Oaths of Office for newly elected office holders were completed.
City of Dennison
Meeting minutes
January 2, 2025
The January Dennison City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Flaten on Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm. Present were Councilors Nichole Schloesser, Caleb Voight, and Heidi Cooke and clerk Jessica Page. Councilor Diane Ruddle was unable to attend.
Councilor Cooke moved to approve the Meeting Minutes from the December City Council meeting. Councilor Schloesser second. Motion passed 4:0. Councilor Cooke moved to approve the Board of Canvas Meeting Minutes. Councilor Schloesser second. Motion passed 4:0.
Councilor Schloesser moved to approve the Treasurer’s report. Councilor Cooke second. Motion passed 4:0.
Deputy Whitehead dropped to check on any issues. There were no issues noted at this time.
Old Business/Committee Reports/Building Permits:
Update regarding Dean Larsen's permit. Email sent out to the council about whether he could get a building permit before purchasing the land. He is re-configuring the parcel. The permit was being submitted to the County with the changes to the parcel boundaries. Councilor Cooke move to approve the building permit when the purchase goes through. Councilor Voight second. Motion passed 4:0.
Strese Pumper permit No additional information.
Administrative Issues: Nate requesting that utilities be moved up in the agenda for all meetings.
Utilities:
1. Update from Nate. Health dept water samples were comleted. 2 Discharges completed in December.
2. The water meter for Pohl’s has been replaced.
3. Has the DO meter been calibrated yet? Nate was working with the DO meter, and found out that we had ordered the wrong probe. He was working on trying to find the correct one, and seeing if we could return the previously ordered one.
4. Pond, Maintenance shed, lift station issues: The Solar Bee Grid Mixer in the secondary pond was shut off along with the in line heater that keeps the chemical feed line from the storage container in the pond shed out to the mixer in the pond from freezing. Now that line is frozen or blocked.
We won’t know until later how much damage was caused when the Mayor turned them off. Nate is recommending that all keys be turned in for anything related to the sewer and water system. If someone needs access, the request should go through Nate or the clerk if Nate is not available. Councilor Schloesser move that all keys be returned , except for Nates, for the water tower, lift station, pump house, ponds, as no one should be touching anything besides Nate. Advance notice must be given to Nate in order to take out the key.
Councilor Cooke second. Motion passed 3:0 Mayor Flaten abstained.
Administrative:
1. Re-org meeting: (motion to accept all designations, and approve the resolution for the financial in-stitution, at the end)
Designate a newspaper of general circulation as the official newspaper of the city. Has been the Cannon Falls Beacon.
Posting locations for announcements. Dennison Depot, the public bulletin board,
Select an official depository, by resolution, for city funds. Heritage Bank Resolution 1-2025-01
Elect an acting mayor from the councilmembers to perform the mayor’s duties if the mayor unable to fulfill his duties. Heidi Cooke
City Attorney: Burkhardt and Kreisler, LLC
City Clerk/Treasurer: Jessica Page
Hall Custodian: Charles Helcl
Sewer/Water Operator: Nate Sparrow, Consulting with Travis Reichl
Additional City Employees for water/sewer/general: Dan Storlie
City Engineer: Bollig Engineering
Fire Department: Nerstrand
Meeting date/time: First Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm.
Councilor Schloesser Nichole move to approve all designations as noted above, Resolution 1-2025-01 designating the bank for the City, and for Councilor Heidi Cooke to be the acting mayor as needed. Councilor Cooke second. Motion passed 4:0.
2. Annual review of the fee schedule for 2025. Any new fees or changes to the existing fee schedule? Land Split fee and Cannabis fee language was added/approved in November of 2024.
The overall Fuel Surcharge for the garbage pick up has been reduced from the previous year by Flom Sanitation. Discussion was held on the individual amount for the surcharge. Councilor Schloesser move to lower the fuel surcharge to $2.00. Councilor Voight second. Motion passed 4:0.
Councilor Schloesser move to approve the updated fee schedule for 2025. Mayor Flaten second. 4:0
Garbage price increase for 2025 per Flom Disposal Contract. Garbage service pricing will increase by 2.6% for 2025.
