Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 04-09-2001 -- . . CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 9, 2001 7:30 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS RECONVENE/CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Dennis Probst called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:36 p.m. Present: Mayor Dennis Probst, Councilmembers Beverly Aplikowski, David Grant, Gregg Larson, and Lois Rem. Absent: None. Also present were City Administrator, Joe Lynch; Public Works Director, Dwayne Stafford; City Accountant, Terrance Post; and Recording Secretary, Nancy Czajkowski. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Councilmember Grant asked for clarification that Agenda Item 6A was not in the packet. He noted that the Council had previously decided there would be no decision on any item unless it was in the packet. Mr. Lynch responded it was not in the packet Mr. Post stated the auditor had completed the in-house work last week. He noted they would do some additional work over the next few weeks. Councilmember Grant asked if it was critical that the Council make a decision tonight. Mr. Post responded it was not time critical. Councilmember Grant asked to add a discussion of the sump pump letter mailed to residents under council comments. Councilmember Rem asked to place the Claims and Payroll item on the regular agenda. Mayor Probst responded it would become Agenda Item 5 b. MOTION: Councilmember Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to adopt the agenda for the April 9, 2001, regular City Council meeting, as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). CONSENT CALENDAR A. B. C. Claims and Payroll 200 I Union Agreement, Contract Renewal Floral Park, Replacement of Play structure: 2001 Budget Capital Improvement Plan Approved Expense . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 2 D. Pay Estimate #3, 2001 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project, (Lift Station #8), Gridor Construction, Inc., $112,990.24. City Hall Construction Project, Architectural Alliance, Professional Services Fee (February 2001) E. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar and authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Probst invited those present to come forward and address the Council on any items not already on the agenda. No public comments were made. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. City Hall Construction Project - Audio Visual Bid Awards Mr. Lynch responded Electronic Interiors was hired to put together an audiovisual package and bid, which includes the oversight of the installation of equipment. He stated that on April 4 they held the bid opening. He noted the three low bidders included Dascom, Impulse Group, and MidCo Audio Visual. He added Dascom was the apparent low bidder in amount of$139,916.85. He stated the budget amount was $160,000. He added staff recommends awarding the bid for construction of the Arden Hills Council Chambers technical media systems equipment and installation to Dascom Systems. He stated Mr. David Skoog was here tonight. Mayor Probst asked if anyone has worked before with this firm and has a comfort level with them. Mr. Skoog responded he had not talked to them, but did review the equipment list and prices. He stated as he looked at the bids and how they were laid out, the material costs were in line. He noted the differences came in the labor portion and that is something up to contractor. He added he has worked with them before and they have contracted for two of his projects. He stated it is a good firm, which works hard. He noted they have a professional presentation and more than adequate customer service. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they would not want someone who is not trained to install this equipment, which was not trained. Mr. Skoog stated Dascom started in this business by working out of town so they have had to streamline their labor costs. He noted in doing so, they have cut down the time spent on things like putting together an equipment rack. He added their labor costs are under what he had anticipated it to be by about $13,000. He stated it is not so significant to be of concern. Councilmember Aplikowski asked if they service their work. Mr. Skoog responded there is a one-year warranty as part of the contract. He stated the warranty does not start until he signs off ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 3 . on the process. He noted he would sign off on it the day after the first council meeting in the new chambers. He added he looks closely at that so they would not low ball the bid and come in with change orders. He stated that Dascom does not do that. He noted that he used to install these systems and is very familiar with the procedures. Councilmember Rem stated since they have been through a few iterations of this project, it would be nice at some point to get a listing of what they are getting with this bid. She noted she would like to see in general what they are getting including things like warranty. She added it would nice to know as a baseline what they are getting. Councilmember Grant asked if the equipment was specified as to brand and model. Mr. Skoog responded in the affirmative. He stated they were permitted to submit substitutions. He noted the material costs are low, because they can sell at a discount and still make money on the process. He added they sell so many of them so they can pass the costs on to the consumer. Councilmember Grant asked if they were a small player in this business. Mr. Skoog responded there were not a small player in this market. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to award the bid for construction of the Arden Hills Council Chambers technical media systems equipment and installation to Dascom Systems Group of Woodbury, MN in an amount not to exceed $139,916.85, and authorize the City Administrator to execute all necessary documents and contracts to proceed with construction. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). . In response to a question from an unsuccessful bidder in attendance, Mayor Probst stated that at this point the Council has approved the award to the low bidder. B. Claims and Payroll Councilmember Rem asked about Park and Recreation brochure expenses for spring and summer that totals $6,000 and the amount that shows up again at T23 for another $3,000. Mr. Moore responded it is a dual issue and the biggest portion of their budget. He stated fifty percent of their costs come within two months. Mr. Lynch stated they are still working on the presumption that three issues would have the same cost as four issues when spread over the year. . Councilmember Rem stated $6,000 for T-shirts is a big jump. She asked if they are for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Mr. Moore responded it costs a $2,000 a year for normal T-shirt stock up. He stated none of them had new logos so they converted everything at one time. He added they took the same approach with the vehicles. He noted they had not anticipated the logo would be changed so there is an additional expense. He added that on the trucks they usually just get logos when they order new trucks. He stated the new logos cost $1200 for the trucks, so the cost was not anticipated. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 4 . Councilmember Rem stated she assumes there is a stock of the older T-shirt version now. Mr. Moore responded their goal is to get rid of those. He stated they plan to give them to Arden Park and the youth that help police the area. He noted they have a young person squad. Councilmember Rem asked if the trolley was coming out of the 50th Anniversary budget. Mr. Moore responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Rem asked about the transmission overhaul and questioned where this vehicle stands in the fleet. Mr. Moore responded the truck is a 1993 model F350. He stated this winter, with its heavier snow amount, was hard on the city's trucks. He noted the public works employees and the mechanic believe the vehicles are undersized for plowing streets. He added they were not heavy enough for this winter. He stated all that backing up was hard on the transmissions this year. He noted they could not have anticipated these costs. He added it is a repair the city's mechanic could not undertake. Mayor Probst asked ifthe logos could be funded out of the enterprise fund. Mr. Post responded stated the one ton trucks are split between the street, sewer, and water so one-third of the cost comes from the enterprise funds. Councilmember Rem stated that this winter she was very grateful for help in clearing her driveway. She noted she called the city later to thank: the department. . Councilmember Grant stated the last time the City purchased a vehicle, a heavier weight vehicle was selected for longer transmission life. Councilmember Grant asked about the telephone service setup. Mr. Lynch responded they upgraded the telephone system and this covers installation for this facility and the public works facility. He stated they have budgeted $5,000 for reinstallation for city hall. Councilmember Grant asked if it had not been done until later would it have been cheaper. Mr. Lynch responded it would have saved about $1,000. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve the claims and payroll and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS A. 2000 General Fund Surplus Decision Mr. Lynch explained they have a 2000 General Fund surplus and the Council needs to consider what they would like to do with it. He outlined the three options. . Mayor Probst stated the Land and Municipal Buildings Capital Fund is not exclusively for City Hall so it could be used for the Public Works building coming up. Mr. Post responded in the affirmative. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 5 Mayor Probst stated there is another unfunded issue and that is the hiring of consulting help to look at options on the prospective site for the Public Works building site. He noted it is another option, but he is not advocating any of those. Councilmember Rem stated she would like to see various categories on the City Hall project and what has been spent. She noted it would included the telephone system, security costs, and architectural fees. She added some are budgeted and some are not. She stated they would get a sense of the range of expenses. Mayor Probst stated they got a summary at the last meeting outline those costs. Councilmember Grant stated Councilmember Rem is asking for a full accounting of all the expenditures for city hall. Mayor Probst stated the last sheet they received listed everything, but the architectural fees. He . noted it is good news they have a surplus and the question is where do they want to put them. He added historically they have chosen to put them somewhere and he would advocate TCAAP planning money or a capital fund. He stated he would argue against the General Fund. Councilmember Larson stated he recognizes what Mr. Post said about his reluctance to use this money for operating funds. He noted the recent discussion about the addition of support staff person and asked if it was not in neighborhood of $55,000. He added they had not planned on that expenditure. Mr. Lynch responded that is correct. He stated it was for a full year. Councilmember Larson asked ifthey had a problem making that up. Mr. Post responded based on his discussion with the building inspector they hope to have a strong 2001 building permit year. Councilmember Larson noted he is comfortable with the Land and Municipal Building Capital Fund. Councilmember Grant stated he would like to remind the Council this is a bench handout and they did not know prior to tonight how much of a surplus they had. Mayor Probst stated they would come back at the end of month with a decision. Mr. Probst stated they could have a discussion during the work session. Councilmember Grant asked if they did not act would the money be left in the General Fund. Mr. Probst responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Aplikowski stated she is in tune with putting it in the Land and Municipal Buildings Capital Fund. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 6 . Councilmember Rem asked if there are subsections in the fund. She questioned what the difference is between option two and three. Mr. Post responded three is a split between the Land and Municipal Buildings Capital fund and the General Fund. Councilmember Rem asked if the funds are held for specific items. Mr. Post responded it is placed in the fund for the general capital purposes of municipal land and buildings. Councilmember Grant asked if they could choose not to move it and later in mid-summer decide to move it. Mr. Post responded that is an option. Mayor Probst stated the issue is about what the year-end audit would look like. He noted that historically they have rolled any General Fund operating surplus to a capital fund. Councilmember Grant asked that if once the money goes into Land and Municipal Buildings Capital Fund do they ever roll it out again. Mr. Post responded he is not aware of any such past transactions. Mayor Probst asked if they need more discussion or were comfortable with it going to the capital fund. Councilmember Grant stated he is in favor of leaving it in the General Fund. . Councilmember Aplikowski stated it seems more discussion is warranted. She suggested it be a ten-minute item on the work session agenda. COUNCIL COMMENTS A. Sump Pump Letter Councilmember Grant stated he had spoken to a resident that had received a certified letter stating his sump pump was in violation of code based on an inspection performed last year. He noted the letter indicated this had to be corrected by August 1, or a $100 per month surcharge would be charged. He asked why this letter was not reviewed and why the Council was not made aware of this. Mr. Lynch stated they did bring forward the concern that there was a gap of people they were not sure had complied with the sump pump regulations. He noted that at that time they estimated the number to be about 50 people. He added they talked about the surcharge and had authorized staff to notify those people if no inspection was done. He stated that list grew to more than 50 people. He noted the contractor did not give the city good information on a pass or fail of the sump pumps. He added that they have been contacted by over 100 people that either have no sump pump or had the test and passed. He stated they included all those whom they did not have adequate records on. He noted staff is doing follow up to verify that. . Councilmember Grant stated the Council authorized and reviewed a letter regarding the radio meter installs. He noted he did not recollect the City Council authorizing a letter relative to ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 7 . sump pumps. He read from a joint letter from the Public Works Director and City Treasurer to Hydro Supply regarding how disappointed the city was with the results of the inspections. He quoted that" with these issues, the city has lost all confidence in sump pump program". Mr. Post stated, as a co-author the purpose ofthat letter to Hydro Supply was to reduce the fee the City was charged. He noted they received a fifty- percent reduction in fees. Mayor Probst asked for clarification. Councilmember Grant responded staff sent letters to 250 people stating there was a violation, and they do not know whether there was one or not. He stated the City had received 100 resident telephone calls, and it appears no where in the council packet. Mayor Probst stated that last Monday the Council knew about the mailing. Councilmember Larson stated he got one of those letters. He noted he was there during the inspection. He noted the person saw the sump pump and did not note it. He added the letter accomplished what it was supposed to do. He stated he contacted the inspector and he will come out. He noted that, although he sympathizes with what Councilmember Grant is saying, but other than have the City's Building Inspector go visit every house again he does not know how else to accomplish this. . Councilmember Aplikowski asked if the issue is that they did not see letter prior or that the people who got the letter in error. She questioned what to do to rectify it and whether they send a letter of apology. Councilmember Grant asked Council for a recommendation. He stated there are 2400 residential utility meters and staff received 100 telephone calls. He noted the first follow up should have been with a letter. He added this did not indicate what a violation looks like. Mayor Probst asked if the concern is that staff has acted inappropriately and correction is needed. He questioned whether the concern is they should be reviewing letters and if so they should have that discussion. He stated at their retreat they discussed their roles and the Council offered to allow staff to get its arms around the sump pump issue. He noted staff was directed to go forward. He added it is unfortunate that people who should not have gotten a letter received one. He stated it is more a result of what the contractor did. He noted if there is a change in the process they want to investigate, then they should do that. Councilmember Larson stated the letters came certified and the people had to go down to post office. He noted he did not know that he should have seen the letter ahead of time. He asked whether the city feels it can accept word over the telephone or whether there would be additional inspections. He added a follow up letter is a good idea. . Mr. Lynch stated to the extent staff can verify by cross-reference, they will check off by pass or fail. He noted staff would do as many sites as they can. He added they simply tried to be more efficient than making 250 telephone calls and inspections. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 8 Councilmember Rem stated she received a letter. She noted her concern is that she was there when the man inspected and he did not fill out the part regarding sump pumps. She added so she filled it out and gave it to Mr. Stafford. She noted the cost ofthe mailings and the fact the records are not complete. She asked how do they know people who passed are in compliance. She stated staff is on record saying they have lost all confidence. She noted 250 letters went out and 150 should not have gone out. She added a first class letter should have been sufficient. She stated they discussed at length the procedure on the water meters. She noted they saw a draft letter. She added after repeated telephone calls and letters, the last resort was to be certified letter. She stated a couple people she spoke to felt harassed. She noted this does not go very far to increase confidence in the city. She added if they think it is going to spend stafftime and city dollars, this may be one way to get an answer. She stated it is not sure it the most efficient way. She noted the ordinance talks about who is going to do it. She asked why the utility crew could not do this. She questioned the use of the building inspector. She noted the follow up letter of apology is the least they can do. Mayor Probst stated it is clear some people are upset. He asked what the Council wanted to do. Councilmember Aplikowski stated when a letter goes out, they do not have to write it. She noted they should see it, so when they get telephone calls they need to know what has been sent. She added this should be done when a mass letter mailing goes out. She stated she gets upset over receiving a certified letter. Mr. Post stated the ordinance states a certified letter is the method of contacting residents. Councilmember Rem stated she believes if people are not in compliance there should be repeated contacts before a certified letter went out. She noted the residents heard nothing after the inspection and six months later they get a certified letter. She added that at the very least they could have saved money to send a first class letter stating the records were unclear. Councilmember Larson stated he concurred with Councilmember Aplikowski. He noted it would be a good idea to have a copy of the letter in the packet. He added he thought a letter of apology should go out to people who did get it in error. He asked for further clarification on the building code. Mr. Post responded the focus in the code is on new construction. He stated this project on pre-existing sump pumps was to determine the level of compliance. He noted the ordinance previously did not have anything to deal with existing sump pump connections. Councilmember Aplikowski stated we should chalk it up as a mistake and should not chew away at it. She noted it happened for many good reasons. She stated a letter of apology should be sent, put the matter aside, and learn from it. Councilmember Rem asked if staff has any plans to do an expanded sump pump inspection program. She questioned whether staff was going to assume they have all the information they need and that it was correct. She asked if they are going to make an effort to find out. She further asked if the radio read meter program is it working as they had discussed. Mr. Post responded they had to relocate some of the transponders, but are very pleased with the results. He stated Public Works' manpower devoted to meter reading has been reduced. He noted they ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 9 no longer have to schedule appointments inside the residence for final meter reads. He added . now they just have to drive by on the day of closing. Councilmember Grant stated sump pumps that are non-compliant are costing the citizens of Arden Hills money. He is not confident in what has been done. He asked how staffis going to be confident they have inspected all of the sump pumps. Mr. Post responded there was an opportunity to use the water meter installation project to economically perform sump pump inspections. He stated nine years from now when the lithium power packs are dead they will have another mass inspection opportunity. . . Mayor Probst stated his understanding is that staff does not feel that all of the information is bad, but had sent only 250 letters because some teams were not doing an adequate job. Mr. Post responded the 250 letters represented that portion of the database, that when one looked at the installation document it did not have sump pump information or it was not filled out adequately. B. Other Comments Councilmember Grant stated there is a May meeting of the Ramsey County League of Local Governments (RCLLG) featuring the Ramsey County Commissioners. He noted notices were coming out in the mail and it is open to the public. Councilmember Larson stated the Fire Board met last week and had two significant items discussed. He noted the first is whether to use TCAAP to add to the pension fund. He added it was an inconclusive discussion. He stated it was suggested that half of what the Fire Department has requested should come out of TCAAP. He noted they did not approve next year as requested until they have an opportunity to look at a review of the fund done at the end of the year. He added the new chair is Mr. Tom Watson, the Mayor of North Oaks. He stated the second issue is a proposal for duty crews with shifts of fireman up to three in number. He noted they would be on duty at the fire station and be paid for that time. He added a shift would be three and one half-hours long. He stated that increasingly the fire volunteers do not want to leave their jobs for a missed call that does not amount to anything. He noted this is particularly true during daytime hours. He added that as it gets more complex and the cites grow the Fire Department might be moving to part volunteers and part employees. He added they are starting to look at these questions. Councilmember Larson stated the Parks, Recreation and Trails Committee met two weeks ago. He noted the Parks strategic planning exercise is moving forward. He added fund balances are down from charitable gambling proceeds. He stated this has an effect on funding the Parks and Recreation budget. He added there was no discussion of a solution. He stated there could be problem in the future that would represent a need for additional funding. He noted Ramsey County is moving forward plans for Highway 96. He added it would be nice to put a trail under it now. He asked if they are any further along on getting more women on the Parks Committee. Mr. Moore stated the four women on the Adopt a Park program did not have interest in the committee. However, he noted he has two more male applicants. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 10 Mayor Probst stated staff should give Shoreview a call. He noted they paid for tunnel under . Highway 96 and should be able to give us an approximation. Mayor Probst stated ours would be more expensive than theirs because of terrain issues. Councilmember Larson stated Ramsey County had said at one time, there might be an opportunity for cost sharing. Mr. Lynch stated that discussion was regarding tunneling under a water pipe at County Road I. Mayor Probst stated Shoreview had an advantage that the grade was working for them. Councilmember Aplikowski stated she recommended listening to the governance tapes. She noted it opened her eyes as to what communication gaps there are. She added they owe it to themselves to look at the style and decide what parts they could or could not do. Councilmember Aplikowski noted the League of Minnesota Cites annual meeting program. She added one of the workshops is on the challenges of an elected official. She stated that hopefully Council could find time to come to attend in June. . Councilmember Aplikowski stated the City Events Task Force is having frequent meetings. She noted the Day in the Park event is moving forward with great speed. She added they do have quite a bit of donations, but they are going to solicit smaller businesses as well. She added small businesses do not get the city's newsletter. Mayor Probst asked the reason businesses do not. Mr. Lynch responded the newsletter is mailed under a bulk mail permit. Councilmember Larson stated the business rate is different. Councilmember Grant stated he thinks it would be well worth it. He noted it is reaching out to the community and we are trying to publicize the 50th Anniversary. Councilmember Larson stated all the issues should go out to all of the businesses. Mayor Probst directed staff to look at the logistics in mailing it out to all businesses. Councilmember Aplikowski stated it is a special labeling process. She noted once they are labeled they could go out in bulk. She added there are different ways to do it. She stated volunteers could be utilized. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they are discussing the Grand Marshal for the parade. She noted they are trying decide if they should have one and who it is should be. . Councilmember Larson suggested the oldest resident. Councilmember Aplikowski responded there are quite a few in the over eighty-five category. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 11 Councilmember Aplikowski stated they have been discussing the new City Hall. She noted that since there is not a historical display case area they are promoting a kiosk. Mayor Probst stated they do have wall space in the lobby. Councilmember Aplikowski stated the wall space is for pictures of the mayors. She noted from this point on there would be council photographs. She added the kiosk could be four sided. She noted the top part would have basic Arden Hills' information regarding where it got its name, etc. She added the columns below could be used for highlighting historical figures or businesses in the city. Councilmember Larson asked if there are any descendants of Arden Farms or the Perry family. Councilmember Aplikowski responded the Adairs are related to the Perry family. Mayor Probst stated the former mayors or Councilmembers could be asked to come back. He noted related to the display, one wall of the council chambers has no windows so there is an opportunity there. He added there is second floor space in the conference room, which could also be a display. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they are open-minded and with a kiosk it could be changeable. Councilmember Rem stated she is going to the 35W Corridor Coalition meeting on Wednesday. She noted she is also going to the Human Rights Commission meeting in Rochester at the end of the month. She added the deadline for the Arden Hills Notes is April 19. Councilmember Aplikowski asked if a route been established for the parade. Mr. Moore responded in the affirmative. Mayor Probst stated he wanted to pitch the LMC conference. He noted it was the same week as their celebration, but it is always a good conference. Mayor Probst questioned the letter granting a restricted right for approval on fire sprinkler heads. Mr. Lynch responded he is comfortable with the changes so far. He stated his communication with the new under-sheriff has been better than that with the last person. He noted the Sheriff wants to charge the cities for another full investigator. He added there are some other potential changes in the supervision. He stated the Fire Department had thought the city should handle all sprinkler reviews. He noted at the meeting, Chief Shreier had received information from local fire chiefs that there should be some limitation. He added the information indicated the chiefs are personally liable so he wanted to have some level of involvement. He stated they do not feel that is correct and are looking for authority on that issue. Mayor Probst stated the fire marshal has ability to designate someone to do these reviews for them. He noted it was a surprise to have it limited to small remodeling. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - APRIL 9, 2001 12 Mr. Lynch stated staff feels it comes under the building code and is the city's responsibility. He noted there is some miscommunication that needs further review. ADJOURN MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:29 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). L NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next Council Meeting will be held Monday, April 16, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arden Hills Council chambers.