Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 07-30-2001 . . . CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JULY 30, 2001 7:30 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Dennis Probst called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:33 p.m. Present: Mayor Dennis Probst, Councilmembers Beverly Aplikowski, David Grant, Gregg Larson, and Lois Rem (arrived late). Absent: None. Also present were City Administrator, Joe Lynch; City Engineer, Greg Brown, BRW; Jerry Filla, City Attorney; Interim Public Works Director and Parks & Recreation Director, Thomas Moore and Recording Secretary, Nancy Czajkowski. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to adopt the agenda for the July 30, 2001, regular City Council meeting. The motion carried unanimously (4-0). APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. June 25,2001 Regular Council Meeting, Pavement Management Plan (PMP) Discussion B. June 25, 2001 Regular Council Meeting C. July 9, 2001 Regular Council Meeting, Pavement Management Discussion D. July 9, 2001 Regular Council Meeting E. July 16, 2001 Council Worksession Councilmember Grant noted the following clarification ofthe June 25, 2001 Regular Council Meeting Minutes: "He requested a change to indicated there had not been a huge discussion regarding a nesting bowl". MOTION: Councilmember Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to approve the June 25,2001 Regular Council Meeting, Pavement Management Plan (PMP) Discussion, June 25, 2001 Regular Council Meeting, the July 9, 2001 Regular Council Meeting, Pavement Management Discussion, July 9, 2001 Regular Council Meeting, and July 16,2001 Council Worksession minutes as corrected above. The motion carried unanimously (4-0). CONSENT CALENDAR A. Claims and Payroll . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30, 2001 2 B. Agreement for Review and Revision of Job Descriptions, Job Evaluation System and Development of a Compensation System, Labor Relations Associates, Inc. Councilmember Aplikowski asked if they would do new job descriptions for all of the staff positions. Mr. Lynch responded only seven positions required a major overhaul. He stated all staff positions needed to be reviewed for ADA compliance. He noted the consultants would need to discuss what each person was currently doing to establish experience needed and other qualifications. He added there were two (2) new positions to define. Councilmember Aplikowski noted it seemed like a lot of money for paperwork. Councilmember Larson stated he did not have a problem with the dollar amount. He noted his concern with how long the study would take. Mr. Lynch stated the entire project would be completed in six months. He noted the job descriptions would be finished sooner. He added the new job descriptions must fit into the current compensation system. He stated the new positions could be filled in about three months. 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. Planning Cases 1. Case #01-21, Garage Variance, Robert & Cynthia Teeling, 3346 Lake Johanna Boulevard. Mr. Lynch explained the request and the findings. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve variances in Planning Case #01-21, requested by Robert and Cynthia Teeling, as required by their site plat, at 3346 Lake Johanna Boulevard to replace their existing one car garage with a new two car garage as recommended by Staff. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. Case #01-09, Chesapeake Companies, Final Plat Filing Extension Mr. Lynch explained the request for an extension for recording the final plat. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30, 2001 3 MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to adopt the Resolution in Planning Case #01-09, to extend the time period for filing the final plat as recommended by Staff. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 3. Ordinance #331, Flood Plain Ordinance (Schedule) Mr. Lynch explained this item requires no action other than receipt. He stated the City Attorney must make changes in the referencing to Chapter 1300, which would no longer exist under recodification. He noted the Planning Commission felt the previous ordinance was sufficient and made no substantive language changes. He added it would be incorporated into the zoning ordinance. He stated staff seeks a date for the second reading of the ordinance. He noted no public hearing was required. Councilmember Grant stated there might potentially be some Floodplain areas in the TCAAP area. He asked ifthe land became city owned would this ordinance apply. Mr. Filla responded the city would change the map and then the ordinance would apply automatically. Mr. Lynch noted August 27,2001 would be the date for the second reading A. City Hall Construction Project 1. Architectural Alliance, City Hall Sign Mr. Lynch explained the Contractor's response to Council's request to redesign signs inside and outside the new City Hall. He proposed elimination of the sign facing the parking lot. Mayor Probst agreed that sign was redundant. Mr. Lynch stated they would put the numbers on the building and eliminate the address line on the monument sign. He noted the building would indicate City Hall in larger print. Mayor Probst stated they should eliminate "city hall" on the sign. Councilmembers Grant and Larson concurred. Councilmember Aplikowski stated her concern that people may wonder what the building was and whether it was city hall. She noted it was not a traditional building. Councilmember Larson stated the words "city hall" should be on the building. Mayor Probst asked about the interior sign. Councilmember Aplikowski responded she did not like the location. She stated she would be happy to have a medallion type sign and it did not have to be so large. Mr. Lynch stated the sign could be relocated, but it could affect the sound panels. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30, 2001 4 Councilmember Grant stated he also preferred the sign in the center, but did not have a good idea of what that would mean to the sound. Councilmember Larson stated because of the panel the center becomes almost off-center. He noted the sign might be hidden from sight. