MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING

DILLON CITY COUNCIL

August 1, 2007

COUNCIL

PRESENT:     Nils Troedsson, Ray Graham, Mike Riley, Frank Mastandrea, Mike Klakken, Al Lawson, Tom Straugh, and Mayor Martin Malesich.

 

COUNCIL

EXCUSED:    Jim McIsaac

 

STAFF

PRESENT:     W.G. Gilbert, City Attorney; Paul Craft, Assistant Chief of Police; Rick Later, Fire Marshall; Ty Cobb, City Treasurer; J.S. Turner, Director of Operations; Faye E. Jones, City Clerk and Amber Herzog, Deputy City Clerk.

STAFF

EXCUSED:    Marie Habener, Library Director.

 

ABSENT:      Virginia Compton, City Judge.

 

Mayor Martin Malesich called the meeting to order at 7:09 PM.  Mayor Malesich asked Councilperson Lawson to lead the pledge of allegiance.

 

            The first order of business was the approval of the July 18, 2007 Regular meeting minutes. Councilperson Riley moved to approve, seconded by Councilperson Lawson:

 

The following corrections were noted:

1.        Pg 1, add C.P. Straugh led the P.O.A.

2.        Pg 1, correct July 11, 2207 to July 11, 2007.

3.        Pg 2, item 1 Mayor’s Report add legal description of property.

4.        Pg 3, 2nd Motion add motion, seconded by C.P. Straugh and that C.P. Klakken stated it was illegal because…

5.        Pg 5, Cemetery: remove Graham. There was not a motion; it was deferred to the next meeting.

 

Councilperson Straugh moved to approve as corrected. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Troedsson and approved. (Note C.P. Klakken abstained.)

MOTION APPROVED.

           

            The second order of business was the approval of the July 25, 2007 Special Council Meeting minutes. Councilperson Straugh moved to approve, seconded by Councilperson Troedsson and approved. (Note C.P. Klakken abstained.)

MOTION APPROVED.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 2

 

PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS:

 

1.      Letter from Debra Scott, Beaverhead County Clerk & Recorder. The municipal General Election will be held on November 6, 2007. She submitted a cost comparison for a polling place election verses a mail ballot election. This matter was referred to committee.

2.      Letter from Montana League of Cities & Towns – Registration Form for the annual conference 10/3-5/07 in Bozeman. Pre-registration deadline is 09/07/2007.

3.      Report on City/County Planning Task Force. Eldon Ayres presented the council with a report to the City and County Planning Boards by the One-Mile Growth Ring Task Force.  The final recommendations to the boards as follows:

A.     Generate a Community Consensus Vision for the one-mile growth area.

B.     From this Consensus Vision develop, or have developed for the City/County, a Growth Plan.

C.     Develop comprehensive implementation plans for the Growth Plan that include but are not limited to development codes, zoning ordinances, enforcement policies, etc for the one-mile growth area.

D.     Develop and refine a coordinated infrastructure plan for the one-mile growth area. Use this as a guideline for infrastructure in adjacent county authority area.

E.      Seek independent professionals or organizations for help, assistance, and guidance in development of a growth plan. (Find the budget)

F.      Get started now. Have a Growth Plan completed in one year. (Possible moratorium on development until a Growth Plan has been developed and implemented)

G.     Focus on enforcement of current ordinances, plus development of new ordinances or zoning regulations to effectively govern new or evolving growth.

J.S. Turner thanked Mr. Ayres, Ms. Westad and Ms. Knopik for their time and efforts involved with the task force and excellent presentation. Councilperson Troedsson asked Mr. Gilbert to look at statutes to invite a City Planning Board member to sit on the County Planning Board for cohesiveness.

            . 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON PUBLIC MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA:

Mayor Malesich asked the citizens present if they wished to address the council.  Councilperson Graham mentioned several business owners in town were disgruntled as a result of the City allowing out-of-the-area mobile restaurants to operate out of motor homes or buses within City limits. After council discussion this matter was referred to the Health & Welfare Committee.

