Clerk hired, two monthly meetings considered

Posted 2/22/01

Clerk hired, two monthly meetings considered

By Jason Sileo
In spite of the adversity it has faced recently, the Stacy City Council continues to move forward ó taking care of city business with one step at a time.

The council met for about two and a half hours Feb. 13 following a 20-odd minute meeting ó behind closed doors ó whose meaning was neither published on the agenda nor announced publicly that evening.

Following a couple other minor delays concerning tape recording equipment, the council sat down to a nightís business which included discussion of the hiring of a new city clerk and brief consideration of a bi-monthly meeting format.

The council agreed to host interviews for five of eight total applicants for the cityís open clerk position (City Attorney Peter Grundhoefer acted as a surrogate clerk, recorded minutes at the meeting last week).

Those interviews were conducted Thursday, Feb. 15. Sharon Payne, North Branch, was subsequently appointed to the clerkís position and is scheduled to take over in the clerkís office Monday, March 5.

Attorney Grundhoefer praised Mayor Kathi Lawrence for her ìbasically volunteerî work on the cityís behalf during transition period between clerks.
ìShe has basically kept the city running,î

Grundhoefer said of Lawrence. ìShe was essentially operating as the city clerk, in many respects, for several weeks.î

The council briefly considered a bi-monthly meeting format which, according to council member Cindy Frich, would reduce costs associated with special, unscheduled council meetings.

Board member Mike Haehnel said the special meetings had not been frivolous and were instead ìbased on need.î

Frich said it would be easier for all concerned if the council simply met, for example, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Following the discussion the council agreed to hold a special meeting March 27, 7 p.m. at city hall to discuss the results of a March 6 Joint Powers fire coverage hearing (8 p.m. at the fire hall) as well as water/sewer issues in the city.

ìYouíre going to be here ëtil midnight,î Frich said of the decision and the March 27 meeting.

ìWell, weíll be here ëtil midnight then,î Mayor Lawrence said.

Planning Commission member Barb Cummings addressed the board to request Attorney Grundhoeferís assistance in drawing up new sign ordinance language for the city.

Cummings said Grundhoeferís work and assistance on the cityís recently instituted tower ordinance had proved invaluable and suggested the attorney be brought in again for signage issues.

The council agreed and authorized Grundhoefer to work with the planning commission on the matter.
Cummings also received the councilís preliminary approval to oversee building permit issues in the city.

Cummings will act, according to the preliminary discussion, as an interim-type zoning administrator and would oversee building permit issuance following permit review at the planning commission level. The issue will be discussed in more detail at a March 6 meeting.

Grundhoefer apparently will be looking at the fine print associated with the proposal.
ìYouíve got to get some procedures in placeî for such an arrangement, he said.

Councilman Mike Haehnel said he thought the proposed arrangement was probably fine for minor building or remodeling projects but expressed concern in the case of larger construction efforts.
ìFor the little things I can see it, for the bigger things itís going to get more involved and trickier,î Haehnel said.

Tom Archibald, head of city maintenance, received council approval to attend a waste water treatment conference in St. Cloud early next month.

Archibald requested a replacement gas monitor and some new portable ventilators ó both required for confined space work.

The council will review the request as Archibald prices new equipment prior to the councilís next regular meeting. Archibald said he also will be registering shortly for required CPR and first aid classes.