelines. If there ever is a sanitary sewer district, Buhl will be part of it so that we don't have to build and maintain our own sewer plant. The resolution passed unanimously.

Next, the Buhl/Kinney Ambulance and First Responder Contract was approved. It provides guidance on how Kinney residents and Kinney City employees will work on the Buhl ambulance.

The next piece of business was a request from a Buhl citizen to purchase all 18 lots available in the Stubler development. The individual offered $161,000 for all 18 lots or $8900 each. To break even on the project, the City needs $325,000, or $18,000 per lot. The council invited the individual to the next meeting to discuss the issue.

Next up we talked about 2009 projects and which ones might be feasible. The City decided to move ahead with public hearings on each project. The projects are Frantz Street, East Monroe Drive, Presidents Avenue and South Memorial Drive. Each project will be completed if funding assistance is available from alternative resources such as the Federal Gov, State Gov, IRRRB etc.

There was also a discussion on assessments for the Presidents Avenue project, and it was decided that assessments of $2,000 were already completed on the homes on the south side of Presidents Ave. Those funds are in an account previously set aside for the paving of Presidents Avenue.

So we hade resolutions calling for public hearings on the improvements I mentioned above.

There was another resolution approving a community development block grant with St Louis County that gives Buhl $100,000 that will be used for sewer and water projects.

The City Clerk and City Finance Director were given raises equal to that of the City Contract employees. The raise was $.70/hour.

We paid two invoices to RLK. One for the East Monroe Street project for $262.50 and one for the Stubler Pit Project for $241.25.

We tabled a discussion on Quest high speed Internet. The person that had made the request rescinded the request.

There is an Economic Stimulus Resource Workshop on April 17, 2009 that the is being put on by IRR. This is open to all City workers and council members.

Before the meeting the personnel committee met some of the city workers and talked about the new Personnel Policy and the new Pay Plan. It has been and will continue to be a long process in getting these new policies in place. But the meeting went well and I hope to continue with the process in the next month or so.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.