Austin City Council approves three-year labor agreement with Minnesota Public Employee Association at Monday meeting

The Austin City Council approved a labor agreement with the Minnesota Public Employee Association for the years 2023-2025 at their regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening at the Austin City Council chambers. The MNPEA represents police supervisors around the state, and City Administrator Craig Clark stated to the council that the agreement features pay increases of 4%, 3% and 3% over a three-year period, and he added that the terms of the agreement also reflect the continuation of the city’s compensation and classification base pay structure implementation.

In other business, the Austin City Council approved the bid of Equity Builders and Construction Services, Inc. of Rosemount in the amount of $138,750 for a siding project at Riverside Arena, and the council also approved a resolution certifying the results of the November 8th general election.  The council also moved to set a public hearing for December 19th on the adoption of the city’s 5-year capital improvement plan, and the council also approved a resolution accepting Hormel Foundation grants for 2023.  Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert stated to the council that the grants approved included one for $120,000 for a pedestrian trail from Eastside Lake to U.S. Highway 218, also a grant for $61,000 for hotspot data plans for 2023, and Dankert went on to state that the Foundation also approved an additional $50,000 grant for the Austin Public Library to hire a Technology Coordinator for 2023 to help administer the hotspot program.  In total, the city was approved for $572,253, including partner grants for 2023.

In other business at their meeting Monday evening, the Austin City Council approved an Individual Control Mechanism, or ICM agreement with International Paper, which sets forth limitations, conditions and requirements for sanitary sewer discharges, and the council also approved feasibility reports for seven different street projects for the city for 2023.  And, in a brief work session following their regularly scheduled meeting, the council unanimously approved a contract with the firm of Baudler, Maus, Forman and King, LLC, to provide to the city prosecution for certain criminal offenses between January 1st, 2023 to December 31st of 2025. 

The next regularly scheduled meeting for the Austin City Council will be held on Monday, December 5th at 5:30 p.m.