City Council met in special session on October 28, 2024 at 6:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.
Mayor Lester presided:
Councilmembers present:
Wyatt Perry
Jared Andrew
Amy Farris
Scott Winkler
Beryl Grant
Dylan Canaday
City employees present were Public Works Director Mager and Attorney Jessup.
Scott Wasem, Gabe Forsmann and Rhonda Wemhoff (architect) present.
SNOWHAVEN DESIGN: There are three different design options to consider.
Option #1 – 10/22/24 design: Add onto the south side of the lodge to gain additional ski patrol space, dining room, ticket booth and men’s and women’s accessible restrooms. The staircase would be enclosed with the project. Approximately $110,842 short of funds.
Option #2 – 8/28/24 design: Add onto the east side of the lodge to gain additional rental space and maintenance shop to house groomer. A small ticket booth would be added to the south of the existing stairs. Ski patrol would move into the existing rental shop. Approximately $144,767 short of funds.
Option #3 – 10/28/24 design: Add onto the east side of the lodge to gain additional rental space and a small maintenance shop which would not be large enough for the groomer but could house snowmobiles. A small ticket booth would be added to the south of the existing stairs. This design remodels the existing maintenance area to include a small storage area and multiple user men and women bathrooms. Approximately $60,000 short of funds. The smaller maintenance addition is $50,000-$60,000.
Scott Wasem reviewed the August plan. The power would need to be moved; however he thinks ICLP would move it for free. Councilor Grant felt we needed to choose an option within the budget. Mayor Lester stated we had Roto-Rooter pump the septic tanks and camera the system only to discover there is no drain field. We will be designing and installing a new system in 2025.
Rhonda explained ADA states any available service for one person needs to be available to the next person. By creating a second dining area, the service is accessible to everyone. An elevator is cost prohibited. Rhonda stated a way to bid the project is as a Design – Build option. This allows the contractor to help decide how the project will work within the confines of the funds available. With this type of project you need at least 15%-20% contingency. The City doesn’t have enough money to meet all the needs requested. It was asked if a fire system was required; based on the size at this time, it is not.
Public Works Director Mager stated all plumbing for the water is in the ceiling of the basement and drops down to fixtures. The sewer connection is ABS in concrete floor. The main feed should connect quickly. All water, plumbing and fixtures in the shop have been replaced this summer and the toilets have been upgraded to ADA.
Councilor Perry asked how many snowmobiles are on the hill: both Snowhaven and ski patrol own their own. Councilors Winkler and Farris like the idea of two unisex ADA bathrooms. Councilor Andrews is in favor of option #3, removing the maintenance shop and converting the bathrooms to two ADA bathrooms like the August 28 bathroom drawing and adding a janitor closet. Councilor Perry questioned why build a maintenance area if the groomer won’t fit in it? Rhonda explained it would be for future expansion of the rental shop if a shop for the groomer is later constructed. Gabe Forsmann stated option #3 is a good plan but it doesn’t solve the problem of the shop. Scott Wasem felt the ticket booth could be by the chimney and only one door is necessary into the rental shop. He felt the rental shop and ski patrol could be flipped and then move the bathrooms. Rhonda stated if they were flipped, the rental shop would never have more than 800 sf because there is no space in the existing building.
Councilor Grant stated we need to choose an option to stay close to budget. Councilor Farris asked where the eating area would be on option #3? Rhonda Wemhoff stated first we need to get a shell figured out and then we can move things around inside the shell. Mayor Lester stated without the maintenance shop it could be hard to get snow plowed out of that area. Scott Wasem asked about a lean-to. It was stated it would add most of the cost back in. Councilor Winkler asked the location of the proposed drain field. Mayor Lester stated it would leave the building and head toward the T-bar. Scott Wasem stated all the wiring for the T-bar runs down that area. Rhonda stated a final design is needed to go out to bid in the next week or two.
