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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-12 CC Minutes - Approved Approved CITY OF CENTERVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 12, 2024 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City of Centerville held their regularly scheduled City Council Meeting on June 12, 2024, at St. Genevieve’s Community Parish Center (Fellowship Hall) and the meeting was live streamed by North Metro TV at 6:30 p.m. COUNCIL MEETING I. CALL TO ORDER 1. Roll Call II. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Love called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Mayor D. Love Council Member Darrin Mosher Council Member Raye Taylor Council Member Terry Sweeney Junior Council Member Avery Sauber (Non-Voting) ABSENT: Council Member Russ Koski STAFF: City Administrator, Mark Statz Assistant City Administrator, Athanasia Lewis City Attorney, Kurt Glaser III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Love provided an opportunity for others to add or delete any items. Administrator Statz stated that the developer of the LaLonde proposal has withdrawn their applications for Preliminary Plat and Conditional Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development so there is no longer a TIF plan and Council may choose to cancel the Public Hearing scheduled for this evening. He also stated that several residents had completed forms to provide Public Comment to the Council and if the mayor would like to entertain them and add them under Public Comment. He stated that the minutes were not contained in the packet so they should be removed from the agenda, under the Consent Agenda, Item #8 Accept Resignation/Retirement of P & R Committee Member, it would be wise to Declare a Vacancy on the Committee and Under New Business if the Council wanted to, they could remove Item #1. City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 Motion by Council Member Taylor, seconded by Council Member Sweeney to Approve the Agenda with the Removal of the Public Hearing, Tabling of the Minutes, the Removal of New Business Item #1 and the Addition of Public Comment. Motion carried. IV. APPOINTMENT/PRESENTATION/PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Love stated that the comments would be provided without back-and-forth conversation and requested that the period for each comment should be limited to five minutes. He stated that he would call individuals for comments in order that the Comment Forms were received. This is an opportunity for the public to provide comments for the Council to listen to and consider. Mr. Chad Wagner, 6781 Beaver Pond Way, asked about the desire of reaching a population of 5,000 and that additional funding would be provided for State Aid when/if available. He stated that he was unaware of the amount but felt that it was $100,000 + a year and that if that was the deciding factor or what the push was for that. He stated that if the goal is financial, then working with the City of Lino Lakes regarding public safety seemed like an avenue to alleviate funding for those services. He stated that the City of Lino Lakes previously had a different Mayor who was not interested in working collaboratively previously when services were joint but now there was a different Mayor who is interested in entertaining collaboration of services and that it seemed like a logical issue. He stated that he felt that the cost savings would be more than any state aid and asked if the Council could comment or state their position on the matter. Mayor Love stated that the Council would not address the issue and were only receiving input at this time and thanked Mr. Wagner for his comments. Ms. Karen Brumbaugh, 7210 LaValle Drive, stated that she has lived in the community for four years and is representing the thoughts of others that live within her development (i.e., opposed to TIF and that it did not seem fair or logical to them. She also stated that the Master Plan had been developed numerous years ago and they were wondering if the Council would consider rezoning under the Master Plan and making the LaLonde property single family homes and that the location will tell people how beautiful Centerville is on that piece of property. She thanked Council for their time. Mayor Love thanked Ms. Brumbaugh for her comments. Heather Carciofini, 1652 Lakeland Circle, stated that she has learned a large amount about the city in the last several weeks and what the residents want and do not want. She stated that she sincerely hoped that the Council had learned some things as well. She stated that she has met and chatted with more Centerville neighbors in the past two months than in the entire time that she has lived in Centerville. She thanked the Council for that opportunity with this issue. She strongly urged Council to get there and knock on some doors themselves and have some conversations too. She stated that she very much hoped that Council would come to see along with herself and her neighbors that high density development is just not an appropriate fit for Centerville and that constructing a high density housing project along with associated retail development that is anticipated to follow on perhaps the most iconic and picturesque corner of town is a terrible mistake and that once it is done it can not be redone. She hoped that the Council will revisit the 2006 Master Plan and the rezoning that was completed to facilitate it. She thanked Council for their time. Mayor Love thanked Ms. Carciofini for her comments. Ms. Anita Rios, 1680 Lakeland Circle, stated that she wanted to thank each and everyone of them for taking her calls over the last week and that they listened to her concerns and share their perspectives for the future development in Centerville. She stated that while the current TIF resolution is mute, she wanted to go on record to say that if they are in any doubt about a very contingent of Centerville residents are not Page 2 of 7 City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 in support of TIFF used for prime real estate in our city. She stated as of this afternoon 973 people have signed a petition to ask that City Council not to approve Tax Increment Financing for the LaLonde proposal. She stated that now, if 970 signatures may not seem like much, she wanted to put it into some perspective. She also stated 973 is equivalent to 36% of the City’s population for 18 years of age or older. She also stated that it was also equivalent to 68% of Centerville residents who voted in the last mayoral election. She also stated that 973 signatures on a petition for a small town like Centerville is significant. She stated that she was submitted the petition for the official record and in addition to collecting signatures for the petition, she reported that she visited 115 homes going door-to-door and speaking with Centerville neighbors and of all the people she spoke with, I found only three people who supported the use of TIF in this project. She reported that 97% of residents that she spoke with opposed it. She stated that if the Council was in any doubt about the use of TIF for future projects, please remember this effort around the petition. Lastly, she wanted to ask City Council members to re-examine the Master Plan aa throughout this process she had heard multiple times that the Master Plan is the City’s guiding document for all development in Centerville as it was based on strong citizen input at the time that it was created in 2006. As Planning & Zoning Commissioner Jeannie Seppala mentioned at the May 7, 2024, public hearing and former Commissioner Linda Broussard-Vickers said at a Planning & Zoning meeting last October, that the Master Plan may no longer represent current citizens of Centerville. She stated that in her career she worked as an organization development professional in public higher education and has led colleges, universities and nonprofits through planning and engagement efforts. She stated that in her experience, no successful organization bases its decisions on a planning document with public input that is nearly 20 years old. She stated that she felt it was time for a refresh. She reported that she spoke with Council Member Raye Taylor the day prior and that she had commented that the public discourse surrounding the LaLonde proposal and that TIF has been stressful. She stated that she had understood that, and that Council probably had received tons of calls and lots of emails. She stated that, but what she said really stuck with her and could be seen as a catalyst for positive change and that she agreed with that. She also stated that people are paying attention and that they have engagement here in Centerville and that people care. She encouraged them to take advantage of this moment in time and engage residents in working on a new plan that serves the city and its residents. She thanked Council for their time. Mayor Love requested that the audience refrain from clapping, booing, etc. and thanked Ms. Rios for her comments. Ms. Nancy Golden, 1654 Lakeland Circle, stated that she has had the pleasure of meeting many of the Council Members and that a large number of her comments had been mentioned already this evening. She stated that when the journey started for her back in January when she learned of the LaLonde proposal, of course she did not want it as it was in her backyard. She stated that she was not the type of person to get involved in things like this and now she has been attending monthly meetings, watching meetings and that she appreciated that. She wanted to thank Council for their time as she had only been involved in this issue for the last six months and the Council has been involved for a long time. She stated that she appreciated that, and she thanked them. She again stated that when she started the journey, she thought that it was may just her and that maybe she was the only one that thought that a TIF property should not be on that beautiful, prime real estate and that she knew that a large amount of the people that organized and went out and knocked on doors where residents and did live on Lakeland Circle. However, while knocking on doors throughout the community, it was a resounding no TIF. She stated that she met one person who supported it and she met five people that did not support or deny it. She stated that she had enjoyed the conversations that all have had and that she would like all to come together and try to build Centerville into the community that all want and deserve. She thanked Council for all their time and what they were doing. She also thanked everyone that was in the room as she stated that they were all together and everyone in the room made this happen and they are willing to stand up and speak about it. She thanked Council. Mayor Love thanked her for her comments. Page 3 of 7 City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 Ms. Jeannie Seppala, 1656 Lakeland Circle, stated that she was a new Planning & Zoning Commissioner and for the past seven weeks she had been immersed in the Zoning Code, the Comprehensive Plan and the Master Plan. She stated that she had discovered that all the plans were inconsistent with each other. She also stated that in evaluating the LaLonde project to determine if it was compliant with these documents, she discovered it was very burdensome to the Planning & Zoning Commission as well as the developer