City of Brownton-Council Meeting
City of Brownton
Brownton City Council
January 8, 2019
Oath of Office was administered by the City Clerk to Mayor Schwarze and Councilmen Block, Carrigan and Messner.
Council appointed and swore in Lori Copler as new Councilwoman whose term will end on December 31, 2020.
Resident, Brandon Cox, approached Council to reconsider owning ducks/chickens within city limits. Council tabled the decision until March, allowing the City Clerk to research with other neighboring cities. Consent agenda was reviewed and approved.
SEH reviewed Street Improvement Project 2019. Included in the project are:
٠4th Street S from 5th Avenue S to 6th Avenue S (gravel with curb and gutter) ٠4th Street S from 6th Avenue S to 8th Avenue S (bituminous with curb and gutter)
٠1st Avenue S from south City limits to 3rd Street S (bituminous, partial curb and gutter)
٠1st Avenue N from Division Street to 2nd Street N (gravel, no curb and gutter)
٠9th Avenue N from Alley 5o 2nd Street N (gravel with curb and gutter)
Assuming the project will come in less than $170K would allow us to limit bids to 2-3 contractors. SEH will need to provide a feasibility report; we are assuming the same assessment rate as the 2018 project. The streets will be reclaimed and restored with six inches of gravel and three inches of bituminous. Engineering estimate to design and complete the project is not to exceed $22,900. Motions were made to accept the SEH engineering agreement and also to order the feasibility report. The city will meet with SEH and R&R in two weeks to discuss project completion timelines. Liquidated damages ($17,000 already charged) and damages going forward if/as timelines are not met, will also be discussed.
Historical photos have been chosen to represent all nine towns within McLeod County. Brian Leehan (freelance writer from Twin Cities) is working with McLeod County Historical Partnership to write reports that document major events that occurred between the dates of the original photos and the present. Mid May, all the photos and the reports will be on exhibit at Hutchinson Center of the Arts. Names of residents to interview were requested.
Public Works reported that Neubarth sanded various intersections in the City. Chad’s working on 2019 seal coating. A water shutoff was hit and is being replaced. Quades electrical work is done behind the bank; they also repaired wires hit by R&R, which will be reimbursed. The dump gate was hit by the truck when grinding brush. The trucker’s insurance will pay the replacement cost of the gate; the City will pay an additional $1,500 to upgrade to a larger gate.
Chief Bauer reported that Officer Anderson resigned as of January 4, 2019; his resignation was formally approved by Council. Anderson will be working for the City in a part-time capacity; his pay will reflect part-time status. Bauer will evaluate officer pay with other cities and will bring back to Council for further discussion. Bauer and Mayor Schwarze have interviewed a candidate; he plans to hire part-time initially and offer fulltime if everything works out.
Motion was made to move ahead with Court Order process to raze the former grocery store building.
Upon review, Council made the motion to accept the 2019 Fee Schedule, Designations and Appointments.
Council made the motion to approve the 2019 Tobacco License for the Brownton Bar.
Discussion was held regarding using the old boy’s locker room for the golf simulation setup vs. the aforementioned wrestling room. Discussion was held regarding the height of the room, lights, bathroom, etc.; to be continued.
Upon motion, meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted by
Ella Kruse, City Clerk
(Published in The McLeod County Chronicle January 16, 2019)
