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Minutes of Grand Forks City Council/Committee of the
Whole -Monday, July 23, 2007 - 5:30 p.m.___________

The city council of the city of Grand Forks sitting as the Committee of the Whole met in the council chambers in City Hall on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. with Mayor Brown presiding. Present at roll call were Council Members Brooks, McNamara, Glassheim, Gershman, Christensen, Kreun - 6; absent: Council Member Bakken - 1.

Mayor Brown announced that anyone wishing to speak to any item may do so by being recognized, and that the meeting is being televised.

Mayor Brown commented on various items during the past week and upcoming events:
Congratulations to North Dakota's U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley, FBI Senior Resident Agent in Grand Forks Chris Boeckers and Grand Forks Police Department's Lt. Jim Remer for his recognition by the FBI for his role in the Dru Sjodin investigation. Lt. Remer helped lead the investigation and coordinated the efforts of several entities and hundreds of personnel and was well deserved recognition.
This week the City of East Grand Forks celebrated its 120th Anniversary with Jubilee Days, and offered thanks to Councilman Glassheim for representing us in the parade.
Congratulations to Nina Nordby, a Grand Forks resident, who turned 106 years old this week.
Third installment of the Art & Wine Walk, that this is a wonderful addition to our community and thanks to JLG, NOVAC and CVB and others, and encouraged everyone to attend the next event which is the third week in August.
Thanks to Department of Public Health for their mosquito control bulletin which is very pertinent to this time of year and very important that people read and heed the suggestions.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ITEMS

2.1 Applications for exemption of remodeling improvements to residential buildings at various locations.________________________________________________________
There were no comments.

2.2 The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the City of Grand Forks for the year ended December 31, 2006 and the Independent Auditor's Report._________
The deputy city auditor reported that this item is for council to refer it to the Audit Committee for consideration and to bring back with recommendation..

2.3 Request for change in gaming site limitations.
There were no comments.

2.4 Ordinance amending Section 21-0201(7) of the Grand Forks City Code relating to definitions of Off-Sale.___________________________________________________
Council Member Gershman reported that he will be recusing himself from this but would
urge the council to vote in favor of this next week - this is a good item and that if people who don't finish a bottle of wine at a restaurant, can take it home - good legislation out of the State.

2.5 Change Order #1 for Project No. 5727, Columbia Road Overpass Repairs.
There were no comments.

2.6 Consideration of bids for Project No. 6018, Bikepath on 47th Ave.S. (S. Washington St. to Curran Ct.), Project No. 6165, Greenway Trail Overlay; and Project No. 6167, Bikepath on Belmont Road (Southend Drainway to West Prairiewood Dr.)________
There were no comments.

2.7 Preliminary engineering service agreement for Project No. 6174, Rehabilitate Storm Pump Station No. 182.____________________________________________________
There were no comments.

2.8 Engineer's Report for Project No. 5631, Safe Kids Coalition, ND Dept. of Transportation/Safe Route to School Grant Acceptance. __________________
Carma Hansen, coordinator for Safe Kids Grand Forks, stated that they are an Injury
Prevention Coalition based at Altru Health System, that about 5 years ago Safe Kids Grand Forks began working with the School System to create a pedestrian safety task force within some of the schools where they had seen some pedestrian safety issues in children getting to and from school. This year ND received $1 million in federal monies that is part of the Safe Routes to School Program for allocation to communities across the State of North Dakota; that Safe Kids Grand Forks worked with MPO and the city traffic engineer on what type of improvements and changes need to be made to make the walking or biking routes to school safe, and wrote grant requests for $84,100 for school signs and pavement markings, wrote grant request for accessibility ramps for handicapped accessible ramps within school areas for a total of $43,018, and for coordination of our bike and pedestrian training within the schools for $42,409, and have received notification of award of those grants - total of $169,000.

Council Member Kreun thanked Carma and her group and also Jane Williams, city traffic engineer, who helped write the grants, that without some of these grants those requirements would still be there for the City to do, and this also helps with our budgeting.

Ms. Hansen stated that the $169,000 was largest amount given to any community and that ND will get a total of $5 million to allocate over the next 5 years and that their group met this morning to look at what they need to do with the monies that they have received from the grants but that there is still work to be done in the schools within the community and how they can move forward with writing a grant for the next go-around of monies.

