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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 03-19-1990 . . . . MINUTES OF THE ARDEN HILLS COUNCIL WORKSESSION MEETING MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1990 - 4:30 P.M., CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER Pursuant to due call and notice thereof. Mayor Sather called the meeting to order at 4:30 P.M. ROLL CALL The roll being called, the following members were present: Mayor Thomas Sather, Councilmembers Nancy Hansen, Thomas Mahowald and Paul Malone. Absent: Councilmember JoAnn Growe. Also present: Clerk Administrator Gary Berger, City Engineer Terry Maurer, Finance Committee member Carl Rundquist and Administrative Secretary Mary Ann DeLaRosa. ADOPT AGENDA Mayor Sather noted that he wished to limit discussions to topics on the agenda, thereby making for faster work sessions. ARSENAL UPDATE Planner John Bergly was ill and unable to attend the work session to discuss concerns raised at the March 8 pre-construction conference for the Army Reserve Training Center. Mayor Sather reviewed notes that Planner Bergly had submitted after the March 8 meeting. Clerk Administrator Berger noted that he had received a phone call from an Army official in Fort Collins, CO, asking about police and fire protection services. Berger advised the official to state the specific request in a letter to the Mayor and City Council and the City would then respond. It appeared that if the Army did not construct a security fence around the site. protective services would be provided by the City. ASSESSMENT POLICY Mayor Sather turned the meeting over to Engineer Terry Maurer who then reviewed the issues involved in setting a City assessment policy. Discussion centered over a street assessment policy and whether the assessment rate should be 1/4 charge to the homeowner, 3/4 funded up by the City or 1/3 - 2/3. Councilmember Malone questioned sewer and water assessments, lateral benefits or area benefits, and trunk and subtrunk costs. Engineer Maurer felt that this information should be pared down to something simple and equitable. Council felt and Engineer Maurer concurred that the assessment policy should be in a free-standing policy form, not as a City Ordinance. Councilmember Malone felt that assessments should be 100% assessed on new developments, but asked what percentage should be charged on existing streets or utilities. Mayor Sather suggested that seal coating or overlays could be.funded via MSA funding or from general revenue sources and not assessed to the property owner. Mahowald agreed with Sather on this suggestion. Councilmembers Hansen and Malone felt that seal coating is maintenance and overlaying is not, and costs for overlaying should be assessed. Sather said he would support a 25% assessment for overlaying costs with the City picking up the remaining 75% of the costs. Mahowald used Indian Oaks Circle as an example where the street needed total reconstruction and the property owners were not assessed the costs . . . . March 19, 1990 Council Minutes, Page Two for the work. He noted this street was perhaps only 10 or 11 years old but it was not built to specs originally. He suggested the City should have a policy which would enable the Council to be flexible in unique situations. Mayor Sather suggested that all new streets be assessed at 1007. of the cost and reconstructed streets be assessed at 2/3 homeowner and 1/3 City. Councilmember Mahowald asked how many other cities have an assessment policy and what are their percentages of assessments. Finance Committee member Carl Rundquist, who is the Chairman of the subcommittee studying an assessment policy, noted that the subcommittee is evaluacing other cities policies and percentages. Ms. Sandi Dunekacke, a member of the Finance subcommittee, arrived at 5:10 P.M. Rundquist felt that a 2/37. charge to property owners was higher than what other cities charge. Councilmember Mahowald suggested waiting for the subcommittees results before firmly establishing an assessment policy. Engineer Maurer noted that normally, assessment rates are set annually by City Council resolution. Council concurred that this would be a good idea. Maurer also noted that many cities are changing the process of assessment projects. whereby they now let a bid. receive the bids, hold the assessment hearing before the bid is awarded, wait 30 days to allow time for persons to appeal the assessment, then, after the 30 day wait, award the bid assuming a majority of property owners do not appeal the assessment. Otherwise. once the bid is awarded and the project completed, the City could wind up with too many property owners appealing the costs, and no one to pay for the project. If the assessment hearing is held before the bid is awarded and the project complete, the City would have an idea of where they will stand when payment time is due. If a majority of the property owners appeal the project, the City can cancel the project and wait a few years and try again when the street or sewer is in a worse condition. Council concurred that this process appears to be better than the