Last year the city started using brine on roadways to assist with winter maintenance activities. The brine was used instead of granular salt in some situations. This was used as a pretreatment prior to a storm event in intersections and other key areas. It was also used at other times to increase melt replacing granular salt that has been used in the past.
Using a brine mixture has a number of advantages but also is one tool in the tool box of winter road maintenance. Using it to pretreat roadways is helpful in preventing a bond of ice forming on the road itself. Using it after an event is helpful in that the same benefit derived from granular salt is obtained at a fraction of the expense and with better results. The application is more consistent. This practice is also more environmentally friendly as the use is kept to a minimum keeping excess salt from surrounding properties.
Salt or brine isn’t recommended for all roadway situations. Salt looses it effectiveness when it gets very cold. At that point the use of sand is recommended. Roadway temperatures are checked to manage the use of brine when conditions are right. Having brine at the right concentration is also important. Too weak of solution will freeze and is a waste of resources in application.
With the experience gained this past year using a system that was built by the public works crew we have been working at fine tuning our efforts. This system was problematic in that the mixing of the salt and water was slow, salt additions were done by hand being somewhat unsafe in practice, and our product was not adequately filtered to remove fine particles that affected application. Commercial systems are designed for a more mechanized and safer approach to brine making and were considered for purchase in 2013.
The city worked with a vendor in getting prices available for the 2013 budget. This vendor understood that the city was interested in acquisition of a commercial brine unit. He had a demonstration unit available that could be had at a significant discount. After discussing this with them they would make the unit available to us prior to the end of the year with payment occurring in 2013. Essentially the city would recognize a 20% discount in the equipment and get a 90 day no cost loan.
The City Council at the October meeting considered the request and agreed the purchase was in the best interest of the city in a number of ways. The obvious is the saving of money with the purchase itself. The city also benefits from a better and safer system of brine production. The residents benefit from a continued effort to keep our roadways safer in the winter months as well as keeping maintenance costs in check. It’s a win-win situation for all.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Auditing firm
I spoke of doing Requests for Proposals in seeking auditing firms in a previous blog. The city is obligated to conduct an audit on an annual basis. The city received 3 proposals from governmental accounting firms. The auditing firm the city selected was Schlenner Wenner. They have offices in St. Cloud, Little Falls, Albany, Maple Lake and Monticello. The office the city will be working with is in St. Cloud.
In doing the Request for Proposals we solicited proposals which included a price for the annual audit for a three year period. They will conduct the audit for 2012, 2013, and 2014. This firm gave us a price that was $5000 per year less than the current audit quote.
You may ask how they can do this. They have found some economy in the way they conduct audits. They provide a detailed list of those documents they require prior to the audit. These are things that we typically provide but having them available prior to the audit gives us time to deal with them and minimizes their time during the physical audit. They also download materials directly from our accounting system. Having the information readily available only makes their job easier. Our books are not complicated or extensive. We have minimal number of transactions and limited personnel. They still spend time at city hall going though our data but the operations are far more efficient.
You also may ask what quality they may provide. Are they doing what’s required? The state requires that all governmental audits meet required standards. The firm has certified public accountants. They maintain a positive peer review. Their references were checked. The people we spoke with were very pleased with the auditing experience and outcome. They indicated they were easy to work with, have a large client base, and do a good job.
We look forward to working with them.
In doing the Request for Proposals we solicited proposals which included a price for the annual audit for a three year period. They will conduct the audit for 2012, 2013, and 2014. This firm gave us a price that was $5000 per year less than the current audit quote.
You may ask how they can do this. They have found some economy in the way they conduct audits. They provide a detailed list of those documents they require prior to the audit. These are things that we typically provide but having them available prior to the audit gives us time to deal with them and minimizes their time during the physical audit. They also download materials directly from our accounting system. Having the information readily available only makes their job easier. Our books are not complicated or extensive. We have minimal number of transactions and limited personnel. They still spend time at city hall going though our data but the operations are far more efficient.
You also may ask what quality they may provide. Are they doing what’s required? The state requires that all governmental audits meet required standards. The firm has certified public accountants. They maintain a positive peer review. Their references were checked. The people we spoke with were very pleased with the auditing experience and outcome. They indicated they were easy to work with, have a large client base, and do a good job.
We look forward to working with them.
Compensation Plan
People work at jobs for many reasons. Some of the reasons include the rewards of the job itself. Some involve the reward of helping others. Some are rewarded in the personal pride of doing a job well. All of us work to receive a paycheck. That paycheck provides for our subsistence but also our quality of life.
Recently the city was involved in the negotiations with a labor union. Union goals, among other things, are to help maintain and grow the quality of life for their members. The quality of life that remains of a primary focus is that of compensation. A labor contract provides for a set amount of wages for the type of job being accomplished and the growth in rates that can be expected over time. In simple language how much do I make this year and what can I expect for a raise next year? A contract may only last 2-3 years but expectations in wage rate growth are defined so employees know what to expect. A contract was agreed to and those in the union have a clear expectation as to what will happen concerning wage rates.
Other employees of the city have the same concerns as those of union members. They want some assurance of how they will move through the salary range. They understand that you don’t start at the top of the range but want to know that if they work hard and do a great job, they will receive some rewards in an increase in salary.
