Committee Minutes

MINUTES/URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Monday, March 17, 1997 - 6:30 p.m.

Members present: Hanson, Polovitz.

1. Matter of riverbank mowing bids.
John O'Leary, exec. director, Urban Development, stated they were asking for authorization to advertise for bids for mowing. Moved by Polovitz and Hanson to authorize advertising for bids. Motion carried. (Comm. only)

2. Storefront applications.
Applications for funding (on a $ for $ match basis) for storefront projects in the central business district area were submitted to the committee members for their review. Mr. O'Leary reported that staff had offered recommendations for funding of the various projects and tried to stay within the $3500 store- front limit, with a couple exceptions. It was noted that the $3500 limits are general guidelines.

Committee directed that the applications be placed on the agenda for their March 26 meeting.

3. Open 15-day public comment period for the Grantee Performance Report.
Sue Redman reported that notice of the 15-day public comment period was published and opened as of Saturday, March 15; that comment period will run through March 31, 1997 and this item will be on the April 7 council agenda to hear any comments. Moved by Polovitz and Hanson to open the public comment period as of March 15, 1997. Motion carried.

4. Meeting location.
Mr. O'Leary presented for consideration the matter of moving meetings of this committee to their new building, that there were meeting rooms available as well as parking, and that their staff could take minutes of the meetings. He noted that the Growth Fund meetings as well as Housing Authority meetings are held there. (Note: It was later determined by city auditor and mayor that meetings would continue to be held in City Hall council chambers, with city clerk taking the minutes).

5. Mr. O'Leary also presented matter of reimbursement of last year's flood expenses; that they are still carrying monies for 1996 flood; but sometime in the near future there needs to be committee of the whole to discuss flood expenses. He stated they appointed Dennis Borowicz to work with flood fighting operations; that they have hired 3 persons to run equipment, can carry that expense for couple weeks but can't absorb that in their budget; and that they are going through lot of money. He reported that volunteers running machines, takes 80 people to run machine to capacity; that they had volunteers running equipment and had problem with that (safety/liability concerns) so have hired operators who know what they are doing (bobcats for moving
MINUTES/URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
March 17, 1997 - Page 2

pallets of sandbags) and by Wednesday, they will have 40 hours in, and running into overtime which is being charged back to individual departments and they can't carry that expense. He noted that Mr. Schmisek wants to settle up when flood done, but Community Development hasn't been paid for last year, told by Mr. Campbell to charge to Emg. Fund and by Mr. Schmisek to charge to department and settle when flood over. He stated he will talk to Mr. Schmisek and suggest committee of the whole meeting on how to handle this, and how handling flood preparation.

He noted that Mr. Campbell is doing great job, well orchestrated; Tom Mulhern doing good job handling volunteers. He noted that EOC open but won't man until river reaches 38 feet. He also noted that Dennis Borowicz is in charge of sandbagging opera- tions, Tom Mulhern running volunteer program, and Engineering putting together pamphlet re. elevations of every building in the flood plain.

Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk