Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

The Wyoming Fire Department will get a new truck. Wyoming City council passed a resolution Monday, Dec. 6 accepting the bid of $282,687 from the Wyoming firm General Safety.

Only one bid for the rear-mount fire truck was received. The quote was good until Dec. 17.

Fire Chief Dennis Berry said the bid came in lower than expected. Having the new truck will help keep favorable fire ratings in the city and township, resulting in lower insurance rates for residents, Berry said.

Wyoming Township, which receives fire protection from the city, will pay approximately 40 percent of the cost of the new truck.

The truck will replace the No. 1 engine which is 15 years old.

CM Lynn Koalska said ìthere is no advantage to postponeî the purchase because Berry has ìpresented his program well.î

Sale of the older truck might bring $10,000 to be applied to the first loan payment. The rescue unit would become a reserve engine for the department.

Quotes were obtained for loan terms of five, seven, and ten years for the truck. As it stands, First State Bank of Wyoming has submitted the more favorable of two financing proposals at 3.25 percent, 3.5 percent, and 4 percent for the respective loan terms.

This means annual payments of $62,250 for a five-year loan, $46,320 for the seven-year term, or $34,950 for a 10-year loan. It is likely the first annual payment for the truck will be due in December 2006.

City Administrator Jill Teetzel said First State Bank of Wyoming is willing to ìwork with the cityî to finance the $90,000 (part of the total bid) required when General Safety orders the chassis.

CM Ted Phillips said he was pleased the bank was offering to help the city finance the truck with those terms.

The resolution also authorized Mayor Vern Haag and Teetzel to sign the contract with the company, contingent on review of legal documents by City Attorney Tom Miller.

Church permit

Also on Dec. 6, council approved a conditional use permit for Wyoming Community Church, allowing the congregation to lease property and operate a church on the Faxton Ave. site.

The property is owned by Ron Deyo. The public hearing was held Dec. 6.

Before granting the CUP, the council adopted and ratified an amendment to Chapter 40 of city ordinances to ìinclude church/house of worship as a conditional use in the general business district of the city.î Community and convention centers are already permitted uses in the area and the planning commission, judging this to be a similar use, made the recommendation Nov. 22.

Conditions for granting the CUP include written notification of any changes in floor plans and to begin operation within one year. Annual extensions of the permit are possible. Votes for both resolutions were unanimous, 4-0.

Pastor Daniel Patz, Deacon Howard Holm, and other members of the congregation thanked the council.

Public hearings

By resolution, council scheduled two public hearings at 7 p.m., Monday, Jan. 18 to hear petitions for annexation.

The first is for a 10-acre parcel owned by Marilyn and Glenn Mauritz, 25930 Kettle River Blvd.

The second is a petition by the Bauer family to annex 20 acres at 25577 Goodview Ave. Both parcels abut the city boundaries, are less than 60 acres, and are not yet served by city sewer service.

Other business

In other business, council:

ïMayor Vern Haag asked Teetzel to check on the balance in the charitable gambling fund. Earlier in the year plans were made to make a contribution of $1000 to the Youth Service Bureau from this fund.

ïOn behalf of council, CM Lynn Koalska presented Haag with a plaque recognizing ìover 15 years of dedication and serviceî to the city.

ïLearned newly hired police officer Brian Grahme will be sworn in at the Dec. 20 meeting.

ïScheduled a special council meeting, 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27 to award bids on the Wastewater Joint Pipeline. A very brief meeting is anticipated. Bids are to be opened Dec. 22. City Engineer Lee Elfering recommended awarding bids before the end of the year.

ïLearned Teetzel is working on vacation/comp time for contract employees, to make terms comparable.

ïLearned Carolyn Drude, Ehlers Associates, will attend the Dec. 20 meeting.

ïOn Elferingís recommendation approved partial payment of $486,521.60 to Utility Systems of America for the trunk water main project. Inspection found work to be in compliance with specifications.

ïApproved payment of $47,333.75 to MinnComm Utility Contractors for work on the temporary force main to serve the Polaris site.

ïTabled a discussion on a contract for a city website until the Dec. 20 meeting.

ïLearned some city staff members have accumulated many hours of vacation. Those with less than five years of service cannot carry these over into 2005.

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Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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