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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-18-06 May 18, 2006 Page 1 of 9 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, May 18, 2006 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Richard Carlbom. Councilors AI Rassier, Ross Rieke, Renee Symanietz, Dale Wick. Administrator Judy Weyrens. City Representatives Present: City Engineer Joe Bettendorf, City Attorney Sarah Smith-Larkin, City Building Official Ron Wasmund, Police Chief Pete Jansky, Officer Dan Maagard Others Present: Monte Eastvold, Phil Welter, Brian Shorten, Mary Karlsson, Maren Oren, Richard Schwegel, Tom Stock, Sandy Scholz, Frank Osendorf Approve Aaenda: Wick made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes: 3c Remove the La Playette from the list of liquor licenses to be approved. Roofing - Sewer Plant Mapping Request from the Chamber Add 17b Add 17c The motion was seconded by Rassier and passed unanimously. Consent Aaenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the consent agenda as following with the proper changes made to the minutes of April 20, 2006. a. Minutes - Approve the minutes of April 6 & 20, May 4,9,15, 2006. b. Bills Payable - Approve check numbers 037240-037319. c. Liquor Licenses - Approve the annual liquor licenses to include On-Sale Intoxicating, Off-Sale Intoxicating, Wine and Club Licenses. d. Assessor Agreement - Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute an agreement for Assessor Services between the City of St. Joseph and Stearns County. e. St. Wendel Fire Contract - Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute the agreement between the City of St. Joseph and St. Wendel Township for fire protection. f. Reserve Officers - Authorize the Police Chief to add five additional reserve officers. g. Safe & Sober Program - Authorize the Mayor and City Administrator to execute a resolution for the Police Department to participate in the Safe and Sober program for year 2006-2007. h. Drug/Gang Task Force Agreement - Authorize the execution of the Drug and Gang Task Force Inter-Agency Agreement between participating entities and the Central MN Major Crime Investigation Unit. i. Outdoor Permit - Authorize the execution of the resolution approving the outdoor event for the St. Joseph Parish 4th of July Celebration. The motion was seconded by Rassier and passed unanimously. Public Comments to the Aaenda: No one present wished to speak. May 18, 2006 Page 2 of 9 Oath of Office: Chief Jansky approached the Council to introduce Dan Maagard as the new full- time police officer. He stated that it was a long search, but is confident Magaard will not only fit in with the department but the Community as well. Rassier made a motion to approve the hiring of Dan Maagard as a Police Officer for the City of St. Joseph. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Weyrens administered the Oath of Office to Maagard. 2006 Street Improvement Proiect Bond Sale: Monte Eastvold approached the Council with the results of the bids for the 2006 Street Improvement Project Bond Sale. He stated that they received the following three bids: Piper Jaffray Cronin & Co, Inc Wells Fargo Brokerage Services 4.3145% 4.3186% 4.323% Eastvold explained that the revenue source for the bond issues a combination of Water and Sewer Revenues, Special Assessment Income and Tax Levies. Rassier made a motion to execute the resolution authorizing the bond sale to Piper Jaffray. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. St. Joseph Action Group: Phil Welter approached the Council representing the St. Joseph Action Group. He stated that they are presenting the Council with the 2nd of 5 petitions opposing the Field Street Corridor. Thus far, they have 345 signatures of citizens opposed to the project. The remaining three petitions will be submitted as they are completed. Rental Housina Update: Ron Wasmund, Building Official, presented the Council with an update on the Rental Housing Program. Wasmond stated that his office in conjunction with the City staff is in the process of mailing the rental license renewal applications. In 2005, 130 rental licenses were issued for 419 dwelling units. The inspection process included 385 hours of inspection and office work. According to Wasmund, there was a significant failure rate of 89%, which resulted in the need for re-inspections. Wasmund stated that, in the past, they only billed the city for inspection time rather than administrative time. The City was billed $17,750 for rental inspection services, however the revenue received only amounted to $11,870. For 2006, Wasmund stated that he hopes the process goes quicker. The process will remain the same and the owners will receive an inspection checklist that they can use as a guide to make sure that the property is in good condition