The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at the Hampton City Hall for the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor John Knetter; Council Members Cindy Flodeen, David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Nick Russell. Also present was Marlin Reinardy, Water/Sewer Superintendent; Brad Fisher with Bolton and Menk; and Chris Meyer, City Treasurer.
Regular Meeting called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular Scheduled Meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Present were Mayor John Knetter; Council Members Cindy Flodeen, David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Nick Russell.
Disclosure of Interest – None
Approval of August 17, 2021 Special and Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes – Motion by Verch seconded by Flodeen to approve the August 17, 2021 Special and Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to approve the September disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications:
Councilor Luhring asked Mayor Knetter for an update on the Northfield WiFi/Hampton water tower issue.
Knetter responded that the City’s attorney in the case, Peter Mikhail, made a motion with the court to clarify that the contract that is the subject of the case is standard contract language and that the City may terminate the contract. The motion was made in late August, the judge took it under advisement, and the case is set for trial. Luhring thanked Knetter for the update.
Special Meeting for Final Approval of Levy – Knetter indicated that the special meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., prior to the regular scheduled City Council meeting on December 14th.
Additional Communication from Mayor Knetter – Dakota County contacted the City recently regarding building a vehicle maintenance facility in the City. Knetter stated that there was a meeting with representatives from Dakota County two years ago to begin discussion of the proposed project. Now Dakota County is ready to proceed with the project. Discussion about site location, if the County has other potential sites for the facility, details of facility operations, future truck traffic, and drawbacks/benefits to the City.
Resolution 2021-09. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees:
Engineer Report – Brad Fisher with Bolton and Menk stated that he had no formal update this month, but was at the meeting to answer any questions Councilors may have, or to discuss any engineering related issues that may have come up since the last Council meeting. Councilors had no questions. Mayor Knetter asked Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent, if he had any questions. He asked Fisher if he could attend a meeting scheduled with Dakota County representatives for next Tuesday afternoon to discuss the proposed Dakota County vehicle maintenance facility. Fisher said he would be willing to attend, but would need to check his calendar.
Fisher then stated that he did have one update regarding the water tower replacement project. He is waiting for a response from SHPO to requests for additional information, so he wanted to let Councilors know that that is still something that is in progress. Mayor Knetter thanked Fisher for the update.
Water / Sewer Report – Reinardy reported that it has been a busy month with water issues. The problems he is having stem from the well house where a relay went bad in the #2 well. During the process of working on the problem, the assembly was powered down and then powered back up. After that, the PanelView terminal wouldn’t come back up, so he contacted the company that originally installed it, who dispatched a technician. The PanelView was originally installed in 1996 and is no longer supported by the company. Reinardy stated that the technician working on the problem is the only one that works for the company that has knowledge about the system. He said that there is a battery in the system that was replaced in 2014, and now that battery went bad, so the PanelView lost its memory. The technician was able to get things working again, but stated that the PanelView terminal would need to be replaced, as the one the City has is no longer supported by the company. Discussion about options for replacement and if the City will be able to configure the new PanelView as the existing one had been configured.
The replacement solenoid for the #2 well was received and replaced, however the new solenoid did not fix the problem, so Reinardy contacted McCarthy Well, who dispatched a technician, however the technician didn’t know what to do to repair the problem. Reinardy continued by explaining how a solenoid valve works. This solenoid valve does not operate as it should because it is a one-way valve that should not allow water to back up, as it is doing now. Reinardy then contacted Peine Plumbing, who ordered new internal parts for the solenoid valve. The plumber believes the problem may be the backflow preventer. Reinardy disagrees. However, he stated that it is important to have the backflow preventers inspected annually, and he was able to find someone to do it. That individual did come for an initial visit to get information about the backflow preventer and will order parts as needed. Reinardy stated that it is likely that an inspection will determine that some of the backflow preventers will need to be rebuilt. Reinardy again spoke with McCarthy Well, and they are unsure of what is causing the problem, but they believe it must be a failure of the solenoid valve. The person who will be doing the work to replace the internal parts of the solenoid valve wants Reinardy to make sure that the backflow preventer is working properly before he works on the solenoid valve.
Additionally, Reinardy reported that there was a watermain leak 2 weeks ago near the #3 well at the park. Water was leaking near the fire hydrant. Dug up, but initially couldn’t find the leak. Ultimately it was discovered that a flange in the shut-off valve was leaking. The flange was replaced, which fixed the leak. The ground around the area needed repair because of the digging and then back filling around the hydrant. That work was done and grass seed was planted.
In sewer matters, things are going well. He is preparing for the October discharge, which he believes will go well, and is sure that testing will have good results.
Law Enforcement Report – Mayor Knetter acknowledged the presence of two Dakota County Sheriff Deputies and asked if they had anything to report. They mentioned that they have been busy with enforcement around the barricades for the road construction. Also, there are a few new deputies who will be training with veteran officers on patrol. It was noted that there is a suspicious looking man that has been spotted around town, however he is known to be a local resident who is experiencing domestic issues. Mayor Knetter thanked Deputies for their report and their service.
Park Report – Councilor Verch stated that he had nothing to report.
Street Report – Councilor Luhring reported 2 complaints from the same person about Hampton Avenue between Main Street and Doffing. When street repairs are done in the spring, this is one area that will require some work to be done, as the road is buckling and does need repair. The resident is satisfied, knowing that repairs will be done in the spring.
Mayor Knetter noted that he received a complaint about an individual that lives near the post office who is doing repairs to vehicles that are parked on the street. Neighboring businesses are unhappy about the situation and want the individual to stop parking vehicles and working on them on the street. Knetter did stop and talk to the individual and told him that he needs to stop. Knetter stated that if the activity continues, action will need to be taken by the Council because these vehicles can present a safety hazard. Discussion ensued about potential future actions for non-compliance by the individual.
Reinardy updated Councilors on his recent contact with individuals whose vehicles have been tagged to be towed.
Old Business – None New Business:
Award Snow Plowing Contract – Knetter noted that just one quote was received for snow plowing, and that was from Ottomatic Lawncare, LLC. He mentioned that it was added to the contract that there be an option to extend the contract beyond the two-year period of the contract, if both parties agree. Motion by Verch seconded by Flodeen to award the snow removal contract to Ottomatic Lawncare, LLC. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
American Rescue Plan Act grant funding – Mayor Knetter mentioned that he had this put on the agenda as a point of discussion, and provided an overview on eligible uses of the grant funding. He asked Councilors for their ideas for funding usage. He stated that his idea is to purchase a back-up generator for the other lift station. There was discussion about using the funds for items related to the water tower replacement project. Knetter doesn’t believe that those costs would be an eligible use of the funds. Verch asked if the PanelView terminal that needs to be upgraded would be an eligible expense. Discussion. That is something that will be looked into.
Adjournment - - Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. The meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Judy O’Brien