In a quick, 35-minute meeting, the Becker City Council breezed through their agenda covering a couple purchases and getting an update on new services being offered at Pebble Creek Golf Course in 2015.

 

Director of Golf at Pebble Creek, Troy Malo, introduced two new golf elements being instituted on the Local 9 golf course this spring.

 

The first sport is identified as “Fling Golf” which uses a modified lacrosse stick and instead of striking a golf ball with a golf club, one flings a golf ball down the fairway. The “stick” has grooves on the side that the “flinger” uses to push the ball towards the hole when making the green.

 

The second new sport at Pebble Creek is called “Foot Golf” and it involves a regulation #5 soccer ball kicked on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups. Malo presented one of the holes to show the size and said the holes will have a standard-sized cup cut in the middle which will hold a standard flag. When not in use, the huge hole can be covered up to allow the golf course’s mowing machines to skim right over it.

 

Malo said that tentatively they are looking at charging individuals $5 (youth) and $10 (adults) for both games and the course will also have fling sticks and soccer balls available for renting.

 

Water/Wastewater Supervisor Dave Pesola asked council to approve the purchase of a portable, trailer-mounted emergency generator to supply electrical power to well houses in the event of an extended power outage.

 

Pesola says the generator will enable staff to make sure the water supply for the city  remains safe and usable by keeping the system positively charged with water pressure.

 

Pesola noted the city’s well head protection plan and emergency response plan indicate the need for such a generator.

 

The generator will be mounted on a trailer and outfitted with switch gear and cables to enable it to be used to power not only the well houses, but several of the city’s sewer lift stations as well. Also, Pesola says, it can be used to power city hall if the proper electrical connections are installed there.

 

Pesola received two quotes from vendors including one from Ziegler Power Systems out of Shakopee and one from Generator Power Systems in White Bear Lake. Ziegler’s proposal did not include cables, receptacles or a trailer and came in at around $51,405. GPS of White Bear Lake came in at $38,600 and included the cables, receptacles and trailer.

 

Pesola said his department had already budgeted $56,000 for such equipment in the 2015 water supply budget.

 

Council approved the purchase.

 

Pesola asked council to consider approving the purchase of a replacement cloth filter media unit for the domestic wastewater treatment facility.

 

Pesola said the WWTF has a tertiary filtration system which provides additional treatment to the domestic wastewater before it is released to the receiving water. The wastewater then passes through filter discs which are covered by cloth media. As the water passes through the cloth, particles are collected which eventually begin to plug up the media.

 

Pesola noted the media has a recommended life span of five years and the city’s current cloth media is close to seven years old.

 

Pesola said the cloth media is manufactured by Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. and can only be purchased through them for a cost of $24,751. He said his staff budgeted for the item in their 2015 domestic wastewater budget for $25,000.

 

Council approved the request.

 

The next Becker City Council meeting is Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.