City of Red Lake Falls
City Council Meeting
March 23, 2015
Minutes
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Red Lake Falls, Red Lake County, Minnesota was duly held in the Council Chambers of said
City on the 23rd day of March, 2015.
Members Present: Kevin Harmoning, Kevin Brevik, Neil Knaack, Allen Bertilrud, Sara Kenfield,
Cheryl Matzke.
Members Absent: none.
Others Present: Kathleen Schmitz, Nathan Haase, Alan Cassavant, Carol Seeger, Mitch
Bernstein, Cal Eckstein, Luther Newton.
Mayor Kevin Harmoning called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m.
Bertilrud moved, seconded by Matzke, to approve the Agenda with the deletion of 7.3, 7.5,
and 7.7 with remaining items moved up accordingly. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Knaack moved, seconded by Kenfield, to approve the March 9, 2015 City Council Meeting
Minutes with a word change on paragraph 3 page 2 and a meeting name and date change on
paragraph 7 page 2. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Kenfield moved, seconded by Matzke, to move forward to work with Shad Cooper on a new
City website and close our current site (domain) and discontinue with our site manager Aaron
Fagerstrom. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Knaack moved, seconded by Matzke, to send Administrator Schmitz and Councilmember
Bertilrud to the League of MN Cities meeting in Duluth June 24-26, 2015. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY
Citizen’s Comments: none.
Business:
Cal Eckstein, Sanitary Service, spoke to the council about his contract with the city. There
will be a contract increase of 4%. The last increase was four years ago. This increase will
take effect in April 2015.
Bertilrud moved, seconded by Matzke, to accept the contract from Sanitary Service as
submitted. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
City of Red Lake Falls Minutes March 23, 2015
2
Administrator Schmitz met with Fire Chief Newton on March 17th and Chief Newton has a
different plan for the purchase of a tanker truck. He handed out a copy of a truck for sale for
$60,100. It is a 2003 Freightliner with a 20 foot flatbed with a 9’ hydraulic beavertail and will
hold a 32,000 gallon water tender. The Rural Fire Association has already agreed to pay for
their ½ cost of the truck. The old pumper truck will go out on bids.
Bertilrud moved, seconded by Brevik, to approve the City spend $30,050 for the purchase of
the tanker truck and authorize the City Administrator to advance the 20% down payment of
$12,020 to Vander Haag’s Inc. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Bertilrud moved, seconded by Knaack, to table the industrial lot issue for now. MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The next business item is an employment issue. Mayor Harmoning turned the meeting over
to Vice Mayor Kenfield and left the premises due to a conflict of interest or perceived conflict
of interest. Vice Mayor Kenfield took over the meeting at 8:26 p.m. We have been advised
by our attorney to go to closed session.
Matzke moved, seconded by Brevik, to go into closed session to discuss the employment
issue. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The meeting went into closed session at 8:27 p.m.
Matzke moved, seconded by Bertilrud, to adjourn the closed session and go back into open
session. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Open Session resumed at 9:22 p.m.
The meeting acknowledged discussion of the employment issue and the council formed a
consensus on action.
Bertilrud moved, seconded by Brevik, to approve the bills and Finance Checks #038417 –
#038433 + Payroll E Checks 1-7.
The meeting adjourned at 9:24 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________
Kevin Harmoning, Mayor
_________________________________
Kathleen Schmitz, City Administrator
