all U call the order of the city council meeting uh for the month of November uh November 2nd uh 2023 Kim could you take the roll call please Council here council member Wilson here council member here council member Jacob here mayor Bishop here you join us for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge of United States [Music] americais first item of businesses to adopt the agenda I'll make a motion to adopt the agenda is there a second I'll second the motion all those in favor I uh next we have the uh approve the monthly claims the consent agenda as well as uh approved the September 7th 2023 city council meeting minutes um is there any discussion uh about anything on those two things in the consent agenda uh at this point then I will make a motion that we uh uh approve the consent agenda is there a second I'll second the approval those in favor I uh three is the public comments uh I see Mr lond is here um are you here to comment on something or you just want to see how well we operate the second sir okay wanted to compliment you on the streets but I don't need to do it formally okay thanks um with the it doesn't appear to be that there's any other public comments um we'll go to four and skipping to C which is the consideration of resolution number 20 23-12 Fire Relief bylaws I see some distinguished gentlemen here that look like they belong to a fire department somewhere um does anybody have anything they'd like to say sure sure why don't you step up to the podium and just state your name go ahead and sign in here in a second yeah my name is Ralph piscatello uh been on the fire department a little over 40 years I'm the treasur the vice president of the relief Association and we just want to go over you have the resolution in front of you uh the resolution basically addresses uh a request to increase our um our payout per year from 4775 to$ 4975 so a $200 increase uh we come every year if we have uh an amount to be increased and obviously most of you in here John I don't really know you but the rest of them are was either on the fire department with him or I'm associated with him through the District board so most of the people in here already know about the relief Association um but we're just here to answer any questions you might have I have a you you received a copy of our audit our financial statement and audit okay you should I don't know if you have in your packet or not I have a hard copy that I will leave here for you guys to to review uh every year we required to fill out forms by the state pretty extensive forms that analyzes our assets our liabilities and then on top of that we have to have an independent audit by a certified public accountant okay that has to be submitted also to the to the state who which we have already done and the state has accepted it and said the audit is good so um I just want to know if there's any questions you might have right now one of our our resolution or our internal uh bylaws state that we we required to have at least 115% funded before we can even ask so we have to be over 115% funded in our relief Association then we can actually ask for an increase so and we don't come down below 115% so that that process has been in place for a number of years now and uh if we were to actually at the end of September even with the increase okay the the the account has gone up this year so even with the increase we're going to be at 118 1% okay so so we're fully funded and then some uh again uh just the resolution is is pretty black and white what it's asking for okay and I just want to see if you have any questions if there's any things that you uh unaware of I can I'd be happy to answer them for you so just uh just curious this is probably more information than we need to know but if a person's been with the fire department for 15 years um let's make it 10 years for the easy math part of it um when when can they start drawing that let's say they quit Okay after 10 years okay so uh you have to be you can you have to be on at least 10 years to be vested at that time you'll be vested at 60% of the full amount and then it goes up 4% e year until you hit 20 years that would make you 100% vested um and you have to be at Le at least 50 years of age that's a state bylaw State guidelines that you can come on you can retire it you come on for 10 years come on a 20 leave at 30 you can't have your money until you turn 50 that money sits there the same amount sits there there's no changes to it whatever your amount is at 30 years of age that's what we would write a check for at 50 okay and then of course if you stay on longer this whole the whole premise of the relief Association is obviously it's got a twofold one is uh uh a penion plan for the firefighters but it's also an inline death uh on um a a active member okay that was injured and or killed in a line of duty okay this also covers that so it does it does both of those things so if a person was on 10 years they would get 60% of the fully funded amount so tonight if you approve it it would be 4975 times 60% times the year service they have which would be 10 years and that's what the check it's a lump sum payment that's what the check would be written for if they were 50 years of age less than that we will hold it it's it's set aside until they reach at 50 years of age until they request payment so they have to reach 50 and then if they don't want it right away they don't have to take it we can't force them to take it but they usually take it when they hit 50 years of AG so that excuse me I'm a little dense here at times but uh so that 4975 um that's per year that they been on the force so even if even at at let's say year one when it was let's say 3,300 okay the actual amount for year one for that person that's retiring in the future would be 49 for for each so we we the state requires us to carry a liability for every every member so if you're on one year we carry a liability even though if you left after one year you don't get anything the state requires a carry liability because in case there was a line of duty death that person would get paid out so we we have to carry a liability God forbid anything would happen like that but so um so I think what he was asking is so every year he gets 4975 times whatever right it's the amount that you when you retire that amount is multiplied by the Year by the years the so if you had 20 years of service you're fully funded you would get 20 times 4975 whatever that enough comes out I think what you were thinking John is that the first year you get 33 and the next year you get 35 no it's so then so like the amount you increased at this year depends on how much is in the fund correct correct and we so could you have asked for more or is that about the we could not at the time when we when we look at it we say what's the fund end at last year what's our liability going to be at the end of this year so we take the liability end of this year the fund balance at the end of last year we calculate it out and say what percentage we funded we were like 119 something per. said okay what amount can we take to bring us down and keep it still above 115% funded that was $200 and we go in $25 increments so we couldn't do 225 because it would have put it below 115% let me just ask this one last question I think you've answered it for me but let's just say the amount was $5,000 for easy math right Y and you have 20 years in and you've turned 50 and you're asking for that so does that mean that that person person gets $100,000 that's correct okay that's all I wanted to know okay I mean that's a pretty generous pension that's uh no not really okay give an example one time payment one time payment I have a friend that he worked in Maple girl fire department for 27 years he walked away with $356,000 yeah I'm not saying speaking in this neighborhood like I don't know the exact number I know that we are by far the lowest payout any I think Bayport somewhere around uh probably about 7500 to 8,000 uh we have some that some departments like Eden Prairie okay okay they might be paying out the neighborhood of $20,000 a year okay so because they have a lot more industry they get a lot more state aid because this thing is pretty much self-funded by state aid okay which is basically the fire portion of your insurance 2% of that comes back to the state so every insurance company pays that back to the state the state then divies it up and gives it to the Relief Associations based on population pop the whole calculation behind it the insurance come where they insured where they're insured from but in in this situation you we don't have the industry here so all we have is residential so the residential uh homeowners insurance is a lot less than if you had monster buildings like Anderson window Anderson Windows or or or 3M or whatever okay the Mall of America okay so those things like Bloomington uh they're a different they actually get a pension per month because they are so large they actually went to a pension per month we just have a lump sum and that's it well you've answered my questions does anybody else have any questions no okay is there is there thank you is there any discussion on this I'll make a motion to approve I'll second it and we're talking about the City of Lakeland Shores Minnesota resolution number 202312 that is correct sir and we've got a second all all those in favor I I thank you thanks for your service appreciate it you thank you guys appreciate it hope you enjoy the roads yeah Kevin you can use it take the truck out that way and driver on that hopefully it doesn't hopefully we don't see in the neighborhood but thanks well thank you guys hopefully your calls on 94 come to an end soon yeah they're going to shut down to one again on Saturday to do all the striping yeah and then I'm hoping they're opening up both directions shortly therea yeah cuz they're doing a really good job on practicing replacing guard rails hopefully have a good night guys thank you thanks again guys thank you um to go back to the order that uh Kim set for us uh on new business we had consideration of resolution number 2023 d10 the 2024 final budget is there any discussion concerning this mayor and council members I'll just know it's the same as your preliminary there were no changes and that amount is actually 198 770 I believe okay um well with no further discussion can I have a motion to yeah I move that we approve resolution 20231 the 2024 final budget I'll second all those in favor I I I and then finally we have the uh consideration of resolution number 20 23-11 in 2024 for final Levy do we have any discussion concerning that that final Levy amount came to 189,190 and I have a motion to uh adopt that resolution I'll make a motion to approve the uh 2023 D1 a second second all those in favor I I just a model of efficiency we have uh six on the uh and it says staff updates uh Kim do you have anything you'd like to add I do not have anything this evening come on people we can't get done in 15 minutes um well we spent a lot of money uh okay and uh does anybody have any questions for Kim how many complaints did you get Kim do you know about the roads the road project yeah one and uh now we'll go to uh the mayor and Council reports uh Tim schroer you have anything You' like I just have a couple things it looks like the street budget came in a lot under I mean it was 243 and with the volume they did it was at 202 so that was a good thing for us MH and then uh one of the things with the fireboard I didn't want to go into it with them but the fireboard is talking about is trying to to keep retention of people keeping guys on because I staff is getting older so one of the things they brought up was uh as you know so if you're a oneyear fireman versus a 20 it's the same hourly pay so we're going to maybe look at see if it's teared or something if that works you know if that would help but then we got to try to figure out if we do it what how much money you give them you don't want to offend them but you want to keep them around too you know so that's one of the things they're looking at I would say that's just I mean it it may be something that younger people look forward to I will say that the people that have been on there for 15 years aren't worried another buck call so but you know it's it's a to me I look at it as it's something as uh we appreciate and we want to keep them on longer if that helps us retain them a couple more years you know I don't know if it will or not but that's something they're looking at Tom nothing first Tim uh yeah the fire department is considering purchasing a new ambulance so they fin they got a number on that and that's going to go before the board this month to get approval anybody know how many miles are on the other one you know the well and you know that the thing with the ambulances is they don't get a lot of miles equipment update I'm sure yeah and the um I was on there long enough to realize that a new ambulance is the more the majority of the expenses the stuff they hang on it mhm uh and the standard for that change dramatically from year to year because you know the basic chassis and Arrangement isn't isn't where the expenses we just had a meeting today too that that the ambulance was due to get replaced a couple years ago yeah it's they've held it for three years longer but it's in such good shape the guy that came down to sell us a new one said hey this is in good shape why you put it off a couple years so now we're at that point and even when we tell them we're ready to buy one and sign an agreement it's going to take about two years to for them to get to us to make it for us to receive the new ambulance and the new one will be uh I just found out today it won't be on a van chassis but it'll be on a truck chassis which gives them a little more room in the with the the Hard Box in the back kind of yep um and it'll have four-wheel drive dear which I think is yeah was good I say yeah go ahead that I am not a fan of always updating uh always upgrading the