Pam Bishop and Tim Penny of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation presented an award to the Wells city administrator, Tiffany Schrader on March 11.

On a 3-2 vote, with council members Brenda Weber, Nancy Krueger and mayor David Braun voting no, the Wells City Council, at their March 11 meeting, denied the request of the Street Department to purchase a used 2022 John Deere Gator at a price of $24,000.

Street foreman Mike Pyzick shared that a new version of the Gator would cost $30,000-$32,000.

“We could purchase this enclosed unit for use year round,” Pyzick explained. “It has low hours and miles and was owned by an elderly gentleman. We are not likely to come across a unit like this that hasn’t been heavily used and/or pounded on.”

Pyzick also shared that he felt the city’s existing 2009 Gator was an older, undersized machine.

“The hour meter has been broken for some time so I am not sure what the hours are,” Pyzick said. “With the tanks we haul and jobs we have used it for, it is a small machine.”

Weber took issue with the reasons given for purchasing a newer Gator.

“First of all, the hour meter should have been repaired,” she pointed out. “The money ($36,000) in the budget was set aside to purchase a used 1-ton dump truck/work truck and I think that is the avenue we should pursue.”

Council members acknowledged there is currently not enough money in the budget to purchase a work truck but will look at adding more dollars in next year’s budget to make a purchase possible.

Above average temperatures and below normal precipitation have allowed the city of Wells to open their golf course early this year.

“The course is open,” city administrator Tiffany Schrader told the City Council. “People are already using it. A big thank you to the staff for getting the clubhouse cleaned up and the course prepped for the season.”

During her report to the council, Schrader mentioned that some of the equipment for the theater upgrades has arrived.

“I have been in contact with the individual who will be doing the work,” Schrader said. “He hopes to have everything finished up by the end of March.”

Schrader also informed the council that Bethany Walker, the city’s new CEDA (Community and Economic Development Associates) staff person, had her first day in office on March 11.

“We have been working on her schedule. Right now it looks like she will be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Schrader added. “She will attend the EDA (Economic Development Authority) and HRA (Housing Redevelopment Authority) meetings with me this month with the hope she can catch on quickly so I can begin handing over the Community Development tasks I am still doing.”

Schrader also presented bids to the council to replace some of the existing pneumatic controls which regulate the ventilation for some of the city offices.

The council approved a bid of $990 from Schwickert’s to install new ambient controls, a crankcase heater, crankcase thermistor, a compressor start assist and fan cycling control which work with a Rheem condenser for the break room and offices.

It was explained that these upgrades will protect the compressor from refrigerant floodback when low ambient conditions are present.

The council decided to take no action on another bid for $6,995 which would have upgraded equipment for the police department and theater. Council members expressed a desire to budget for those improvements in the budget for 2025.

Dane Giese of the Wells Fire Department was at the meeting seeking a transfer of $40,000 from the General Fund 101 Public Safety State Aid Revenue account to the Fire Capital Fund 401 for the purchase of a Jaws of Life. The request was approved.

City engineer Ben Rosol was at the meeting and told council members of a new Storm Water Grant which is available through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

“The Highway 22/109 project should be a good candidate to be eligible for funds from this grant,” Rosol noted. “We will have to work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to prepare the application.”

Approval was also given for the advertisement of bids for the 2014 street and utility improvement projects.

“The closing time for applications is 10 a.m. on April 8,” Rosol shared. “At that time the bids will be opened and publicly read through Microsoft Teams.”

Tim Penny and Pam Bishop of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) were at the meeting to present an award to the city for the successful completion of the 2024-2025 Rural Entrepreneurial Ventures program.

“We are pleased to present this award,” Penny said. “SMIF has three main areas we work in – early childhood, community funds for small towns and the Rural Entrepreneurial Ventures program.”

City attorney Pam Whitmore attended the meeting by Zoom and led a discussion on possible avenues to deal with the change in marijuana laws.

“The Office of Cannabis Management has not yet come out with a model policy,” she said. “We can talk about making changes in zoning and limiting the number of licenses the city issues for retail sales.”

Whitmore suggested scheduling a workshop for April to discuss various options and the council agreed. No date was set at this time.

In other business:

• The council approved spending up to $67,500 for crack sealing and seal coating on city streets.

• A resolution was passed to accept a gift of $2,000 from CCF Bank for the Thompson Park scoreboard.

• It was announced that May 11 has been set as the tentative date to dedicate the new concession stand and field lighting at Thompson Park.

• May 18 was set as the city-wide cleanup day.

• Council members were told that talks are ongoing with TMI Coatings regarding the work done by the company on the baby pool last year.

• A gambling permit was approved for the Wells Historical Society for a raffle drawing to be held on Aug. 31.

• The hiring of three new members for the Wells Fire Department was approved. The new members are Robert Sichmeller, Matthew Arnold and Justin Roberts.