and it was very frustrating for all involved. She asked the Council to place a moratorium on accepting any new applications for Planned Unit Developments until the contradictions in the plans have been resolved. She thanked Council and Mayor Love thanked her for her comments. Ms. Leslie Peterson, 7240 Main Street, thanked the Council for their time and stated that most of her comments had been stated already. She stated that they moved to Centerville for the small-town feel. That they were not opposed to development and that they love the Bayview Villas Development. She stated that they did not want high density plans that do not make sense in areas that are prime real estate. She thanked Council for their time and Mayor Love thanked her for her comments. Ms. Rhonda Gimpl, 2036 Willow Circle, she stated that she was aware that this evening’s meeting was specifically about the LaLonde complex, but she was wondering if Council could provide a summary about the vacant lot on the corner of Centerville Road and Main Street and whether an update could be given, provide information regarding a scheduled meeting or if it was already completed. She thanked Council and Mayor Love thanked her for her comments. Mr. Jeff Nottum, 7238 Main Street, stated that his only concern was that it was proposed as a 100+ unit, 3-story building and that he believe that the city had a volunteer fire department and that if something were to happen the firefighters run to the fire station and would require more firefighters on duty so that they can respond within 3-4 minutes. He stated that he was a firefighter in St. Paul for 30+ years, he realizes that they have sprinkler systems and as a firefighter you always plan for the worst. He also stated that without a system in town where you have 24/7, on-call that can jump in the rigs and go out and mitigate it immediately, you can run into a big problem if the problem starts. He stated that was his only problem with looking at the development proposal as he did not think that the city was prepared with our EMS and fire to deal with it as this is the way he looked at it. He thanked Council and Mayor Love thanked. He stated that the Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission may place additional items on their upcoming agendas that address some of the concerns that were discussed this evening. V. PUBLIC HEARING 1. None VI. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES 1. May 22, 2024, City Council Work Session & Meeting Minutes Mayor Love stated that the item was tabled. VII. CONSENT AGENDA Page 4 of 7 City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 1. City of Centerville Claims through June 12, 2024 (Checks #36755-36817 & E2243-E2255) 2. Centennial Lake Police Department Claims through June 6, 2024 (Check #15231-15247 & 15248-15267, E2024041-2024041 & E2024044-E2024047 & Payroll Check #15228-15230) 3. Centennial Fire District Claims through June 11, 2024 (Checks #9712-9719 & 9720-9728, E240006 & Payroll Check #9710-9711) 4. Smart Irrigation Controller Program/Required Plumbing Permit – Waiving of Fee 5. Centerville Lions Request for Permits – Fete des Lacs & Waiving Fee a. Special Event Permit b. Temporary On Sale Liquor License c. Temporary Bingo/Raffle (LG220) 6. Parks & Recreation Committee Recommendation to Approve Park Facility Use Permit for Anoka County Radio Club – Field Days, June 21-23, 2024 7. St. Genevieve’s Parish Request for Permits – Parish Festival & Waive Fee a. Special Event Permit/Private Property b. Temporary On Sale Liquor License c. Temporary Bingo/Raffle (LG220) 8. Accept Resignation/Retirement of P & R Committee Member Suzanne Seeley (22+ Years) and Declare a Vacancy on the P & R Committee Mayor Love provided an opportunity for members to pull items for additional discussion. Council Member Taylor wished to pull Item #8 for additional discussion. Council Member Mosher wished to pull Item #1 and had questions about Check #36775, 36803 and 36806. Motion by Council Member Taylor, seconded by Council Member Mosher to Approve the Consent Agenda Items 2-7 as presented. Motion carried. Council Member Mosher stated that he would like to discuss Check #36775 and inquired what it was for. Administrator Statz stated that there were three individuals that work as the City Assessor’s team. One was Ms. Mary Wells who completes most of the residential, Mr. Erik Skogquist who completes commercial/industrial/apartments and Mr. Christopher Larson who completes some residential with all invoicing individually. Council Member Mosh stated that he would like to discuss Check #36803 and Administrator Statz stated that the city prepays for postage for mass mailings such as utility bills, etc. to draw from. He stated that costs were split between different departments through the accounting system. Council Member Mosher asked if the services were through June 12 or was that the date of the check. Administrator Staz stated that that was the date of the check. Council Member Mosher stated that they all say May are the expenditures $7,290 to mow and Administrator Statz stated that they mow weekly and that it is expensive. Council Member Mosher asked if this was something that they could revisit or purchase a lawn mower. Administrator Statz stated that over the past 20 years or so the item has been revisited about every three years. He stated that hours, equipment, etc. have been looked at, bids received most of the time equating to less than what the city staff could complete it for but he was unsure whether that still held the same. Council Member Mosher stated that he did not remember it being this high last year. Administrator Statz stated that it is a large amount and Mayor Love stated that he believed