equipment as I I was a firefighter for a number of years my husband was on the department for 20 um and this isn't a popular statement for the leadership of the department but a lot of the people on the department look at it and say why do we always have to have the next better thing just a lot of money for taxpayers to always have the next thing why we have a ladder truck doesn't make a lot of sense why we have a lot I mean there's a lot of things that we spend money on down there that that people are afraid to say no to because we all love the fire department yeah um that I that I I'm concerned with you know always the next thing right how we've never had a four-wheel drive ambulance we've never had a problem with it but now we're going to get a four-wheel drive ambulance and I couldn't agree I mean it's kind of like saying something derogatory about anybody that has conceivably served their country as a soldier you know I mean it's something you just don't do okay but you also don't do it when it comes to the fire department you know as far as I'm concerned I couldn't agree more with the okay that's why I asked the question as to how many miles were on because I'm thinking jeez you know I mean I don't know how many miles to put on a year well the the one thing about ambulance are slightly different but the one thing about fire department equipment is is that they all have to be tested on a regular basis for you know like the fire trucks have to pump 750 gallons of water and and I mean the pump has to work at a certain rate and this and that the other thing and this is before my time when I was on the board but um and they tell me the story of the guys when they went up the old Hill in afon they had everybody had to get off and walk alongside the truck cuz it couldn't make the hill this was back in the late 70s well one thing that and I'm unfortunately I missed the last meeting because I was at the Twins game and I don't know if the conversation you know that's the staff is doing their due diligence bringing that up but you know that's what they're putting out there and I don't know if Tim had an opinion or if anybody voiced if it would pass or not because there is the thing out there we you know we have Lake View over there and they're talking about servicing us you know and I know a few of us board members have talked about are we better off we are going with them and that's why I'm throwing it out there with you guys because Tim and I are representatives of our community and what your guys's opinion is of that and it's a totally different service from Lake View uh we're we are basic basic life support and they're Advanced we're intermediate so there's a limited number of drugs we can give and we've moved up to IVs and EKGs and so forth that said if I was we we roll Lake View at the same time as we roll our ambulance yeah when there's a clear cardiac event and Lake View will beat us to the sea I was going to say the other time because and they're not even they're not even staging over here and here that was the other thing cuz then we they I know one of them had brought up at a meeting you know down the road this is a while ago uh if maybe they would even stage a truck here an ambulance here if that which might closer yeah time for serious medical events would be reduced that's an option we got to look at well at one time they talked about that in Lake said we don't have the traffic to jusy I think they're they're eager to expand right now it I think it's different now and and there is a I mean I will say for the for the fire department it cuts both ways are our fire department is partially funded through our medical calls and so that will be a big shift um but the other thing is is if you're looking for retention there's a lot of there's a lot of training and a lot of medical care that goes into being an EMS provider that a lot of people who would love to be firefighters aren't real interested in cuz that's required by them yes yes they have to do that also okay well you kind of get the so that's why you guys know we'll come up at the next meeting not expecting you to stand up there either one of you Tims to you know but just make make it known you know I mean these are some of my concerns okay you know and you guys can come to the meeting too and want to listen and have input too um well when are they going to vote on this ambulance it will be on this Wednesday this Wednesday yeah I think yeah yeah and like Ann says the ambulance is completely self-funded and they make a profit which then turns around and funds the fire department which is he usually short yeah not much but it is and they're fully paying for the the ambulance is paying for you know they set aside money every month to purchase a new one so they're you know it's it's not like they're spending our money okay it would be interesting though if there is a dis current discussion about moving to Lake View what that would look like CU it would be unwise to to be heavily into that discussion and I I haven't been a part of it to be heavily into that discussion and then buy an ambulance right as we do that exactly but even if we don't we would still retain an ambulance here even we're requ to ambulance to serve the community we may not yeah Y and anything else no um you know I'm glad that the road uh Paving went as well as it did I'm glad it came in under budget which is another good thing I'm hoping that it lasts for until we're not here any at least my lifetime and wait a minute you got another yeah right 25 in another two at least um and so um I really you know the complaints were minimal and I think most people have there was a gap between the new pavement and their and their lawn most people were able to probably provide the dirt to you know um do that um and I mean I I didn't hear of anybody actually getting the paving company to do it yeah they did my yard did they do your yard yeah well you must be hooked up then wow yeah I'm like w you know it seems like they raised it up a little bit though than what we started with did they put gravel or dirt no they actually came out I I was like what are they doing on the new asphal and I was like what what what are they what they were just put you must went out there and told him you're on city council no no not at all sign in his yeah they went around and and I was actually I was really surprised that they did cuz good job they they graved my corner oh they did yeah some of the corners they did yeah and which like my wife went yeah well this must be a full service outfit I just want to I guess my biggest thing is the guy that called me he was he was an up in arms cuz he called the mayor on Saturday and Sunday and he didn't respond to him yeah I can't remember it was out of town or what and I'm like like right now I don't have my phone um so um well with that uh can we have a motion to adjourn I'll make a motion to adjourn I'll second it all those in favor I I see we we stretched out to 25 minutes that was funny when he called me message