Unofficial Minutes for September 5, 2023, Pembina City Budget Meeting and Council Meeting
Date: September 5th, 2023, at 6:00pm
Location: Professional Building
Present: Jeff Watts, Ken Norby, Al Huttunen, Mayor Mike Fitzgerald
Absent: Renee Thomas, Connor Snitker, Pat Burton
Guests: Sherri Carattini, Greg Koropatnicki
Public Meeting: 6:16 pm – No Public Members Present
Regular Meeting called to order at 6:16 pm
Changes to Agenda: Add Radar Speed Sign and No U-turn Signs to New Business. Add Specials discussion to New Business. Add Committee Reports to Committee Minutes. Add Dumpster under Rec Board/Self-Help Grant. Add Newspaper to New Business. Add Gas Trax ditch to New Business. Motion to approve changes by Huttunen, Seconded by Watts. All ayes present. Motion carries.
Approval/Changes to August 14th and August 21st Minutes: Motion to approve minutes as presented by Huttunen, seconded by Norby. All ayes present. Motion carries.
Old Business:
- Garbage/Recycling/Clean Up Day – Tabled
- Daycare – Tabled, continue to advertise
- Lagoon Update – Tabled
- Automated Water Meter Readers – First invoice received from Ferguson. Sherri to check to see if Widseth applied for loan.
- House Condemnations - Tabled
- Pembina County 2023 Self-Help Application – Huttunen proposed using to purchase new dumpster for Rec Board for South Pembina. Sherri will send application to Al, and add to agenda for next meeting.
- Fish & Game/Widseth Rock Dam – Tabled
- Employee Evaluations – due date = September 23rd, 2023.
Committee Reports:
- Fire Department – currently burning rubbish pile
- Rec Board – Huttunen reported plans for Turkey Bingo, Halloween Party, & Fall Festival
- Library – no report
Employees Report/Concerns:
- Hydrant Flushing – Greg – needs to be done before first freeze in October
Engineer Report: no report
Attorney Update: no report
Update & Business: Mayor – no updates
Update & Business: City Auditor/ Sherri Carattini
- August Bills & Financials – Motion to approve financials by Huttunen, seconded by Watts. All ayes present. Motion carries.
- Delinquent Accounts – Huttunen requested an addition column be added to report to show whether those making payments are exceeding the current monthly charge.
New Business
- Workforce Housing Initiative – council felt that no lots qualified for the donation. No further action will be taken.
- Business Signs Parameters – Huttunen made a motion, seconded by Watts, to set the following parameters: If organizations want to put a sign up on city property, they need to come and ask permission from the city; preference will be given to sales-tax-paying entities who do business in town, and all construction costs and maintenance fees associated with the sign are the responsibility of the organization or company that puts up the sign. All ayes present, motion carries.
- Speed Limit/Radar Sign at Stustman & 5th – not functioning or needs to be replaced. Sherri will research to see who installed it to see if they can fix or replace it.
- No U-Turn signs – Watts made a motion to install No U-Turn signs at the four stop signs by the school. Seconded by Huttunen. All ayes present. Motion carries.
- Specials – Should the city pay them off? Tabled until October Meeting.
- City Newspaper – Should the city switch to Borderland? Tabled until October Meeting.
Adjournment – Motion to adjourn at 7:15 PM by Norby.
By: Mayor, Mike Fitzgerald
Attested to: Sherri Carattini, City Auditor
The next city council meeting will be held on October 9th, 2023, at 6:00pm in the Professional building.
