by Mari Radtke
In special session on Tuesday October 1 the Paullina Council approved unanimously to rescind its employment offer to Bryson Martindale. They expressed dissatisfaction in being unable to secure from him a start date. They unanimously approved extending an offer to hire Broday Berninghaus as the lineman at $25 per hour.
The special meeting was followed with a workshop for council members to consider options with city-owned real estate. At the workshop Council was presented with covenants and pricing options in an effort to pursue buyers for city-owned property. They also listened to an option presented to Utility Superintendent Kelly Top about a generator proposal made to him by DGR Engineering on behalf of MRES. The agenda was rearranged to consider the generator proposal first.
Top explained he had received a call from DGR Engineering about generators available for use in Paullina. Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) offers a payback program. They buy power back from their customers generated by the customer. The amount MRES pays for power went from $2/Kwh to $4/Kwh on July 1. The program provides that the city purchase it’s own generator. Once the generator is functional the city would get a payment equal to $4 x 2000 KW hours x 120 months or $960,000. After that, MRES would pay Paullina for 30 years $5/KW of generation x 2000 hours. MRES would then pay Paullina $120,000 per year for that power. Some terms of generation do apply to the city. The program is designed to alleviate demand surge on the electric grid during times of peak demand.
Financing the purchase of the generator got a little discussion with a suggestion of issuing a bond to buy the generator anticipating it taking 6-months to bring the generator online and get the lump sum payment. Council liked the idea and will take the issue up at their regular meeting on October 7.
Discussion of covenants for the city to sell any of its properties began. If no price terms are established, according the Mayor Marlin Sjaarda, then council could consider any offer made. City Clerk Michelle Wilson had reached out to area communities on their policies for selling property. The results were varied. The discussion compared covenants against what Paullina has done at the Busch Lots. Sjaarda also suggested Council may choose to build multi-family units on the lot at Maple and Broadway Streets. He expanded that thought to include potential involvement with Paullina Development. Zoning of the 2 pieces of property from that corner and to the east. Covenants will be written to require adherence to city ordinances.
During the discussion of 317 S Maple Street, a double lot, Council took a venture into history. The considered a failed sale and why. They then talked about splitting the lot into 2 separate lots but it had not gotten done in March or April of 2022 when the sale failed. Assessments on that property got a lengthy discussion: who pays, buyer or seller, split the lot into two or not and other details. Councilperson Dennis Werkmeister suggested having a realtor evaluate the lots for appropriate pricing.
The conversation wandered into considering if Council should transfer the lots to Paullina Development to get them sold. Concern for public hearings and the whole public duties in order to transfer property. Council will readdress the covenants and prices at their regular October 7 meeting.