 

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 3

 

MAYOR’S REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL:

1.      First Reading – Ordinance transferring Dillon Police Retirement funds to State.  Councilperson Graham moved to approve the ordinance, seconded by Councilperson Mastandrea.

 

Councilperson Straugh stated the Council did not have enough information at that time to move ahead – they were waiting for correspondence acknowledging and correcting erroneousness data input. He stated the Ad Hoc Committee would schedule a visit to MPEA on August 8, 2007 and at that time would request the report recreated at no cost.

 

Councilperson Graham stated the council should pass it and get it done. Councilperson Riley stated they owed it to the voters to turn up the last stones.  Councilperson Graham stated until they started the procedure they were keeping the officers lives on hold.

 

Councilperson Mastandrea asked Mr. Gilbert if the City had any leverage. Mr. Gilbert responded that MPERA was not following their guidelines, their standards and had grossly misconstrued information from the City and the State, in addition they had a statutory responsibility to not allow the City to fall into the position they were in. Councilperson Mastandrea asked Mr. Gilbert what his plan was. Mr. Gilbert responded that the Committee was working on correcting these deficiencies and as a result will end up with the correct actuarial determination made.

                       

                  Mayor Malesich called for the question and a poll vote:

Troedsson: No; Graham: Yes; Mastandrea: Yes; Klakken: Yes; Lawson: No; Straugh: No; Riley: No.

4 – No, 3 – Yes.

MOTION FAILED.

 

2.      First Reading – Ordinance designating the Planning Board and Zoning     

Commission as a separate entity. Councilperson Troedsson moved to approve the minutes of the July 13, 2007 Judiciary Committee meeting, seconded by Councilperson Straugh and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

Councilperson Riley stated the recommendation from the Judiciary Committee was: That the Judiciary Committee recommends adoption of the ordinance as proposed to separate the functions of planning and zoning while retaining the current membership. Councilperson Riley moved to adopt the ordinance, seconded by Councilperson Straugh. Mr. Gilbert stated the

 

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 4

 

Ordinance states you can not have a joint planning/zoning committee in the City, therefore the ordinance separating the planning board and the zoning commission was placed before the Council. Councilperson Klakken questioned the fact that there was a possibility of the County appointing a person to the board who was not a resident of the City. He would like to see the Mayor have four appointees and the City Council have three appointees. Councilperson Klakken moved to amend section 17.80.010 Appointment of Zoning Commission shall be appointed as follows: Four members appointed by the Mayor. Said members to be citizens of the City of Dillon. Three members to be elected by the City Council, removing the line one member to be selected by the Board of County Commissioners and to be appointed by the Mayor, seconded by Councilperson Mastandrea and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

The question was called on the ordinance and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

3.      Councilperson Straugh moved to set a date to discuss the budget: August 7,  

2007 5:30 – 6:45 P.M., seconded by Councilperson Troedsson and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

Councilperson Straugh moved to set a date to discuss the budget: August 13,         2007 7:00 – 9:00 P.M., seconded by Councilperson Troedsson and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

Councilperson Straugh moved to set a date to discuss the budget: August 20, 2007 5:30 – 6:45 P.M., seconded by Councilperson Riley and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

4.      Monthly Revenue Report: Councilperson Straugh moved to accept the report,              

Seconded by Councilperson Lawson and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

            5.   Citizen’s Requests Report was presented by Mayor Malesich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 5

 

REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND BOARDS OF THE CITY:

 

ATTORNEY – W.G. Gilbert, III

Mr. Gilbert reported on the issues they have been working since the last council meeting.   He stated that they were getting rid of some criminal cases. He had received the City’s Summary of Judgment Brief in the police case. The Brief coming back opposing our position in the Houk/Mooney/McIsaac case is due, but has not yet been filed.

Councilperson Klakken asked Mr. Gilbert to explain the Yetter case. Mr. Gilbert responded the City had received a settlement outline from the labor lawyer. The City’s lawyer has been entering into discussion with Yetter’s lawyer and they were making some progress.

 

PLANNING BOARD Mike Riley, Chairman – The Planning Board is looking into developing zoning schemes that the City presently possess, they have completed commercial recommendations and presently working on the residentials. The County has appointed Larry Volkening to the City Planning Board.

 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS – J.S. Turner

            J. S. Turner stated that Pump #1 motor burned out and they have a generator running at present, it will be replaced in a day or two. The citywide street sweeping was completed and patching of the streets and painting of crosswalks will happen later in the week. Councilperson Troedsson asked if the City’s insurance will cover the cost of the pump motor. Mr. Turner responded they were looking into that.

 

 Councilperson Klakken stated he had heard Mr. Devers had been moved from the cemetery to the water department and he wanted to know what happened to Mr. Jones in the water department. Mayor Malesich responded that Mr. Jones had back problems and will be undergoing future surgery. Mr. Devers requested to transfer to the water department. Mr. Blomquist may or may not return to the street & alley department; he has not yet been medically released.

 

Councilperson Graham stated Labor Day was upcoming and he’d like a resolution on the agenda for open containers on the next meeting agenda.

 

POLICE CHIEFAssistant Police Chief Paul Craft – No report.

 

FIRE MARSHALL – Rick Later – No report. Mr. Later notified the Council of 10 – 15 fires around the State.

 

CITY COURT - Judge Virginia A. Compton – No report.

 

 

 

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 6

 

TREASURERT. P. Cobb – Mr. Cobb presented the Monthly & Investment Report for June 2007 for the Council’s approval. Councilperson Lawson moved to approve, seconded by Councilperson Troedsson and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

LIBRARY BOARD – Marie Habener – No report.

             

STANDING COMMITTEES:

 

JUDICIARY – Mike Riley, Chair – Mr. Riley set the next meeting to be August 6, 2007 at 5:30 P.M. The agenda will be polling location.

 

FINANCE – Mike Klakken, Chair

            Councilperson Klakken stated at the Finance meeting he would not sign the claims for two bills that should have been paid in last year’s budget: Hughes/Kellner/Sullivan $1463.90 and Virginia Compton $380.89. He quoted law 7-6-609 policy standard governmental accounting principles. Councilperson Klakken moved to pay the two bills out of last year’s budget, seconded by Councilperson Mastandrea. Councilperson Straugh questioned that this was information presented without prior notification. Mr. Gilbert stated the law firm had sent the bills in very late. Councilperson Straugh stated general accounting principles allow for such practices. Faye Jones explained that she would need to rework it. The question was called and the motion was unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

            Councilperson Graham moved to accept the report of the remaining claims, seconded by Councilperson Straugh and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

CITY HALL – Al Lawson, Chair – No report.

 

FIRE AND ORDER – Frank Mastandrea, Chair – Councilperson Mastandrea scheduled the next meeting for August 6, 2007 at 6:00 P.M. Agenda: Fireworks.

 

PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS – Nils Troedsson, Chair – No report.

 

CEMETERYRaymond Graham, Chair – No report. Place minutes and recommendation of quiet title action on the next agenda.

           

HEALTH AND WELFARE – Tom Straugh, Chair – No report.

 

STREETS AND ALLEYS – Jim McIsaac, Chair – No report.

 

Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting

August 1, 2007

Page 7

           

WATER AND SEWER – Mike Klakken, Chair – No report.

           

            There being no further business the motion to adjourn was made by Councilperson Graham, seconded by Councilperson Riley and unanimously approved.

MOTION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:45 P.M.

 

            The above minutes were transcribed from a tape recording of the actual meeting and such minutes include the substance of all matter proposed, discussed or described.

 

 

 

                                                                        Approved by:

 

 

 

                                                                        _____________________________

ATTEST:                                                         Faye E. Jones, City Clerk

 

 

 

____________________________

Martin R. Malesich, Mayor      

                                                                        Submitted by:

 

 

 

                                                                        _____________________________

                                                            Amber K Herzog, Deputy City Clerk