former one. Council then discussed how long street assessments should be allowed to be carried. They felt that 15 years should be the maximum amount of time. Council discussed how to assess corner lots and agreed that if a corner lot property owner had been assessed 1007. on one side, the maximum he could be assessed on the other side would be 1/3 of the cost. If only one side was assessed, the other corner could be fully assessed after 15 years. If two projects were completed on a corner lot within 15 years, the owner could only be assessed 1337. of the costs. Council directed City Attorney Filla to review pages 10 and 11 of the Assessment Policy relative to requiring 1257. for the bond. Council noted this requirement should not conflict with the PUD requirements. . . . . March 19, 1990 Council Minutes, Page Three Councilmember Hansen noted that the concensus of the Public Safety/Works Committee is that only 25% of the costs should be assessed to property owners. Street lighting was discussed and Councilmember Hansen noted she is opposed to decorative lighting and that neighborhoods requesting decorative street lighting should be assessed for that type. Engineer Maurer noted that any street light request above and beyond a standard design is assessable. Councilmember Hansen noted she would copy information on street lights she had received and forward the copy to Engineer Maurer. Mayor Sather suggested a street lighting policy should be referred to the Public Safety/Works Committee. then on to the Finance Committee for their input and recommendations. Sewer and water projects were discussed. Councilmember Malone suggested that these improvements constitute reconstruction and should be assessed at 100i., with no 15 year time clock. Mahowald suggested deferring action on this until after the Finance Committee recommendation is available. PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT Engineer Maurer noted that once an assessment policy is in place, it will be easy for his firm to prepare a 5 year plan and ways to finance projects. Maurer questioned if there is a City standard for streets. Mayor Sather noted that Maurer should advise the Council on the functional aspects for City streets. Sather requested that Maurer come back with a recommendation on an average street standard for reconstructs and to present a picture of what our available Minnesota State Aid funds will be. Sather felt Council should know what to build. what it will cost, and how to finance the project. Engineer Maurer suggested that the Pavement Management Study should be placed on hold until the above answers are known. Maurer then discussed the possibility of City crews performing their own crack sealing work and suggested that it would be more economically feasible for City crews to do this work, rather than contracting it out. He noted that he had spoken to Public Works Supervisor Dan Winkel about this and Mr. Winkel is not opposed to his crew performing this task. Maurer suggested acquiring minimal equipment to do the minor work for regular sealing jobs and renting larger equipment for major crack sealing jobs. Mayor Sather directed that Public Works Supervisor Winkel.take a look at this possibility, contact vendors about costs and come back with this information for Council review. Councilmember Malone felt the City should go ahead with 1990 seal coating projects, which should be done in July, not the Fall, so the job will be better. Bidding should be started now, not later in the year. Engineer Maurer said he will have a memorandum and resolution available for the Consent Calendar on March 26, asking for authorization for plans and specifications for 1990 seal coating. March 19, 1990 Council Minutes, Page Four . There being no other questions on an assessment policy or pavement management, Mayor Sather thanked Finance Committee members Carl Rundquist and Sandi Dunekacke for their attendance. noting that their subcommittee has some homework to do for Council. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Malone reported on a Regional Transit Board meeting and Library Board meeting he had recently attended. He offered to draft a letter to the RTB on the City's light rail transit. thoughts on Councilmember Mahowald noted the upcoming City Hall Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 P.M. and invited any Council members to attend. Mayor Sather noted his recent tour of Shoreview's new facility. He also expressed concern over the lack of available ballfields for Little Lakes Little League players and their fast rate of growth. Four years ago, 300 children had registered. ~'This year 1200 had signed up already and 200 more children were expected to register. Sather noted that Arden Hills has 29% of the children in this league and supplies 17% of the ballfields. Sather asked if the Council could put pressure on the Arsenal for bal1fields. . ADJOURN There being no further business to come before Council. Councilmember Mahowald moved, seconded by Councilmember Malone that the meeting be adjourned at 6:36 o'clock P.M. (4-0). Gary R. Berger Clerk Administrator Thomas R. Sather Mayor .