MEETING OF THE CITY OF
CONNELL,
The regular semi-monthly meeting, of the City Council of
the City of
PRESENT:
Mayor Gary Walton, Mayor Pro-Tem Perry Skoglund, Councilmembers Roel
EXCUSED: Councilmember Monica Pruett
STAFF:
City Administrator
VISITORS: Alan
Schroeder, Anderson Perry; Kyle Foreman, Canfield & Associates; Jim Rodstol;
and Kathy Bingham, Graphic.
1) AWC- Active for Life Municipal Games starting May 9th.
Mayor Walton appointed Andy Sawyer to the Park Board.
Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to approve the Consent Calendar as listed:
a) Minutes of the April 11th Regular meeting,
Councilmember
Martinez seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
Councilmember Martinez related that he had been questioned in regards to pro-rated bills for winter.
Public Works Director Munyan advised that there had been a month where the entire city’s bills had been billed for basic water rates due to the ice and snow on the ground. Even the new meters at Striker Addition could not be read through the snow.
Deputy City Clerk-Treasurer ChavezPeña noted that she
would be attending a class on the water billing system and would ask about
averaging bills.
Mayor Walton made the following addition to the agenda;
Desmarais Offer to Agenda Item No. 17.
Motion: Councilmember Martinez moved to approve the agenda as amended. Councilmember Sawyer seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
CANFIELD & ASSOCIATES
Kyle Foreman, Loss Control Representative for Canfield & Associates, introduced himself to Council. Mr. Foreman advised that he had been out assessing the City’s property schedule to make sure everything was in line. Canfield & Associates also offered free workshops such as New Elected Officials presentation, Personnel Issues program, and the Fire Arms Training Simulator. They were currently working on a virtual reality driving simulator.
USDA – WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
Alan Schroeder
from Anderson Perry reported on the following:
Schedules G & H – The motor control center for Well #9 was being installed.
In order to close out the project the City would need to determine how they would like to spend the remaining funds, approximately $30,000 to $40,000. It had been discussed to put these funds into the distribution system for piping, repair/replacement. Due to the sale of the farm the City may want to utilize these funds to complete the system to deliver water in large volumes to the City, installing control valves and integrating the system. A cost estimate would be brought to the next meeting.
Rural Development would be down on May 11th to do their final inspection on Phase II. The final inspection for the project would be the week of May 23rd.
ORDINANCE NO. 781
City Administrator Tackett furnished that initially only a portion of the farm was located within the Urban Growth Boundary and that was the only portion that could be annexed. Since that time the city had been successful in having the Urban Growth Boundary expanded to include the entire farm. Therefore it was time to complete the annexation of the farm into the City.
Mayor Walton read the title of Ordinance No. 781.
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to adopt Ordinance No. 781 annexing the
remainder of the farm. Councilmember
Martinez seconded motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO COMMENCE ANNEXATION PROCEEDINGS
City
Administrator Tackett reported that Roger Bailie had petitioned the City for
annexation of approximately 160 acres adjacent to the City’s wastewater
treatment facility. Mr. Bailie was looking into doing some development and the
City was looking at the site for the future
Council would
need to set a date to discuss whether it would accept, reject or geographically
modify the proposed annexation, whether the City would require simultaneous
adoption of a proposed zoning regulation, and whether the City would require the
assumption of existing City indebtedness.
Motion:
Councilmember Martinez moved to set a date to discuss the three items of the
Notice of Intention to Commence Annexation Proceedings for
OBTAINING APPRAISAL FOR PIONEER PARK & PARCEL FOR PUD
City
Administrator Tackett advised that the City had been unofficially notified by
IAC that it had received the grant for the expansion of
City Administrator Tackett reported that Franklin County PUD had inquired if they could purchase the parcel of land where Well #7 currently was located to construct a sub station to serve both the prison expansion and development east of 395.
Motion: Councilmember Sawyer moved to obtain appraisal services to work with the City Administrator to obtain property for IAC and for an appraisal for the property wanted by Franklin County PUD. Councilmember Martinez seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
CONNELL OIL PURCHASE PRICE
City
Administrator Tackett advised that the Finance Committee had met and recommended
that the DNR property south of US Bank and east of the
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to set the price at $.75 per square foot for
the DNR property south of US Bank and east of the
WATER HOOK-UP FEE
The Finance Committee met and discussed the imposition of hook-up fees for water. Currently the City charged about $300 for the meter. The Finance Committee recommended a $750 hook-up fee for new construction.
Public Works Director inquired if the $750 was for all new construction or just residential and suggested the City leave the hook-up fee for industrial users open to negotiations.
Alan Schroeder of Anderson Perry advised that the City needed to show justifiable fees and do not charge more than the value of buying into the system.
The proposed fee of $750 would include the cost of the meter.
City Administrator Tackett advised that the water study would provide information on the cost of the system and water rates.
Public Works Director Munyan would bring back numbers based on the size
of meters at the next meeting.
ACCELERATED PAYMENTS OF DNR PROPERTY
City Administrator Tackett advised that the interest rates were beginning to rise rapidly. The initial loan for the DNR property was about 4%, that interest was now in excess of 6%. City Administrator Tackett advised accelerating the payments and suggested the following be applied to the principle;
1. Applying the $110,000 transportation payment from the County,
2. $60,000 from the City’s industrial fund,
3. ESSB 6050 funds of $79,000
4. Funds from the sale of the property.
As the City
received payments for property sold, once the loan was paid off, those funds
would be reimbursed. With those funds applied to the principle there would be
$186,000 remaining on the loan.
Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to authorize staff make accelerated payments for the DNR property. Councilmember Sawyer seconded motion. Motion carried unanimously.
City Administrator Tackett discussed putting the remaining DNR property up for bid.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
City Administrator Tackett advised that he had met with Mr. Bailie who agreed in assisting to pay for some of the gravel.
The road would be graveled for approximately half a mile.
City Administrator Tackett noted that once development took place to the north a grant could be applied for to complete the road to the development site.
Public Works Director would bring a cost estimate back to Council.
BROBERG AND DESMARAIS OFFER
City Administrator Tackett presented an offer from the Broberg’s regarding the property they were currently leasing. Clerk-Treasurer Eckman suggested tying in the interest rate to the rate being paid by the City. Once the loan was paid off the City could then lower the interest rates on the leases. Staff would have Attorney Tanner put together the necessary documents.
Motion:
Councilmember Sawyer moved to
have proceed with the sale of property to Mr. Broberg and Mr. Desmarais.
Councilmember Boyer seconded motion.
Motion carried unanimously.
PAYMENT OF BILLS
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to pay the vouchers and payroll in the amount of
$158,629.74. Councilmember Martinez seconded. Motion
carried unanimously.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT – Public Works Director
1) Sent out a letter in regards to code enforcement. The owner had 30 days to correct the problems.
2) Officer Boyer had been helping out with Code enforcement issues. Would try to work on one to two code enforcement issues a month.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT – City Administrator
1) $179 million had been approved for the prison expansion, construction would possibly start in 2006.
2) Received notice that the City had been awarded the IAC grant.
3)
USDA would be doing the feasibility study on the
4)
5) Would be attending the Downtown Development Conference in Chehalis.