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*The council approved a settlement agreement with Jason Mages for a 4.07 acre parcel of land for the Paynesville Municipal Airport. Because of a mistake by SEH, the city's engineering firm, this parcel was not included in the city's original condemnation filing. During airport construction, however, vehicle traffic traversed the property and a portion of parking lot 0.24 acres was covered was paved for parking.

The agreement settles the condemnation suit for this property and a suit by the Mages for damages. Under the agreement, the Mages will receive $34,000 for the property and damages. Of that, the city will pay $6,512 ($1,600 per acre, the appraisal price) to purchase the property, and SEH will pay the remaining $27,488 for damages.

City council member Dave Peschong asked if that parcel was annexed to the city with the rest of the airport property, since the city didn't own it then. City administrator Steve Helget will check this.

*The council approved setting fees for residential garbage pickup by West Central Sanitation, who will switch all customers to "Good Neighbor Carts" this week. Prices were set at: $7.90 for a 35-gallon cart serviced once a month; $10.15 for a 35-gallon cart serviced every other week; $14.20 for a 35-gallon cart serviced weekly; $17.00 for a 64-gallon cart serviced weekly; and $19.20 for a 95-gallon cart serviced weekly. In addition, extra bags of trash will cost $2.50 each.

The city recently signed a seven-year contract with West Central Sanitation to provide residential trash pickup.

*The council accepted a $3,000 quote from Caldwell Asphalt for street patching.

*The council accepted a $1,631 bid from Paynesville Engine Clinic, Inc., for repairs to the city's dump truck.

*The council approved an invoice for $1,000 from Setterberg Turkey Farms for the city's 2003-04 snow dumping site.

*The council approved charging Loren Meyer $5 for a copy of a survey of the Paynesville Area Airport. Meyer owns property adjacent to the airport and requested the survey to aid surveyors when his own survey is done, according to city attorney Bill Spooner. The city originally proposed charging Meyer $20 for the copy, but Spooner said the city could only charge a reasonable fee for reducing and copying the document.

*The council approved an amendment to the city's ordinance addressing assessment deferments. Although the city has been doing so for some time, the amendment will allow a deferment of assessments for properties that are provided new services during an improvement project but don't need the services. For example, a vacant lot that receives new sewer and water service will have its assessments deferred until those services are needed when a building is built.

*The council heard a verbal report from Jeff Bertram, chairman of the Koronis Lake Recreational Trail Committee. According to Bertram, a portion of the trail is planned to go through property near the Koronis Heights subdivision on property owned by Bob Stoneburner. While the trail will not go through the platted property, Stoneburner requested that if he donated the property to the trail, the city would not hold the subdivision to the city's requirement for establishing parkland if the property is ever annexed to the city.

The council agreed that this would be favorable, and Helget pointed out that the only way that the subdivision would need to create parkland would be if the property would be re-platted. Annexing an existing plat would not require creating parkland.

The council directed Spooner to draw up a contract with Stoneburn-er that could be filed with the county auditor.

*The council approved a resignation request from liquor store clerk Charlene Barg.

*The council heard a verbal report from mayor Jeff Thompson regarding participating in the League of Minnesota Cities' "Walking a Mile" program. The program encourages cities with different characteristics to get together to learn about their differences and similarities.

Paynesville will work with the city of Brooklyn Center. Representatives from each city will visit the other to tour facilities, meet with the city council, and observe a city council meeting. Paynesville representatives will go to Brooklyn Center on Monday, Nov. 22, and Brooklyn Center Representatives will visit Paynesville on Wednesday, Dec. 8.