City Council Brief – October 10, 2022

The Chatfield City Council met Monday, October 10th.  Among the meeting highlights:

City Council Acts on City Charter Commission Proposal

The City Council unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance that would create the position of City Administrator and ordered the ordinance to be published.  The ordinance will take effect ninety days after publication in the City’s official newspaper, The Chatfield News Co.  This change will not create any additional employees but will add clarity to the City’s organizational structure.  The City Council will continue to maintain all authority in the areas of goal setting, prioritizing improvement projects and developing policy.  The City Council maintains all authority regarding taxes and budgeting, as well as the hiring and termination of employees.

Golf Cart / UTV Ordinance:

The City Council continues to discuss the possibility of adopting an ordinance that would regulate the use of utility vehicles, golf carts, etc. on city streets.  Without such an ordinance, some of these uses, including golf carts, are not legal on city streets in Minnesota.  The consensus of the city council was that an ordinance is definitely needed, however, there are details that various members of the city council would like to discuss further.  This discussion will continue.

City Council Approves Pay Application #2 for the 2022 Ground Water Storage Improvement Project

The City Council approved the payment of $86,165 to Osseo Construction Co. LLC for work completed in September on the south reservoir.  Work completed includes surface repairs, interior coating, and exterior coating.  The project is 41% complete.

 Position Descriptions for Mayor, City Council, and Student Representatives

As part of implementing the City’s Strategic Plan, job descriptions have been written for the Office of the Mayor and for members of the City Council.  The City Council is also considering opportunities for student representatives to work alongside them as they conduct their work as council members.  The purpose would be to gain insight from the youth of the community and to aid in providing practical civics experience and education to the youth.  

Financial Policy Updates

The City maintains several policies that guide the city council and its staff in terms of how the City’s finances are handled.  The Annual Budget Policy, the Debt Management Policy and Investment Management Policy are just three of many financial policies that are referenced during the yearly course of operating the city.  To ensure the policies are current and active, the policies are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.  That review is currently taking place with re-adoption of the policies slated for the Annual Meeting in January.