City Council Talks Vehicle Removal Ordinance, AAU Wrestling

Tuesday, November 28th, the Malta City Council convened at 5 P.M. in the chambers for the regular meeting.

Following the pledge to the flag, motions were made, followed by a motion to second, and the minutes from the last meeting, the agenda, the audit for claims, and the October payroll were approved. All Councilpersons, Mayor Demarais, Clerk Lorie Bond, PWD Jim Truelove, Sally Wright (Parks & Recreation Director), John Wright (Compliance Officer), and Laura Pankratz were also present. Luke Spencer joined the meeting briefly to address the Council, coming in when work so allowed him, and returning to work thereafter.

PWD Truelove said Trafton Park is closed for the season. The crew has started working on alley work, and hauling cover dirt for the landfill.

Truelove stated the new Christmas lights are up and he is pleased with the purchase.

Clerk Bond said Matt Mudd had contacted her and suggested the City get a PER (Preliminary Engineering Report) completed; a DNRC grant for $15,000 has been applied for and a MCM Tech grant $40,000 has been applied for. Matt will attend the next meeting with what plans he has prepared. The funds would be used for the water tank expenses.

She stated there is $962,431.14 in the sewer fund, but a majority of it is in a reserve. Since approximately 1989; five percent of what is billed for sewer charges is put into a reserve; the balance is $612,295.18. There is $260,000 in a RD loan for the lagoon. Currently, there is $76,000 which could be transferred to unrestricted funds.

Bond provided an update on House Bill 355 (HB 355), which shows Malta is eligible for $165,028 in funds, with a 25% match, of $41,257. This funding can be used for drinking water systems, wastewater treatment systems, fire suppression systems if independent of the drinking water systems, streets, roads, bridges, landfills, street lights, airports and public grounds and buildings. The deadline for applying for this funding is March 30, 2024.

Luke Spencer joined the meeting on behalf of the Malta Mustang Wrestling Club, asking if the group could get the user fees waived for the use of the Event Center. Kids from ages four to thirteen in the wrestling group numbered about 85 last year. “There’s a whole pile of them! Let me tell you what! And only three or four of them are mine.”

“It’s been a great thing, that first year I called Jim (Truelove)…kinda right out of the blue about fifteen minutes before it happened and he (and you guys) made it happen and we sure do appreciate it. It allows us to come in (shortly after) after school to practice. If it had been one of the other facilities, those kids would be getting home at ten o’clock, for the kids at Whitewater and Saco. It’s just been a darn good thing. So, we just ask that we could do it again.”

Asking what the council thought, Mayor Demarais said, “What do you think? Myself, I think it is a win-win.” The council voted unanimously to approve the waiving of fee.

The Club would accommodate the need to have it available if someone should rent the Center for an event.

“Thank you, we appreciate it, and so do the 80 kids!” added Spencer. Mayor Demarais added, “Thank YOU, we appreciate it and what you do by teaching the young kids. It’s a good thing.”

Sally Wright provided the council with the past activities: Youth Basketball for grades 3-6 ended Nov. 7th. Sixty kids had formed eight teams. Low Impact Exercise Class ended Nov. 20, and there had been eight registered. On Nov. 22, the Fall Class for Tiny Tots ended; there had been eight kids on the registration. November 25 brought the end of the Martial Arts, which seven had registered for.

Upcoming activities she has scheduled include the Dance session for grades 2-6, with a startup date of Jan. 3, 2024. Other classes beginning in January include Martial Arts for ages five to adult starting Jan. 5; Tiny Dribblers for first and second graders begins Jan. 8; Tiny Tots for ages two to five starts Jan. 9; Kindergarten Basketball will begin Jan. 22; and Pickleball will be on Mondays from 12 – 2 p.m., it also starts up on Jan. 22.

Compliance Officer Wright was called up next, and was asked by Mayor Demarais “I have a question for you. Who have you made mad this week? Anybody?”

Wright replied, “This week? No, but it’s only Tuesday.”

He had seven lawn letters, all of them are up to compliance. Eight camper trailers and RV letters were sent, five have complied and three have until Monday, Dec. 3rd, to come to compliance. Five vehicles were tagged for towing, three were moved and two were to be moved or towed on Friday, Dec. 1st.

Starting Dec. 1, Ordinance 422 comes into effect until Mar. 1, 2024, which states no recreational vehicles can be parked on city streets and alleys. Defined as recreational vehicles are motor homes, campers, boat trailers, utility trailers and others. Recreational vehicles not removed will be tagged and towed at the owner’s expense. Wright said Clerk Bond has placed an ad in the PCN and Super Shopper providing notice to the public. He also placed a notice on the bulletin at the post office.

Laura Pankratz was on the agenda for the meeting to discuss the FWP grant application, which she would encourage the council to consider applying for. This grant would provide funds for trail maintenance on the walking trails in town. After discussion, Councilperson David Rummel made a motion to have Bear Paw Development apply for the grant on behalf of the City, and if they were unable to meet the Jan. 15, 2024 deadline, to have Jonathan Weaver (Great West Engineering) apply for it. The motion was seconded by Councilperson Jim Sintler and was passed unanimously. Weaver had stated at the last meeting he had experience in grant writing applications for this particular grant and would assist if need be.

Pankratz stated she would also like to see a kiosk built at Trafton Trails.

The next council meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 5 P.M.