The city has been working on a pay plan to do just that. The plan provides for an approach to periodic increases in salary that are given employees that do quality work. Increases are not automatic as positive performance reviews are required. Increases are not guaranteed at times of extreme fiscal stress. The policy does however give an expectation that good employees have the ability to move through the salary range.
Recently the city council recognized the need to give non-union employees some assurance in how they would be compensated over a period of time. They adopted a pay plan for these employees starting in 2013. The plan is somewhat in keeping with the pay arrangements made for the union employees, trying to maintain some parity among all employees of the city. With parity in mind, fairness to all employees is important in managing an organization and its personnel.
Recently the city was involved in the negotiations with a labor union. Union goals, among other things, are to help maintain and grow the quality of life for their members. The quality of life that remains of a primary focus is that of compensation. A labor contract provides for a set amount of wages for the type of job being accomplished and the growth in rates that can be expected over time. In simple language how much do I make this year and what can I expect for a raise next year? A contract may only last 2-3 years but expectations in wage rate growth are defined so employees know what to expect. A contract was agreed to and those in the union have a clear expectation as to what will happen concerning wage rates.
Other employees of the city have the same concerns as those of union members. They want some assurance of how they will move through the salary range. They understand that you don’t start at the top of the range but want to know that if they work hard and do a great job, they will receive some rewards in an increase in salary.
The city has been working on a pay plan to do just that. The plan provides for an approach to periodic increases in salary that are given employees that do quality work. Increases are not automatic as positive performance reviews are required. Increases are not guaranteed at times of extreme fiscal stress. The policy does however give an expectation that good employees have the ability to move through the salary range.
Recently the city council recognized the need to give non-union employees some assurance in how they would be compensated over a period of time. They adopted a pay plan for these employees starting in 2013. The plan is somewhat in keeping with the pay arrangements made for the union employees, trying to maintain some parity among all employees of the city. With parity in mind, fairness to all employees is important in managing an organization and its personnel.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
2007 Crown Victoria
The Breezy Point Police Department generally replaces a vehicle on an annual basis. This year the city will be selling on sealed bids a 2007 Crown Victoria. The vehicle has slightly over 102,000 miles on it.
Sealed bids will be accepted until October 30th at 3:00 pm. A bid form can be found on the city website at www.cityofbreezypointmn.us under the section entitled Surplus Property. Forms can also be received at City Hall or the Public Safety Building. The vehicle can be viewed at the Public Safety Building at 8361 Co. Rd. 11.
Bids may be delivered or mailed to:
Sealed Bid
Breezy Point City Hall
8319 County Road 11
Breezy Point, MN 56472.
Sealed bids will be accepted until October 30th at 3:00 pm. A bid form can be found on the city website at www.cityofbreezypointmn.us under the section entitled Surplus Property. Forms can also be received at City Hall or the Public Safety Building. The vehicle can be viewed at the Public Safety Building at 8361 Co. Rd. 11.
Bids may be delivered or mailed to:
Sealed Bid
Breezy Point City Hall
8319 County Road 11
Breezy Point, MN 56472.
Memorial Day 2013
The All Veterans Memorial at the Pelican Woods Cemetery will be taking one more step towards completion. The immediate project has been completed with the construction of the site, installation of the sculpture and benches. These improvements were paid for using donated dollars.
The next phase of construction will include a bronze plaque naming the memorial “All Veterans Memorial” and installing a flag pole to fly the United States Flag. The Cemetery Commission wants to ensure these are installed yet this fall to provide for a dedication ceremony to be held on Memorial Day in 2013.
The City Council approved this phase of construction again using donated funds for the improvements. The final details for these improvements have been worked out budget of $1600 designated for the construction. We will have a 16 by 20 inch plaque and a 20 foot flag pole. The Cemetery Commission, being frugal by nature, hopes to limit the expense for these improvements but now has a budget to work with. A rock for the plaque has been moved in. The plaque has been ordered and the flag pole has arrived. Installation of these will be accomplished as soon as possible.
The commission would like to install two other flag poles for the memorial in the future. These would include a POW-MIA flag and also a State of Minnesota flag at the site. They are seeking donations for these. If this is something you have an interest in please contact city hall.
The next phase of construction will include a bronze plaque naming the memorial “All Veterans Memorial” and installing a flag pole to fly the United States Flag. The Cemetery Commission wants to ensure these are installed yet this fall to provide for a dedication ceremony to be held on Memorial Day in 2013.
The City Council approved this phase of construction again using donated funds for the improvements. The final details for these improvements have been worked out budget of $1600 designated for the construction. We will have a 16 by 20 inch plaque and a 20 foot flag pole. The Cemetery Commission, being frugal by nature, hopes to limit the expense for these improvements but now has a budget to work with. A rock for the plaque has been moved in. The plaque has been ordered and the flag pole has arrived. Installation of these will be accomplished as soon as possible.
The commission would like to install two other flag poles for the memorial in the future. These would include a POW-MIA flag and also a State of Minnesota flag at the site. They are seeking donations for these. If this is something you have an interest in please contact city hall.
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