City of Kennedy receives recognition from MPCA for wastewater treatment facility

By Margie Holmgren The City of Kennedy received recognition from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for operational excellence of their wastewater treatment facility. The Kennedy City Council recognized Greg Mitziga, public works maintenance worker, and Melissa Woinarowicz, city clerk, for their efforts in receiving this award. Minnesota has approximately 1,600 municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities with 248 qualifying for the outstanding operations recognition, including Kennedy. The entities that receive this recognition demonstrate consistent compliance with monitoring, operations and maintenance requirements; submit accurate, on-time reports to the MPCA; and employ staff certified by the MPCA in wastewater operations. City ordinances The city has received a request to buy a piece of city-owned land where the purchaser would like to build a shop and park their camper during the summer months. There is an ordinance relating to campers parked in the city limits but council members wanted further clarification of the ordinance before making a decision. Currently there are a couple of properties in town that have campers located on them. The matter was tabled until next month when more information could be provided. The council also discussed mowing the city does for residents who do not keep up their lawns. Currently the ordinance states that residents who do not mow their property will be given a 10-day notice before the city does the mowing, giving the property owner time to do it themselves. A resident is contesting the $500 fee the city assessed to his property taxes regarding the mowing they did last summer. Four other residents also were assessed the fee but were willing to pay the amount. "Is that an ordinance we need to revisit" asked Councilor Jon Turn. "I think actually we need to revisit all of our ordinances, to be totally honest," Woinarowicz said. "We should get a list and go through them – some of them in today's world aren't very realistic and this is what we govern the city with," added Turn. A resolution is needed to remove the $500 assessed fee to the property owner so the issue was tabled until the next meeting. In other business: • Approved hiring Isaac Gustafson as summer maintenance help at $15/hour. He will start June 1, working approximately 30 hours per week. • Approved a quote for up to $3,000 from McGlynn Fencing, Mentor, Minn., to fix the fence at the baseball diamond and widen the gate area as well. Also approved getting rubber mats to cover the pitching mound and home plate for up to $400. • Approved purchasing a new fire hydrant for $5,820.89. Mitziga checked into getting parts and rebuilding the damaged hydrant but the costs for parts were not much less than the price of a new one. • Approved keeping a portion of the former Kennedy School bus garage for the city to use for storage. Previously the space was being rented out for $600 a year. • Approved giving Mark Ingeman a Visa card from the city to thank him for the snow removal in Kennedy this past winter. The council adjourned and will hold their next meeting Monday, June 12.