before the inspection. Wasmund stated that this year the re-inspection fee will be implemented and that information will be included in the application material mailed to each applicant. Rassier stated that he would like to see a list of what types of items have resulted in the failure rate. Carlbom questioned if the rental inspector is the same as last year. Wasmond stated that Gary Utsch will be the inspector again. Carlbom stated it was his understanding that as Utsch is the Chair of the Planning Commission he would not be performing work for St. Joseph. Rassier stated it was his understanding that Utsch would continue to perform rental-housing inspections, but would not perform building inspection services. Weyrens clarified that Utsch steps down from his position as chair whenever an Interim Use Permit is considered. May 18, 2006 Page 3 of 9 SRF Update: Brian Shorten and Mary Karlsson were present at the meeting to give a Corridor Study Update. Shorten stated that focus group meetings have been held and the Corridor Advisory Committee (CAC) has also met. That committee consists of the following City representatives: . Renee Symanietz, City Council · Joe Bettendorf, City Engineer · Judy Weyrens, City Administrator · Dick Taufen, Public Works Director Corridor Vision and Design Criteria Shorten stated that study area for the easUwest North Corridor contains two components, the first the realignment of CR 2 to CR 75 and the second area continues North across CR 75 and then easUwest to Ridgewood Road. The first component is a County project and the proposed design includes the immediate construction of a two-lane rural road. Eventually the road would be expanded to a four-lane. With regard to the rural street section, Bettendorf stated that a rural design would allow the road to be constructed at a lower cost initially. As the road is expanded the design can merge into an urban street section. Rassier suggested that the initial construction include the construction of the outside lanes with the middle section added at a later time. Bettendorf stated that as this is a County Road, he could provide the County Engineer with the comments of the City Council. The second section of the street is North of CR 3, running east and west eventually connecting with Ridgewood Road in St. Cloud. Shorten stated that the road will have a design accommodating 45-55 mph traffic. In reviewing the design criteria, the CAC is recommending the street design include a four lane divided roadway with a center median. Due to the amount and speed of traffic, the CAC is also recommending the design include a separated 10' trail for pedestrian traffic. Weyrens stated that members of the Park Board are in attendance at this meeting to discuss preferences for trail location and if the Park Board has discussed trail location on the northern section of the City. Dale Wick, speaking on behalf of the Park Board stated that the Board agrees with a separate trail and encourages the same whenever possible. Shorten stated that a separate path is desirable when anticipated traffic includes high traffic volumes including truck traffic. Carlbom questioned whether the Park Board is focused on trails along major roads or simply within neighborhood communities to which Wick responded the Park Board plans trails City wide. The council reached a consensus that the bike trail should be separate from the roadway. Carlbom stated that he is concerned with the truck traffic in the City, as trucks will generally go where there is less traffic. If the traffic is heavy along CR 2, they will continue to go through the City. Wick questioned the differences between a rural and an urban roadway. Bettendorf replied that for a rural roadway requires additional ROW to allow the construction of ditches whereas urban streets include the additional cost for curb and gutter. Carlbom added that, in his opinion, it would not make sense to build a 2-land roadway in 2009 and then re-construct it to a 4-land roadway in 2015. According to Rassier, he would prefer to see a 4-land roadway, as it would look like a finished project. Based on the Council discussion, Carlbom asked Bettendorf to continue to meet with the County and bring forward the concerns of the Council. May 18, 2006 Page 4 of 9 Roundabout Intersection at CSAH 2/Minnesota Street Mary Karlsson, SRF, addressed the Council about the possibility of a roundabout at the intersection of CR 2 and Minnesota Street. She began by stating that roundabouts are a change and there are appropriate situations for their use and other situations that may not be appropriate. If a roundabout were to be used at the above stated intersection, a 2-lane roundabout would be required at full build-out. Potentially, there could be five roadways using that roundabout. They include: . Leaf Road . CSAH 2 . Minnesota Street . Field Street . 