City Council Meeting
November 1, 2011
· There was a Yellow Ribbon Proclamation from the Governor
· Main topic of the meeting was the issue of Chart Industries moving into the Slidell building.
Authorization of JOBZ benefits – approved
Dependent on the creation of 100 new jobs (must be maintained)
· Property Tax exemption till 2015
· Some sales tax incentives
· Income tax incentives
Economic Development Program and Project Funding
$500,000 loan ($5,000 per job)
Forgivable loan if the jobs are maintained
Amendment to Indenture and Agreement related to Replacement Industrial Development Revenue Bonds
Existing bonds of $4M to be taken over by Chart
· Paid only on revenue generation
· There were a series of proposed assessments for the 2011 improvements
Discussion was brought up about the term of
these assessments
The length of the term would vary, but the
interest rate was set at 7%. The council
members agreed to the terms at this point, but wanted to have the city to look
into adjusting the interest rate. Ray
Truelson brought up that the interest rate was too high seeing as one could
borrow money today at a much cheaper rate.
· Approval of Licenses and permits and other misc.
actions.
Monday, November 07, 2011
Study Session-City Public Works
Public Works – Study Session
November 1, 2011
The study session for the Public Works department was broken
out into their sub-departments with representatives from those areas. Jeff Johnson, the City Engineer, presented most of the material. He did use some of his staff to dive into mare of the details.
Most of the comments revolved around the topic of doing more with less. This statement was made a number of times – basically at the start of each of the sub-departments.
The first area was engineering. Jeff talked about personnel and how they have been reduced by three staff members. I thought I heard him say that they have gone from 9 people down to six since 2003 (the date is what I am unsure of). Jeff believed that they needed to hire someone for a GIS Position. I believe this refers to Geographic Information Systems. After looking it up, basically means that they will need someone to manage and analyze geographical data – if that is what the acronym that they used stands for (they realized about 2/3’s of the way through that they needed to explain the acronyms they were using). Some other requests that Jeff had was a new software system – they referred to a “Technology Roadmap”. Also they said they needed a new van and a copier.
The next area was the airport. This I was impressed with. The airport’s goal is to become entirely
self-sufficient and they have a plan to do so.
Much of that will rely on the fuels sales for revenue. I really liked the fact that they had a
separate strategic plan that the Airport Commission uses to evaluate where they are at and hold themselves accountable.
In my evaluation, this was the only area that resembled management similar to what we would see in any private business. I think this should be looked into and possibly expanded. Granted it has some similarity to private business, where there is actually a primary revenue source outside of tax dollars.
The street department became very lengthy as there was a lot of discussion about maintaining the roads and snow removal. Again, they were doing “more with less”. The issue is having enough skilled plow drivers to keep up with the snow removal. Mark from the street
department did not believe that it was possible. I did like that the idea of looking at
outside contracts was a possibility. It was not agreed to at this point, but I hope that they do look into it. This would show that they are looking at ways to be more efficient and maybe save some money by contracting it out. At least it would add in a competitive bid and really force the City to match up their actual costs of snow removal. Jeff did mention that they received $41,000
in state aid for road maintenance. He said this was received twice a year and I am not sure if the $41,000 was a total figure of if they got that twice a year from the state. There was also a brief mention of $1M in construction funds. The street department was also asking for a new street sweeper, tractor and loader as well as a new plow truck (this was their top three, they did have additional requests).
The last area was waste water. Jeff talked about the projects that have been completed and those that were still going on. They also discussed the process of how they dispose of the “sludge” and
the capacity limitations that could become an issue. Jeff said that we have a 5 Million Gallon a
Day capacity and have been running at around 4 MGD. If we see an increase in some of the industry in Owatonna, the capacity will become a bigger issue, but we are okay for now.
The meeting ran long and I did not get a chance to ask our three questions, however, Les Abraham asked me what I thought of the process. I explained that I was still trying to understand it as it is different than the way a business would set a budget. I explained to him that I was impressed with what I heard from the airport department and would like to see
that expanded. We are definitely making an impression and I feel that the city is recognizing that they need to be held accountable.
Mike Milstead
Ag Power Enterprises,
Inc.
