Approval of plans and specs for the WWTF, a call for a public hearing, a waiver of statutory tort liability limits, a municipal advisors agreement and a report on SherVision were all part of the agenda for the Becker City Council meeting Tuesday. SherVision City Administrator Greg Pruszinske gave a report on SherVision (formerly known as the Innovative Challenge) leadership team.

 

Pruszinske said the leadership team — consisting of he, County Commissioner John Reibel, Sherburne County Asst. Administrator Dan Weber, Senior Program Manager for Community and Economic Development Dan Frank, Greater St. Cloud Development Business Director Bill Kemp and Big Lake City Administrator Clay Wilfahrt — all traveled together to Grand Junction, CO back on Sept. 16-18 for a coal-reliant communities innovation challenge workshop and seminar.

 

The NACO, NADO and federal EDA sponsored the three-day event.

 

The aim of the workshop was to support community leaders with creating economic diversification strategies that expand opportunities in the country and regions.

 

Pruszinske said the workshop stressed three goals to work towards as a leadership team and that included: 1). Regional community vision planning; 2). Develop and coordinate a business retention and expansion countywide and 3). Continue to work towards better broadband infrastructure throughout Sherburne County.

 

Several action steps were determined following the workshop including a town hall meeting with Sen. Kiffmeyer discussing broadband; a report to the Sherburne County Board; hold a business retention and expansion meeting as well as a community vision strategy meeting and then report back to the Becker and Big Lake EDAs.

 

Project Manager Jim Miller of Wenck Associates presented council with an update and a cost estimate for the proposed modifications to the Becker Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant.

 

The city — along with Wenck and LPI, have worked throughout the last 12 months to define and develop a plan to provide a solution to the projected needs of the WWTF. The project was initially intended to utilize elements of the existing 20-year-old facility with the addition of one oxidation ditch required to meet the needs of LPI.

 

As the project was discussed, it was determined that to achieve the goals required, the addition of two oxidation ditch units and some additional process modifications would better serve those needs.

 

The design would also incorporate additional comments from the MPCA, which is an integral component to the endeavor.

 

In February of 2015, the cost for the original concept was estimated at $6,190,000. With the upgrades Miller suggested, the project cost increased to $7,910,000.

 

Miller said the city received a permit renewal from the MPCA Dec. 1 and has also obtained verbal approval from Brian Fitzpatrick for the plans and specifications for the project.

 

The official letter of approval is in the process of being issued, said Miller.

 

Council voted to approve the project and as a result, Miller said they will advertise for bids Dec. 4, receive bids by Jan. 13 and award the project Feb. 2.

 

Treasurer Sarah Brunn told council that each year, the City of Becker is required to make an election related to statutory tort limits on their liability insurance coverage which renews in February. Minnesota statutes limit a city’s tort liability to a maximum per claim of $500,000 and $1,500,000 per occurrence.

 

Brunn said a city can elect to waive these limits and if that is the case, a single claimant could receive up to $1,500,000 per claim plus the amount of excess liability coverage the city carries.

 

Brunn pointed out the city has opted to not waive the tort limits in the past and she requested the city do the same for this year. The benefit of waiving these limits goes to the injured party and the city would not benefit from waiving the limits, plus the insurance cost would be greater by waiving these limits as the potential exposure to the city is increased per claim.

 

Council voted Brunn’s way by not waiving the statutory tort liability limits.

 

Brunn presented an agreement contract with Springsted Inc. and asked council to approve the accord.

 

 

The agreement Brunn presented outlined various functions that are currently being carried out with Paul Steinman of Springsted Inc. The functions include general advising services for the issuance of debt and potential projects, arbitrage monitoring services and continuing disclosure services. 

 

Brunn said all these functions are essential to the process of issuing and monitoring the city’s debt obligations. She noted the rates overall have increased about eight percent from the prior year and the agreement has a 30-day written notice of termination built into it.

 

During the consent agenda, Pruszinske asked council to approve the promotion of Therese Haffner to community development director and to hire a coordinator under Haffner in a full-time role. Pruszinske noted the coordinator position is not a new position developed but a position left vacant when the city made adjustments following the departures of Kelli Neu and Amanda Fiedler.

 

Mayor Lefty Kleis argued against the coordinator being a fulltime position and said he would vote against the request unless it gets changed. Member Adam Oliver disagreed with the mayor and after further discussion the matter was put to a vote. Four out of the five members voted in favor of hiring a FT coordinator with Kleis voting “no”.

 

• Brunn gave a budget presentation that depicted the 2015 general, special revenue and debt service budget and their CIP’s and she went into more detail the 2016 budget levy and tax rate summary;

 

• Dwayne Sommerdorf of Pebble Creek was awarded the city’s safety award for October;

 

• A public hearing was scheduled for Dec. 15 to consider action and approval of the 2016 fee schedule;

 

• The annual appointments and designations for the organizational structure of the city was reviewed and voted on during the executive session;

 

• PKS Awareness event is Fri., Dec. 4 from 5-10 p.m. at Lupilin Brewery in Big Lake;

 

• Breakfast with Santa is Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the BCC;

 

• Pebble Creek Golf Course is having a Christmas sale Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.;

 

• Cooking with Mrs. Claus will be happening Sat., Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the BCC;

 

• The Becker Chamber Expo is scheduled for Sat., Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Becker High School Fieldhouse.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is Tues., Dec. 15 at 5 p.m.