Pierz City Council Briefs

In other business Monday, March 25, the Pierz City Council:

• Adopted an ordinance in order to be in compliance with remapping of Federal Emergency Management Agency’s floodplain designations, which will go into effect July 30;

• Approved a small accessory application for Sanda Robbins to place an eight foot by eight foot metal shed on Seasonal Spot 1 within the Pierz Golf Course and Campground;

• Approved a budget of $5 per week to advertise the Pierz Clean-Up Day on Facebook from the beginning of April through the weekend of the event, May 18, and approved the advertisement of the event in the Morrison County Record;

• Approved the payment of $3,750 for city employee Bradley Dehler to complete a commercial driver’s license class from certified instructor Adam Kroll, allowing him to operate the city plow. The class costs $4,800, with $1,050 being paid by Dehler. The amount of $3,750 will be paid to Dehler immediately, but if he resigns from his position within five years, he will be required to pay back a portion of the funds depending on how soon he resigns. A total of 20% will be reduced each year, so for example, if Dehler resigns in two years, he will be required to pay 60% of the amount paid to him back, $2,250;

• Approved city employee changes to salary for Park Complex Superintendent Zach Baert, increasing his wages. The motion carried 3-2, with Council Members Gary Berg and Don Bujalski voting against the motion;

• Approved the purchase of five cell phones for city employees: two for the park complex, one for the Pierz Clubhouse, one for the public works department and one for City Administrator Laura Wacker. The monthly cost of all five cell phones, plus two cell phones that have already been in use with the police department, is $40 per month, with the additional cost of $11 per month for phone insurance bringing the monthly total to $51 per month;

• Approved the standard bridge design for Pierz to begin receiving estimates for widening a bridge in Pierz or installing sidewalks for greater pedestrian safety;

• Awarded the amount of $2.082 million to the lowest of seven bidders for the 2024 street improvement project;

Set a public hearing for tax abatements related to the 2024 street improvement project for April 22;

• Set the sale resolution for borrowing funds for the 2024 street improvement project;

• Approved the hire of an as-needed, part-time employee for the Pierz Golf Course at $15 per hour;

• Approved the hire of an as-needed, part-time employee for the Pierz Golf Course at $11 per hour. Both this and the previous hire were determined to be`necessary because one of the golf course’s full-time employees was injured in a motorcycle accident and is will be unable to return to work for at least the next few months;

• Approved the hire of three Pierz Clubhouse part-time employees at $13 per hour;

• Awarded $2,540 to a contractor for the fixing of the Pierz Clubhouse’s circuit breakers, which were previously often breaking;

• Donated use of Pierz shelters to a band to hold a concert on May 5; and

• Donated $1,000 to Horizon Health, Inc.

The next meeting of the Pierz City Council is Monday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers.