Walker appointed alderman

The people have spoken, and Ethan Walker is the new Ward I alderman for the Hill City Common Council. Walker was appointed to this position Oct. 10 at the regularly scheduled council meeting. 

Alderwoman Lori Miner said she received numerous emails, phone calls and text messages in favor of Walker both as an individual and as a close candidate in the last election where he lost by only one vote. 

“I believe that the people in a sense have spoken and that Ethan should be the person we put into the Ward I alderman position,” Minder said. 

Alderman Dale Householder also received numerous comments in favor of Walker. 

Alderman Jason Gillaspie made a motion to approve Walker’s appointment. The vote was unanimous and Walker was immediately sworn in. He then took his place at the council table.

Also on the agenda was the approval of insulation costs for a storage building. Public works director Justin Asher sent out several bids for the insulation project and received one response from Ebright Endeavor Contracting with three different ways to complete the project. 

The estimated numbers from the contractor were then compared with the cost of the Public Works Department (PWD) doing the work themselves. Finance officer Stacia Tallon estimated that the PWD could insulate the ceiling for $1,159.73 versus the contractor’s proposed $3,375. 

For the walls of the storage unit the contractor could provide blow-in R-30 insulation for $5,844. The PWD does not have the equipment or the ability to blow in insulation for the walls. Instead, the closest R-value the PWD could manage is blanket batt R-19. Tallon estimated the total cost of the PWD completing the project at $4,486.94. 

Asher requested the PWD insulate the ceiling, and the contractor insulate the walls. The council budgeted $30,000 for the complete renovation of the building and Tallon said they are not even close to that amount. 

Miner asked what condition the building was in currently, not wanting to cover up any potential problems with the insulation. 

Asher responded saying, “It’s a pretty much brand new building. It’s all open. It’s a pole barn style. So right now it’s the open supports on the inside and then tin on the outside. We had one piece of tin that had a hole in it at the beginning of the year that was right at concrete level that we’ve already replaced. Everything else is still solid.” 

With the new heater, Asher said the goal is to make it a heated building to store equipment, trailers and a plow truck to protect them from the freezing temperatures. 

Walker asked if the R-19 insulation was not sufficient to keep the building heated. 

“It is still good, but it’s a tin building so it’s going to attract the cold,” Asher saidl. “With the little heater that we have in there, we’re just trying to do the best we can to keep the heat in.” 

Householder asked about potential problems with condensation. This, Asher said, would not be a problem since they would be putting in breathers on the top to get a constant airflow. They are also doing a house wrap on the inside to put a barrier between the tin and the insulation. 

Gillaspie suspected that the added R-30 insulation would help the city save money on heating over the long term and motioned to approve the cost estimate of Ebright Endeavor Contracting for the R-30 insulation in the walls. Miner seconded, and it was unanimously approved. 

Next on the agenda was the approval of additions made to the job description for Maintenance Worker I. While at a finance officer meeting, Tallon had conversations about how hard it is to get maintenance workers and get them through their certificates. 

The other finance officers were surprised that Hill City’s job description required all four operating certificates including Water Treatment Operator, Water Distribution Operator, Wastewater Collection Operator and Wastewater Treatment Operator. Instead, these city officials only required the last certificate if the employee was actively running the wastewater. 

Tallon made some additions to the maintenance worker job description to correspond with this. The main change was the Wastewater Treatment Operator certificate would be “optional unless the position requires working 12 hours or more per week at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP).” 

Maintenance workers can still take the course if they so desire, but it is one of the hardest tests 

“I just don’t want to lose the guys that we have now because that test is not necessarily something they use on a daily basis or use at all,” said Tallon. 

Miner asked what the succession plan for the WTP was beyond the two people currently working there. City administrator Brett McMacken said should the city need a new class four operator, the city would contact the state, let them know what’s going on and either hire someone or contract it out to another company.

“It takes a fair amount of expertise down at the plant. You can’t just go down there for a couple hours a day and understand how that thing operates. You need somebody down there on a more regular basis,” said McMacken. 

Miner said her concern is that she talked to two engineers and presented them with the water data from the PWD as well as the sewer data. Their general consensus was that the WTP was a higher priority for Hill City. 

“I’m concerned that we’re going to get this new system, and that’s going to take a lot of finagling as we figure out, I’m assuming, how it’s put together, how it’s going to work, and that we won’t have the people to run the new very essential equipment that we need.”

As a result, Miner said she would be willing to look at extending the time allotted to complete the four certifications, but she did not know that she was ready to give up the Wastewater Treatment Operator certification. 

In response, Asher said, “We don’t set foot at the plant unless they need help doing something. I can tell you, I took the test. It was one of the hardest tests I’ve taken. I still cannot walk in there and confidently tell you a single thing that I'm looking at.” 

“I think if we invest in a new WTP, it's going to be the most expensive thing this city will ever purchase, and somehow we need to make sure that we can maintain it,” Miner said. “It’s a 24/7, 365 day operation. So I am concerned about it”

In response, McMacken said, “Obviously we are a small community, and we do need to be a jack of all trades to a certain extent. But if that operation is so important, you should have positions that are assigned to it that are designated. 

“If we’re going to build an addition on the land and double our capacity, that’s great. But we also need to look at doing an assessment of what the true positions that are needed to make that work.” 

If the city plans to spend millions on a new plant, McMacken said the city will also need to be willing to cover the salary and training costs to go with it. 

Cheryl Honour added to the conversation saying, “I just know that that’s a huge responsibility, that position, and I don’t know that your everyday maintenance worker for this town even wants that responsibility. So this fourth test seems like it’s very oriented to that particular job.” 

Gillaspie said limiting the test requirement to those working at the WTP made sense to him. He made a motion to accept the changes to the job description. The council unanimously approved. 

There were also two sidewalk projects on the agenda for approval. 

The first replacement project was for the concrete outside the front door of city hall. McMacken said that over the years the concrete is slowly separating from the building. Part of the building was also pinned to that concrete so the building is shifting along with it at the front door. As a result, the door is off by about two inches. 

McMacken said the solution is to cut out and remove the current sidewalk and see what is going on underneath. Once it is removed, they can also look at the building for any potential damage and reestablish the wall. Then the sidewalk would be put back in. Adding a retaining wall was discussed as well to prevent the building from shifting again. 

Several contractors were contacted multiple times for this project. However, only one price quote was received from Aaron Voss for the amount of $5,000. The city budgeted $10,000 for this project.

Voss' company was recommended to Asher by Rangel Construction Company. 

“It’s a startup company so they’re young, and they’re hungry,” said Asher. “They have all the equipment. They stepped aside from another company and started their own.”

The council unanimously approved the cost of repairing the city hall sidewalk. 

The second project was for the addition of a sidewalk between the west parking lot and the front entrance at the Visitor Information Center (VIC). Visitors to the VIC will often park in the west lot and follow the existing sidewalk to the back entrance. That door is typically locked and not for public access. 

With around 14,000 visitors a year at the VIC, the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce and VIC staff would like a sidewalk to direct people to the front entrance. 

“This would just enhance the visitor experience at the grounds of the center. It’s an awesome space. People love it. It will help with directionality. I think it will encourage a little bit more lingering,” said chamber director Janet Wetovick-Bily. 

She added that the sidewalk would prevent wear and tear on the grass and add ease of maintenance.

Several contractors were contacted regarding this project, but again only one quote was received from Voss for the amount of $5,940. This project was budgeted as part of the Park Improvement Funds. The park board reviewed it and recommended approval. 

Since Voss is a new contractor for the city, Walker said it seemed like a risk to jump in on two projects right away. 

“The balancing of not moving forward with something is that the project just won’t go forward,” said McMacken. 

However, McMacken said the city could have a conversation with Voss and direct him to start with the city hall project since it is more functional and see how it goes from there. Thus, the second project would be conditioned on the first. 

After asking Asher to get information about a warranty, a breakdown of materials versus labor, the duration of the project and the date it could be done by from Voss, Walker motioned to approve the project cost. The council unanimously agreed. 

The next meeting of the Hill City Common Council is Monday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at city hall.