On motion by Councilor Farris, second by Councilor Andrews to approve in general the floor plan of 10-28, adding on to the east. ROLL CALL VOTE: YES: Canaday, Farris, Winkler, Grant, Perry, Andrews. NO: none. ABSTAIN: none. The motion passed.
SNOWHAVEN SKI BOARD: Attorney Jessup stated over time, the number of Snowhaven board members reduced. It started with a total of 12 members and eventually reduced to 5. Snowhaven was being operated under a strong manager position. It was questioned how does Snowhaven and the pool work. Who hires, fires and does the work. Scott Wasem stated way back when Snowhaven took over, the kitchen and rental shop was leased and run by others. The Snowhaven Board went to five and then as manager, Scott was asked to attend the board meetings. Originally the manager never went. When Scott started in 1999, he only managed the T-bar and rope tow. Jim Kingma, board member, trained him. Scott felt there needs to be a board that can train the manager to operate the T-bar, groomer, and provide timelines for ordering food and other aspects. Councilor Grant asked why there isn’t an operating book for the next manager. Scott stated he was a seasonal person and he didn’t have time to do that. When the season ended, he was off to his next job. Attorney Jessup tried to clarify Grant’s concerns questioning is a board the best mechanism for transferring knowledge. Scott Wasem asked who will train them without a board? Councilor Perry felt the board would know how to do things and help them train the new manager. Councilor Farris asked about the makeup of a board, number of members and term length. Scott Wasem thought 5 would be good with staggered terms of 2 year and 4 years and a city council representative. Farris questioned if the board could write an operating manual? Mayor Lester questioned how board knowledge would pass to the next board member when a term expired. Scott Wasem recommended cross training.
Gabe Forsmann felt the board should have some power to set budgets, hire employees and approve small financial decisions while Councilor Canday felt the board should be advisory. Councilor Grant felt the manager should be doing those things not the board. Councilor Farris questioned the expectation of a working board. Would they be volunteer or paid? Mayor Lester felt it would be difficult to have a volunteer board but then have them come up and work. Councilor Perry would want to see monthly meeting updates. Councilor Winkler didn’t feel a board formed now would be the same as it was when the ski club turned it over. Scott Wasem stated Jim Kingma was the main one that helped him. Councilor Perry questioned the worst part of the job, compared to if on the board what Gabe would want to do. The worst is managing people and he’d want to operate the groomer. Councilor Canday felt an advisory board could be available to bounce ideas for the manager. Public Works Director Mager felt the board could only be advisory. Once he was thrown into the mix in the spring with water, he learned a lot about the hill. He doesn’t want an advisory group in charge of it. The facility belongs to the city. Due to bad water samples, Snowhaven water has to be tested for a year. Mager felt public works should maintain control of facility, electrical, water and sewer, but find a manager to operate the hill. Decisions about the facility could be discussed with a board, but then public works would need to discuss it and get final approval through council. The city is in this situation because the previous council chose to treat Snowhaven like the dump. City Administrator Kennedy stated Mager, Mayor Lester and herself have been trying to figure out the best solution for Snowhaven. Kennedy isn’t sure having a board is the best option. She felt making the manager a full-time position would be a better long-term solution, but there hasn’t been time to determine if the position could be funded or to work out details on how to integrate it with public works.
Councilor Grant didn’t feel a decision could be made tonight. Councilor Winkler didn’t know if forming a board would work. Councilor Andrews felt it should be tabled until a manager is hired.
Mayor Lester voiced a concern that unless they’ve been up there before, the board might not be able to do things. Councilor Grant asked if those interested have experience. Gabe stated three are previous employes and three are new people. Councilor Perry felt it should be on the next agenda to decide if we want a board, Councilors Andrews, Canaday and Winkler were against putting a board in place without a manager. The consensus was not to have it on the next agenda.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 P.M.
_________________________________
Wes Lester – Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________________
Tonya Kennedy – Clerk