Mayor Brown stated that the International Walk to School Day reinforces that adults are the role models for our children and that if want them to use crosswalks, we better do that, and set a good example.

Ms. Hansen stated that all council members have schools in their districts and asked for one-half hour of their time on the morning of the International Walk to School Day where it would be great to have council members show up within one of the schools in their wards to participate and bring some attention to it. Council Member Kreun asked that they let the council members know of date and time.

2.9 RDO Foods Co. wastewater billing request.
There were no comments.

2.10 Public Transportation bus route enhancement.
There were no comments.

2.11 Request for proposals for redevelopment of 1424, 1432, 1502 and 1510 Belmont Road.______________________________________________________________
There were no comments.

2.12 CDBG Allocation Process.
Council Member Glassheim stated that after their committee meeting he talked with some of the people involved in the allocation process for agencies and thinks it better not having the recommendations come back to city council, that it would take the politics out of it and some people reminded him of past battles where one agency was pitted against another, and once funds allocated tried to change it and give to somebody else, and thinks the United Way process has worked very well, there have been no complaints and should delete the requirement from the committee's report that requires it coming back to council.

Council Member Christensen stated that he would like input before making the allocation process because if the council has a project that they would like to have some specific attention given to it
but doesn't want to see the whole issue being politicized where one agency against another and seems that the process might be that if someone is dissatisfied with a committee's review, that they have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the council, but other than that not get involved in the allocation. The service aspect of the allocation of CDBG monies would continue to be handled by the Urban Development Office, test it for a year or two to see how it works.

Council Member McNamara stated that his only terms of guidance is the broad guidance that they ought to be giving as policy making entity and not in favor of politization of this, thinks that should be brought back in front of council for approval because we are the approving entity.

Council Member Gershman stated he thinks that in bringing it back to council is the opportunity to interject politics into the process and his concern is that they will be lobbied; that do not have to be a member of United Way to get money, 45% goes to agencies that are not members, that United Way has the knowledge to set up a citizen committee that has expertise in this field of social services, and will support Mr. Glassheim's position on this to leave it the way it is as working very well, and that if something really did happen and politicized on your end, would want the ability to appeal to some body.

SUSPEND AGENDA AND REFER CAFR TO FINANCE/
DEVELOPMENT STANDBY COMMITTEE

Council Member Christensen moved to suspend the agenda in order to move the CAFR report to the finance committee; seconded by Council Member Gershman. Carried 6 votes affirmative.

It was moved by Council Member Christensen to refer the CAFR report to the finance/ development standby committee (audit committee) for their meeting on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, seconded by Council Member Gershman. Carried 6 votes affirmative.

MATTER OF RDO FOODS WASTEWATER BILLING

Council Member Christensen stated when he heard the large amount of money that was involved, thought that we should seek to get that money back for the taxpayers; that some of this money is a penalty because discharge going through the system and was being processed which may have cost our community more money, first thought to set it up for payments and be done with it, but until he read the report and wants to commend the committee as they spent a lot of time on this issue and went through the pros and cons of setting up a payment schedule vs. suspending vs. doing something else, and thinks the results the committee came up with is an example of good committee work and structure and achieving a good result because this is not being forgiven but is being suspended until such time as RDO has time - 36 months to "get things in order, monitor it, not cause anymore inappropriate discharge into the system" and using some of the money that we would have received in a penalty, are going to redirect that money and actually go into their plant and system and improve how they process and treat their affluent. He stated he thinks it was a very good job and good solution by committee.

6. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS

1) Council Member Gershman reported that they received a report that Riverside Park would probably be opened mid-July and asked for a report as to when people can start using the park.

He asked for an update on the street signs he requested in the greenway, so that if someone does have a health issue on the greenway, they will know exact location on the greenway. He thanked staff for the cleanup efforts that have started in the greenway.

ADJOURN

It was moved by Council Member Gershman and seconded by Council Member Brooks that we adjourn. Carried 6 votes affirmative.

Respectfully submitted,



Saroj Jerath
Deputy City Auditor