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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-03-11-CC CITY OF CENTERVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 10, 2004 6:30 p.m. Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City of Centerville held their regularly scheduled meeting on March 10, 2004, at City Hall, 1880 Main Street. PRESENT: Mayor Terry Sweeney Council Member Lee Council Member Paar Council Member Broussard Vickers Council Member Capra ABSENT: None STAFF: City Administrator, Ms. Moore-Sykes City Attorney, Mr. Hoeft City Engineer, Mr. Peterson I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Sweeney called the March 10, 2004, City Council meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. II. SET AGENDA Mayor Sweeney added Mr. Growe under Appearances, discussion of police building and discussion of Council Chambers update under Announcements to the agenda. Council Member Capra requested that an update on the assessment policy be added under Announcements and under Old Business the St. Paul Water Works Property. She then said that she would like to remove Item 6 from the Consent Agenda for discussion. Ms. Moore-Sykes requested that the request from the Brain Injury Institute for the use of City equipment be added to the agenda. Council Member Lee requested that Item 3 be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion. Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Paar to approve the agenda as amended. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Page 1 of 12 III. APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MINUTES 1.February 25, 2004 City Council Meeting Minutes Mayor Sweeney requested the following changes: On Page 10, fourth paragraph take out “every year”. On Page 13 indicate that it is animal license renewals. On Page 13 at the bottom insert “cable” before building. Motion by Council Member Lee, seconded by Council Member Broussard Vickers to approve the February 25, 2004 City Council Meeting Minutes as amended. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 2. January 29, 2004 Resident Input 2004 Street Project Meeting Minutes Council Member Broussard Vickers requested the following changes: Broussard Vickers th page 5 of 9, 7 paragraph down second sentence stated that the reconstruction of roads were rather than where and last sentence stated that there will be many projects. Last sentence indicating 6,000 to 7,000 is or has been allowable. Page 7 of 9, bottom paragraph last sentence stated that snowmobiles are not prohibited on city streets. Page 8 of 9 second paragraph second sentence stated that main street may get municipal services when the road is widened. Motion by Council Member Capra, seconded by Council Member Lee to approve the January 29, 2004 Resident Input 2004 Street Project Meeting Minutes as amended. All in favor. Mayor Sweeney abstained from voting. Motion carried. IV. CONSENT AGENDA 1.The City of Centerville February 26, 2004 through March 10, 2004 Claims for Approval 2.Centennial Fire District Claims 3.Satisfactory Performance Evaluation of the Public Works Maintenance Worker, Building Inspector/Public Works Technician (Mr. Joel McPherson) 4.Valley Creek Lawn & Landscape, Inc. – Annual Contract 5.Parks and Recreation Committee Recommendation – Centennial Little League’s Use of Ballfields and Supplement YMCA Summer Program $300.00 6.Parks and Recreation Committee Recommendation – Letter Commencing Discussions with St. Genevieve Church Regarding Trailways 7.Centerville Lions, Fete des Lacs – Request for Funds Donated by the City ($15,000) Council Member Lee requested that Item 3 be removed for discussion. Council Member Capra requested that Item 6 be removed for discussion. Page 2 of 12 Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve Consent Agenda Items 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 as presented. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Council Member Capra discussed the proposal with Mr. LeBlanc and indicated she had no issue with requesting the trail but said she is not sure the City can require it. Mayor Sweeney asked that Parks and Recreation Committee be aware of the location of the County easements when planning the location for the trailway. Council Member Broussard Vickers asked Staff to contact Chauncey Barett Gardens about the trail. Motion by Council Member Lee, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve sending the letter to St. Genevieve. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Council Member Lee indicated that at the time that the City Clerk’s review was considered by Council there were no review notes and there are no notes for this review either. Council Member Broussard Vickers indicated that Council has never been involved in the day to day administration and has always taken the recommendation of the employee’s supervisor. She then asked why Mr. Lee was interested in seeing the actual review. Council Member Lee indicated that he would like to see the detail substantiating the recommendation for a bump in pay. Council Member Capra commented that an overview memorandum from the City Administrator would suffice for her purposes. She then asked whether Council usually sets goals and objectives for Staff. City Attorney Hoeft indicated that Council is entitled to meet with the City Administrator to review documents but cautioned against disseminating any information at a Council meeting because that would become public information. Council Member Capra asked that Staff send a reminder notice that a review is coming up to allow Council Members time to come to the office to review the documentation. Council Member Lee indicated that this employee’s job description recently changed and that should be reflected in the review. Council Member Capra asked whether the personnel policy had been changed. Page 3 of 12 Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that Staff is in the process of updating it. Motion by Council Member Lee, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve the performance evaluation for Mr. McPherson. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. V. AWARDS/PRESENTATIONS/APPEARANCES 1. Mr. John Dahl, Emerald Custom Homes, Overweight Permit Request Mr. Dahl requested an overweight permit for sheetrock and cement trucks for a home he is building on 7334 Brian Drive. Council asked for advice from City Engineer Peterson and he recommended not approving an overweight permit because that section of Brian Drive is brand new and in very good condition. Council advised Mr. Dahl that an overweight permit would not be issued based on the recommendation of the City’s Engineer. 2. Mr. George Eilertson, Northland Securities – Official Depository 04-017 and Awarding Sale of $780,000 GO Temporary Improvement Bonds – Hunters Crossing 04-016 Mr. Eilertson addressed Council and asked that they consider a Resolution designating Northland Securities as a possible depository to allow the City to take advantage of some investment opportunities they would be able to provide throughout the year. Council asked Staff to prepare further information on the available investments and decided to hold off on approval of the Resolution presented. Mr. Eilertson briefly reviewed the bids received and recommended Council approval of Resolution 04-016 with the low bidder being United Banker’s Bank. Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve Resolution #04-016 approving the sale of $780,000 G.O. Temporary Improvement Bonds with the low bidder being United Banker’s Bank. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 3.Mr. John Roloff, 1742 Ojibway – Toilet Tank Size and Water Conservation Mr. Roloff addressed Council and indicated that he is upset with the new low flush toilet requirements because it is causing issues with being able to flush the toilet and adequately move solids through the system. He also expressed concern that, over time, without enough water the sewer pipes clog and require costly repairs and/or replacement. Page 4 of 12 Council thanked Mr. Roloff for bringing his concerns to their attention. Mr. Roloff told Council he intends to bring this matter all the way to the state in an attempt to get them to change the rules because the rules are not working. 4. Mr. Growe Concern About Level II Sex Offender Moving to Neighborhood Mr. Growe addressed Council and indicated that they were made aware that a level II sex offender had moved to their neighborhood and they were very concerned because the house he moved to is very close to a commercial daycare and there are 16 children living on the block he moved to not to mention the more than 30 children in the larger neighborhood. He then asked Council if there is a way that information can be forwarded to residents when a level II sex offender is moving in because the only state requirements for notification are for daycares and schools. Council discussed the matter and City Attorney Hoeft indicated that the information obtained from the state can be disseminated provided that the City does not editorialize and uses only facts for the notification. Mr. Growe asked Council to consider writing a letter to this persons probation officer to inform them of the close proximity to the daycare and school and telling them that the City and its residents are concerned about him being located here. Council Member Capra thanked the neighborhood for its diligence in following up on this situation. Motion by Council Member Capra, seconded by Council Member Lee to direct Staff to send a letter to this individual’s probation officer to inform them of the close proximity of the commercial daycare facility to the address he is proposed to be living at. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. VII. NEW BUSINESS 1.Resolution #04-015 Accepting Bid for 500,000 Gallon Water Tower Mr. Peterson reviewed the bids for the water tower project with Council. He then indicated that the composite tower costs came out to be $82,000 higher than the spheroid tower that he is recommending and noted that the City would never recover the initial outlay even if the maintenance costs were slightly lower over time. Council discussed the different options and determined that the higher costs of the composite tower were not in the best interest of the City. Page 5 of 12 Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve Resolution 04-015, accepting bid for 500,000 gallon water tower from McGuire Iron, Inc., for the steel spheroid pedestal construction based on the recommendation of the City Engineer. Mr. Peterson indicated that the telemetry system would be a separate cost not included in this bid. VOTE: All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 2.Commercial/Industrial Park Dedication Fees Council Member Lee indicated that he has found out that other communities charge commercial/industrial park dedication fees and he would like this City to look into doing so. City Attorney Hoeft recommended that the City be cautious in how the fees are applied and consider that a commercial/industrial use has a different impact to the park system than a residential use does. Council asked Staff to do some research on what similar communities are doing and provide that for consideration. 3. Brain Injury Institute Request for Use of Equipment Doug Knollmaier addressed Council and indicated that he is with Rad Racing and he works in conjunction with the Brain Injury Institute and they are putting on a safety demonstration at the Mall of America on April 17, 2004 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to encourage the use of helmets in kids. Mr. Knollmaier asked Council for permission to use some of the equipment from the skate park for the demonstration on that day and said that they would transport it, provide the necessary insurance for the Mall and return the equipment to the City. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that she received information from the Brain Injury Institute that boys ages 10 to 16 suffer brain injuries in large numbers and they would like to promote the use of helmets in an attempt to reduce the number of injuries. Mr. Palzer indicated that he would have no issue accommodating them. Motion by Council Member Capra, seconded by Council Member Lee to approve the use of the skate park equipment as requested by the Brain Injury Institute on April 17, 2004 at the Mall of America for Extreme Safety Fest 2004. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Page 6 of 12 Council asked that the equipment be picked up during business hours to avoid overtime costs. IX. OLD BUSINESS 1. Mr. Dennis Shudy – Cedar Street Park City Attorney Hoeft indicated that he reviewed and revised the Purchase Agreement. Motion by Council Member Capra, seconded by Council Member Broussard Vickers to approve the purchase agreement and authorize the Mayor to sign on behalf of the City. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 2. Mr. Peter (Clay) Alcock, 1806 Main Street (Mill Road Extension Vacation) Mr. Alcock indicated that he would like to have Council vacate the Mill Road extension since it does not appear that the road will be extended. Mr. Cordell, Mr. Alcock’s brother-in-law, indicated that due to Mr. Alcock’s physical disabilities he and his wife assist him with a lot of things around his home and property. He then said that there has been an ongoing dispute between Mr. Alcock and his neighbor concerning this piece of land and having the City vacate the property will hopefully resolve the issue. City Attorney Hoeft indicated that, if the City determines it does not need the property for a public purpose and Council agrees, a public hearing on the vacation can be set. Mr. Palzer indicated that there are no utilities in the area and the City does not need the property. City Attorney Hoeft clarified that all the City will do is vacate that property and it is by operation of law as to how the property is divided and that is a private matter between the parties. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that it appears that the property abuts waters of the state so a 30 day notification to the DNR is required. Mr. Alcock’s attorney presented a survey map and Mr. Hoeft determined that no notification to the DNR was required. Council asked Staff to set a public hearing for the first meeting in April. 3. Fee Schedule 04-007 Ms. Moore-Sykes reviewed the changes made to the fee schedule and indicated the five (5%) percent increase for Staff time had been added as requested. Page 7 of 12 Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Paar to approve Resolution 04-007 as presented. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. 4. Center Street Sidewalks Mr. Peterson indicated that he reviewed the request to add sidewalks to Center Street and said that doing so would be very difficult and his estimate of costs would be around $50,000. He then told Council that there are at least seven mature trees that would have to be removed in order to put in the sidewalk. Mr. Peterson estimated an additional $400 to $500 per assessment to add the sidewalk to the project. Council asked that it be shown as an alternate for consideration. Council Member Capra expressed concern that the residents were not aware that a sidewalk was proposed for Center Street when they received their public hearing notices. City Attorney Hoeft indicated that the sidewalk proposal was discussed at the public hearing so notice requirements have been met. Council Member Lee commented that Center Street is a collector street and it is policy to put sidewalks on collector streets. 5. St. Paul Water Property Council Member Lee indicated that Parks and Recreation was upset because Council decided not to purchase the property and did not even involve them in the discussion. He then said that they feel that existing and future park dedication fees could cover the purchase of the property for a park for the City. Mayor Sweeney indicated that Parks and Recreation has been interested in adding a fishing pier for residents for a number of years. Council Member Broussard Vickers suggested that Staff contact St. Paul Water Works and suggest that they lower their price and not remove the pipe under the property and find out what that price would be for consideration. Motion by Council Member Capra, seconded by Council Member Lee to direct a letter to St. Paul Water Works to indicate that the City has changed its mind and may be interested in purchasing the property and to ask about a reduced price if the pipe is not removed. Ayes – 4, Nays – 1(Broussard Vickers). Motion carried. Council asked Staff to research the parcel to determine whether there are two and what the prices are as well as whether Lino Lakes would be interested in a joint venture for a park. Page 8 of 12 X. ANNOUNCEMENTS/UPDATES Mr. Palzer addressed Council and asked for consideration of the annual Chemlawn contract indicating that they have agreed to keep their prices the same as in 2003. Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Capra to approve the Chemlawn contract as recommended by the Public Works Director. Ayes – 4, Nays – 0. Motion carried. Council Member Paar abstained from voting on this matter. Council Member Broussard Vickers asked that Staff obtain the insurance information as for Valley Creek before signing the contract. Mr. Palzer reviewed the truck replacement recommendation with Council indicating that he looked into pricing through the state contract as well as what he could get out on the open market and he found that the state contract is 20% less expensive than the open market. Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Paar to approve the purchase of three new City trucks as recommended by the Public Works Director and sell the existing three trucks based on the information provided in the March 10, 2004 memorandum. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Paar to approve the purchase of a Versavac Hydro Excavation Unit as recommended by Staff. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Palzer informed Council that the Vulnerability Assessment Report from FEMA is private and not for dissemination to the public. Council Member Capra asked why the security portion of the new card reader access at City Hall is not yet working. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that as a cost saving measure the City decided to use the Lino Lakes Police Department to put photograph identification pictures on the reader cards to make it a photo ID and a security card but there have been issues with the paint adhering to the card that are in the process of being resolved. Council asked that if the issue has not been resolved by May 1, 2004 the photo ID part of the program be dropped and the security cards be up and running. Council Member Lee asked whether the new public works employee has been hired. Page 9 of 12 Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that the posting was finished and sent to the newspaper today. Council Member Lee asked why it took three months to prepare a posting. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that Staff searched for a job description in the files and on the computer but was unable to find one. She then said that a new job description had to be created for the position and that took time. She also said that she has had many other items requiring her attention during the same time period. Council Member Capra commented that she felt it took too long to come up with a job description for a public works worker. She then asked what the requirements are and suggested that it should not have taken as long as it did. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that an entirely new job description had to be created and she and Mr. Palzer worked on that along with their other duties and it was finalized today. Council Members Capra and Lee indicated that they did not feel the timeframe was acceptable and Council Member Lee said he feels that the posting was critical to make sure the City was full staffed for spring sweeping. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that the posting closes on March 24, 2004 and it takes, on average, approximately 6 weeks for the hiring process. Council Member Capra indicated that she would like to request an executive session at the end of this meeting to discuss the performance of the City Administrator. Council Member Broussard Vickers indicated that Council has always relied on the prioritization of the Administrator and, if Council is now questioning that, a work session should be scheduled to discuss it. Council Member Lee indicated he wanted to have an executive session tonight. Council Members Broussard Vickers and Paar indicated that it would not be fair to Ms. Moore-Sykes to call an executive session without allowing time for her to gather information in her defense. Mayor Sweeney agreed and asked Staff to add an executive session to the next Council Meeting agenda. Mayor Sweeney indicated that the police governing board is interested in a possible purchase of the KCI building for the police building and more information will be made available on that building in the future. Council discussed the possibility of purchasing the KCI building and agreed to remain open to the possibilities. Page 10 of 12 Mayor Sweeney indicated that he would like Council to consider a redesign of Council Chambers. Council discussed it and the possibility that if the KCI building is purchased it may be possible to relocate City Hall to that building rather than expanding the existing City Hall. Council agreed to consider other configurations for the room and hold off on other discussions until the police building situation has been decided. Council Member Capra indicated she had contacted the Finance Director to discuss the assessment policy and found out that the City Clerk is involved as well. She then said that she does not feel it is appropriate for the Clerk to be involved in this project and she would like only the Finance Director and City Administrator working on it. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated she was not aware that the clerk was working on it and said she and the Finance Director will handle things from this point forward. Council Member Capra asked for an update on the bus stop situation. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that the Lorenz people are working on it and she has no further information. Council Member Paar asked for an update on Welsh Companies. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that they are a company from Forest Lake that is interested in two parcels in the industrial park. One parcel is in Lino Lakes, one in Centerville and they are also looking at a parcel in Hugo. She then indicated that they are looking at an 88,000 square foot building. Council Member Paar indicated that he would like to look into the pond that was to be dredged by Rice Creek. Ms. Moore-Sykes indicated that it cannot be done this season and then said that she never heard from Ms. Wirth with regard to who she spoke to at Rice Creek. Mr. Palzer indicated that he spoke to the inspector for Rice Creek and was told that the pond has a very small amount of sediment but, since it was overbuilt there is no concern and they feel it does not need to be dredged. He also indicated that they are holding escrow funds that may be available to the City for dredging. Council Member Broussard Vickers asked that Staff send a letter to the Association telling them what was found out from Rice Creek and to look into whether the City should dredge it. Page 11 of 12 Council Member Capra asked that the SWPPP and the surface water management plan be added to a work session agenda. Council Member Paar indicated that he would like to look at dredging the pond if it was supposed to be dredged as part of the development agreement. Mr. Palzer indicated that not more than two to five yards of material should come out and that is very minor compared to the other ponds in the City. XI ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Broussard Vickers, seconded by Council Member Lee to adjourn the March 8, 2004 City Council Meeting at 9:45 p.m. All in favor. Motion carried unanimously. Transcribed by: Joan Lenzmeier, Recording Secretary TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. Page 12 of 12