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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 04-20 CC MinutesCity of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes April 20, 2021 1 | Page City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting – April 20, 2021 Meeting Minutes Mayor Artrig-Swomley called the virtual meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Amlee, Cacioppo, Lindner and Johnson were present. Also present: City Treasurer Tom Kelly, Planning and Zoning Tom Riedesel, City Attorney Patrick Kelly, City Engineer Justin Gese, Planning Commission members Don Cummings, Stephanie Farrell, Joshua Patrick, HOA Board President Sharon Roland, HOA Board Treasurer Andrew Frederick, Resident Paul Emeott and one call-in not identified. April 20, 2021, Agenda A motion was made by Councilmember Cacioppo, seconded by Councilmember Lindner to approve the agenda. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, agenda approved. Minutes A motion was made by Councilmember Cacioppo, seconded by Councilmember Amlee to approve the March 16, 2021, City Council minutes. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, minutes approved. A motion was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to approve the April 6, 2021, Planning Commission minutes. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, minutes approved. Committee Reports – Planning Commission Acting Planning Commission Chairman Cummings gave an overview of the Planning Commission meeting on April 6, 2021. The Commission discussed the current Home Occupation Ordinance where Riedesel read off the Home Occupation Regulation Ordinances from surrounding cities. After discussion Riedesel felt that Gem Lakes ordinance was good but could possibly have some slight changes made. Cummings asked Riedesel to write suggested new language tightening up the ordinance. The changes will be addressed at the May 4, 2021 Planning Commission meeting. Old Business Mayor Artig-Swomley asked the councilmembers for ideas for the future newsletter. Next issue, emergency public works management, deer hunting workshop, introduce new Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence, food shelf, transitioning to live meetings, notary offering. Lindner suggested a water related piece. Public Hearing – None New Business  Gem Lake Infrastructure Issues Hoffman Road Update – Justin Gese, City Engineer Mr. Gese discussed the bid received, stating that the proposal recommends Molnau Trucking LLC for a total cost of $89,807.50 and recommended passing Resolution 2021-004 to accept the bid. Mayor Artig- Swomley inquired on the start date of the project, Mr. Gese responded that they would like to start as soon as possible, but it is dependent on the contractor. Councilmember Amlee asked if this is a contractor that we have used in the past and Mr. Gese responded that this is a new contractor for the City of Gem Lake. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes April 20, 2021 2 | Page Approval of Resolution 2021-004 Acceptance of Hoffman Road Construction Bids A motion to approve the acceptance of the Hoffman Road construction bids was made by Councilmember Cacioppo, seconded by Councilmember Lindner. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes. Approval of Resolution 2021-004 Acceptance of Hoffman Road construction bids approved. Gem Lake Villas Update – Justin Gese, City Engineer Mr. Gese reports that is has been wet in the area so they are holding off for now on remaining items on final checklist, such as planting of several trees. Emergency Public Works Services Agreement Council discussed the agreement that was reached with the White Bear Township that they will address emergency requests by the City that will assist the City in providing a response in areas that involve public health, safety, and welfare of the City’s infrastructure. A motion was made by Councilmember Lindner to accept the agreement, seconded by Councilmember Johnson. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, Emergency Public Works Services Agreement approved. Tree Trust Report Councilmember Cacioppo gave an overview of the Tree Trust stating that Water Gremlin is required to spend money to plant trees in public space in Gem Lake and surrounding cities. Gem Lake does not have a lot of public land and the plan that was sent over had trees being planted where trees already are and on utility easements. The plan is being sent back to be revised. Councilmember Cacioppo will keep us updated. Heritage Hall Electrical issue Councilmember Linder received a bid letter from NEI Electric containing two options. Option 1 included LED retrofit lighting base bid for $2,095.00 and Option 2 included LED retrofit lighting and switching repair base bid for $2,864.00. Councilmember Lindner recommended option 2 and fixing everything at once and reminded the council that this would be a shared expense with White Bear Township. A motion to accept the option 2 bid price was made by Councilmember Linder, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, contract for Option 2 will be sent to NEI Electric with the required deposit Parking Lot Issue Council discussed the proposal for the removal of the speed bumps at Heritage Hall. The cost for removal will be $443.72 which includes the milling of the speed bumps only or $812.58 which includes asphalt patching if needed. Mayor Artig-Swomley asked if there were any objections to this proposal. A motion to approve the removal of the speed bumps at Heritage Hall was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, White Bear Township Public Works will be informed of the approval. Items Needed for City Hall Mayor Artig-Swomley presented the council with a shopping list of items that are needed to improve the appearance and create a more welcoming environment for the employee and community. The items were not to exceed $500.00 and included things such as a new mini fridge, a coffee maker, etc. Mayor Artig- Swomley asked for donations of suitable wall art. A motion to approve the additional items needed at Heritage Hall was made by Councilmember Cacioppo, seconded by Councilmember Lindner. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, additional items needed for Heritage Hall approved. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes April 20, 2021 3 | Page  Internal Management Update City Clerk Staff Training Progress Report Mayor Artig-Swomley discussed the training the new City Clerk received during her first week, three days were spent with the former City Clerk, White Bear Township have been very helpful in continuing to train the new City Clerk Melissa Lawrence. Mayor Artig-Swomley feels progress has been excellent and is spending as much time with her as possible for training purposes. Minnesota Clerk Certification Mayor Artig-Swomley discussed the Clerk Certification and noted that there was virtual training that would be coming up starting May 3-7. It was discussed that Melissa Lawrence would enroll in the Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association of Minnesota (MCFOA) and become and member and enroll in training opportunities. A fee of $45.00 was mentioned for membership Notary Certification Mayor Artig-Swomley presented the Council with a proposal to have Melissa Lawrence certify to become a notary. Council discussed the benefits of having Melissa Lawrence become a Notary for the City of Gem Lake and that free services could be offered to residents of Gem Lake and a $5.00 fee be charged to non-residents. The council discussed the costs of becoming a Notary, $254.00 for the package and $120.00 for the application fee. A motion to approve the City Clerk become a notary was made by Cacioppo, seconded by Amlee. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, City Clerk to begin the process of becoming a Notary approved. Approval of Employee Manual Council discussed the approval of the final draft of the Employee Manual. City Clerk Melissa Lawrence will format the manual and create the Acknowledgement of Receipt form. A motion to approve the Employee Manual was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, final draft of the employee manual to be completed. Procedure Manual Council discussed the need for a procedure manual. City Clerk Melissa Lawrence will start to put together a procedure manual in the case that she is unable to work that someone else has the ability to fill in when needed. Community Outreach to Other Cities and Government Bodies Mayor Artig-Swomley discussed with the Council that the City of Gem Lake has begun bridge building with the City of Vadnais Heights, The Ramsey County Sheriffs Department, White Bear Township, and the Ramsey County Election Board. Transition to Live Meetings – When and How Council discussed moving back to in-person meetings starting with the May City Council Meeting. The topic of offering a call-in option for those uncomfortable in coming to in person meetings was discussed and is being considered for the next City Council Meeting. A motion to move back to in person meetings starting with the May City Council Meeting was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, City Council will transition to in-person meetings starting May 18, 2021. City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes April 20, 2021 4 | Page Purchasing Policy Council discussed a drafted purchasing policy for the City of Gem Lake for items less than $500.00, such as office supplies and equipment. A motion to approve the policy was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Johnson. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, City Council approves the purchasing policy. Rush Line Committee Representative Councilmember Amlee volunteered to be our representative. CUP Escrow Fee Discussion – Tom Riedesel Council discussed the escrow fees associated with the CUP Permit and Variance permit. It was decided that the City of Gem Lake will drop the escrow fees associated with those permits. A motion to approve the removal of the escrow fees was made by Councilmember Cacioppo, seconded by Councilmember Amlee. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, the City of Gem Lake will remove the escrow fees associated with the CUP and Variance permits. Claims A motion to approve the claims for the month was made by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Johnson. Voice vote taken, all voted yes, motion passes, monthly claims approved. Monthly Financial Reports Approved Presentations from the Public Resident Paul Emeott stated that he was eager to see what SHE Engineering will propose to do about excess water running down Scheuneman Road. Councilmembers Councilmember Amlee brought up a concern form Resident Lorraine Birkeland that they Hy-Vee lot is creating a lot of dust and creating the need for her windows to be washed weekly. She is wanting us to see if there is anything that we can do to fix the issue. Councilmember Lindner will reach out to the MPCA to see if Hy-Vee is in violation. City Attorney Mr. Kelly asked Me. Gese to send a letter to Mayor Artig- Swomley to get to Councilmember Lindner. Next Meetings/Workshop City Council, Tuesday May 18, 2021 live meeting, Workshop, Monday May 10, 2021 virtual meeting. Adjournment Being there no further business, following a motion from Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Johnson, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Lawrence