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City of Pembina, ND

Oldest Settlement in the Dakota Territories
 

1/14/2025 UNOFFICIAL PEMBINA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

1/14/2025 UNOFFICIAL PEMBINA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

Date: January 14, 2025

Council Members Present: Mayor Fitzgerald, C Snitker, S Carattini, K Needham, A Huttunen

                Absent: J Watts, K Norby

Guests: G Koropatnicki, City Super; T Stoiber, City Auditor; R Fleming, City Attorney; B Eisenbeis, PVFD; Monty Flores, PVFD; Phil Hall (metal detector/holes being dug); Dustin Fanfulik, City Engineer; James Anderson (CaNDak), Betty Pelletier, Brian (State Museum), Zelda Hartje (Pembina Museum), Tracy Foy (late); Paul Carattini (The Federal Building); Crystal Volk; Tanya Rivera

Public Portion called to order at 6:00 pm

  • Paul Carattini: FPHS plans for Federal Building, looking for fundraisers, tenants, etc.
  • Phil Hall: any information on preventing hole digging by metal detectorists? Fitzgerald working with State to get answer
  • Crystal Volk: Aren’t apartments important? Updates on mosquito fees? Still working on it, City following ordinance put in place in 2021 with updated fee starting Sept. 2024 ($2/unit for apartments and offices, per vacant lot as per tax rolls, and per residence/business as per tax rolls)
  • James Anderson: Presented more info about the CaNDAK event August 2, 3, and 9th. Dinner by Ambulance on 2nd, Breakfast by PVFD on 3rd, miscellaneous on 9th; street dance? Murder mystery event? Camping? Parking? 125 bicyclists coming; recommends 4H have a vending area about 30-40 miles out on route to earn $ on 3rd and same on 9th when bicyclists on their way back in.

Close Public portion 6:22pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.

Regular Council Meeting called to order at 6:23pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.

  • Changes to Agenda: table Building & Zoning Concerns, S Pembina Septics, Norby Concerns; Tanya’s Tots discussion; City Insurance coverage tabled to next month; move CaNDAK to front of meeting; Professional Building repairs, rents, tabled to next month. Motion by Snitker, 2nd by Needham to make changes to agenda; all ayes. Motion carries. Motion by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini to remove Community Center from agenda; all ayes; motion carries.

·         Approval/Changes to December 9 and December 17, 2024, Meeting Minutes Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Needham to accept minutes; all ayes, motion carries.

  • Cycling Across North Dakota (CaNDAK 501c3): Motion by Snitker, 2nd by A Huttunen to allow them to camp and tour the City; all ayes, motion carries. Approval to paint/mark the streets for the bicyclists by A Huttunen; 2nd by Snitker; all ayes; motion carries. Plenty of parking at campgrounds and surrounding area, also at Kneeshaw Circle. City is indemnified from any claims. Inclement weather protection: Federal Building; Community Center; Pavilion? Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker for City to cover cost to pump septics before cyclists arrive, then again after the 9th; all ayes, motion carries. Stoiber to call septic pumping co. to come 7/31. Rec Board will leave portapotties available until 10th.

·         Old Business

o    Valley Landfill: storage rent for truck received January 7—was for 2024-2025

o    222 W Rolette mosquito fees—billed according to ordinances—prior to 9/2024 $1 per unit; after 9/2024 billed at $2 per unit—no refund due. Also stated garage is same parcel as apartments-according to tax rolls, they are 2 separate parcels—Stoiber to check the Friday before each utiity billing is run to look for consolidations of properties.

o    231 N 3rd St stated 4 rooms rented in home should be counted as only 1 unit (4 rentals sb 4 mosquito fees per city ordinances), offices should not be charged (per city ordinances each should be charged); states multiple parcels should only be 2—according to tax rolls, he has 6 parcels now, so will remove 2 from UB (had 8 properties).

o    155 S Cavalier St stated 4 monthly rentals and ok with 4 mosquito fees, then stated 4 daily rooms should not be charged mosquito fees; also 415 S 2nd St has only one unit completed so should only be charged 1 mosquito fee.

o    Automated Water Meter Readers – 230 residences completed, 222 W Rolette changed to AMR

  • CommitteeReports

o    Rec Board – Minutes attached—Auditor, Mike, Jeff, and Al to be added to signature card—need budget for 2025.

o    Ice Rink—no meeting--still need $5000 to finish paying for tin project—need budget for 2025.

o    Airport—Bank is making it so they don’t show up as City Entity.

o    4th of July Committee – have own FEIN and Bank is making it so they don’t show up as City Entity.

