November 5, 2012 Council Minutes
November 5, 2012
Those Present: Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Marty Nate, Mable Whitmore
Meeting called to order: 7:00 pm Invocation: Councilmember Joe DeClark
The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council accepts the published agenda. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
Minutes from the October 2, 2012, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark to set the date for the Christmas Lighting Event in the Park for November 26th at 6:00 pm. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. Clerk Smith will make some flyers to hand out to the kids at Georgetown and make contacts with Santa and make arrangements for his entrance and the refreshments.
Marty Nate came before the council to report that after research the $1,000.00 grant for playground cover received would buy 1 ½ bags of mulch and would be enough to make a 2” layer of cover for the playground area. She asked the council if they would buy another 1 ½ bags of mulch to put a 4” layer of cover for the playground area. She is going to Idaho Falls this week to pick up the mulch to save the City the cost of shipping. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion for the city to buy 3 tons of mulch and match the $1,000.00 grant for playground cover. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. Marty also reported that she found another grant to apply for playground equipment and/or park improvement and the grant is for $5,000-$250,000. In order to qualify for the grant it needs to have an endorsement letter signed by someone affiliated with Northwest Farm Credit. She will report back when she has more information.
The Mayor found an Arts Grant and wondered how the council felt about applying for it in order to put in a gazebo and a sound system to be used in the Park for various events such as the Twin Creeks Celebration or a place to hold dances with music on warm summer nights. The council agreed that it sounded like a fun idea and that he should apply for it.
Police Report: Officer Skinner made 46 contacts for the month of October.
Maintenance report: Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of October stating that he has been treating the sewer like usual and has taken the aerators out of the ponds for the winter and was able to trap some muskrats down by the ponds. He met with Matt from Keller Associates, about the head gates that need to be replaced and they decided that a chain link fence would be best to put around about 15 acres of the ponds to keep the deer and other animals out of all year. He changed couriers again, to Action Couriers, at the recommendation of the lab so the samples would be there earlier in the day and they are cheaper. The IRWA reported that Bancroft also needs a backup waste water operator and that Doug and Bancroft’s operator could serve as each other’s backups. He sent his letter to the EPA for the month and all samples sent for testing have been good. He marked all sewer and water lines for when digging begins along 1st Street to 4th Street. He turned water services off at 3 locations. He checked the water hookup for T.J. Johnson’s property so it would be ready when his new home comes in. He tested the well for Nitrates and there was none. He took the appraiser from ICRMP to the water tanks for their inspection. He cleaned up his office and winterized City Hall, removing the air conditioning unit from the window. He also fixed the veteran’s light at the memorial site and noticed that it had been vandalized. He mowed the lawns, stocked the pop machine, got the plow ready for the winter and did some maintenance on all the vehicles and the backhoe. He is going to order a replacement fire hydrant for the one at the corner of 5th Street and Main Street and is going to order 4 new stop signs and 4 new yield signs to replace around the city.
Office Report: Clerk Smith reported that there are 10 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of October. She asked the council if she should order 1099 and W-2 forms to do the city’s tax reporting or if they would like Gary Teuscher to continue to do the W-2’s and she was told to order them. She also mentioned that she has a conflict with the next meeting held in December and asked if they would like to move the date, but it was decided to just use the recorder for the December meeting. She explained that she had received a letter from Corey Hayes stating that he should be on ½ rates and she asked the council if he should still be on ½ rates or if the same rule would apply to him as it does to all citizens that were using the ½ rate status. Councilmembers agreed that they remembered that as long as Corey was living in his home that he would get his services for free per month at his personal residence, but he would have to pay for services at his trailer. The only reason he was getting his services for half the monthly rate was because the City was offering that option at the time, but now that the City is no longer offering that option, he should have to pay full monthly rates at the trailer house or have the services turned off. She is to write a letter explaining these findings to Mr. Hayes.
The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of October 2012 in the amount of $14,450.72 in the general fund, $7,113.35 in the water fund, $17,516.37 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $39,080.44. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark that the council adjourn from the November 2012 council meeting at 8:10 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynette Smith, City Clerk