City Council Urges Residents to Move Vehicles Off Street for Snow Removal

Tuesday evening, Nov. 26th, the Malta City Council met with a total of six individuals attending the meeting. Chairperson of the Council, David Rummel, was in attendance via phone, and present at the meeting were council members Laura Pankratz and Bonnie Wiederrick. Also present were Lorie Bond, City Clerk and Treasurer, PWD Jim Truelove, and Marilyn Taylor. Absent were Mayor John Demarais and Councilperson Bill Hicks.

Rummel called the meeting to order and then turned the meeting over to Wiederrick, who opened the meeting with the pledge to the flag.

Pankratz moved to accept the minutes of the last meeting, seconded by Rummel, motion carried.

Wiederrick moved to accept the agenda for the meeting which was seconded by Pankratz, and this motion passed. Rummel moved to accept the claims for the audit, seconded by Pankratz, and this motion passed as well.

Truelove provided an update on the forced main construction project, it is now back on line and it is going the way it should be. They are out there now, all the pipe has been removed. They brought in 8 inches of inch and a half gravel to rehab the city entrance into the lagoon. They will be doing some work to the Taylor property, the pipe has been removed from the Smith property. Truelove stated he has been in communication with (Todd) Smith and he said he appreciates the cooperation of Smith and (Roy and Marilyn) Taylor’s. “I appreciate the cooperation of both neighbors, they have been stellar.”

He stated that if there is any adjacent fence work to be done, the city would be taking care of it.

The pipe has been removed from Trafton, he said he had notified DEQ.

Truelove stated that Trafton Park is closed for the winter, the hunters have left, and things are shut down.

Grass cans will come in. There was a service line fix on Monday, it was chilly, it is up and running.

There was an animal control call that he responded to, they had come to the city hall and could not care for the two animals they had; he could only kennel one, they kept the other one. Truelove re-homed the animal by afternoon and the owner managed to re-home the other one, as well.

“The chilly season is here, it’s white outside,” said Truelove, and the sander is out. We will deal with the pending weather as it gets here. He urged residents to get their campers, utility trailers and RV’s off the streets and avenues by Dec. 1. “In case we do have to plow the town I don’t want to get them plowed in. We will plow around them, but that in essence, will plow them in. I don’t want that to happen.” The council members present stated they had been given ample notice, for an extended time.

“The crew plows uptown at night, clears it off and sands behind it,” he stated, for those that may not know the procedure.

Bond gave her report, and added that she had received a request for a draw on the manganese report, which was too late to get on the meeting agenda. She inquired if there could be a special meeting to address the draw, as anything after Dec. 6th will not be processed until after the first of the year. After discussion the members decided on Dec. 3rd at 5 o’clock.

There were no reports from any of the departments.

The first item on the agenda was to change the December 24th meeting to Dec. 20th at 9 a.m.; Rummel moved to make the change, seconded by Pankratz and the motion passed.

The other item on the agenda for the meeting was Draw 3 – SRF Loan – Trafton Force Main Project. The payment would be $322,173. Wiederrick made a motion, seconded by Pankratz and the motion passed.

Wiederrick moved to adjourn, seconded by Pankratz. This motion passed.

The next regular meeting of the council will be December 10 at 5 p.m. If anyone wants to get on the agenda for the meeting, please contact Lorie Bond at the City Hall.