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Slayton City Council met on Monday, December 16th. The agenda was approved with additions. The canvas board meeting and regular meeting minutes were reviewed and approved. The claims for the month were also reviewed and approved for payment. The council also approved for any end of year invoices to be paid by Jackie and Josh by end of year.
City Administrator Josh Malchow reported that he and Blake Heronimus went to Mapleton to speak with Northwest Natural Gas. It was an EXTREMELY productive meeting and Malchow feels the city is headed towards a special election in May. They discussed transport agreements, operations and maintenance, and an actual purchase agreement for the assets. Both parties have some “homework” to get completed to move forward and they must take information to their shareholders. More information will be coming after the new year.
Malchow also gave the council an update on Wonder World and that the County Board will be making some changes at their meeting on Tuesday. He explained to the council that the original motion to provide the funds to Wonder World wasn’t done in quite the right way and needed to be adjusted. He stated that in a perfect world this would include rescinding the original motion and making a new motion moving the funds and running it through the County EDA.
The next item of discussion was the 2025 Budget/Levy. Workshop discussions led to many different budget items that would both raise and lower the 2025 budget/levy. These include things like insurance selections, tables and bench replacement at parks, and pay increase request for police chief Jeremy Steinle for the police department. The council discussed this. There are strong feelings that the wage scale that was hired out and paid for last year should stay how it was intended. Steinle’s issue is that the wage scale progression doesn’t match how the police chief position in the area pay scale is moving.
The Council approved the preliminary levy amount of $1,492,252. This is a percentage increase of 13.22%.
The 2025 Tobacco and Liquor Licenses were reviewed and approved. This includes Ag Plus, Almich’s Market, dba-Slayton Liquor, Aryian LLC: Slayton Marathon, Slayton Liquor & Tobacco Store, Casey’s General Store, Cenex Slayton C Store, Family Dollar #30464. Pool Tables and Operate Game Machines: Grain Exchange and Pizza Ranch. They also approved revoking the Liquor License for City Limits effective immediately.
With no other business the meeting was adjourned.
Kiwanis Club of Slayton donated to the Murray County Christmas Project, pictured are Janet Voges, Kiwanis treasurer, Rick Like and Bonnie Friesen of the Christmas Project, and Tom Kappes, Kiwanis President Elect.
Kiwanis Club of Slayton made donations to the MCC Backpack Program and the MCC Mitten Fund.
Pictured are Tom Kappes, Kiwanis President Elect, Nikki Cheskie, MCC Counselor, and Janet Voges, Kiwanis Treasurer.