November 1, 2011
The study session for the Public Works department was broken
out into their sub-departments with representatives from those areas. Jeff Johnson, the City Engineer, presented most of the material. He did use some of his staff to dive into mare of the details.
Most of the comments revolved around the topic of doing more with less. This statement was made a number of times – basically at the start of each of the sub-departments.
The first area was engineering. Jeff talked about personnel and how they have been reduced by three staff members. I thought I heard him say that they have gone from 9 people down to six since 2003 (the date is what I am unsure of). Jeff believed that they needed to hire someone for a GIS Position. I believe this refers to Geographic Information Systems. After looking it up, basically means that they will need someone to manage and analyze geographical data – if that is what the acronym that they used stands for (they realized about 2/3’s of the way through that they needed to explain the acronyms they were using). Some other requests that Jeff had was a new software system – they referred to a “Technology Roadmap”. Also they said they needed a new van and a copier.
The next area was the airport. This I was impressed with. The airport’s goal is to become entirely
self-sufficient and they have a plan to do so.
Much of that will rely on the fuels sales for revenue. I really liked the fact that they had a
separate strategic plan that the Airport Commission uses to evaluate where they are at and hold themselves accountable.
In my evaluation, this was the only area that resembled management similar to what we would see in any private business. I think this should be looked into and possibly expanded. Granted it has some similarity to private business, where there is actually a primary revenue source outside of tax dollars.
The street department became very lengthy as there was a lot of discussion about maintaining the roads and snow removal. Again, they were doing “more with less”. The issue is having enough skilled plow drivers to keep up with the snow removal. Mark from the street
department did not believe that it was possible. I did like that the idea of looking at
outside contracts was a possibility. It was not agreed to at this point, but I hope that they do look into it. This would show that they are looking at ways to be more efficient and maybe save some money by contracting it out. At least it would add in a competitive bid and really force the City to match up their actual costs of snow removal. Jeff did mention that they received $41,000
in state aid for road maintenance. He said this was received twice a year and I am not sure if the $41,000 was a total figure of if they got that twice a year from the state. There was also a brief mention of $1M in construction funds. The street department was also asking for a new street sweeper, tractor and loader as well as a new plow truck (this was their top three, they did have additional requests).
The last area was waste water. Jeff talked about the projects that have been completed and those that were still going on. They also discussed the process of how they dispose of the “sludge” and
the capacity limitations that could become an issue. Jeff said that we have a 5 Million Gallon a
Day capacity and have been running at around 4 MGD. If we see an increase in some of the industry in Owatonna, the capacity will become a bigger issue, but we are okay for now.
The meeting ran long and I did not get a chance to ask our three questions, however, Les Abraham asked me what I thought of the process. I explained that I was still trying to understand it as it is different than the way a business would set a budget. I explained to him that I was impressed with what I heard from the airport department and would like to see
that expanded. We are definitely making an impression and I feel that the city is recognizing that they need to be held accountable.
Mike Milstead
Ag Power Enterprises,
Inc.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Businesses and Government Contracts
What are resources for businesses interested in obtaining or maintaining government contracts?Have you ever thought about doing business with local, city, county, state, or federal government? Think of all of the services and goods required - from websites, cleaning supplies, training, furniture, transportation, national defense projects to even simple things like pencils and paperclips… Government contacts are a great way to grow, expand, or diversify your existing business to generate more revenue! However, there are basic requirements and some strategic business planning that will need to take place, much like any other business venture, in order to make sure your business is positioned to obtain, maintain, and execute successful contracts. We can help you get started!
Through the Department of Commerce, Minnesota's Procurement and Technical Assistance Program (PTAC) offers all Minnesota business the opportunity to identify new and existing market opportunities. PTAC will also advise, assist, and prepare businesses and minority businesses with required applications, certifications, and registrations necessary in order to coordinate the next steps. In addition to business meetings with new and existing clients, workshops, events, networking, awards, and other opportunities are made available Statewide. Minority owned businesses are encouraged to apply.
