An audit contract, SCADA upgrades, BNSF easements and contracts and a request for a public hearing were all part of the agenda presented at the Becker City Council meeting Tuesday.

 

City Administrator Greg Pruszinske asked council to approve an extension to the previous temporary construction easement for the area’s BNSF project that was set to start in May, but has been delayed.

 

Pruszinske presented council with a May 5 memorandum from City Attorney Scott Lepak that described the easement and gave his recommendation to approve the temporary easement. The temporary construction easement is to allow BNSF to acquire land from the city for the track expansion.

 

Council reviewed the memorandum and information and approved to extend the easement for another 60 days.

 

Pruszinske also presented council with a letter from the city’s engineer — Randy Sabart of SEH — with an estimate for the engineering services for the Hancock Street design improvements.

 

Pruszinske says the improvements are necessary to improve railroad safety, improve access to the city’s industrial park and to get the city into a position where they can eventually implement a train whistle quiet zone.

 

With all the improvements and projects BNSF has going on in the city, Pruszinske said it would be wise for the city to “piggyback” on their projects to capitalize on the construction work to drive down costs to the city. With that in mind, Pruszsinske wants the city to move forward with a supplemental contract with SEH to perform necessary work on the final design documents.

 

The professional services from SEH will cost an estimated $64,900.

 

Police Chief Brent Baloun put in a request from council to schedule a public hearing for the July 21 meeting to address tobacco violations from two area businesses who failed a recent compliance check.

 

Baloun said members of the his department and those from the Sherburne County Public Health agency conducted a tobacco compliance check back on June 22 to all area businesses who sell tobacco products. An underage member of the SCPH department visited each establishment and requested tobacco products. Two stores — Deli Plus and Good Spirits & Smoke — failed to ask for ID and sold the products to the underage person.

 

Baloun said there are two penalties that can come out of this recent violation. The first is a criminal charge against the checker. They are immediately identified, questioned and then cited for the sale of tobacco to a minor. This will require they appear in court.

 

The second penalty is a civil penalty against the business itself. Baloun said per the city’s ordinance, the BPD cannot impose an administrative penalty against the business without a public hearing. The potential penalty/administrative fine is $100 for the first offense (both businesses fall into this category). Subsequent offenses could include a $250 fee for a second offense along with a seven-day license suspension. For a third offense, the party could face a $750 fee and a 30-day license suspension.

 

“It’s been three years since we had a violation of this kind around here,” said Baloun.

 

Council set the public hearing for July 21 at 5 p.m. to hear from the businesses or the public on the violations.

 

Dave Pesola asked council to approve a contract for professional services to upgrade the water/wastewater SCADA system for a total of $58,062.93.

 

Pesola said the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the WWTF has been modified in segments over the last 20 years by several system integrators and has resulted in a system that has incomplete and inaccurate system drawings, is fragmented, difficult to troubleshoot and produces many “phantom” alarms.

 

Pesola says for the past several years, the city has enlisted Total Control Systems to provide the service for the SCADA system. He said Total Control has become very familiar with the existing problems and they provided a quote for Phase I of the project to upgrade the on-site computer and network system for the nearly $59,000 price tag. Pesola says another upgrade will be necessary in the future to address off-site SCADA issues with well houses, water towers and lift stations. That phase — Phase II — will not be as costly, Pesola said.

 

The cost for the upgrades will be shared equally between three funds, Pesola said, including domestic sewer, industrial sewer and water. Staff had already budgeted the upgrades in their 2015 capital budget at around $300,000.

 

One other service provider (ICS Healy-Ruff) submitted quotes for Phase I of the project and they came in with a $64,400 bid. Pesola said their bid was based on the equipment and software currently being used and they were unable to give a solid number on what it would take to “clean up” the system “since they do not have the in-depth knowledge of the network’s problems that Total Control does,” Pesola said.

 

Treasurer Sarah Brunn presented a resolution to council for approval of a three-year contract with Abdo, Eick & Meyers, LLP for the upcoming audit years of 2015, 2016 and 2017.

 

Brunn noted the first year cost of $21,000 to AEM is an increase of 2.7% from 2014. She said the subsequent years are increases of approximately 2.3%.

 

Brunn said the details were reviewed with the budget and finance committee and approved.

 

• Mayor Lefty Kleis gave a “shout out” to all the volunteers, businesses and participants in last month’s Freedom Days activities;

 

• Water Operator Jeremy Halvorson was acknowledged for his 18 years of employment at the WWTF;

 

• Baloun reminded council and staff of the upcoming Night to Unite event August 4.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is July 21 at 5 p.m.