7-21-25 Pembina Council Meeting Minutes
Pembina Council Meeting Minutes for July 21, 2025
Date: Monday, July 21, 2025, 6pm
Location: Professional Building
Council Members Present: Mayor Fitzgerald, Flores, Snitker, Norby, Needham, Carattini, A Huttunen
Guests: Koropatnicki, City Super; Stoiber, City Auditor; R Fleming, City Attorney; B Eisenbeis, PVFD; Dustin Fanfulik, City Engineer; Rachel Gornowicz, Countrywide Sanitation; Garrett Masloski, Chicken Rule; Phil & Louise Hall, Weeds; Betty Pelletier, Ambulance extrication suits; Ben Kneeshaw; Ted Symington
Public Portion called to order 6pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.
Phil Hall wants to discuss enforcement of lawn ordinance.
Garrett Maskloski spoke briefly on livestock ordinance specifically as it pertains to chickens.
Betty Pelletier requested funds to purchase extrication suits for ambulance service.
Rachel Gornowicz spoke briefly about transferring to Waste Management.
Public Portion closed at 6:06pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.
Regular Council Meeting called to order at 6:07pm by Mayor Fitzgerald.
Changesto Agenda—Motion by Snitker, 2nd by A Huttunen to accept changes; all ayes; motion carries.
· Approval/Changesto June 16, 2025, MeetingMinutes—Motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Needham to accept minutes; all ayes; motion carries.
o 2nd reading of ordinance change to add 1 additional commercial offsale license—Motion by Snitker to approve 2nd reading; 2nd by Norby; Role Call vote: Ayes: Snitker, Norby; Nays: Needham, Carattini, Flores, A Huttunen; motion fails.
o 2025 Citywide Cleanup Day 7/30/25 (A. Huttunen to discuss)—citizens can start putting trash on curb 7/26/25; confirming with Koropatnicki assistance on 30th from summer help.
o 8/2 CaNDak will be arriving 1pm; would like council members to meet & greet—if council wants to visit they will
o Needham—Emergency Food Pantry “Feed the Need”; Red Roost will supply sink and plumbing; E Free Church will sponsor; Great Plains will supply equipment, shelves, and training; Motion by Carattini to use Professional Building Ste 5 for food panty (after repairs are completed), 2nd by Needham; Role Call: Ayes Needham, Carattini, Flores; Nays: Norby, A Huttunen, Snitker; Mayor broke tie with aye; motion carries; Stoiber & Needham to create business plan for next meeting
o 1% Special Sales Tax amount to support children’s activities/sports through Ice Rink and Rec Board, support golf course, ambulance & fire department? Rob to come up with ballot wording for next year.
o Ice Rink—no meeting
o Cemetery—no meeting—need someone to do minutes, fund raising, etc.; re-organizing
o Library—no meeting;
- Professional Building—meeting minutes attached; Professional Building Rental Space (Ste. 1) is vacant; will be advertising to get it rented; FPHS undercut City as they are charging only $1.25/sq ft; tabled to next month.
- Daycare Committee—Replacement Dishwasher? Motion by Snitker, 2nd by A Huttunen for City to pay out of set aside funds, all ayes, motion carries.
- EmployeesReport/Concerns
o Greg:
- Bids on teardown of Masonic Lodge? Only 1 out 3 companies submitted bid of $19,000
- Fish cleaning station repairs—Motion by Snitker for City to pay, 2nd by A Huttunen; all ayes, motion carries; Fitzgerald notified Stoiber there are funds available from ND Game & Fish to cover cleaning, repairs, and other maintenance items.
- Dike inspection—Army Corps of Engineers inspected ¾ of dike and said it’s well maintained.
- Tractor rental—new tractor will come first part of next year; cost is $11200/year; motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to approve; all ayes, motion carries.
- Mower bids—warranty up in August for 3 mowers; can get 3 mowers for $11500 with trade in of current mowers; motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Snitker to approve; all ayes; motion carries.
- Dike work behind new Trails End—wants to put in culvert and cover w dirt at toe of dike; Greg to ask A.C.E.
- Septic Work at Sout Pembina—small diamond SE Corner & 2 other holes further south—Twamley filled in holes.
