A resignation, a report on the farmer’s market, a 2105 audit, an update on financials,a couple machinery purchases, a public hearing call and info on a compensation study were all items discussed during Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting.

 

Mark Ebensteiner from Abdo, Eick & Meyers presented council with the 2015 audit and explained their auditing standards, their significant findings, compliance and a summary of prior year’s findings.

 

He went over the general fund which is used to account for resources traditionally associated with government, which are not required legally or by sound principal management to be accounted for in another fund. 

 

Ebensteiner said the general fund balance increased $264,118 from 2014. The total ending fund balance of $1,693,779 is 43 percent of current year expenditures and transfers out.

 

Abdo, Eick & Meyer recommend the fund balance be maintained at a level sufficient to fund operations until the major revenue sources are received in June. The city has formally adopted a fund balance policy for the general fund which is to maintain a minimum unrestricted fund balance of 40 percent of the next year’s budgeted expenditures for cash-flow timing needs. The general funds unrestricted fund balance as a percentage of 2016 budgeted expenditures is 48.8 percent at year end. The city’s ending fund balance is above their target level.

 

Ebensteiner talked about special revenue funds, debt service funds, capital project funds, enterprise funds, golf course operations and a ratio analysis, comparing Becker to other similar-sized governments.

He also talked a little bit about future accounting standard changes and touched on some audit findings in regards to segregation of duties and compliance. 

 

Treasurer Sarah Brunn asked council to call for a public hearing for certification of snow removal charges.

 

Brunn said that on Dec. 29 and Jan. 13 of this past winter season, the city was dispatched to clear numerous sidewalks throughout the city. Notices followed the events and were sent to the affected homeowners, giving them 30 days to pay the $75 fee.

 

As of this week, Brunn has taken note of 55 property owners that have failed to comply with the fee charge. If left unpaid, the charges will be assessed to the property owner on their 2017 property taxes.

A May 17 public hearing date was finalized and approved by council.

 

BCC Manager Jamie Cassidy told council he and his staff are continuing to make progress on the BCC dehumidification project and are currently in the process of working with Wenck Associates to coordinate a sealed bid process to purchase the equipment Wenck has specified through their preliminary engineering work.

 

Cassidy said he was asking council to approve the equipment specifications and approve a release for public bid. He was requesting the sealed bids be returned no later than May 16 and having them opened and awarded the morning of the 17th.

 

If all goes according to plan, Cassidy expects council to authorize the bid for construction June 7, get bids by June 23, council awards construction contract on the 5th of July and construction contract in place by July 31.

 

The deadline for equipment delivery is scheduled for Sept. 1.

 

Cassidy also asked council to approve the purchase of a new Tool Cat trail-grooming machine from Farm-Rite Equipment in St. Cloud.

 

Cassidy said last winter’s trail grooming machine broke down towards the end of the season and limped along for the last month. He noted the machine is in a state of disrepair and he and staff from Public Works worked together to bring forth a new machine that would not only replace the previous ability to groom trails, but would also be able to handle a number of other duties as well.

 

The new Tool Cat would be able to groom trails for cross country skiing, snow-shoeing and hiking, but will also be used for mowing, sweeping, blowing, rink maintenance, stump grinding, trail maintenance, landscaping and snow removal.

 

Public Works received two quotes for the machine, one from Farm-Rite and one from Lano Equipment. Farm-Rite came in with the lowest purchase price of $56,522 and the cost will come out of capital improvement funds from Public Works ($43,470) and Parks ($13,052).

 

Jean Johnson — along with Linda Ellis and Beth Cameron — passed out goodies they plan to feature at this year’s Farmer’s Market.

 

Johnson pointe out that the market is moving its location from the parking lot of the Becker Community Center to the parking lot of Becker Furniture World to get better exposure.

 

“We plan to put up signs and promote the move so people will know where we are,” said Johnson. “I’d like to thank the BCC and staff for allowing us to be at that location the first few years.”

 

Johnson said plenty of applicants have applied for space at the new location but she is still looking for more vendors.

 

“We hope to get double what we had last year,” she said. “A vendor can be someone who produces or makes a product and is able to sell that item to consumers,” she said.

 

“Thank you, too, to the city for helping to support the Farmer’s Market,” she said.

 

This year’s Farmer’s Market will run from May 20 to Oct. 14, 3-6 p.m. om Fridays.

 

• Treasurer Sarah Brunn gave a quick financial summary for the first quarter of 2016;

 

• Council approved a compensation study, though Mayor Kleis voted “nay”;

 

• Roger Bigalke asked council to allow the Becker American Legion to take over the bluebird project at Pebble Creek in which they will be responsible for the care of the houses, repairs and set-up;

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is May 17 at 6 p.m.