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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.17.79 Council Minutes 95 MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING REGULAR DECEMBER 17, 1979 1. The meeting was called to order by the Mayor at 7:00 P.M. Present: Mayor Akin, Councilmen Johnson, Kuchera, Orr and Whittier Also Present: Administrator Ford, Attorney Gorgos Employees Present: Police Chief Robert Metcalf, Police Sgt. Stan Whittingham and Officers Steigauf, Churchill, Siebenaler, Wacker 2. Motion by Johnson, second by Whittier to adopt the minutes of December 3, 1979 with the following correction: Paragraph 9, last sentence, change Nov 10, 1979 to December 10,1979. APIF, motion carried. 3. Motion by Kuchera, second by Whittier that the following renewal licenses hereby be approved for the year 1980: BEER OFF-SALE - Dick's Red Owl Ericksons Grocery Old Crow Tavern Thelens Grocery Tom Thumb Superette BEER ON-SALE - Farmington Arena Farmington Lanes Old Crow Tavern APIF, Motion carried LIQUOR LICENSE - Black Stallion On-Sale Black Stallion Sunday VFW Club Club American Legion Club GAMBLING LIC VFW Club American Legion 4. The Council then discussed a memorandum from the City Administrator and from Police Chief Metcalf dated November 30, 1979 in which recommendations were being made to the council for eligibility for merit pay. Considerable discussion fol- lowed as to the method used in evaluating performance and it was suggested that the council make note of various suggestions and comments that they may have to improve the system and pass it on to the staff. Motion by Whittier, second by Johnson that the recommendations of the department head and the administrator be approved and that a merit pay bonus of 1% of base pay be awarded to Officers Dan Siebenaler'& Jerome Wacker. Voting for: Johnson, Orr, Whittier. Voting against: Akin and Kuchera. Motion carried. 5. The Administrator advised the council that a complete separate audit was being required by the Department of Revenue Sharing and that it would involve a consider- able cost. The Administrator was recommending that because of the way Revenue Sharing is treated in Farmington, in that all of the funds are merged within the General Fund to reduce taxes, that we first attempt to conduct the normal City Audit and send a copy to the Revenue Sharing Department in the hopes that it would suffice and not incur the additional cost. The council agreed to this procedure. 6. The Council reviewed the estimated cost of traffic control sign replacement which resulted from an earlier survey made by the Earl F. Anderson and Associates, Inc. firm. The estimated cost of the materials was $4000.65. Motion by Akin, second by Orr to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R40-79 which authorizes the City Administrator to make application for grant money to facilitate the ordering and installation of the signs indicated in the survey. APIF, motion carried. 7. Motion by Johnson, second by Kuchera to approve the purchase of two mobile radios for General Services Department from Air Comm in the amount of $1300 for which the 1979 budget provided. APIF, motion carried. 8. Motion by Akin, second by Whittier to approve the new proposed engineering fees tendered to the City by the Consulting Engineering firm of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik, and that the new fees be inserted into the service agreement. APIF, motion carried. 9. Motion by Orr, second by Akin that the revised cost figures of December 11, 1979, involving the remodeling of the former Youth Center in preparation for the library move be approved and accepted. APIF, motion carried. 10. The council again discussed the possibility of general animal control ordin- ance with the emphasis on controling cats similar to the way in which dogs are controlled. Considerable discussion followed. Motion by Akin, second by Whittier that the council adopt an ordinance identical to the present dog ordinance except that anywhere in which the word "dogll appears in the ordinance the word "cat" would be inserted. Voting yes: Kuchera, Whittier. Voting against: :Akin, Orr, Johnson. Motion not carried. 11. The council requested the City Administrator to contact the Fire Chief and suggest to him that certain awards which had been approved earlier by the council, be awarded by the Fire Department on behalf of the council, at their next annual and that the recipients be invited to their annual meeting. 12. The council then took up a report from the City Administrator dated December 3, 1979, which was the result of an investigation he conducted concerning an incident of a Farmington Squad car response on October 21, 1979. The report had been brought about by allegations made at the November 5, 1979 meeting by Councilman Kuchera, that certain actions taken at that time were inappropriate. There was an extended open discussion involving the Mayor, members of the Council, the Administrator, the police Chief, Police Sergeant and the four sworn officers, all of whom were present. At one point the discussion led to an exchange between Councilman Orr and Mayor Akin concerning interpretation of the open meeting law. The Mayor stated that at times he would have to make his own decision as to whether or not the provisions of the open meeting law were in the best interests of the citizens of Farmington and that any time that anyone believed that he had violated the law, they were free to file a complaint and process the complaint and he asked that that statement be included in the minutes. It appeared by statements made by the employees that the thing that bothered them the most was the practice of a councilman making allegations or accusations at an open meeting without the employee being present and without the item being on the agenda and without all of the facts being known at the time. In this regard, there appeared to be a consensus on the part of the council that each member agrees that these kind of actions would not be taken and that instead the full administrative process would be exhausted first in the case of suspected wrong doing on the part of an employee and that the matter would then come before the counci I if not properly concluded prior to that. Motion by Orr, second by Johnson that the report of the Administrator and the conclusions contained therein, be accepted and concurred in. Voting Yes: Akin, Johnson, Orr, Whittier. Voting No: None. Abstaining: Kuchera. Motion carried. 13. Motion by Akin, second by Whittier that the request of the Liquor Store Manager to increase the salary of Barbara Kleinemas from $3.50 per hour to $3.75 per hour be approved. APIF, motion carried. S l Council minutes of 12/17/79 cont. 14. Motion by Akin, second by Johnson to approve the offering of the position of part-time billing clerk to Bonnie J. Carey, effective January 2, 1980 at a starting salary of $3.75 per hour as recommehded by the City Administrator in a memo dated December 11, 1979. APIF, motion carried. 15. The Administrator informed the council that the former Farmington Treatment Plant had now been phased out by the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission and that a contract had been let by the commission for the razing of the structures pre- sently on the site and that following the razing of the building the site would revert to the City of Farmington. The council asked the Administrator to seek suggestions from employees and others as to a use of the land, its value and dr'awings and legal descriptions of the property. 16. Motion by Akin, second by Johnson to approve the bills as presented. APIF, motion carried. 17. Motion made and seconded to adjourn at 9:40 P.M. Respectfully submitted, ~~,'cl-~ William J. Ford ~ City Administrator APPROVEO qil-r..- 7. I~ ~ 0 WJF/kf