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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 06-14-2004 . ~ ~~HILLS Approved: June 28, 2004 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 14, 2004, 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Beverly Aplikowski called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:03 p.m. Present: Mayor Beverly Aplikowski, Councilmembers David Grant, Gregg Larson, Lois Rem, and Brenda Holden. Absent: None. . Also present were City Administrator, Michelle Wolfe; Director of Operations & Maintenance, Thomas Moore; Finance Director/Treasurer, Murtuza Siddiqui; Community Development Director, Scott Clark; City Engineer, Greg Brown; City Planner, Pete Hellegers; and Recording Secretary, Chris Moksnes. 1. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. May 17, 2004 Work Session Minutes Councilmember Holden requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Grant requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Rem requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Larson requested the following changes: None. . Mayor Aplikowski requested the following changes: None. Ms. Wolfe requested the following changes: None. \\EarthlAdminICouncillMinutes\Regular\2004 \6-14-04, doc . e . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14,2004 2 B. May 24, 2004 Council Minutes Councilmember Holden requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Grant requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Rem requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Larson requested the following changes: Page 4, first line should be changed to read: "The motion carried (3-2)." Mayor Aplikowski requested the following changes: None. Ms. Wolfe requested the following changes: None. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to approve the May 17, 2004 Work Session Meeting Minutes as presented, and to approve the May 24, 2004 City Council Meeting Minutes as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 3. CONSENT CALENDAR a. Claims and Payroll MOTION: Councilmember Rem moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 4. PUBLIC INOUlRIES/INFORMATIONAL A. Introduction of New Community Development Director Mayor Aplikowski welcomed Scott Clark, Community Development Director. She noted he started his career with the City of Arden Hills on May 22, 2004, with this being his first Council mecting. B. Recol.!nitiou of Anna Diundorf: Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient Mayor Aplikowski introduced Anna Dinndorf and asked her to speak about the program she used. Ms. Dinndorf explained she adapted a program she had used herself in elementary school to encourage reading. She said she ran the program at a low-income housing facility in . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 3 Maplewood. The children at the facility wrote a story, went through the editing process with their story, and at the end of the class, they had a book to keep. She said she still has books she made and this was a good experience to get started writing. She noted she has been with the same troop in Girl Scouts for 12 years. Mayor Aplikowski presented a certificate to Ms. Dinndorf. 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 6. NEW BUSINESS A. 800 MHz Discussion Ms. Wolfe explained that Ramsey County has been working on a project to acquire 800 MHz County wide. She noted the City has not had an elected official or staff person involved in any of the committees. She said elected officials were invited to a recent meeting, which was held to discuss dispatch center operations. She noted there were five questions posed to each community, which are listed in the meeting packet. She stated she does not feel comfortable advising what the responses should be to the questions. She explained the deadline of June 16 to respond to these questions came up rather suddenly and added that she does not feel prepared to answer them. She suggested it may be sensible to wait until the public safety issues have been resolved before putting forth the City's response. She said the City is planning to be a subscriber, though she said she would like to see a clear definition of what being a subscriber means. She further stated that in terms of answers for the rest of the questions, there are options that could be viable, but are not on the table. She noted that redundancy is an important issue to resolve. She said a report that the St. Paul center is understaffed is an additional concern. At this point based on what she's learned, she stated she feels more information is needed in order to choose an option comfortably. Mayor Aplikowski questioned why the deadline is June 17. Joe Dillenberg, PSAP Manager from the St. Paul Sheriffs Office Dispatch Center, explained that Project Manager Paul Kirkwold is working with grants that have deadlines. Ms. Wolfe stated she was aware of the deadline related to the grants, though she said some City Administrators understood the deadline was set relating to equipment purchases. Mr. Dillenberg confirmed there is an issue with equipment. However, he said, preliminary services could be started. He stated there may be a cost savings in less equipment needed if the decision is to have one PSAP versus the equipment needed for four PSAPs. Conncilmember Holden questioned what the cost will be. She said information has been received in regard to the time it will take to handle 911 calls. She noted the City will be . e . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 4 subsidizing St. Paul's 911 call center, but no figures have been given. She stated this is a concern that must be addressed. Mayor Aplikowski stated that there is speculation the contributions will be a percentage of a large amount, but she said she hasn't been informed of the exact amount. She said she understood the St. Paul Police Department is moving to a new location, and questioned why the equipment wouldn't be purchased for the move. She also questioned who would govern the entire process. Councilmember Larson agreed with Mayor Aplikowski that the costs are not yet spelled out. He said the people agree the technology is good and the City needs to move to it, however the material presented by the City Administrator confirms a decision now would be premature. He said with the information given thus far, he does not believe he would prefer a single site. Councilmember Grant commented Arden Hills will need to work with neighboring cities. He agreed with Councilmembers Holden and Larson in that he would like to see figures. He also noted he agreed with earlier comments that he would not prefer a single site. Mr. Dillenberg said a state study found there mayor may not be a savings due to economy differences. He noted the estimated cost for the project has grown roughly $7 million from the original estimates. He said the Sheriffs Department would not want to shoulder any additional cost. He also commented that the Sheriff does not care for the option to move to the Griffin building. He explained there are noise issues due to the location being in the flight path of Holman Field. He noted that redundancy is essential; the ability to transfer calls to another live call center is necessary. He pointed out that there is a difference between the number of calls received by the St. Paul Police Department and Ramsey County Sheriffs, and this would need to be brought into perspective. Mayor Aplikowski commented when this project started, Hennepin County was brought in as an example, as they operate separately. Mr. Dillenberg confirmed and noted they were kept separate due to system capacity. Councilmember Holden suggested the City send a message now in the event it cannot be sent later. Ms. Wolfe said a large number of communities will be responding similar to Arden Hills' response, which is that it is not prepared to make a decision. She said New Brighton did not favor having one PSAP. She explained one of the concerns is the governance issue which could impact the cost. She noted White Bear may be interested in consolidation discussions if the governance issue is resolved. Mayor Aplikowski stated she is interested in following through with the process because it is a necessary change due to technology. She said the message the City will give is that it is not interested in just one PSAP center. ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 5 . Council member Grant raised the issue of combining law enforcement and fire departments. Mr. Dillenberg responded the geography should stay as it is. Ms. Wolfe summarized the decision of the Council is that it does not want one station only, and would not opt to split the fire and police departments. She noted the City Administrators have been meeting and have discovered they are on the same page with their preferences. She added that since seven cities are involved in this decision, it would be helpful to decide in a unified vOice. B. Easement at the Former City Hall Site to Qwest . Mr. Hellegers advised that Robert Wenger of Ulteig Engineers, Inc., on behalf of Qwest Communications, has requested an easement at the former City Hall site on Highway 96. He said the easement would house two or three telephone cabinets which would serve an area of approximately eight blocks around the easement site and would provide the service for the new Ramsey County Partners Public Works Facility on the north side of Highway 96. He noted the City owns the property for the former City Hall site and the current Maintenance building, as well as another four acres of property to the east terminating just west ofthe childcare center. He stated this item was brought before the Planning Commission for discussion at their June 2,2004 meeting. He said the Commission had some questions about locating an easement on the City's property, south of Highway 96, when the telephone cabinets would primarily serve the Ramsey County Partners Public Works Facility on the north side of Highway 96. He added that there is a manhole on the south side and it is more convenient to work from there. The other side of the street is being disturbed by construction, which would have to be taken into consideration while working. Ken Asmonson, Qwest Engineer, explained the service is designated for the Ramsey County new building, as well as the old Arsenal area. He noted the capability would exist to serve 30,000 to 40,000 homes or businesses with DSL, phone and enhanced services. He explained where the service originates now and where the cables run. He said the new equipment is fiber. He noted all the facilities are on the south side of Highway 96 now, however Qwest cannot provide customers in this area with enhanced services because of the distance from the office. The existing copper wiring cannot be upgraded, and a fiber cabinet must be placed where the fiber can be converted back to copper. He said he did approach Ramsey County for an easement and they granted an area on the southwest area of their property on Highway 96. He further stated the technicians would be parking on the shoulder at a blind approach off a hill, which would not be safe. He explained that when this office was set up, the Arsenal was still functioning and services were not needed beyond this area. Now it is becoming evident that additional services will be needed. . Mayor Aplikowski said she didn't think there would be that many homes and businesses in the area. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14,2004 6 Councilmember Larson said he supports the Staff recommendation to deny the easement. He stated there should be adequate room on the County's property to accommodate the cabinets. He suggested Qwest may have to run the cables longer to an adequate site. Mr. Asmonson commented that if the property was sold to businesses, and they were told they could not get enhanced services, they may retract their business. He stated the next closest cabinet is on the corner of Hamline and Highway 96 and is insufficient for the area south of City Hall. Councilmember Grant questioned whether the area granted by the County could be accessed from the parking lot. Mr. Asmonson replied it would be close to the highway and unsafe. Mr. Brown stated he believes the County has more appropriate space that would be safer. Mr. Asmonson said the cabinet must stay close to the road. Mayor Aplikowski asked what the timeline is. Mr. Asmonson replied two weeks. Mr. Brown advised that if traffic is a concern, perhaps Qwest could request the County accommodate the trucks in the paving of the road. He added that there is space on the boulevard for parking. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to deny the easement requested by Qwest Communications for the old City Hall site at 1450 West Highway 96. The motion carried (3-2). (Mayor Aplikowski and Councilmember Rem) Mayor Aplikowski stated she would like to work with someone on staff to secure a location on the north side of Highway 96. Mr. Asmonson stated the City's help is not necessary and he would try another avenue. C. Technology Improvements - Council Chambers Mr. Siddiqui summarized the adjustments made to the audio system. He noted that one of the problems is that the ceilings are too high, and the speakers are in the ceiling. He noted staff has worked with the cable coordinator and presented 3 options, which are listed in the memo. He said the second option is to install 4 speakers, and 2 are set up as a demo for this meeting. He pointed out that speakers were set up on either side of the council as a demo. The third option is an add-on feature, he said, which is to replace the current lapel microphone with an enhanced version. He said Staff recommends installing speakers on the walls at a cost of $5,000. He suggested a second lapel microphone be purchased as well, at a cost of $1 ,400. He explained the speakers were set up earlier in the day to be tested, and a second lapel microphone was added. He said a significant difference was noted. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 7 Councilmember Holden asked if rear speakers would be too loud. The cable technician explained that when the room is full, it is difficult to hear and the rear speakers would be used in that instance. Mayor Aplikowski said she noted the microphones are more sensitive. Mr. Siddiqui stated that a combination of improvements has made a difference including the microphones being turned up and an enhanced sound system was in use. Councilmember Grant said he supports the suggestion to improve the sound quality and agreed with Staff recommendation. Mayor Aplikowski said she thought four speakers were too many. Ms. Wolfe stated the funding source would be the Cable fund. Councilmember Larson pointed out the aesthetics of the room should be considered, and he advised the display be carefully designed. Mr. Siddiqui responded that the speakers would be a wood tone. He indicated the speakers would be protruding from the wall and pointed out where they would be on the walls. Mayor Aplikowski suggested using only two speakers in the back since that is a dead area for sound. Ifit is insufficient, more speakers could be added. Mr. Siddiqui noted the cost would be $2,000 less if only two speakers were purchased. Mayor Aplikowski said the cost could be higher due to labor if the two speakers were added later versus buying all four now. Councilmember Rem said that since the Council Chambers is built to be pleasing and accommodate citizens, it is wise to add sufficient speakers so everyone can hear. She suggested buying four speakers at once. MOTION: Mayor Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the purchase and installation of new speakers in the Council Chambers at a cost not to exceed $6,400. Councilmember Larson questioned whether an expert provided these suggestions. Mr. Siddiqui replied that DS Productions have been working with the system and made the recommendations. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). D. Goose Removal Program Mr. Moore summarized the information presented in the memo. He stated the Lake Johanna Improvement Society requested a $500 contribution to the 2004 Goose Removal Program. The City has been a contributor since the inception of the program in 1996. He said this has been administratively approved and not been a line item in the budget. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14,2004 8 Council member Holden inquired why no Councilmember was aware of the program if the City has contributed so many years. Councilmember Larson said he remembered it being approved as a consent item in the past. Councilmember Rem stated she would like to see it as a separate agenda item in future years. She said one reason it should be discussed publicly is that residents on other lakes should be aware that there is a goose removal program and the City could perhaps be of assistance to them. Councilmember Larson stated this should not be a line item budget item. He said it is part of an expenditure that was approved as a consent item. He said he would agree with it being an agenda item to approve the $500 contribution. Ms. Wolfe explained that rather than administratively paying the $500, it was thought the Councilmembers should be on board with it. She said that in the event there are similar requests, staff would like to know how to handle them based on the Council's discussion for this item. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Mayor Aplikowski seconded a motion to budget for the Lake Johanna Goose Removal program and continue to approve for this specific project until additional requests are received (if ever) and then re-evaluate with the City Council at that time. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. 2005/2006 Pavement Management Program Mr. Moore presented the 2005-2006 Pavement Management Program, noting at the April 19, 2004 Work Session, Staff proposed a program for consideration. The action requested is to confirm the 2005 PMP project will be the Red Fox/Grey Fox neighborhood and the 2006 PMP project will be the Ridgewood/Siems neighborhood. He said if this is correct, the notification process will begin. Councilmember Grant said he drove through the Red Fox/Grey Fox neighborhood and noted it is in poor condition. In addition, he drove through Snelling Avenue south of Lindey's Park and found that area to be in poor condition as well. Mr. Moore said that area was discussed at the work session. At that time, he explained, it was decided that the commercial district be upgraded next year. He said this allows Staff and Council to have more time before going into the residential areas Mr. Brown said Snelling Avenue is being put in a floating project within the neighborhood sections. He said he is aware that it is in poor shape. Ms. Wolfe added the reasoning is that the City is trying to repair streets prior to their need of complete disrepair and total reconstruction. Snelling Avenue south of Lindey's Park is in need to total reconstruction, which can be done next year". . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 9 Mr. Moore explained that if a new assessment policy is approved, it will likely be effective January 1, 2005. He also noted the notification process will be completed the exact way it was done last year and will follow the same procedure as in the past. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the 2005/2006 Pavement Management Program, as presented and to approve the commencement of the notification process. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). CITY COUNCIL REPORTS Ms. Wolfe - None. Councilmember Holden - None. Councilmember Grant - Stated the TCAAP meeting follows the Council meeting. He also stated the electrical box on County Road E has no barrier and is exposed to a traffic hazard. Mr. Hellegers responded a letter had been sent to Xcel Energy, and a second letter will be sent. Councilmember Rem - Stated there is a North Heights neighborhood meeting Wednesday night at 6:00 pm. She also stated there is a meeting Thursday at the MnDOT center at 6:00 p.m. She requested that directions to the MnDOT center be put on the web site. She noted that any unsold tickets for Celebrating Arden Hills must be into City Hall by June 21, 2004. Councilmember Larson - Stated in reference to the North Heights proposal, he is opposed. He said he believed it is made clear in the zoning ordinance that the applicant must act on the project within a year of acquiring a permit. He said that to approve this project that wouldn't start for 5 or 6 years just so fundraising can begin is inappropriate. If a project won't begin for 5 years, it should not be brought to Council. He suggested Staff discuss with the City Attorney the correct procedure. Mr. Hellegers said the procedure is that once the master plan is approved, the time limit is 6 months to get the final POD. Beyond that, there is a year limitation to get a building permit from the Council. He noted there have been exceptions, but those projects are unique. Mayor Aplikowski sought to clarity that if the builder did not apply for the permit after 1.5 years, it is all null and void. Mr. Hellegers agreed. Mayor Aplikowski questioned that if this project did go forward as proposed, it would need Council action to hold it for "x" number of years and override the normal process. Mr. Hellegers said yes. He pointed out that in six years, there can be many changes, namely in zoning. He said there are variables, and in 4 years there will be a new Comp Plan. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 14, 2004 10 Mayor Aplikowski questioned if there are changes in the next Comp Plan and this proposal is granted now, would it be grandfathered in. Mr. Hellegers said it would be. Councilmember Larson said he recommends staff and the city attorney discuss the issue and report back. Mayor Aplikowski emphasized the City is not against the church project, but against the time element. Councilmember Holden stated she will not be attending the June work session, and she said for the record, she was echoing Councilmember Larson's comments. Mayor Aplikowski - Stated the hours Councilmembers are going to work at the celebration should be given to Michelle. Ms. Wolfe - stated there are some items that Council was requested to put their input on but she will send an email. She noted a Development Team meeting at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday. Mayor Aplikowski adjourned the Regular City Council Meeting at 9: 15 p.m. . . ~,..I de" ..~ ~A,-", ./ thic;Lu:l_~ i\ ;XCL~JC,K1 Beverly ski Michelle Wolfe t Mayor City Administrator NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next Council Meeting will be held Monday, June 28, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the Arden Hills Council Chambers.