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they should move in and decide what they wanted later. Councilmembers Grant and Larson concurred. Mayor Probst stated the consensus was to remove the exterior sign on the east face of council chambers. He noted the number should be placed on the building. He added the term "city hall" should be placed on the building. He stated it could be in the glass or around the front entry. 2. Pay Estimate #9, Rochon Corporation Mr. Lynch explained this Pay Estimate was not submitted previously and staff recommends it be approved for $ 193,373.25. 3. Pay Estimate #10, Rochon Corporation Mr. Lynch stated staff recommended Pay Estimate #10 for $206,071.09 be approved. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve the Pay Estimate # 9 in the amount of$193,373.25 and Pay Estimate # 10 in the amount of $206,071.09 from Rochon Corporation. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS Councilmember Grant stated the County had decided not to do a RFQ and are proceeding without one. Mayor Probst directed Mr. Lynch to discuss with the county the city's involvement in selection of the contractor. Councilmember Grant stated the County chose the qualified vendors without a RFQ. He noted the city would participate in the final selection. He added that on July 19,2001, the Operations and Finance Committee met with the County and discussed the County's timeline. He stated it was a good initial discussion. He noted the Operations and Finance Committee would look at the options discussed. Mr. Moore stated the County seemed very cooperative, and sensitive to the city's needs. He noted the County was very firm on having distinct and separate facilities for locker rooms, lunchrooms, training rooms, bathrooms, etc. Councilmember Grant stated the County was open to a discussion on equipment sharing. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30, 2001 5 Councilmember Larson stated he was concerned about not doing an RFQ. He noted he hoped that the RFP was open to everyone and not just shared with certain contractors. Mayor Probst directed Mr. Lynch to follow up with the County and see where they were at with the preparation of the RFP. He stated there should be a consultant on board and this should be an active project yet this year. A. Beth Mueller and Jason Rysavy, Request for Zoning Code Variance, Lot 1, Block 1, Josephine East Mr. Lynch explained this item was for informational purposes. He stated the people want to purchase the most southerly Lexington Avenue lot at the Lake Josephine East development. He noted there were no decisions necessary. Mayor Probst stated he had concerns about this home occupation. He noted the home occupation business on New Brighton Road was not relocated yet. Councilmember Grant stated they needed to be consistent within the city as well. Councilmember Larson stated he was comfortable letting the Planning Commission know the Council stands by their earlier philosophy on home occupation. Councilmember Rem agreed they should stick with what was in the ordnance. She stated the residential neighbors would have concerns about traffic. She noted it made sense to keep residential and business areas separate. Councilmember Aplikowski concurred. She stated she felt thought that many people were doing this type of thing without seeking permission. ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS Mr. Lynch stated the Mayor and he meet with Mr. Kunkel of Bethel College regarding building some student housing off their campus. He noted the housing would not be owned by the college so it would be privately owned and taxpaying property. He added there was a slight delay in putting the water tower on line. He stated the contractor wanted to allow five days for the paint to dry. He noted it should be on line tomorrow. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Grant stated the Operations and Finance Committee met on July 19th in a joint meeting with the County. He noted they would be meeting again in August to discuss the project further. He added that County Road E-2 was in the process of being milled and overlaid. He stated he understands plans also include mill and overlaying of Old Snelling Avenue. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30, 2001 6 . Mr. Moore stated that was correct. He noted two (2) additional roads were also going to be overlaid in Arden Hills. He noted they were Harnline Avenue and New Brighton Road. He added the County would raise all of the manhole covers. Councilmember Grant stated staff should review plans for the athletic complex for Bethel College and compare them to actual construction. He noted there seems to be more fencing than he recalled. Councilmember Larson stated the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee met last week. He noted new signage would be put in on some of the playgrounds. He added the meetings on the new Parks Comprehensive Plan were well attended. He stated they received very valuable information. He noted they were five months behind in the completion of the plan. He added the completion date would be at the end of this year. He stated that at some point a proposal for the buckthorn project would be brought to Council. He noted he was not a strong supporter of new state Highway 10 improvements on the other side of35 W. He added he did not believe it warranted an overpass. He stated he would like to pursue that with the City of Mounds View to see what its position would be. He noted he would at least like to talk to the city staff. He added unless other Councilmembers had the same concerns he would address it as only his concern. . Mayor Probst stated we needed to proceed with caution so as not to derail the process for planning for the arsenal property. He noted there was an I-35W Corridor Coalition meeting last Wednesday. He added one outcome point was that they were approaching a number of transportation studies coming together in September and