the contract that was approved at the beginning of the year was approximately $40,000. Council Member Taylor asked if Ms. Seeley was in the audience and she was not. She wanted to thank Ms. Suzanne Seeley personally and as a Council for her many years of service. Council Member Mosher stated that she was very passionate about Parks and that he started on that board in 2005 with her prior to Page 5 of 7 City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 moving to Planning & Zoning. He also thanked her. Mayor Love stated that when he was first appointed to Council, he was the Liaison for Parks & Recreation and to see the energy and passion that the entire group puts into what they do, how much they care about the city, and they put their time and energy into it is amazing. He stated that she served as Chair and that at any event that he attended of Parks & Recreation Committee, she was there volunteering, and he was happy that she would be continuing to volunteer. He wanted to thank her for her 22 years of phenomenal service and that he thought he was the longest standing individual that had served. The mayor stated that the Council will also be declaring a vacancy on the Committee and that the Council heard that there was a lot of civic engagement, and he did not anticipate that it would take long before the vacancy was filled. Motion by Council Member Sweeney, seconded by Council Member Mosher Approve Consent Agenda Items #1 & 8 as presented. All in favor. Motion carried. VIII. OLD BUSINESS 1. None IX. NEW BUSINESS 1. Liquor Barrel – Prince Pal Signh (Effective July 1, 2024) a. Off-Sale Liquor License b. Tobacco License Administrator Statz stated that the applicant had submitted all appropriate applications, fees and completed a successful background check through the Centennial Lakes Police Department. He also stated that the approval of the license would not be an additional license issued as the current owner would be relinquishing his license as of July 1, 2024, as required by law. Motion by Council Member Sweeney, seconded by Council Member Taylor to Approve the a Off- Sale Liquor License and Tobacco License Effective July 1, 2024, for Prince Pal Signh, dba Liquor Barrel as Presented. All in favor. Motion carried. X. COUNCIL/ADMINISTRATOR ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Administrator/Engineer Report – Administrator Statz stated that his report was contained in the packet and that he would be happy to address any questions from the Council. He provided the Council with a brief review. Attorney Glaser stated that his staff was at the Centennial Lakes Police Department for National Donut Day with donuts, and they were completing briefings for the officers. Mayor Love recognized that Ms. Seeley was now in appearance at the meeting and asked her if she wanted to address the audience. Ms. Seeley appeared before the audience, Council and stated that she stated the same to the Park Board and she meant it sincerely, “thank you for the opportunity to serve the community, it’s been a great time, and she enjoyed all the time. She was startled at how many years piled up and again thanked Council for the opportunity. Mayor Love stated that he appreciated her. 2. Council Reports Page 6 of 7 City of Centerville City Council Meeting Minutes June 12, 2024 Jr. Council Member Sauber stated that she was grateful to be back from her three-meeting hiatus and she explained that it was due to Girls Lacrosse and that they made it to the sectional finals, Boys Lacrosse made state. She stated that school was out for the year and seniors graduated the previous Saturday. Mayor Love welcomed her back. a. Taylor – (i) Economic Development Authority - Council Member Taylor gave no report. (ii) Police Governing Board – Council Member Taylor gave no report. b. Koski – (i) Planning & Zoning Commission – Council Member Koski gave no report. (ii) Fire Steering Committee – Council Member Koski gave no report. c. Sweeney - (i) Fire Steering Committee – Council Member Sweeney gave no report. (ii) Parks & Recreation Committee – Council Member Sweeney stated that he was unable to attend the meeting as he was preparing the Centerville Lions Concession Trailer for the Hugo Good Neighbor Days. (i) Fire Protection Council – Council Member Sweeney gave no report. d. Mosher – (i) Economic Development Authority – Council Member Mosher gave no report. (ii) Police Governing Board – Council Member Mosher gave no report. e. Love – Mayor Love stated that he recently had the opportunity to visit both Centerville Elementary & Middle School to present Fete des Lacs Logo Contest winners their awards. He stated that it is always nice to feel the energy of the kids and they think the mayor is special when he is not. He stated that the principal informed him that the Elementary school winner was the daughter of our Boutique owner. He reported that the recent Veterans Breakfast was a great event, and it was well attended. He stated that he thought he met all of them. He thanked the Planning & Zoning Commission for the couple of long hard meetings. He also wanted to thank the EDA for the beautiful flowerpots positioned in the downtown area. He stated that he has had several compliments on them. (i) North Metro Telecommunications Commission – Mayor Love stated that there was a scheduled meeting for the following evening. (ii) Police Governing Board – Mayor Love gave no report. (iii) Other Mayoral Reports – Mayor Love gave no report. XI. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Taylor, seconded by Council Member Sweeney to Adjourn the Council Meeting of June 12, 2024, at 7:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted by City Clerk, Teresa Bender. Page 7 of 7