At its April 4 meeting, the council approved $15,482 total for a new emergency siren to be installed near the intersection of MN Hwy. 55 and County Road 44. Fire chief Mike Schneider has been working on this for some time. The total price includes the new siren, installation, and a pole. Fairhaven Electric will run power to it. (The pole cost $1,060 but Meeker County donated $1,000 toward that.) The new siren will be heard in Scheeler Addition on the east side of town. It should be noted that the siren on top of city hall has exceeded its lifespan; it is no longer repairable. While it still functions, one day soon that will stop. So the new siren is needed for the rest of town as well. The siren at the fire hall remains unchanged.
The protocol for use of the siren is only for imminent danger, and the monthly test on the first Wednesday. Danger criteria include winds above 70 m.p.h., half-inch hail or larger, or a funnel cloud spotted. Stearns County Dispatch sets off the sirens.
The Kimball city council heard from Gordy Simanton from Solar Stone Partners. Simanton has invited the city of Kimball to join a 47-acre solar garden in Sartell to start construction soon. Solar Stone Partners has a total of 16 facilities, with eight on the Xcel grid and eight more scheduled to build this year. They are based in Minneapolis. Considering this proposal does not affect the proposal for building a solar garden on property on the southwest corner of Kimball.
Tom Marquardt, manager of the Kimball Express amateur baseball team, requested city participation in lawn care for the town ballfield, as in previous years. The council agreed to pay $750 of the anticipated bill for about $1,200 for five applications to the field. Marquardt also reported that the team is planning to spend $3,000 on engineering for lights and a grandstand. Permission to use railroad land on the edge of the field was questioned by the council. Marquardt said he has the original 1924 easement from the railroad, indicating that the land can be used for any purpose as long as it?Äôs recreational.
Because of financial limitations, the council recently decided to reduce insurance coverage for dependents of employees over a certain age. The council has since learned that this is not legal, that all dependents up to the age of 26 must be treated equally (even if they have their own health coverage, or are married with children of their own). So the council, after much discussion with Minnesota Benefit Advisors Alan Nagel and Kelvin Nelson at the April 4 meeting, rescinded that earlier age-limit restriction. Because it is
mid-cycle for insurance open enrollment, removing dependent coverage now would leave employees with no option; so coverage has reverted back to what it was. Before the next open enrollment, the city will make changes in dependent coverage.
According to the advisors, the city must offer full insurance for employees and their dependents, but they are not required to pay for it. The city must pay for 50 percent of employee coverage, but that is all that is required. They pointed out that retirees can stay on the city?Äôs policy until they are Medicare-eligible, but at their expense not the city?Äôs.
Police chief Jason Mehr gave his report; things are getting busier. Clerk Nicole Pilarski will look into getting a fleet card for gas at any station, for both police and fire vehicles. Mehr also reported on the gray fox family making its home near Styme Industries. DNR has recommended shooting the mother, in which case the kits would die; Mehr would prefer to live-trap it. Most of all, whoever has been leaving dog food for the fox needs to stop feeding it.
Styme Industries has changed its name to Styme International and they are planning a large expansion. They want endorsement from the city on a job creation fund and financing, but no background or explanation was offered. The council will request that owner John Steinmetz attend a council meeting to answer questions before any endorsement can be made.
A special meeting will be held with Maine Prairie Township to discuss what is to be done with 83rd Avenue; the meeting will be at the township hall, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18.
The next regular meeting of the Kimball city council will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2.