Photo Credit: City of Gary/ City Seal
(GARY, MN.) -- The Gary City Council met May 13, to discuss several key agenda items, including utility operations and community projects. Those in attendance included: Council Members Missy Netland, Lynn Thordal, and Dennis Jacobson, City Clerk Bindy Thronson, Carl Olsen, and Publisher Connie Hamernik. Mayor Kelly 'Buck' Engen and Councilman Bryan Thronson were not present.
Regarding public works, maintenance for summer mowing are finished. The water samples from the lagoon came back good, so lagoon dumping is able to resume. Discussion about replacing the water meter took place with Olsen asking for assistance installing the meter. Councilman Thordal and Jacobson offered assistance whenever Olsen was ready.
Several Farmers have requested seasonal water access and council agree that hookups were only available after prior unpaid bills were settled. A motion to approve the request was approved with the stipulation that outstanding balances must be paid before farmers would have access. Concerns about current access to the area, lock access procedures, keys, and operations were at the forefront. A motion was made and carried to replace the locks and keys, this way all old keys would be null and anyone that wanted access would need to get a new key.
Though Norman County had previously expressed interest in the old water plant, nothing can be done until the wells are sealed. The Gary City Council plans to seek bids for sealing the wells. All water tower inspections and water sample reports were good, but follow-up is needed regarding billing for water tower repairs.
Council discussed the auctioning of old school and city equipment including an old plow truck, bleachers, a land scraper, and other items. Concerns about equipment blocking access to the auction items was dispelled. Olsen said he would only need to drive two vehicles out, and the other items blocking access had already been removed. At this point Councilwoman Netland stated items would need to be organized and photographed before the auction could be moved forward.
Spring and summer maintenance will begin at the Gary Pines soon, with Netland pointing out that the trails have a few fell trees that will need to be cleaned up, at which point Olsen requested a small chainsaw that would be more manageable for light cleanup work. Thordal recommended a DeWalt battery powered chainsaw. Olsen then requested approval to repair the snow bucket for the plow, which has a bad blade and a hole in the bucket. A motion was made to approve the purchase of a chainsaw and repair of the blade, both motions were passed.
Revision of the contracts for the city’s One Dollar Lot program was discussed at length, after members noted a previou s recipient resold their lot at a hefty profit. This negates the purpose of the program and building requirements for the initial purchase were never met. Contract changes could potentially include stricter ownership and construction expectation requirements.
The City of Gary paid off a delinquent payment to the USDA. Clerk Thronson stated that the USDA refused a payment plan, so Mayor Kelly ‘Buck’ Engen approved a payment of $15k from rehab funds to settle the debt. Memorial Day preparations, including the replacement of older flags that are in poor condition and putting the new and existing flags out. The Wellness Center is coming along well, with final bank and profit/loss estimates underway. Council addressed the issue of nuisance vehicles. Enforcement action was recommended for 10+ potential nuisance vehicles, and plans were made to take photographs of the vehicles before taking action. Finally, a motion to approve the payment of City bills passed.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org and leave a comment below.
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