Council Talks Soil Evaluation for New Trafton Lift Station

The Malta City Council voted last Tuesday, November 9, to hire SK Geotechnical Corporation out of Billings to do a soil evaluation at the site of the proposed new Trafton Lift Station.

This soil evaluation is the beginning of a plan set up by the Great West Engineering group that the City of Malta has hired to help prioritize and plan projects needed in the city, and helps with any and all grant applications that can aid in those projects.

“The soil evaluation will get the ball rolling on the lift station project as well as help us with our ranking for the grant money,” said Mayor John Demarais. “It will take some time to get the plan in place and this is the start.”

The City Council passed the soil evaluation with a vote of 4-0.

Chuck Zanto addressed the council, presenting a possible trailer house that he is looking to buy and put in the Murray Trailer Court.

“I don’t want to spend any money on it unless I know you will allow it,” said Zanto. “I know I’ll have to get a permit, I just wanted to run it by you guys first.”

Zanto said that he owns six lots in the Murray Trailer Court and that he wants to get more trailers put in there for rentals.

On this trailer, he would need to pour runners, put a new roof on it, new windows, and skirt it.

Mayor Demarais told Zanto that he would go through all of the information that he has presented and get back to him the next morning.

In the department reports, City Clerk/Treasurer Lori Bond handed out the “usual” reports. The current check register, current shut-off list, the October overtime/vacation/sick leave report, and the expenditures revenue budget vs actual report.

Bond informed the council that there is an opening on the League of Cities and Towns Board of Directors.

Bond told the council that she would give them each a copy of the current gym lease agreement to look over and see what, if any changes they would like to make, and that the council would need to draft a new agreement for the new Malta Event Center.

Bond asked Mayor Demarais if he would like to plan on performing the Oath of Office for the newly elected officials during the last meeting of the year as it has been done in the past. Mayor Demarais agreed.

Bond then brought to the attention of the council that a company out of Fargo, ND had approached them about refinancing the USDA loan. She said the company would look at the current situation and inform the council on what it could save the city. Nothing would be paid out unless the council approved the refinancing.

The council agreed that it would be a good idea to listen to the company’s presentation. Bond will set up a meeting for the presentation.

Sally Wright of the Malta Parks and Rec gave her report to the council.

Wright told the council that the Yoga Class ended on October 26 and that yoga continues to be a very popular class.

The current events going on right now are HIIT’s Classes, Boot Camp, Tiny Tots, Tiny Dribblers, and Youth Basketball League. All of which are going very well.

The attendance for the weight room over the last four months has averaged 110 people per month.

Wright then told the council that over the last week Assistant Director Kristina Benner had picked up all the garbage at Trafton Park and the softball fields, as well as took down the volleyball net for the winter. By the end of the week, garbage at the rest of the parks would be done.

A question of whether there would be a skating rink this year was asked. Benner said “I will shovel it and keep it cleared as needed. I come from a hockey family, so I would really enjoy it.”

Public Works Director Jim Truelove said he would look into it saying, “He would have to play the weather with it.”

Truelove gave his report to the council.

He said that as of November 13, the landfill would be on winter hours and not open on Saturdays anymore.

Truelove said that the sweeper would be out, weather permitting, one more time and that the leaf vac and the blade would be out as long as possible.

He told the council that the city crew would be testing the Christmas lights and would be putting them up the week before Thanksgiving and lighting them the day after.

Truelove then told the council that there had been an issue with the Dodson Lift Station that started on Friday, November 5.

“The pumps were tripped,” said Truelove. “We got to work on it as soon as we were aware, but some basements were affected and there were two claims made.”

Truelove told the council that the crew worked on it all weekend along with Spencer Electric. It was a float issue and it has been fixed.

Truelove added that there is also a ground settling issue with the slab at that lift station.

“Everything with the lift station is sound,” said Truelove. “It’s just something that I will have to keep an eye on.”

The next Malta City Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 23, in City Hall at 5:00 p.m.