1-94 According to Karlsson, 2-lane roundabouts are less pedestrian friendly. There is also a conflict if using traffic signals near the roundabout. Karlsson stated that she needs the Council to determine which type of controlled intersection is desired for the City. According to Carlbom, he has no preference to which design is used; however he would like to see an intersection, which would allow for easy access to Minnesota Street. Rassier stated that he does not like the idea of a 2-land roundabout and that a 4-way intersection would be much more workable. Purpose and Need-Based Alternatives Evaluation Karlsson advised the Council that the CAC met and reviewed 11 different alternatives for the North Corridor and CSAH 2 Realignment. They include the following: . 4 alternatives - These alternatives would extend from existing CSAH 2/Minnesota Street to CSAH 75 and are being referred to as CSAH 2-South. . 4 alternatives - These alternatives would extend from CSAH 75 to existing CSAH 2 north of the City. These alternatives would link CSAH 2-South to the North Corridor and are referred to as CSAH 2-North. . 3 alternatives - These alternatives would extend east from CSAH 2-North to Rolling Ridge Road in St. Cloud and are being referred to as the North Corridor. Based on several discussions amongst the CAC and an evaluation of alternatives, the CAC is recommending that 5 of the alternatives be considered in the preliminary design phase. . CSAH 2-South (2 of 4) . CSAH 2-North (1 of 4) . North Corridor (2 of 3) Carlbom stated that he is concerned with the truck traffic. Wick questioned the connections with CR 2, 3, and 133 and whether or not they would need to realign CR 3 at CR 75. Karlsson stated that those details have not yet been discussed and will be reviewed during the design process. Carlbom questioned whether or not there has been any public input on these alternatives to which Shorten explained that they were all shown as possible alternatives at the focus group meetings and public input sessions. He also stated that the results of their technical evaluation were very similar to the recommendations based on citizen input. May 18, 2006 Page 5 of 9 The Council stated that they were in consensus for SRF to move forward with the design process based on the information that was provided. La Plavette Liauor Violation: On April 22, 2006, the La Playette received an alleged liquor violation for minors in the establishment after 9:00 PM. Initially, the owners requested an evidentiary hearing for the alleged violation and since that time they indicated that they did not want to continue with the evidentiary hearing, rather they wanted to discuss the fine. Rassier made a motion acknowledging that a liquor violation did occur on April 22, 2006. The acknowledgement is based on the fact that the owner has denied the request for an evidentiary hearing admitting that a violation did occur. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Weyrens stated that based on the established liquor matrix and the past 12-month history of the La Playette, they would have three aggravating factors resulting in a $1,000 fine and a 5-day suspension. Wick made a motion to follow the Liquor Matrix and impose a $1,000 fine and a 5-day suspension for the license held as Ace's Place d/b/a La Playette. The motion was seconded by Rassier. Maren Oren approached representing the owner/liquor license holder (Dave Aistrup) of the La Playette. She stated that Aistrup could not attend the meeting and she would be happy to answer any questions of the Council. Rassier Oren if she knew why Aistrup decided to drop the evidentiary hearing after all of the paperwork had been completed. Gren stated that she was unsure why it was dropped. Gren stated that on the evening of April 22, 2006 there was a bouncer at the back door; however he stepped away for a short time and upon his return he noticed that the door was open. He had locked the door before he stepped away. That same bouncer is the one who let the police enter the bar. Oren stated that signs are posted that state that no minors are allowed in the bar after 9:00 PM. Although the minors tested positive for alcohol consumption, the alcohol was not purchased in the La Playette. Sarah Smith-Larkin, representing the City Attorney, stated that this is not an evidentiary hearing, and thus anything that is said cannot be considered as a motion was already made stating that the violation did occur. Rieke questioned whether or not the City has incurred costs such as additional staff time or legal expenses, and whether the deposit required covers such expense. City Attorney Larkin stated that the City received a $500 deposit to cover those costs. Under the liquor matrix the clause for the evidentiary hearing states" The liquor license holder shall