3. Xcel Energy transmission project is slated to begin on January 13th. They will be replacing poles and hardware. All the proposed work in the City limits is going to occur in the public utility easements. According to Xcel, any planned outage, they will notify the affected customers and schedule it accordingly. If Xcel needs an outage that feeds our well, they will schedule a time that works for both parties. Xcel was inquiring about needing a work permit. Since all the work will be done within the existing utility easements, the mayor believes approving a permit isn't necessary.
4. Approve Bingo at City Hall during the Flake Out Festival with the Dennison Lions Club. Resolution 1-2025-01, to approve the LG230 Application to Conduct Off-Site Gambling for the Dennison Lions Club to use the Dennison City Hall located at 37622 Goodhue Ave. in Dennison, MN, for their Designer Purse and Power Tool Bingo on February 1, 2025.” Councilor Schloesser move to approve Resolution 1-2025-02. Councilor Cooke second. Motion passed 4:0.
5. Review proposals submitted to the City for fixing the city streets. Deutsch Excavating proposal was $37,270.00. This work would include re-grouting and replacing several catch basins and fixing manholes 32, 20, 14, 15, 28 and 31. Map and construction list emailed previously to the council. Dohmen Concrete Enterprises's proposal was $35,500. This would be for curb and sidewalk fixes. Mayor also reached out to Seykora Asphalt for a bid again. Councilor Schloesser move to approve the quotes from Deutsch Excavating ($37,270.00) and Dohmen Concrete Enterprise’s ($35,500). Mayor Flaten second. Motion passed 4:0.
6. Update regarding City providing dental benefits for Jessica and Nate. Mayor contacted Benefit Extras, Inc. (Third Party Administrator) about setting up a Section 125 premium only (POP) plan document that allows the City to take the dental premiums pre-tax from employee paychecks. Information emailed to the council. Their proposal would include the Implementation ($400) and Plan Document/SPD Amendment ($150). If the city council desires, we can still use Gallagher to enroll Jessica and Nate for dental benefits. Councilor Schloesser move to approve setting up the Section 125 Premium Only Plan with Benefit Extra’s, contingent on knowing we can add others if needed in the future through the Plan as written. Councilor Voight second. Motion passed 4:0.
7. Mayor is requesting that the city council approve raising the wage for city employees, not including either Nate or Jessica, to $22.00 per hour for Dan and Charlie. That wage hasn't been increased for at least 9 years now. Does the City want to include election judges? Current wages are $12.50 per hour. Nerstrand is at $15.00. Amount for Dennison was last set August 5, 2010. Some places designate between Election Judges and Head Judges for pay. Discussion on the subject concerning election judge pay followed. It was agreed that the Council would consider an increase for election judges in the 2026 budget. Councilor Cooke move to increase the current wages to $22.00 per hour for employees other than Jess and Nate. Councilor Schloesser second. Motion passed 4:0.
8. Mayor talked with several members of the Clutchman's Car Club in December about the snow fence and metal posts on the right hand side of the road as you head up the hill, (which were put up for Dennison Days in June but never taken down). Mayor asked them to remove the orange snow fence and posts before the last snow storm. They failed to do so. Bill Deutsch asked about removing the fence and posts, too. Mayor took down the snow fence and laid it next to their garbage can. The fence posts are in the ROW, and they could be hit/damaged when Bill plows. The Clutchmen members the mayor visited with on December 17th, were told this information.
Council felt that the posts should be removed as soon as possible, in case of a snowfall, to prevent damages to the poles, plow, or potentially vehicles. If they are not removed, the City may need to take action to remove them, and Clutchman’s Car Club may be charged for the removal services.
Council is recommending the posts be kept out of the ROW in the future.
Councilor Cooke move to send a letter to Clutchman’s with the above request and information. Mayor Flaten second. Motion passed 4:0.
9. Resolution for Ehlers to do bonds. Resolution #1-2025-03. Councilor Schloesser move to approve Resolution 1-2025-03. Councilor Voight second. Motion passed 4:0.
Citizens Issues: None.
Mayors Issues: None
Councilor Cooke move to pay the bills listed as well as the mileage for the Sewer/Water Operator from December. Mayor Flaten second. Motion passed 4:0.
Mayor Flaten moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Cooke second. Meeting was adjourned at 8:13pm.
Next meeting: Regular meeting is Thursday February 6th, 2025 at 7:00.
