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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL (MINUTES APPROVED: APRIL 15, 2003 3lJl M/S/P, DeLAPP/DN, to adopt Resolution No. 2003-018 approving claims in the amount of $60,244.17. VOTE: 4:0. 6. NEW BUSINESS None 7. MAINTENANCE,/PARK/FIItE/BUILDING Fire Dept Activities - Chief Malmquist was not in attendance. Update on Building Dept. Activities - Jim McNamara The Building Official presented his February Report which has a different look from past months. It has a revised format to show where funds are allocated. The Acting Finance Director and the Building Official worked on that together. There were a few complaints in the last week or so; a few signs were down, vehicles illegally parked for long periods of time were ordered removed, and silt fencing drooping or coming down were ordered to be taken down and repaired. He is talking to contractors again about the importance of maintaining their silt fences. There have been a lot of problems with septic systems freezing. He had a couple of classes at January -end that dealt with the problem. The only thing that can be done is to get tanks pumped until they correct themselves. Frost got into drainfield areas with deep penetration. When those pumps came on or gravity took hold, they were blowing out in other areas. Frost is deep; it is still at 6-12 inches. One communal system had a problem. It was a 201 system. The users of that system were told they could be reimbursed from the 201 Maintenance Fund if they need pumping. Council asked if our newer communal systems have those problems. The Building Official said he would be surprised if those large systems had such problems. Councilmember DeLapp suggested homeowners add a couple of inches of Styrofoam on the pipes when installing a new system. The Acting Administrator said he may suggest that new mound systems have something like that to protect them from freezing. Maintenance Advisory Recommendations — Cell Phones/Walkie-Talkies The Acting Public Works Superintendent/Parks Supervisor has worked with the Building Official and Acting Administrator to augment the existing radio system. Nextel phones are both phones and walkie-talkies; they have a private and public line function. Mike Bouthilet presented the request to the Maintenance Advisory Commission. They recommend the city acquire the Nextel cell phones/walkie-talkies for the Building Official, one for Parks, two for Public Works, and one for city hall. The Acting Administrator noted some reservations about the cell phone portion because those numbers sometimes are given to outsiders and because of accountability for billing purposes. He would be willing to support it now because staff and the MAC think it is worth trying. We can review it in one year. Capital cost would be about $500 and the monthly cost would be $200. The overall utility will be better. There are no budgetary line items for it but it can be taken from budgets within departments. George Dege, Maintenance Advisory Commissioner MAC looked at the new cell phones/walkie-talkies as a safety factor. When you get out of your vehicle and get hurt, nobody knows you are hurt. Working with the chippers, at the well station, on the trails in the parks, there is no way to contact anyone because only the vehicles have the radios. Having one in the office and one with the Building Inspector offers double use. Abuse of cell phones will have to be looked at in the future. It will be easy to monitor with the few that will be LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES MARCH 18. 2003 3