Posted 5/23/01 Harris council, PC meet May 29 to look at cityís future By Danielle Strenke Knowing there are many critical issues facing the city at this time, the Harris City Council set up a work session at their regular meeting Monday. Mayor Richard Hanson originally suggested the special meeting at the May 7 council meeting, asking that it be set up as a closed meeting. He told the council Monday night, however, that it could not legally be a closed meeting. The council still agreed it was pertinent to schedule a work session, to have all members of the council, the mayor, and the planning commission discuss numerous issues on the table at this time. The meeting was set for Tuesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. at city hall. The council debated whether a list of discussion items should be made before the meeting. ěThere should be items down on a list to be talked about,î councilor David Christianson said. Mayor Hanson briefly went through a list of several items he had already come up with, such as where the city should go with the budget for next year, and plans for the remodeling of city hall and hiring of additional city maintenance workers. Earlier in the meeting, Hanson informed the council of a reoccurring problem of hiring an electrician to complete the rewiring work needed at city hall. ěNo electricians are returning our calls,î he said. ěCan we authorize the clerk to open the phone book and start calling electricians,î he asked. Councilor Lyle Holmstrom said the problem is many electricians are most likely busy with bigger jobs. ěThey are working on big jobs and donít want to pull crews to come in here for a three-hour job,î he said. The council instructed Clerk Kim Hugger to begin contacting other electricians for the project. City Engineer Steve Thatcher updated the council on a meeting set with EnComm, to discuss several repair items on a punch list not completed by EnComm. The meeting, which will be with EnComm and its attorney, council members, Thatcher, and Fire Chief John Pelant, is set for May 30. He also told the council that EnComm had yet to install two water meters in the city, and a water hydrant extension was still not completed. ěHe said it would all be done this week,î Thatcher said. ěIf itís not done by our meeting, that will be another issue.î Hanson told the council he rode along with city maintenance worker Ken Holmstrom, to evaluate the road improvement needs for the year. Portions of Sawmill Road, Grand Avenue, Falcon Avenue, and Golden Avenue are scheduled for new gravel this year, he said. Estimated costs of the gravel and delivery run between $15,000-$17,000. The council did not determine if the budget would allow for completion of all of the graveling this year. ©Post Review