- Fire Department—getting quote on building skin; tornado sirens down County Wide, have to be manually activated; pagers down for a week throughout the county; Mississippi River Assn wants to do full oil exercise in Pembina end of Sept
· EngineerReport – Dustin Fanfulik: working on preliminary engineering report with options, bids, grants; before grants or bids or loans can be looked at, the Preliminary Engineering Report has to be done—it’s about 20% completed—this will cost about $60,000, and City can get up to $15,000 from DEQ to cover cost.
o Verbiage on citizen benefit events and gaming permits
o Verbiage on notification to Border Brokers for rent increase
o New lease for Sharp Shears
o DFA Condemnation proceedings
o Golf Carts on City Streets
o Countrywide Consent to Assignment
o Flood Plain Insurance Letter
o Balance of Frank Moll bequest
· Update&Business: Mayor/Mike Fitzgerald
o Race/Dirt Track—City owns property; too dangerous to get mowers in there; the City is protected from liability due to ND statute regarding recreational usage of property;
o Spraying City Property—while City appreciates the assistance, City is required to report any and all chemicals used to State and person/company applying has to be licensed with the State. The safety concern is for children, pets, and wildlife in particular. If someone wants to spray City property, they need to come to council meeting to request permission, give the name of the chemicals, and show proof of state licensing; Koropatnicki has contacted a professional weed extermination person.
o June 2025Bills& Financials—Motion by Needham, 2nd by Norby to approve; all ayes; motion carries
o Delinquent Accounts Update: City needs to discourage late/delinquent accounts—see notes
o Liquor License Application: GasTrak—dead as the proposed change to the ordinance died for lack; they can come before Council at next meeting to further discuss options.
o Building Permits: 415 S 3rd St, 243 W Stutsman, 375 S Cavalier, 465 S 2nd St.; motion by A Huttunen, 2nd by Carattini to approve all; Needham recused himself; 5 ayes; motion carries
o Gaming Permit: Darryl Irving Benefit; Motion by Snitker, 2nd by A Huttunen to approve; all ayes; motion carries
o Transient Merchant License: Stacy Koble
o 80+ Vacant buildings/homes and vacant lots not on the utility billing. See list of lots/owners. See Property Taxes collected on sample of lots. Table motion by Needham.
o Motion by A Huttunen to nominate Snitker as Council President; 2nd by Carattini; all ayes; motion carries
o Countrywide—Rachel Gornowicz & Randy Ott (Waste Management): selling to Waste Mgt. Annual 4.8% increase with Waste Management; City can give 120 notice to terminate; currently non-excliusive for recycling but exclusive for residential. Motion by Snitker to accept assignment; 2nd by Carattini; role call vote: ayes—Needham, Carattini, Snitker, Flores; Nays—A Huttunen, Norby; motion carries.
o Ambulance Extrication Gear: Motion by Carattini to pay $1700, 2nd by A Huttunen; Snitker abstained; all ayes, motion carries
o Make list of bid lots of items to sell from Masonic Lodge? Rob to ask Masons if they want anything else; tabled to next meeting
o Make list of old shop vehicles/equipment up for bids? Koropatnicki to see what there is that needs to go
o Chickens? Carattini: what about chickens already in town? Fitzgerald: Stoiber to post on website and app that owners have 48 hours (By 4:30 pm 7/24/25) to get move chickens out of City until/unless ordinance is changed. If the chickens aren’t removed, Sheriff will be called, ticket will be issued and fine of $500 wb imposed. Norby: City needs a code enforcement committee to enforce violations for ordinances
o Chickens: Motion by Snitker, 2nd by Flores to approve ordinance for chickens with amendment of limit of 4 chickens and permit fee of $25/year; Ayes: Flores; Snitker; Nays: Needham; Carattini; A Huttunen; Norby; motion fails; Motion by Snitker to table to August meeting to allow Rob to update ordinance to limit chickens to 4/show size of coops/runs; cost of permit; etc.; 2nd by Carattini; all ayes except Needham Nay; motion carries.
o Valley Landfill abilities A Huttunen Valley Landfill interested in taking over; could City keep Countrywide for Recycling only? What would cost be? (no response from Gornowicz/Ott); Valley Landfill has new truck, reliable help; would charge $22/ month and would supply totes like Countrywide has; If Drayton comes on board, would decrease to $20/month.
o Phil Hall: many properties in need of mowing/weeding—weeds are entirely too tall and in violation of ordinances. If City mows/weeds, minimum charge is $150, can be higher depending on what all City does. Phil needs to provide addresses and/or owner names so this can be addressed.
o Vehicle Barriers around water tower—A Huttunen wondering if water tower needs protection from traffic? Maybe Jersey concrete barriers? Fanfulik to make determination.
o 7/31 Street Closure at Bridgestone: 3pm-? For Valley Cruisers. Motion to approve by Needham, 2nd by Snitker, all ayes, motion carries
Motion to adjourn at 8:43pm by Snitker, 2nd by Carattini
By: Mayor Fitzgerald
Attested to Stoiber, City Auditor
The next City Council Meeting will be held on August 18, 2025, at 6pm in the Professional Building.