o    Catfish Committee—no response, still using City FEIN—Snitker will follow up to get them independent

o    Cemetery—no meeting, Mayor & Auditor on signature card; checks, deposit slips, & records turned over to City Auditor—need someone to do minutes, fund raising, etc.—need budget—re-organizing

o    Library—minutes attached; Auditor and Mike on signature card—still need budget, checks & deposit slips (will get end of January as they’re working on their mandated reports)

  • Employees Report/Concerns

o    Greg:

  • Truck replacement—requested bids—motion by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini to get 2025 White Ford F350 W2B from Nelson Auto Center $54,885; role call vote: Snitker, Needham, Carattini Ayes; A Huttunen Nay; motion carries. Cost to be split between Streets, Mosquito and Snow Removal; Stoiber to look into 5 year financing options.
  • Stateside Electric Quote to R&R ramp and interstate lights to LED—getting 2 more bids, Stoiber working on grant—tabled to Feb meeting
  • TeamLab broadleaf spraying quote—motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to approve; all ayes; motion carries
  • Fire Department—no report—new fire fighters in training; PVD now fully staffed; M Flores new assistant chief; A Eisenbeis training captain

o    radios ordered

o    Auditor has checks and deposit slips—need budget for 2025

·         Engineer Report – Dustin Fanfulik

o    Brought calendars and mapping

o    Lagoon project—meeting with facility operations about funding possibilities

o    City Engineer contract—Fleming to review and advise

o    City Insurance Coverage—Fleming to review and advise

·         Attorney Update

o    More tow notices? Stoiber to say how she needs it done

o    MidContinental Lease? Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to go to $15,000/year for the water tower lease. All Ayes. Motion carries.

o    County Tax issues By the time the City asked the County to make corrections, County was too far along in their processes to make the corrections; due to this, City didn’t have an approved budget; of options presented, the one that makes the most sense is to approve and ratify the new amount, and create a CD for the adjustment. Motion by A Huttunen under protest as no other option to approve and ratify the new budget of $173,930.40 general fund; $4141.20 emergency fund; $3312.96 cemetery; $4141.20 rec board; $1656.48 library; $16,564.80 for capital improvements (lagoon); grand total of $203,747.04; 2nd by Needham ; all ayes; motion carries. Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Needham to put overage $66,259.35 in CD until 2026; roll call vote: Needham, A Huttunen, Carattini ayes; Snitker, nay; motion carries. Stoiber to find CD.

·         Update & Business: Mayor/ Mike Fitzgerald

o    Presented 2 letters of commendation for Stoiber

  • Update & Business:City Auditor/ Stoiber

o    Dec 2024 Bills & Financials + cash balance report – includes year end balances and year end p&l.—motion to approve by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini; all ayes; motion carries

o    Delinquent Accounts Update: city is not a bank. City needs to discourage late/delinquent accounts—see notes—put 4x disconnect notices about it.

o    Working on November and December reports to State Auditor.

o    Ferguson $8850 refund—put back in AMR fund or general water or m&r? Motion by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini to put in M&R account when funds come in; all ayes; motion carries

o    Building Permit approval: no new building permits

o    Gaming Permit approval: fire association/ice rink committee—motion by Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to approve—all ayes, motion carries; Pembina Historic Society permit motion by Snitker, 2nd by Needham to approve—all ayes, motion carries

o    FD brought over the maintenance/warranty plan for the generator—$1035 for 10 years; motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to approve purchase of maintenance contract; all ayes motion carries

o    AE2S Maintenance Contract—estimated it will be about $5100 for tower pumps maintenance again in 2025—depends on issues & # of times called. Motion by Snitker, 2nd by A Huttunen to approve; all ayes; motion carries

o    Discovered 7 business accounts were double charged for trash since 2023. Total credit for 2024 over all the accounts of about $4400.

o    Called multiple cities about mosquito fees. See chart. We are charging minimally. See p&l under code 508 for expenses and income—income is supposed to help cover repairs & maintenance, replacement of equipment, gasoline, chemicals, wages, and more. This does NOT include the cost of the $17,500 mosquito fogger (that is on the balance sheet as an asset). Going to continue until City sees how the new rate covers the expenses.

o    Researching County Tax Rolls for vacant buildings/homes and vacant lots not on the utility billing.

  • New Business

o    Snitker—Lot rent increase? Motion by A Huttunen to raise lot rents to $80/month (J Salazar grandfathered in for “free” storage unit, all others must pay); 2nd by Snitker; roll call vote: ayes by Snitker & A Huttunen; nays by Needham & Carattini; tie breaker Aye by Mayor; motion carries.

o    Snitker: Parcels for sale? Approached by new Mike’s Parcel owner about lots for sale for building home, creating parking for semi’s. See parcel list attached. Tabled to Feb. meeting.

 Motion to adjourn 8:15pm by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini.

By Mayor Fitzgerald

Attested to Stoiber, City Auditor