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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-17-R '!Tt �-AI�EN HILLS Approved: April 24. 2017 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10,2017 7:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor David Grant called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant, Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung and Steve Scott Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Bill Joynes, Public Works Director/City Engineer Sue Polka and City Clerk Julie Hanson PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilmember Holden requested Item 9B under New Business be placed on the Consent Agenda. There was not Council consensus to take this action. Councilmember Holmes requested Item 6F be pulled from the Consent Agenda. MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL Steve Gericke, 1840 West County Road E, explained he mailed the Council pictures of the property adjacent to him (1850 Indian Place) that had a lot of trash and unlicensed vehicles in the yard. He requested the Council work with staff to have this property cleaned up. He asked that Dave Scherbel not be allowed to work on this matter. Chuck Mertensotto, 3473 Lake Johanna Boulevard, affirmed the concerns expressed by Mr. Garrety. He then encouraged the Council to consider the amount of affordable housing that would ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 2 be offered within Rice Creek Commons. He stated he wanted to see affordable housing within this development. Mayor Grant explained the Council had zoned the property in order to make the construction of affordable housing possible. He stated a developer would then be responsible for building units that the market would support, which could include affordable housing. Further discussion ensued regarding funding options for affordable housing. Mr. Mertensotto asked how many bus shelters the City had in Arden hills. Mayor Grant discussed the bus routes within the City and noted the Met Council was responsible for providing bus transportation and shelters through the community. He reported the Council was advocating to have additional lines brought through the City for TCAAP. Mr. Mertensotto stated he would volunteer to work with the City on affordable housing and bus shelters. Jim Mars, 1740 Chatham Avenue, reported he has lived in Arden Hills for the last 17 years. He expressed concern with a rental property in his neighborhood at 1753 Chatham Avenue. He stated this property has been a rental for the last 10 years and had a large volume of traffic coming and going at all hours of the night. He explained he had introduced himself to the renters in order to create a relationship and to make them aware of Arden Hills City Code requirements. He indicated he brought his concerns to Bethel University as well. He believed the City had many residents that had concerns with rental properties in the community. He requested the City Council take action on this issue and suggested rental properties be treated as a business and only allow three renters in single-family neighborhoods. In addition, he recommended the property owners be charged for police calls. He asked that the City provide his neighborhood a staff contact in order to address this matter further. Mayor Grant stated he has spoken with Mr. Mars about this matter several times. He suggested Mr. Mars pass his questions along to City staff and requested comment from the City Administrator on this matter. City Administrator Joynes explained the Council brought this issue up on a recent Council retreat. Staff was looking into its rental regulations and meetings have been held with Bethel University and Northwestern. He understood both campuses had little to do with the behavior of students within off-campus housing. He explained he would be meeting with the Dean of Students where all of the complaints filed over the last year would be reviewed. The opinion of the City Council was that it would be difficult to address the rental situation under the current City Code. For this reason, the Council was interested in revising the language to improve the enforceability. He anticipated this would be a very tough discussion and noted Mr. Mars would be notified of this discussion. Councilmember Holden asked when the Council would be meeting with representatives from the colleges and Sheriff's Department. She did not believe Arden Hills residents should continue to suffer in the meantime. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 3 Mayor Grant understood this was a concern, but reported the Council has charged City staff with this task and was stated the City Administrator was working to pull these individuals together for a joint meeting. Jeff Salmon, 1749 Chatham Avenue, stated he had the same concerns as Mr. Mars with the rental property in his neighborhood. He indicated he would not have bought his home if he knew this was a rental property in advance. He discussed the kind of activity that was occurring at the rental home at 2:30 a.m. and explained he brought this information to Bethel. After Bethel was made aware of this activity, the renters had quieted down. He recommended that the renters not be given warnings, but rather be issued citations in order to improve behavior. He questioned who he could speak with in order to hold this property owner accountable. He stated he looked forward to hearing more from the City Administrator on the joint meeting with the sheriff's department and the colleges. Mayor Grant indicated the City Administrator would be Mr. Salmon's point of contact for this issue. Councilmember Holmes thanked Mr. Salmon for his email and stated the Council did have the ability to revoke rental licenses. John Gericke, 1840 West County Road E, stated he had a group of renters in his neighborhood that were thoughtful and kind. He understood a landlord had property rights. However, he encouraged the City Council to keep in mind that property owners also had rights. He recommended citations be sent to landlords and renters. He wanted to see the sheriff's department doing a better job enforcing City Code. Councilmember Holden encouraged Howard and all others to contact 911 with all rental concerns. 3. