Leroy Vanwhye met with the Hills City Council on behalf of the Beaver Creek Sportsman’s Club to discuss treating the Rez for weeds and algae.

He presented information the group had received from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regarding treatments.

The DNR told the club to apply herbicides on up to a half acre of the water. This will completely kill the weeds in the areas where it is applied. The amount of space treated is pre-determined because the chemical can be applied to only 5 percent of the total water.

Vanwhye said the Sportsman’s Club plans to treat the water near the beach and dock, the inlet on the west and the area near the dam that is used for fishing.

After it is applied visitors are not allowed to use the water for several days. The club will post signs indicating that the water was treated.

The cost of using the herbicide is $450 per application and requires two applications. 

The first application is planned between Memorial Day and Hills Friendship Days and the second in July.

Vanwhye said the group also intends to treat the water with copper sulfate. This helps to control algae problems. These treatments cost $150 each and require two applications.

The council agreed to pay half of the costs of the treatments. They asked Vanwhye to thank the club for their work in the park.

Street sign requirements

The council heard about minimum street sign retroreflectivity requirements that must be met by 2015.

Retroreflectivity measures how well a material can reflect light back to the light’s original source.

Hills Public Works employees Wayne Ward and Stacen Burgers attended a meeting on the subject. They reported that the new requirements would mean replacing stop signs and four-way stop signs throughout town.

The new rule also applies to street signs. The city was aware of this when they ordered street signs in the past and made sure the signs met the new requirements.

The council decided to replace several signs each year.

In other city business:

•A building permit was approved for 100 NW 2nd St. Additional living space and a garage will be added to the north side of the house.

•The council discussed proposed water, sewer and street work for the new high school building project.

They agreed it is important to stay in contact with the district as the project progresses, especially regarding getting bids and access to the property.

•City employee Stacen Burgers suggested the council explore raising funds to create a permanent walking path at the city park and the Rez Park.

•Ward reported that he and Burgers had explored a potential fix for the problem with the city’s street sweeper.

He estimated the cost of parts at $172. Earlier this year he had a company submit a bid for the work. The bid came in at approximately $6,000.

•A portion of the council meeting on Tuesday, March 2, was closed to the public.