Todd Hanrahan’s resignation from council was one of several agenda items discussed at Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting.

 

 

Hanrahan, who has a little under two years left on his four-year term as city council member, handed in a written note resigning his seat effective April 3.

It was learned Hanrahan and his family will be moving out of the city area and thus was forced to resign.

 

Council has two choices on how to replace Hanrahan — one is to simply appoint someone to his seat to ride out his term or, two, to schedule a special election in the near future.

 

 

Public Works and Parks Assistant Director Chris Lisson invited two of his staff, Jeremy Halvorson and Robert Rierson to the podium to accept two awards the WWTF recently received.

 

The City of Becker WWTF was recently awarded a certificate of commendation from the MPCA for the 2018 review year (Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018). Lisson said the city has received 17 of these wastewater commendations since 1977 with 10 being  received over the last 13 years. 

 

“This success is a result of facility investment, excellent council/ administration support, a dedicated and talented staff and a good working relationship with Liberty Paper Inc.,” Lisson said.

 

The second award was issued in November and is titled, Water Fluoridation Quality Award. This award recognizes the public  water systems that adjust the fluoride concentration in drinking water and achieve a  monthly average fluoride level that is in the optimal range for 12 consecutive months in a calendar year. 

The staff of the water/wastewater department consists of: Halvorson, Mike Barringer , Gerald Lanz (recently retired), Rierson, Chris Kroll, Mark Lemen, Guy Efraimson  and Lisson.

 

 

Lisson asked council to approve the purchase of a Blue Star mobile generator for $56,450. He told council the current generator is 25 years old and in need of replacement. 

 

Lisson said staff budgeted $60,000 in the Domestic CIP for this equipment replacement project and the unit would be used during times of emergency and/or extended power outages and lift stations emergencies and back-ups.

 

Council member Troy Cox — who, in the private sector works for a construction company — warned Lisson that the Tier 4 generators (diesel) he is referring to have been plagued with reliability issues that have all but eliminated their use in an emergency or on-demand environment. After back-and-forth discussions, council decided to table the project until Lisson contacted the manufacturer and got answers to these questions.

 

 

Lisson asked council to approve  allowing the water/wastewater department to hire Traut Wells to perform well exploration activities to determine if two land parcels to the east of Becker are suitable sites for new municipal well(s). 

 

Lisson explained the City of Becker has been in search of a new municipal well to better serve their current city and be better prepared for growth in the future. To this end, the City of Becker has secured a first right of refusal agreement with the Olson Family Trust for the two land parcels near the intersections of Co. Rd. 11 and Co. Rd. 24. 

 

As part of this agreement, the trust has given the city permission to perform well exploration on the sites to determine if either has the potential to provide the city with a municipal well or wells. 

 

Traut Wells would be hired to perform Rotasonic boring, test well pumping and water  quality testing to determine if either site is suitable for the establishment of a municipal well or wells.

 

 Following this exploration process, Staff will have enough information to make a recommendation to city council as to whether either site has potential to hold a municipal well or wells. 

 

 

Mayor Tracy Bertram read aloud a proclamation declaring April 26 as Arbor Day in Becker and urged all citizens to support efforts to care for one’s trees and  woodlands and to support the city's community forestry program.

 

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is May 7 at 6 p.m.