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS A. Update from State Representative Jessup State Representative Randy Jessup thanked the Council for their time. He provided the Council with an update from the State noting there were five weeks remaining in the 2017 session. He reviewed the issues that had been addressed by the legislature to date stating Sunday liquor sales had passed. He commented on the proposed transportation, tax relief and real ID bills. He reported the tax relief bill would encourage seniors to remain in Minnesota. He then discussed the initiatives being pursued by the education and election committees that he served on. He stated he was working to reduce the level of debt Minnesota college students had after graduating college. Mayor Grant requested further information on the small antenna bill. State Representative Jessup described how the small antennas would be used by Verizon, AT&T, etc. to improve cell service and the speed of service through the Twin Cities. He anticipated these small antennas would be placed on light poles through metro area communities. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 4 He reported the legislature was working to pass this legislation in order to have adequate capacity in place prior to the 2018 Super Bowl. Councilmember Holmes encouraged Representative Jessup to pursue additional bussing for the north metro. State Representative Jessup discussed the amount of funding being proposed for the Met Council in the coming year noting there would be no change. He commented on the growing frustrations with the southwest light rail and CTIB. Councilmember Holden asked if Representative Jessup was anticipating a government shut down on July 1 st State Representative Jessup stated he was not anticipating a shut down. He explained he liked to see collaboration and compromise, and he hoped to see all bills passed by the end of the legislative session. Councilmember Scott requested Representative Jessup pursue additional bus lines in Arden Hills. State Representative Jessup explained he would like to see a BRT line extended into Arden Hills and Shoreview. He stated he was not a fan of the southwest light rail but rather would like to see a line from the airport brought to St. Paul, or having the Met Council pursue addition BRT lines. Mayor Grant thanked Representative Jessup for his update. 4. STAFF COMMENTS A. Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP) and Joint Development Authority(JDA) Update City Administrator Joynes provided an update on TCAAP stating there has been a series of canceled meetings over the past two months. He explained the County was negotiating purchase prices with the developer. After these negotiations were complete, the JDA would be meeting again. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. March 13, 2017 City Council B. March 20, 2017 City Council Work Session MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to approve the March 13, 2017, Regular City Council meeting minutes; and March 20, 2017 City Council Work Session meeting minutes as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 5 6. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Motion to Approve Consent Agenda Item - Claims and Payroll B. Motion to Approve 2018 Budget Calendar C. Motion to Approve Resolution 2017-010 Appointing Brent Bartel as an Alternate Member to the Planning Commission and Nick Gehrig as a Regular Member to the Planning Commission for Terms Expiring December 31, 2018 D. Motion to Approve Resolution 2017-009 Appointing Sheila Bennett Kilander to the Economic Development Commission (EDC) for a Term Expiring December 31, 2019 E. Motion to Authorize the Purchase of a 2018 Mack Chassis and Towmaster Dump Truck F. t' t A e the Dino G-eek W 4er-she.1 Distfiet Management Agreement feff i G. Motion to Cancel the April 17, 2017 City Council Work Session H. Motion to Authorize City Staff to Begin Summer Work Hours on May 30, 2017, and Conclude on September 5, 2017 1. Motion to Authorize Appointment of Public Works Seasonal Maintenance Workers and Park and Recreation Seasonal Workers MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as amended removing Item 6F and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 7. PULLED CONSENT ITEMS A. Motion to Approve the Rice Creek Watershed District Maintenance Agreement for the 2015 Pavement Management Program Councilmember Holmes asked for clarification on how the City was maintaining its rain gardens. She understood that the City owned rain gardens were under contract for maintenance. She feared that the residents who volunteered to have rain gardens were not being properly maintained. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka believed the residents who volunteered to have rain gardens did not have private agreements in place between the property owner and the City. However, she stated she could investigate this matter further and would report back to the Council. Kristy Elfering, Elfering & Associates, stated the rain gardens are in the public right of way and noted there were no agreements in place between the City and the volunteer residents. Councilmember Holmes was pleased with the fact that seasonal maintenance workers would be reviewing and maintaining the rain gardens (if needed) this summer. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 6 MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to Approve the Rice Creek Watershed District Maintenance Agreement for the 2015 Pavement Management Program. The motion carried !L - 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. TCAAP Development Discussion Opportunity for Residents Mayor Grant stated under the Public Hearing section, citizens would have an opportunity to discuss ideas regarding the TCAAP development. Mayor Grant opened the public hearing at 8:23 p.m. With no one coming forward to speak, Mayor Grant closed the public hearing at 8:24 p.m. 9. NEW BUSINESS A. 0.5 MG Water Tower Rehabilitation—Engineering Services Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka stated the 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan identifies a project to repair and repaint the City's 0.5 MG water tower located at Cummings Park. The tower last underwent repairs in 2001. In 2012, the tower was inspected by Kollmer Consultants at which time it was recommended that repairs and repainting be completed within 1 to 2 years. A copy of the report is available at City Hall. The south water tower was rehabilitated in 2013 at a cost of $783,250. Based on recent bids and the scope of work for the tower, the current engineer's estimate (construction only) for the north tower work is $780,000. The work includes interior structural repairs, interior coating replacement (including lead based paint removal), exterior structural repairs and exterior coating. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka reviewed the scope, fee and schedule for design and bidding services for the project schedule. WSB proposes to complete the plans and bid documents for a fee of $5,000. This does not include an additional inspection as staff feels the inspection reports that the City has are adequate to prepare the bidding documents. Construction phase services are proposed to be completed for an hourly not to exceed fee of$41,274.00, which includes half-time construction observation, mileage reimbursement for the inspector and a 2-year warranty inspection. Councilmember Holmes asked what fund would be used to cover this expense. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka reported this project would be covered by the Water Fund. MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember McClung seconded a motion to Approve the scope and fee from WSB & Associates in the amount of $5,000 for engineering design services for the 0.5 MG north water tower repair and repainting. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 7 Mayor Grant stated the City was behind on this project. For this reason, he believed it would be beneficial to approve the bidding, design and construction services all at once. Councilmember McClung asked if it was Councilmember Holden's intention to take action on the construction and inspection services after the bids were received. Councilmember Holden stated this was the case. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka explained she would be able to bring back the inspection and construction services contract along with the bids at a future meeting for Council consideration. Councilmember Scott believed it would benefit the City to have construction and design services included in this motion for approval. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka stated this project would be able to move forward without the construction services being approved this evening. Councilmember Holmes discussed the construction timeline as proposed by staff and stated she was prepared to approve the bidding, design and construction services. The motion carried 3-2 (Holmes and Scott opposed). B. Elfering & Associates—Additional Construction Services—County Road E Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka stated in February of 2015, the City Council approved a proposal for construction services from Elfering & Associates on an hourly basis not to exceed $99,360 along with a construction contract and a Cooperative Agreement for cost sharing with Ramsey County. On March 6, 2017, Elfering & Associates submitted an invoice in the amount of$19,072.50 which exceeded the balance of the original agreement. In addition, the County Road E project is not closed out as yet. Elfering is requesting an additional $22,950.00 over the original contract amount to cover extra work that was over the original scope and to close out the project. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka explained Elfering & Associates submitted a letter on March 27, 2016 which outlines the reason for the additional work. Their initial fee was based on the project being completed by August 31, 2015. The substantial completion did not occur until November of 2015 with punch list items completed in December of 2016. During the construction, the scope of the project expanded to include storm sewer, additional median and sidewalk construction, coordination at the Goodwill site, unanticipated irrigation repair and design modification of the proposed retaining wall. The sidewalk and curb work increased by 30% from the original bid documents. The contract award was $1,349,913.06. The anticipated final payment is projected at $1,616,335.77. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka reported based on the final construction cost and the Cooperative Agreement, Ramsey County will be reimbursing the City for construction ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 8 engineering services in the amount of$121,698.54 (12% of their share of the construction costs). The total fee requested by Elfering& Associates is $122,310. Mayor Grant asked what led to the project cost increases. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka explained this was due to time extensions and an increase in scope of the project. She reported the majority of the overage would be covered by the County. She estimated only $1,000 would have to be covered by the City. She noted the County had already approved of the overage. Councilmember Holmes questioned if a contingency was built into this project. Kristy Elfering, Elfering & Associates, reported the contingency number was flushed out after the design phase. She discussed the changes the County had made to the project and how this had impacted the cost of the project. MOTION: Councilmember McClung moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to approve the Elfering & Associates invoice for construction administration services for the County Road E improvement project in the amount of$122,310. The motion carried (5-0). 10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 11. COUNCIL COMMENTS ' Councilmember Scott invited the public to participate in the Scoops for Troops event on Sunday, April 30t11 at 10:00 a.m. at the Arden Hills Army Training Center. He noted funds from this event would be raised for the Fallen Heroes Children's Education Fund. Councilmember Holmes discussed a message she received from Jim Hanton noting there would be an event focusing on the importance of teaching children to swim on Tuesday, May 41h from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. Councilmember Holmes requested the City Council receive feedback from the sheriff's department on all major public safety issues. Councilmember Holden stated the Nutmeg Brewery held a Grand Opening Ceremony. She encouraged residents to visit this new establishment in the City of Arden Hills. Councilmember Holden reported the Arden Hills Annual Easter Egg Hunt would be held on Saturday, April 151" at Cummings Park. Mayor Grant indicated he also attended the Nutmeg Brewery Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, April 5t". He welcomed this new establishment to the City of Arden Hills. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—APRIL 10, 2017 9 Mayor Grant stated Lexington Station Phase II was heard by the Planning Commission on April cn and would be coming before the City Council on April 24cn 5 Mayor Grant requested an update from staff on the safety lights by Valentine Hills Elementary School. Public Works Director/City Engineer Polka reported staff was finalizing the documents and noted she would have more information for the Council on April 241n ADJOURN MOTION: Mayor Grant moved and Councilmember McClung seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). Mayor Grant adj urned the Regular City Council Meeting at 8:5 p.m. R J_ J 'e Hanson David Grant y Clerk Mayor