Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Based on the recommendation of City Administrator Craig Mattson, the 2006 wage agreements for Wyoming city employees were approved by a 5-0 vote. Approval is retroactive to Jan. 1.

Employees are represented by AFSCME Council No. 65, Local 1647. According to Mattson, the terms which were negotiated were within $1040 of what was budgeted, ìwell within what we can manage.î

The settlement amounts to a 3.5 percent salary increase for 12 of Wyomingís 14 employees. The unit includes seven police officers, three public works employees and two office staff. The last two-year contract was negotiated in 2004 with a wage re-opener clause.

Other topics

Council approved the reduction in the retainage held in the Joint Sanitary Sewer Pipeline Project from S. R. Weidema from $201,045 to $30,000. Action was taken at the recommendation of project engineer Lee Elfering.

Most of the work on the project is done and engineer Mark Erichson said only a few items remain to be completed.

In answer to a question from Council member Ted Phillips about what is covered by the retained amount, Mattson said a few items remain, but it does cover landscaping and restoration. The action authorizes Mattson to notify TCF, which maintains the escrow account, that the council approved the reduction and the new balance.

By a 5-0 vote, the council tabled action on a request by Chisago County to have the manhole covers on CR-36 rotated so the tops are moved as far from the wheel paths as possible. In his report, Elfering estimated the cost to be about $2345 apiece for an estimated total cost of $25,795.

Question related to why there were errors in the placement of the covers. Attorney Tom Miller observed that if the county issued the permit and it was consistent with plans, why the city should pay for the relocation of the covers. Mayor Sheldon Anderson wanted to know if the county checked on this aspect of the plans before the permit was issued.

Mattson and Erichson are to check for more information. The decision was tabled until the next regularly scheduled meeting.

A building expansion project by General Safety was unanimously approved. Expansion plans must be reviewed and proof of sufficient parking provided.

One item is an additional two-inch water line to be metered separately, with no charge for sewer service. The company will use the line to test the trucks it manufactures. On-site drainage will be less than that before the new water line is installed.

For the time being, the company will be allowed to use a hydrant on a temporary basis. One additional water access and sewer access charge (WAC & SAC) will be charged.

New water meters have been installed in homes in the city and there may be a few problems yet. Resident Joyce Reed appealed to the council about a quarterly water bill, four times larger than average. New meters have been installed in most of the homes in the city. These larger bills have come after that.

Reed said that normal quarterly bills have been about $90, but the most recent one was nearly $450. She said there have been no changes in the water use at her home.

Sprinklers are on timers, and are on the odd-even watering pattern. The family has paid a large chunk of the bill, but she asked for a check of the bill and payment arrangements.

Midwest Testing has checked the meter and so has the city building inspector. Neither inspection found flaws in the equipment.

One simple test is to read the meter before going to bed and again in the morning. If no water is used during the night, there should be no change. Water use could be the result of a toilet that is running or, in summer, a sprinkler system which has a leak.

Improperly functioning water meters tend to allow water to pass through without turning the meter to reflect an accurate volume, they record lower volumes than what is actually used.

Erichson will calculate the water volume pumped through sprinklers with pipes of the most common dimensions to estimate volume to compare to the Reed familyís use. The city is also to investigate the cost of providing test strips for families to determine if toilets in homes are functioning as they should. These will be made available to residents by the city.

Council members Phillips, Tom LaBarre, and Blake Tiedeman were willing to defer payment of the balance of the bill for a quarter. Mattson initially suggested deferring payment until the third quarter of 2007 in order to compare similar water use. Payments will be arranged for this instance and the water use monitored for the next quarter.

Other business

In other business, council:

ïCertified the 2006 election results that saw unopposed Mayor Sheldon Anderson reelected. In the race for two council seats, incumbent Joe Zerwas and challenger Gary Menne were elected. Phillips was unseated on Nov. 6.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
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