Once government contract(s) are obtained, there may be additional requirements to maintain general compliance agreements with the overseeing agency involved. For an example, Federal Contractors should periodically review the Department of Labor (DOL) regulations and become familiar with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP), which plays an important role in enforcing the law to ensure affirmative action and equal employment opportunity requirements of those who do business with the Federal government. Businesses may be required to hire and track recruitment efforts of specific targeted groups, such as Veterans and other targeted groups, as specified by the law.
So what are some simple, no-cost solutions to help employers with existing contracts connect with Veterans? Businesses are encouraged to register on Minnesota's Official State Labor Exchange website, https://www.minnesotaworks.net/ to post and track jobs. For information on tax credits, (up to $4,800.00 per qualifying Veteran hire); for general recruitment assistance; and for help connecting to Veteran's networking groups, local events, and awards for employers who hire Veterans; please contact Minnesota Business Services for no-fee resources to help your business with OFCCP compliance.
Finally, the Defense Alliance aims to enhance the already-successful network of people and firms created by the Minnesota Defense Industry Roundtable (and the associated on-line Newsletter) begun in 2003. The ultimate goal is to network and expand the defense industry job base and further promote this region's important contributions to the Nation’s defense. Membership is free. Click on the above link for more information.
Need more information about obtaining government contracts? Watch the hour-long BusinessConnection webinar recorded December 8, 2010 Government Contracts: How To Obtain and Keep Them.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
City CouncilNotes-Aug. 16, 2011
A part of the OACCT's Public Policy efforts for 2011 is for volunteers from the Public Policy committee attend both City and County meetings and report back on items that are of interest/concern to business.
·Meeting started with a resolution to modify TIF No. 3-1.
-This was a result of the agreement that the city had with the Coke distributor in the industrial park.
· Authorization to purchase the 800 MGHZ radios - approved
-This would be for police/fire and other emergency personnel.
-Request was for about 260 radios
§Discussions as to why they needed that many – actually a reduction form what they had
§Some will have portable radios as well as radios in their vehicles
§Discussion about the $45,000 in sales tax assessed by the state. The City and the County were going to work together to form a resolution to propose to the state legislature to get that waived
· Installation of new stop sign at Austin Rd and Park – approved
-Could be installed as soon as 8/17/11
·Reduce speed limit on Cherry St and Mineral Springs Prkwy - approved
-With the construction on Mineral Springs Rd there is added traffic along the detour route
-The road by Mineral Springs Park is very narrow and there is a lot of pedestrian traffic
-Again could happen as quickly as 8/17/11
· Approve the bid & award the contract for the airport rehabilitation paving project – approved
-$13,000 in cost to the city. This is 5% of the bid as the other 95% with come from Federal funding
·Variance from DM&E Railroad for the Mineral Springs reconstruction project – approved
-No discussion
·Approve plans and specs for the bids for the 2011 SE storm sewer improvements – approved
-No discussion
· Supplemental Agreement No.1 & 2 for the 24th Ave and NW Bituminous reclamation project – approved
-No discussion
· Supplemental Agreement No.1 for the Mineral Springs pavement reconstruction project – approved
-No discussion
·Memorandums of Agreement – Local No.320 - approved
-This was an issue of confusion with the parameters of sick leave for the members of the Local No.230 – mainly police
-Wanted to clarify what was covered under the sick leave policy
·Meeting started with a resolution to modify TIF No. 3-1.
-This was a result of the agreement that the city had with the Coke distributor in the industrial park.
· Authorization to purchase the 800 MGHZ radios - approved
-This would be for police/fire and other emergency personnel.
