International Falls’ fight on blight revealed 61 ordinance violations this season, the Falls City Council learned this week.
Kelly Meyers, city building inspector, reported Monday the following number of ordinance violations in May, June and July of this year: 47 grass violations; nine blight violations; and five grass and blight violations.
The city’s blight ordinances are available on the city’s website at www.ci.international-falls.mn.us/blight.htm.
Meyers reported that five structures were demolished this season. The buildings were handled under a city program that allows property owners to have the city raze certain buildings at no cost to them. One structure was in the process of being demolish, said Meyers. The city’s demo program is intended to help rid the city of undesirable structures to make way for more valuable structures. A map of the locations of the buildings razed through the city’s program can be found on the city’s website at www.ci.international-falls.mn.us/sv-demolitions.html.
Councilors urged the public to contact Meyers if they believe they have a structure on their property that would be appropriate for the program.
In other business, the council approved a labor contract for police officers represented by the International Woodworkers Local W-33, IAM & AW, AFL-CIO.
The three-year agreement calls for a 2 percent salary increase effective January of this year; and a 1.5 percent increase in each 2013 and 2014.
Councilors recognized the chairs of city committees involved in negotiations, as well as city Attorney Steve Shermoen, Administrator Rod Otterness and police officers on the negotiating team.
Former Mayor Shawn Mason, who resigned from the mayor position later in Monday’s meeting, said negotiations were respectful and led to compromises and productivity.
The council increased the salary of the administrative position, held by Don Kosek, from $30,000 to $35,360.
Councilor Paul Eklund, the chairman of the city’s Human Resources Committee, said the duties of the job expanded in the information technology area. He also noted that Kosek has brought many enhancements to the position “above and beyond what we expected.”
Otterness noted that Kosek was hired just more than one year ago, when a position in the administration office and in the police department were eliminated.
Eklund urged the council to revive a technology committee in light of changes to the city’s website and the goal of live broadcasting via website the city council meetings.
In addition, the council extended a commercial loan to Randy Splett, doing business as Randy’s Discount Auto, at a 3.75 percent interest rate with a three-year balloon payment and all other terms remaining the same.
