By Clark Natalie

The Harris City Council, Oct. 9, dealt with the cityís personnel policy, removing the present policy and updating the wording to meet federal and state requirements. The new policy was adopted as a policy, not as part of the city code or ordinance. This will allow the council to review and make changes as needed.

The council adopted a resolution specifying the fire departmentís personnel policy, and eliminating the section of ordinance, that had the old city personnel policy.

This action brings the fire department into compliance with how it has been run since last December, when the council made changes to the officer structure.

An additional change is the number of emergency calls that can be missed. Originally, it was going to be three consecutive emergency calls. This was not practical, because if a firefighter was on vacation for a week, three consecutive emergency calls could very easily be missed.

It has been changed to require the firefighters to respond to at least 25 percent of the emergency calls in a calendar year.

The other matters dealt with in the new policy pertain to recruitment, medical exams and who is required to take alcohol and drug tests.

City attorney Pete Grundhoefer pointed out that all of the firefighters were candidates for this test.

The policy also points out that the employee records are covered by Minnesota Data Privacy Act. The policy deals with reference checks and employee evaluations.

The policy also states who is covered by it. All employees, firefighters, first responders, water rescue personnel and other volunteers are covered. It does not cover elected officials, consultants, board members that are appointed and other similar personnel.

Councilman Doug Chaffee asked about section 305.14, which relates to life insurance on employees.

Chaffee asked if the $10,000 life insurance applied to the volunteer firefighters, since the rest of the policy did. Grundhoefer suggested the policy be adopted with that section left out.

By next meeting, they can find out what the cost to the city of the insurance policies to cover the firefighters would be and the decision can be made whether to adopt that provision.

Treasurer Richard Hill noted that a check is written every May to cover a life insurance policy for the Fire Relief Association, but was not sure of what coverage that policy provided.

Fixing Ginger Avenue

The issue of Ginger Avenue also was addressed. Chisago County will not get the street up to agreed-upon standards this fall, but they have offered the city options. The city can accept the estimated expense of $130,174.50 and do the work themselves, or wait until next spring, and have the street put on the 2007 construction schedule. City engineer Chuck Schwartz said the optimum decision would be to wait.

The detail of the breakdown of costs did not include any soft costs, such as architect or engineering costs, so the actual costs would be more than the county is offering.

Grundhoefer suggested the council prepare a written response letting the county know the city will wait until spring and request a written confirmation, detailing the work that will be done.

It will not be a reconstruction of the street, but only a storm sewer renovation and overlay of the pavement.

Didnít know it was private

Also on the agenda was a request from Kevin Masterman to have the street that he lives on be converted from a private road to a public road.

Masterman is concerned about maintenance and plowing. Masterman has a son who requires medical attention and wants to make sure that emergency vehicles can reach their house in winter and spring.

Masterman said that he was not aware it was a private road and not publicly maintained until after he had purchased his house. It was not pointed out in the title work done, he said.

Grundhoefer noted that the city had dealt with other streets that were public and substandard. When a development was proposed on the substandard streets, the city had a difficult time bringing them up to standard.

Grundhoefer suggested that 441st street be brought up to standard before being made public. Masterman said the intent was to bring in gravel to put a crown on the road, ditches were already in place.

Engineer Schwartz pointed out that the code requires new streets in Harris to be paved.

City maintenance supervisor Mike Kriz said there were standards for existing gravel roads. It was decided that Schwartz will get the standards to Masterman for review. A plan to bring the road up to date will be worked out.

Mapping from above

Chisago County has approached Harris about a County Digital Data Project. The county had sent out request for proposals to fly the entire county and prepare digital color maps and topographical maps with 2-foot intervals.

Harris can purchase the data at a cost of $750 per square mile. If they pass on this purchase now, the cost will go up.

The council was interested in buying the data, as it can be sold to developers and other interested parties and the city can recoup the costs.

How much of the city they will buy will be determined later. The maps will not be available until the fall of 2007, so there is time to work out details of how the city will pay for them.

Gifts not allowed

Attorney Grundhoefer also addressed an issue from the last council meeting concerning the increase in payment to firefighters when they respond to emergency calls. The council had wanted the increase retroactive to January 2006. Grundhoefer learned that increasing the pay retroactively is considered a gift and is not allowed.

The council also appointed election judges for the November elections.

The color of the steel siding and soffits for the water treatment plant at Schoolhouse Park were selected. The siding will be Dakota Wheat, the soffits Hawaiian Cane, with dark brown doors. The shingles will be Driftwood. A committee of neighbors, park board members and interested parties selected the colors.