Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting lasted a mere five minutes — just enough time to take ones’ coat off, say the pledge, whip through the agenda and return to ones’ car before the engine even cooled.

 

Prior to the meeting, council posed individually and as a group for new photos for the city’s website and promotional pieces.

 

Mayor Tracy Bertram got approval of Jan. 2’s regular and executive session meeting minutes as well as the day’s current agenda. She moved right into the guests and open forum section and asked if anyone in the audience was inclined to speak. Since the audience consisted of three individuals — including this reporter, the mayor moved on to the next subject.

 

Number seven on the agenda listed committee reports for public works and personnel. Bertram mentioned public works’ committee meeting got cancelled and said personnel had covered just regular staffing updates at their most recent get-together.

 

For administrative reports, Mayor Bertram called on Clerk Julie Blesi for the topic of calling a public hearing at a future meeting.

 

Blesi said during the recent fee schedule update, the two percent increase to water and sewer rates as suggested by the 2016 rate study were inadvertently missed. In order to update the fee schedule, she said, a public hearing must be called. 

 

Blesi asked for a motion and a second to call for a public hearing Feb. 5 at approximately 6 p.m. to consider changes to the city fee schedule. The motion was made by Mike Doering and seconded by Todd Hanrahan.

 

CA Greg Pruszinske presented the consent agenda which included a 2019 pay equity report, a fire hose agreement with Becker schools, a partial pay request to Hardrives, Inc. for $11,679.19, an EDA appointment of Lori Keller and another partial pay request to Knife River Corp. in the amount of $36,476,79. Pruszinske said the pay request to Knife River was a final payment which meant the 2017 bituminous street improvement project was completed $57,177,74 under budget.

Rick Hendrickson noted the EDA is still looking for another member of the committee and that it is open to any city resident