October. He stated that in September they would go back to meetings every other Wednesday. He noted there was a strong interest in getting the group better prepared for the upcoming legislative session. Councilmember Larson stated that if they said and did nothing, it would be what the state highway department wants it to be. He noted he did not feel anything done on the arsenal property would change his mind. He added although those other things were going forward that he would like to see if the other city shares any of these concerns. Councilmember Aplikowski concurred. She stated there was a meeting tomorrow afternoon on the Highway 10 Corridor. She noted it might be a good place to start to find out information. Councilmember Aplikowski stated there would be no Planning Commission meeting this month. She noted a task force had been meeting on the sign ordinance. She added they had interviewed for the Planner position. Mr. Lynch stated they have a candidate of choice, but need to discuss pay scale. . Councilmember Aplikowski stated the reunion picnic this Thursday night was a potluck. She noted there would be a tour of the new city hall location. She added it started at 6:00 p.m. She stated she was amazed how many people were coming from a great distances for this picnic. She noted she was wondering if the other Councilmembers would be interested in having a badge saying Arden Hills City Council. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30,2001 7 . Councilmember Aplikowski stated the city's Events Task Force had a couple of meetings. She stated the business luncheon could happen on Friday. She noted the formal banquet event would be on Saturday. She added the proceeds could be dedicated to some project of city. She stated that this time the money could go to the collection of City history items. She noted that next year the money could go to parks and trails or some other cause. She added it could be an ongoing fund-raiser for projects in the city. She stated they were proposing a Sunday open house from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. She noted there could be free small games for the kids and a tour of the facility. She added it would be free to all residents and anyone else that wanted to come. She stated they were concerned about the September date and were proposing an October date if the building was not ready. Mr. Lynch stated they would should still have a punch list, but the parking lot and landscaping should be finished as of August 30. He noted there was a water problem in the basement. He added he would find out more about that later this week. Mayor Probst stated he would stay with the September 29,2001 date. He noted it should be sooner rather than later due to the significant weather risk. Councilmember Larson stated he did not feel right about charging a lot for a banquet at city hall. He noted fund raising could be a part of it. Councilmember Aplikowski stated $50 a person would pay for it. She noted they were also planning a silent auction as the fund raising part. . Mr. Moore stated they were trying to stay away from Friday night because of high school athletics. He noted the Arden Hills soccer league meets on Saturday. He added a significant amount of families would not be able to attend the open house if it were on Saturday. Councilmember Rem stated she did not have a problem with a three-day event. She noted a business luncheon during the business day seems reasonable. She added Mr. Moore's comments made sense. She stated going with the later date made more sense to her. She noted everything about this building had been moved back. Mayor Probst stated the September meetings would be held there. He noted they would have been moved in for 30 days. Councilmember Larson concurred with Councilmember Rem. He stated it would allow more time to plan. Councilmember Aplikowski stated that she would work with their concerns and come back to the Council if necessary. Councilmember Rem stated the newsletter committee meeting was Wednesday morning to finalize the issue. She noted most of it was gong to be about the Anniversary Celebration. She . reviewed the prospective contents for the September issue. . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JULY 30,2001 8 Mayor Probst stated the Housing Resource Center was up and running. He noted there would be a change in address and telephone number when it moved into its Shoreview location. He added the Resource Center staff was preparing a press release. Mayor Probst stated they needed an update on the home occupation on New Brighton Road. He noted the I-35W Corridor Coalition published a year one summary report on the work done so far. He added it was available to council members. He referenced the letter from Ms. Nancy Hanson. He stated everyone who participated in the event felt it was wonderful. He noted a way to continue something down the road would be a plus. He added there was good attendance and positive comments. He stated National Night Out was August 7,2001. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they have heard people want to do it every year. She noted it cost about $10,000 to do regular day in the park. She added they could step up the amenities and fireworks for about $20,000. Mayor Probst stated the City of Arden Hills was losing $100,000 in state aid money. He noted other communities faced other tough issues. He added the total amount lost in the seven (7) I-35W Corridor Coalition communities was over $6 million. Mr. Lynch stated the budget schedule would be discussed in each ofthe August meetings. Mayor Probst stated he was scheduled to be out oftown the middle two weeks of August. . ADJOURN MOTION: ~cilme ber Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion 19 adjour the meeting at 9:16 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). /)/1 r~ / l" j!},"" I / .J j/ ' I' . 'jl ',/./1, J .;t41 . NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next Council Meeting will be held Monday, August 13,2001 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arden Hills Council chambers.