-Request was for about 260 radios
§Discussions as to why they needed that many – actually a reduction form what they had
§Some will have portable radios as well as radios in their vehicles
§Discussion about the $45,000 in sales tax assessed by the state. The City and the County were going to work together to form a resolution to propose to the state legislature to get that waived
· Installation of new stop sign at Austin Rd and Park – approved
-Could be installed as soon as 8/17/11
·Reduce speed limit on Cherry St and Mineral Springs Prkwy - approved
-With the construction on Mineral Springs Rd there is added traffic along the detour route
-The road by Mineral Springs Park is very narrow and there is a lot of pedestrian traffic
-Again could happen as quickly as 8/17/11
· Approve the bid & award the contract for the airport rehabilitation paving project – approved
-$13,000 in cost to the city. This is 5% of the bid as the other 95% with come from Federal funding
·Variance from DM&E Railroad for the Mineral Springs reconstruction project – approved
-No discussion
·Approve plans and specs for the bids for the 2011 SE storm sewer improvements – approved
-No discussion
· Supplemental Agreement No.1 & 2 for the 24th Ave and NW Bituminous reclamation project – approved
-No discussion
· Supplemental Agreement No.1 for the Mineral Springs pavement reconstruction project – approved
-No discussion
·Memorandums of Agreement – Local No.320 - approved
-This was an issue of confusion with the parameters of sick leave for the members of the Local No.230 – mainly police
-Wanted to clarify what was covered under the sick leave policy
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
County Board Notes-Aug. 9 2011
A part of the OACCT's Public Policy efforts for 2011 is for volunteers from the Public Policy committee attend both City and County meetings and report back on items that are of interest/concern to business.
GENERAL
Award 800 MHz Tower Bids - They approved the bid of $121,806.00.
New Radios - They approved purchase not to exceed $50,000.00.
Crane Creek Asphalt Plant (Hope Pit) - Temporary plant approved.
Ed's Backhoe/Brady Pit - Permit to remove gravel with stipulation that past aggregate tax be paid prior to issuing permit.
HUMAN SERVICES
Beacon Project Consortium Agreement - Approved implementing and training of new software.
Customized Living Court Agreement - County lost case with Mr. Young, but will work with the City Attorney to formulate a plan for future cases.
Scat Bus Purchase - Approved to purchase new bus from North Central, but no dollar amount disclosed. They will look to sell the older bus. Fair board is using the scat bus and the director will work with them to see why.
Houck Advertising Contract - They approved to a 1 year contract to allow Houck to put advertising on the Scat Bus for a 50/50 split.
Lobby Monitors - They approved a cost of more than $2,000.00 to add electronic billboards to be installed in the main areas of Human Services to let people know of other programs and information.
Sex Offenders Cost - The state has just passed a cost increase from 10% to 25% for the housing of Sex Offenders. Current cost is $328.00 per day. There are also many other changes, but they will even out the cost to the county.
TRANSPORTATION
Access Variance Request NRHEG Schools - Approved
Access Variance Request Lyle Meschke - ApprovedAccess Variance Request Irv Jensen - Approved
Culvert Repair - Approved $27,600.00
Quote for Television/Locating WPA Tile Line in Hope - Approved cost at $210.00/Hr., not to exceed $40,000.00
GENERAL
Award 800 MHz Tower Bids - They approved the bid of $121,806.00.
New Radios - They approved purchase not to exceed $50,000.00.
Crane Creek Asphalt Plant (Hope Pit) - Temporary plant approved.
Ed's Backhoe/Brady Pit - Permit to remove gravel with stipulation that past aggregate tax be paid prior to issuing permit.
HUMAN SERVICES
Beacon Project Consortium Agreement - Approved implementing and training of new software.
Customized Living Court Agreement - County lost case with Mr. Young, but will work with the City Attorney to formulate a plan for future cases.
Scat Bus Purchase - Approved to purchase new bus from North Central, but no dollar amount disclosed. They will look to sell the older bus. Fair board is using the scat bus and the director will work with them to see why.
Houck Advertising Contract - They approved to a 1 year contract to allow Houck to put advertising on the Scat Bus for a 50/50 split.
Lobby Monitors - They approved a cost of more than $2,000.00 to add electronic billboards to be installed in the main areas of Human Services to let people know of other programs and information.
Sex Offenders Cost - The state has just passed a cost increase from 10% to 25% for the housing of Sex Offenders. Current cost is $328.00 per day. There are also many other changes, but they will even out the cost to the county.
TRANSPORTATION
Access Variance Request NRHEG Schools - Approved
Access Variance Request Lyle Meschke - ApprovedAccess Variance Request Irv Jensen - Approved
Culvert Repair - Approved $27,600.00
Quote for Television/Locating WPA Tile Line in Hope - Approved cost at $210.00/Hr., not to exceed $40,000.00
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