Posted: 10/19/04
City reconsiders plowing decision
By Jane Palen
Managing Editor
The City of Caledonia will plow streets in the new Doering Estates development after all.
At the city council meeting of September 27, members agreed that developers of new subdivisions would be responsible for snow plowing and removal until the first layer of blacktop is down and the street is dedicated to the city. The subject was brought up for discussion by Councilman Paul Fisch, who has a house being built in Doering Estates.
Developers Gary Becker and Steve Bauer attended the October 11 council meeting to ask that the city reconsider its position.
ìI donít know where the city is coming from,î Becker said.
Becker named several developments within the city that were maintained by the city before the streets were dedicated, including ones in the Industrial Park, the west end of Adams Streets, in the Ma Cal Development near Alco, and in the South Winnebago Estates.
ìWe had no idea that the city was going to make us plow those streets,î said Becker. He added that the lot prices might have been adjusted had that been mentioned when the land, which is northeast of the new middle/high school, was developed.
ìWe donít have the equipment,î Becker added.
Street superintendent Mike Gerardy said that the cityís large equipment could damage the road if there is snow but the ground is not frozen.
Mayor Robert Burns said that plowing shouldnít be problem as long as the edges are marked and the street is level.
Burns moved for the city to plow the road in Doering estates for the winter of 2004-05, but added that the road would not be accepted by the city until it is completed.
Collection agency hired
The city council has agreed to hire an outside collection agency to pursue overdue accounts for utilities and the ambulance service. The agency will work on accounts that are more than 180 days old.
The firm, Credit Bureau Data, Inc., will received 25 percent of what it collects.
Clerk Nelson explained that the collection agency will pursue only those accounts forwarded to it by the city. If residents have arrangements set up with the city to pay on past due accounts, those accounts will not be turned over.
Street department asks for
fire truck
Mike Gerardy of the street department asked the council to consider keeping the 1984 pumper truck it has recently offered for sale and customizing it for use by the street department. Gerardy said that the truck could be fit with a 15' steel bed and side panels and used for a variety of city purposes. For example, he said, the electrical department could haul three large spools of wire on the truck. It could also be used for hauling dirt or equipment. He estimated that it would cost about $15,000 to convert the truck.
Gerardy proposed that the city pay the rural district for half of the high bid since the rural district owns half of the truck. However, if the bids come in high, then the city would be better off selling the truck.
The council will make a decision at its meeting of October 25, after bids are received.
When Drano wonít do
The city accepted a bid of $11,800 from Fergus Power Pump to dislodge compacted sludge from a drainage line at the wastewater treatment plant. The other bid for the project was $37,868.
In a related matter, the city also agreed to the sewer cleaning/television inspection of sewer lines in the city. The five year contract is with Municipal Pipe Tool Co. of Hudson, Iowa. The minimum amount of the contract is $3,500 per year. A portion of the lines are cleaned and a portion are televised each year.
The city held a closed session for negotiations after the regular council meeting.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com