Special Meeting – Agenda – July 23,2001

  1. Public Meeting – Preliminary Engineering Report Waste Water Treatment Plant
  2. Public Meeting – City of Libby 2001 – 2002 Budget

Special Meeting – Agenda – July 16,2001
1.  Adoption of Primary Budget
A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD JULY 16, 2001 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS TO ADOPT THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET.

Council President, George Bauer called the meeting to order.  Council members Porter, Stephens and Thom, City Clerk, Kim Aarstad and Supervisor, Dan Thede were present.

Mr. Stephens moved to adopt the 2001-2002 preliminary budget.

Mrs. Porter seconded.

Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Council President, George Bauer


CITY COUNCIL  MEETING
AGENDA
July 9, 2001

  1. CALL TO ORDER
    Pledge of Allegiance/Roll Call/Welcome
  2. Approval of council Meeting-previous minutes
  3. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
    a.  
  4. NEW BUSINESS
    a.  Karen Ross- Nordicfest Parade
    b.  Mike Noble –910 Montana Avenue
    c.  Don Brown – Kootenai Paving
    d,  Libby Area Development Co. Proposals
    1.  LADC 2000-2001 Budget
    2.  St. Johns Lutheran Hospital
    3.  Kootenai Heritage Council
  5. COUNCIL ACTION/DISCUSSION
    a.  Council Committee Reports
    b.  Okay to pay claims
  6. HEAR THE PUBLIC
    Persons wanting to address the Council on items not on the Agenda can do so at this time.
    Those addressing the Council are requested to give their name and address for the record.
    *Agenda for Manner of Addressing the Council   (Comments shall be limited to three minutes)
  7. ADJOURNMENT

THE 1197TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD ON JULY 9, 2001 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

Mayor Berget called the meeting to order and led the pledge of allegiance.  Roll was called.  Council members Bauer, Baeth, Porter, Sorensen, Stephens and Thom and City Clerk, Kim Aarstad was present.

Mr. Stephens moved to accept the June Regular and Special meeting minutes.

Mr. Sorensen seconded.

Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS
Mayor Berget asked that the council look at the ballot information received from County Election Administrator on forming the North Cabinet Conservancy District.  Ballot needs to be mailed into the county before July 24, 2001.
Karen Ross, Nordicfest Parade Committee, requested permission to close Mineral Avenue to Second Street, California Avenue to Sixth Street and Sixth Street for the Nordicfest Parade on September 8, 2001.

Mr. Bauer moved to allow this closure.

Mrs. Thom seconded.

Motion carried.

Maxine Domgard, Kootenai Paving, asked if the council would consider their proposal to set their Asphalt Plant in the city pit.  They would pay rent of $500.00 per month, when in operation, $250.00 a month for equipment during the off season, the city would have the option of receiving money monthly, or trade for asphalt.  They would also like the council to consider the option of allowing them to purchase gravel from the city.

City Attorney, Scott Spencer, stated that according to Ron Anderson, Lincoln County Environmental Health, an environmental review would need to be completed before the asphalt plant could be moved.

Mr. Sorensen moved to allow Kootenai Paving to set up in the city pit, as long as the environmental review is completed before the move and that a mutual agreement has been reached on the lease. 

Mr. Bauer seconded.

Motion carried.

Bob Tunis, EDC, representing LADC presented three proposals for consideration.

LADC 2001-2002 Budget request.  LADC 2001-2002 budget would be $54,000.00, with monies available from last years budget the total amount requested is $27,000.00.

Mayor Berget asked that the council hold off making this decision until LADC submits year-end balances to the City Clerk and a meeting can be scheduled with them.

Rick Palaga, St. John’s Lutheran Hospital, is requesting a grant of up to $100,000.00, to help establish a Permanent Endowment Foundation for the hospital.  Actual amount will be determined by matching funds raised by August 31, 2002.  The Foundation is requesting that the final amount be transferred on August 31, 2002, once the actual amount of matching funds is determined. 

Mr. Stephens asked if these monies could be used for operating expenses?

