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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 09-27-2004 ~ . ~~ILLS Approved: October 12, 2004 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING SEPTEMBER 27,2004,7:00 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 7:08 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; Finance Director/Treasurer, . Murtuza Siddiqui; Community Development Director, Scott Clark; City Planner, Peter Hellegers; City Engineer, Greg Brown; and Recording Secretary, Kathleen Altman. 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. August 4, 2004 Joint Council and Planning Commission Meeting Minutes B. September 13,2004 City Council Meeting Minutes C. September 13, 2004 Special City Council Work Session Minutes Councilmember Holden requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Grant requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Rem requested the following changes: September 13, 2004 City Council Meeting, heading, change 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p,m. . Councilmember Larson requested the following changes: August 4, 2004 Planning Commission/Council Meeting Minutes, Page 2, 7tl1 paragraph, second sentence, add "He" before \ lEarthlAdmin \CouncillMinuteslRegular\2004\09-27 -04.doc ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27,2004 2 . indicated that development... August 4, 2004 Planning Commission/Council Meeting Minutes, Page 4, last sentence of first paragraph, delete the word "short". Mayor Aplikowski requested the following changes: September 13, 2004 Council Special Work Session fourth paragraph, middle of third sentence, change 1-696 to "1-694". Ms. Wolfe requested the following changes: None, MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the August 4, 2004 Joint Council and Planning Commission Meeting Minutes as amended; September 13, 2004 City Council Meeting Minutes as amended; and September 13, 2004 Special City Council Work Session Minutes as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 3. CONSENT CALENDAR a. Claims and Payroll b. Bethel SUP Amendment c. Resolution #04-52 Appointing Election Judges for the 2004 General Election . d. Resolution #04-53 Participate in the Ramsey County Hazard Mitigation Planning Process e. City Administrator's Perfonnance Evaluation MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Counci1member Larson 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 Christine Bonn, 1369 Forest Lane, stated she wanted to address how the City was marking diseased trees for removal. She indicated she believed there were trees being marked in error. She stated she had received a letter regarding red oak trees being diseased with oak wilt, but her white oak tree was marked and taken down, which she believes was done in error. She stated the tree removal company infomled her that her tree was not diseased and that it was white oak and not red oak, She believed there were also three other trees in her neighborhood that were white oak trees that had also been marked, but those trees were not taken down because her neighbors knew they were not red oak trees. She indicated she had lost a valuable tree that has been in her family since 1948. She requested the City be responsible for the cost of her tree removal. . Mayor Aplikowski asked why the tree service company removed her tree if it was a healthy tree. Ms. Bonn replied the tree was already half way down before someone approached her about it. She stated she understood the City was going to send out letters stating that her tree was white oak and to ignore the previous letter, but she never received that letter. --.-.---.----- ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27,2004 3 . Ms. Wolfe stated she had done some checking into this, but she needed additional time in order to respond to Ms. Bonn's situation. She indicated this particular tree was inspected by three inspectors and they had determined that the tree had oak wilt and it was past the point of being treated. She stated a sample was also sent to the University of Minnesota. Ms. Bonn questioned the fact that there were three inspectors looking at her tree and stated she had spoken with Mr. Moore. Ms. Wolfe asked who her tree removal contractor was. Ms. Bonn replied it was Stan Simonson. Mayor Aplikowski requested Ms. Bonn leave her statement with staff and Ms. Wolfe would get back to Ms, Bonn with an answer. 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 6. NEW BUSINESS . A. Assessment Policv Task Force: Revised Work Plan Mr. Siddiqui stated in 2003 that the Assessment Policy Task Force was established. At the February 9, 2004 City Council meeting, the Council appointed residents to the Task Force. The original purpose of the Assessment Policy Task Force was to review the existing Assessment Policy and to study alternatives and forward its recommendation to the Council. The Task Force completed its task and the Council adopted the 2004 Assessment Policy on September 13, 2004. As the Task Force was considering and evaluating various assessment methodologies and options, they started to discuss what the City could do to prevent and prolong the life of the existing streets to minimize the special assessment (cost) burden on the residents. It was discussed that huge vehicles, such as school buses and trucks cause a considerable amount of wear and tear on the roads. It was indicated that a number of neighborhoods were served by three to four different refuse haulers. Often one hauler is in the neighborhood to serve only one or two residences, thus driving through a number of streets to get to their destination and causing the wear and tear to the City streets. He stated since the Assessment Task Force worked on the assessment issues and subsequently revised the Assessment Policy, it seemed logical that they undertake the task of evaluating and addressing the refuse hauler issues as their trucks make a significant impact on the streets. He indicated the revised purpose and scope of the Task Force was proposed to study the impact . of heavy duty vehicles on City streets; to review services provided by various haulers; to review their reputation and pricing structure; to consider contracting with a limited number of haulers to serve the entire City; and to draft a recommendation to the Council, outlining its findings and the course of action. He noted the Task Force would meet as often as necessary to accomplish this ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27,2004 4 . task, but it was anticipated that they might be able to accomplish their task in four to five meetings over the period of the next two months. The outcome of their final meeting would be a recommendation to the Council for their review and consideration. He stated staff was recommending the Council approve the revised scope of work of the Assessment Task Force. Councilmember Grant mentioned that the City is served by seven refuse haulers. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the Assessment Policy Task Force's revised work plan. Councilmember Larson stated this Task Force has shown that once given specific charges, it had done a very good job and made this an enjoyable experience. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). B. Authorization OfUll to $10,000 for City Hall Roof Testinl! Mr. Clark stated that City Hall continues to experience water intrusion through the building's . roofing system. Two areas of the building have experienced leakage since the building was built almost three years ago. Most recently, the lobby ceiling has leaked four times this year. Once during a prolonged rain fall this spring and last week during a rainfall that was more than two inches. Water during the last rainfall actually leaked in three areas of the ceiling simultaneously, The other two times the ceiling leaked was when staff conducted water tests after the contractor had done some repairs and stated that the ceiling had been fixed. The water tests conducted by staff verified that the roof had still not been repaired. Mr. Clark stated the other area that has experienced leaking has been in the Council conference room and hallway ceilings. While that area has not experienced any leakage this year from rain, it had leaked twice this year during a prolonged water test. These water tests were also conducted after the contractor had statcd that the necessary repairs had been completed. The area above the Council conference room appeared to leak during extended periods of wind driven rain. Mr. Clark indicated due to the fact that the two remaining areas of City Hall have been leaking ever since the building was built almost three years ago, and the failure of the contractor to make the correct necessary repairs, staff recommends the City obtain a special testing/inspection company to conduct water leak testing to first substantiate that the areas in question do in fact leak (recommended procedure for arbitration), to do destructive investigation (remove stone and building materials), to determine the exact cause of the leak, and finally to prepare a report detailing the water testing procedure, findings, and cause of the leaks, and to make . recommendations on how best to repair the leaks. Mr. Clark stated staff had received two quotes from companies that specialize in the above procedures, Those companies are "Inspec" and "Architectural Testing". Both companies quoted ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 5 . One has also included an approximation of the a "not to exceed" amount for their services, amount required to do the destructive testing with a masonry and drywall contractor. Staff has determined that Architectural Testing's "not to exceed quote", after comparing as best as possible, is approximately half of the amount of Ins pee's quote. Staff had requested and checked references for Architectural Testing. Those checks have been favorable. Mr. Clark recommended Council authorize staff to contract with Architectural Testing to do the leak investigation with a "not to exceed" amount of $5,000. In addition authorize staff to hire the necessary contractors to complete the destructive testing with a not to exceed amount of $5,000. He noted this was only an authorization to determine the location and cause of the leak and to make recommendations on how to repair the leak. Staff would then come back to the Council with additional estimates for the repair work. Councilmember Holden asked if they would have a mold problem again that would need to be taken care of. Ms. Wolfe replied it was possible and with this process, there would be a determination made and, if necessary, a mold expert would be brought in again. Mayor Aplikowski asked when they could begin the testing. Mr. Clark replied within two to three weeks. . MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to authorize an amount not to exceed $5,000 to Architectural Testing to do a leak investigation of City Hall. In addition authorize staff to hire the necessary contractors to complete the testing with an estimated "not to exceed" amount of$5,000. Councilmember Larson noted the $10,000 reimbursement would be requested as part of the arbitration process. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). C. Resolution #04-54 Advocate the Mounds View School District to Keep Valentine Hills Elementarv School Open Ms. Wolfe stated Mounds View Public Schools recently announced the need to close and repurpose schools due to declining enrollments. Members of the City Council felt that the presence of a primary school within the City of Arden Hills was very important for the community. City Council strongly urges the Mounds View School Board to consider keeping Valentine Hills Elementary School open and functioning. Mayor Aplikowski read the Resolution. . Councilmember Larson requested some minor changes to the Resolution. Councilmember Grant stated losing this school would be a detriment to the City. ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 6 . Councilmember Holden stated keeping this school in the City was very important. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve Resolution #04-54 as amended Advocating the Mounds View School District to Keep Valentine Hills Elementary School Open. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Bid Opening and Final Approval Sale of Bonds Mr. Siddiqui stated on September 13, 2004, the Council authorized Ehlers & Associates to solicit proposals for the sale of$2,410,000 G.O. Tax Increment Refunding Bonds. This is refunding of the $3,100,000 in General Obligation Tax Increment Bonds, Series 1998A, issued originally in 1998. The bonds were issued for the purpose of financing and relocated 14th Street improvements and Round Lake RoadlHighway 96 intersection improvements in Tax Increment District No.2, Mr. Siddiqui stated Ehlers & Associates had solicited proposals for the sale of the bonds. He . stated Piper Jaffrey had come in with the lowest bid and that bid was being recommended for approvaL He further stated that this refunding would save the City approximately $130,000 in present value due to reduced interest rates. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to accept bid proposal from Piper Jaffrey & Co. and adopt "Resolution Awarding the Sale of $2,395,000 General Obligation Tax Increment Refunding Bonds, Series 2004A; Fixing their Form and Specifications; Directing Their Execution and Delivery; and Providing for Their Payment. Councilmember Grant explained the purpose of the bond and how the City was saving money by accepting this bid from Pipe Jaffrey & Co. Shelly Elridge, Ehlers & Associates, stated this was a refinancing, She summarized the spread between the six bids received. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). B. Lexington Avenue Reconstruction Proieet . Jim Tolaas, P.E., Lexington Avenue Reconstruction Project Manager for Ramsey County Public Works, stated in fall, 2003, the Ramsey County Public Works Department informed the City that Lexington Avenue would be reconstructed in 2005, The section of Lexington Avenue that would be reconstructed was between Cummings Park Drive and Highway 96. The Ramsey ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27,2004 7 . County Public Works Department has held two informational neighborhood meetings for the Arden Hills residents impacted by this project. The meetings were held at the Arden Hills City HalL In addition, the Ramsey County Public Works Department appeared twice before the City Council to provide updates concerning this project. He noted the major items for discussion and approval for the City Council would be approval of the Project Development Report (PDR); approval of the Cooperative Agreement; and the approval of the Right-of-way (ROW) Plan. It was being recommended that the City Council review, make any necessary changes and then approve the Project Development Report, Cooperative Agreement PW2004-10 and the Right-of- Way Plan for the 2005 Lexington A venue Reconstruction Project. Mr. Tolaas further stated they had prepared a Project Development Report summarizing the project and reviewed the major points of the project. He noted they still needed to work with Guidant on the Cummings Parkway connection. Councilmember Larson requested information as to how the City would be informed of any problems with acquisition of right-of-way properties, specifically with issues of eminent domain. Mr. Tolaas replied the Connty would keep staff informed and would work with staff on issues such as these, He explained the process they would use to determine the market value of the right-of-ways. He stated if they had an eminent domain issue, they would work with staff and Council on this. . Ms. Wolfe suggested Council discuss a sidewalk vs. traiL Mr. Tolaas summarized the differences between a sidewalk and trail and noted if they went with a sidewalk, there would be cost savings for the City, but the County was willing to go either way. Councilmember Larson asked how much of a shoulder would there be along Lexington Avenue for bike riders. Mr. Tolaas replied there would not be a shoulder along Lexington Avenue and it would not be safe for bikers to be riding in the road, especially during peak hours. He noted that putting in a trail would encroach on some resident properties and those residents would not be happy about it. He stated Council needed to make a decision on these issues this week, if possible. Mayor Aplikowski stated she would prefer 5-foot sidewalks due to the lesser impact to the residents and it would mirror what Shoreview was doing. Councilmember Rem agreed. MOTION: Mayor Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve a 5-foot sidewalk on Lexington Avenue. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Holden seconded the Project Development Report, Cooperative Agreement PW2004-1O and the Right-of-Way Plan for the 2005 Lexington Avenue Reconstruction Project . as amended with changes Council approved at this meeting regarding the width of the sidewalk on the west side of Lexington A venue and the costs to finance the project. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 8 . CITY COUNCIL REPORTS Ms. Wolfe - None, Councilmember Holden - Stated the PTRC meeting was tomorrow night and summarized two events that Northwest Family Services was having in the near future. She stated on Wednesday night there is a Precinct 2 meeting at Northwestern College in the Totino Arts Building. She noted all residents were invited to this meeting and not just Precinct 2. She stated she had received a few phone calls on signs and asked for a status on the street signs. Ms. Wolfe replied the residents who won the bid on the signs would be contacted in the near future to pick up the SignS. Councilmember Grant - Stated the Maintenance Facility final construction costs came in at $80,000.00 below what was originally budgeted for. Councilmember Rem - Stated the Fire Department was having their Open House on October 9th at Station 2 in Shoreview. She requested this information be posted on the web site and cable. . Councilmember Larson - None. Mayor Aplikowski - Thanked people for coming to the last neighborhood meeting and invited everyone to the next neighborhood meeting. She stated there would also be additional meetings on October 5 and October 13. Mayor Aplikowski adjourned the Regular City Council Meeting at 8:31 p.m, ~~,~ ~/~~' ~(~ Beverly Aplik ski Michelle W 0 fe Mayor City Administrator NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next Council Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 12, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. in the Arden Hills Council Chambers. . ----