Mr. Palaga, money could be use for almost anything, including operating expenses.

Mrs. Thom asked if these monies would be kept separate from other hospital monies?

Mr. Palaga, yes, separate audits will need to be done each year.

K.C. Hoyer, St John’s Lutheran Hospital Foundation, stated that the committee would like to have $2,000,000.00 in this fund before any monies will be spent.

Mr. Stephens moved to accept St. John’s Lutheran Hospital request.

Mrs. Thom seconded.

Mrs. Porter and Mr. Bauer expressed concern on granting these monies to an endowment foundation. 

Mr. Stephens asked that the council consider hiring a consultant to receive guidance on how the monies available through LADC should be spent.     

Mr. Tunis, EDC, stated that he felt the city could have someone hired within a three to four month period at a cost of around $50,000.00.

D.C. Orr expressed concern on the council decision to grant these monies to the hospital.

Mr. Bauer called for the question.  A vote roll call was called.

Mr. Stephens, Mrs. Thom and Mr. Sorensen “Yes”

Mrs. Porter, Mr. Bauer and Mrs. Baeth “No”

Mayor Berget broke the tie by voting “Yes”

Mayor Berget asked that Mr. Stephens, Budget & Finance Committee, look into hiring a consultant for LADC monies.

Paul Rumelhart, Kootenai Heritage Council, is requesting a $600,000.00 grant to supplement Kootenai Heritage Council current funding of $832,500.00 to remodel Memorial Gym into a Community Center for the Libby Area.

Mrs. Porter expressed concern on the O & M costs for this building.

Mr. Bauer moved to accept Kootenai Heritage Council request for $600,000.00 grant.

Mrs. Porter seconded.

Mr. Rostopher asked several questions concerning the Heritage Council using the old Memorial Gym.

Judy Stuckey asked what the seating capacity would be when the project was completed?

Paul Rumelhart, 595.

D.C Orr question Bob Tunis on the construction materials being purchased from Libby merchants.  Mr. Orr stated that City of Libby has a contractual arrangement with Millwork West, and that the city has bent over backwards to accommodate Millwork west. Several area business were concerned that Millwork West would be the only one to supply the lumber for LVCC, Troy Senior Citizens and Kootenai Heritage Council projects, and that the city was opening themselves up to a lawsuit, because they were influencing the decision on where lumber would be purchased.

Mrs. Thom explained that the City of Libby would not have any control on where the lumber would be purchased for these projects.

Mr. Rostopher asked if the Kootenai Heritage Council had a long-term lease on the building, and asked if the monies they are requesting would be to improve a building that belongs to the Libby School District. 

Paul Rumelhart explained that the Heritage Council would be signing a fifty-year lease for the use of the building.

STANDING COMMITTEES
Mrs. Thom, Park-Cemetery Committee, reported Dennis Hensley would be the new camp host.
Mr. Stephens asked City Attorney, Scott Spencer, if he had heard anything from WR Grace on the Industrial Park property.

Mr. Spencer stated that he had made a few calls to WR Grace but they had not returned his calls.

Mr. Stephens, Personnel Committee, reported union negations would be held on July 11, 2001.

The City Clerk announced the following dates for budget hearings.

            July 16, 2001 – Adopt the Preliminary Budget

            July 23, 2001 – Formal Budget Hearing

            August 6, 2001 – Adopt Final Budget

HEAR THE PUBLIC Mr. Rostopher asked if all LADC proposals would continue to go to the LADC Board meetings and if all information on each proposal would be discussed at their meetings?  Mr. Rostopher was unable to attend the LADC Board Meeting when Kootenai Heritage Project presented their proposal and felt that there was not enough discussion on this proposal at the city council meeting.

Mayor Berget explained that the LADC board was setup so they would handle and approve each proposal before the were brought to the city council for a final decision.

Eileen Carney announced that a public meeting would be held on August 14, 2001 to discuss the Hwy 2 Four-lane project.

It was moved, seconded and carried to pay the claims as per the claims approval list.

  Meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.