have the right to request an evidentiary hearing to contest an alleged violation. The request for hearing must be received by the City Administrator within 7 days of the alleged violation and the request must include a $500.00 deposit. In the event the evidentiary hearing finds in favor of the liquor license holder, the $500.00 deposit will be returned. "Weyrens stated that the intent of the deposit for the evidentiary hearing is to avoid having liquor license owners requesting the hearing and then dropping their request. Smith-Larkin clarified that the license suspension will begin on Friday, May 19 and reinstated May 24, 2006. The license is only reinstated upon submission of the fine imposed by the Council. May 18, 2006 Page 6 of 9 The motion passed unanimously. Symanietz questioned what would happen if another violation were to occur, as there are no more entries on the matrix. Smith-Larkin stated that the Council would need to review any further violations and determine sanctions based on the violation. St. Joseph Parish - FlaQ Reauest: Weyrens stated that the City has received a request from the St. Joseph Parish to display St. Joseph Parish flags during their sesquicentennial celebration. As the St. Joseph Legion displays the American Flag from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Weyrens requested the parish contact the Legion inquiring if they would be willing to share the use of the flag poles. The same situation arises with the College of St. Benedict as they also display CSB flags for certain events. St. Joseph parish representatives Richard Schwegel, Tom Stock and Sandy Scholz were present to speak on behalf of the parish. Scholtz presented a sample of what the flag and stated that she has contacted the St. Joseph American Legion and they agreed to removing 14 American Flags so the parish could use the flag poles. She further stated that it is the intent of the Parish to display the flags for the year of the celebration. Weyrens stated that the Parish must provide the city with a certificate of insurance granting indemnity and agree to repair any damage to the light poles as a result of the parish flags. Wick made a motion to authorize the St. Joseph Parish to display parish flags during their sesquicentennial celebration contingent upon submittal of the required insurance certificates. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Rassier urged the representatives from the parish to work with the College and the Legion to coordinate times when the flags can be displayed. St. Joseph Parish - Outdoor Event Update: Weyrens advised the Council and the representatives from the parish that the outdoor event was approved earlier in the meeting under the consent agenda. Scholz advised the Council that they provided the City with the insurance certificate as required. Weyrens stated that they would still need to work with the Stearns County Engineer, Mitch Anderson, to draft an agreement for the use of CR 121 since it is a County Road. Downtown Committee: Carlbom advised the Council that the Downtown Committee has been working on a revitalization project for the downtown for the past 12 months. The Committee recognizes that a revitalization project is not a short term project. In fact, they estimate the project will expand over a fifteen-year period. The goal of the committee is to develop a strategic plan to ensure that St. Joseph's unique character is preserved as the community grows. They want to keep the downtown area pedestrian friendly and create a downtown in which small businesses can thrive. Carlbom also stated that the Downtown Revitalization Plan would be posted on the City's Website in an effort to promote the plan. He also clarified that the project will be a community project. That is, once the project is started members of the Community would implement the plan. To manage the plan four work groups will be formed. The groups are as follows: 1. Urban Environment Group - To preserve the character of St. Joseph today and long- term. May 18, 2006 Page 7 of 9 2. Promotions Group - To promote the strategic plan and work with the local entities on city events. 3. Resource Development Group - To go for resources from private/public entities (grants, etc). 4. Organizational Group - To work with Civic and Community Leaders. At this point in the project, the committee has not asked the City for any money; however they may ask the City for some money for a market study at a later date. Overall, Carlbom stated that they plan to make downtown St. Joseph a destination area rather than an event area. He stated that there is unanimous support for the project from the EDA. Symanietz made a motion to approve the Downtown Revitalization Plan as presented. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. POLICE CHIEF REPORTS Quarterly Report: Chief Jansky approached the Council to give a brief overview of Police Department activity. Jansky stated that the department has seen activity increase over the past months. The following is a summary of calls for the first four months. January 164 calls February 141 calls March 188 calls April 270 calls Jansky stated that as it gets warmer outside, their department gets busier. He stated that the number of forgery and fraud related calls has increased as well as Internet fraud and theft. He stated that he would continue to provide the Council with a quarterly, semi-annual and annual report of their activity over a 3-year period. Jansky stated that the Council would be receiving the report in their council packets. Other Updates: · Dan Maagard ;s the new full-time officer. · They plan to have the new group of reserve officers on board by 4th of July. · Jansky stated they plan to start the search for sergeant internally within the next month. · They also plan to begin the search for a part-time officer very soon. · The new patrol cars are in and they have a new color scheme and new graphics. MAYOR REPORTS Ride-a-Iona Proaram: Carlbom reported that he rode with Chief Jansky on Friday night during senior farewell. He thought the officers handled themselves very well. He also thanked the Stearns County Sheriff's Department and Minnesota Highway Patrol for providing backup assistance. Neiahbors for School Excellence Committee: Carlbom stated that he attended a meeting at the School District Office. They are currently working on a flyer to help promote people to vote yes for the new school at the next election. The committee consists of several citizens as well as business leaders. May 18, 2006 Page 8 of 9 COUNCIL REPORTS SYMANIETZ Meetings: Symanietz reported that she attended the following meetings: . Corridor Advisory Committee for the North Corridor and CSAH 2 realignment. . Springsted meeting with the Council regarding the organizational structure. . Downtown Committee Meeting to discuss City Beautification. WICK Park Board: Wick stated that the Park Board would be present at the next Council meeting to share their plans for the Centennial Park Shelter Improvements and to present the 2006 Capital Improvement Plan. They have been working on getting plans and estimated costs from SEH. He also stated that the office staff has been working on a grant with Xcel Energy, which she stated is near completion. Wick also reported that they hope to hear the results of their grant application for Northland Park by the end of August. RASSIER - No Report RIEKE Downtown Committee: Rieke advised the Council that he has been actively involved with the Downtown Committee as well and he is very excited about the project. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS CloudNet Antenna Lease: Weyrens stated that currently Cloud Net is the Internet provider for the Maintenance Facility and they are looking to place an antenna at the Maintenance Shop. Jim Marthaler and Dick Taufen have looked at their equipment and they do not see a problem with renting space for their antenna. In return for allowing them space for their equipment, they will provide the Maintenance Facility with free service equivalent to $ 230/mo. Weyrens stated that the City Attorney has reviewed the agreement and minor changes have been requested. The changes have been presented to Cloud net and they are agreeable to the terms. Rieke questioned whether or not the City has a backup Internet service in the event of a disaster situation. Weyrens advised them that US Cable might be able to provide a service to combine all lines and have an off-site server as a backup unit. She stated that she is also working with US Cable to extend service to the Industrial Park so that businesses would have the availability of DSL service. Wick questioned what would happen if the City were to switch providers. Weyrens stated that the antenna could stay; however they would be required to compensate the City financially instead of by service. Rassier made a motion to table the execution of the Antenna Lease Agreement between the City of St. Joseph and Cloud net until the final agreement is ready for execution. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. May 18, 2006 Page 9 of 9 Wastewater Plant - RoofinQ Repair: Weyrens advised the Council that the roof at the Wastewater Plant is leaking and in need of repair. They have received 2 bids: · McDowell Company $8,488.00 · Granite City Roofing $9,645.00 Rassier made a motion to accept the bid from McDowell Company in the amount of $8,488.00 to repair the roof at the Wastewater Plant. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Newsleader - Map Reauest: Weyrens stated the St. Joseph Newsleader in cooperation with the St. Joseph Chamber is in the process of updating the Chamber Map. In the past a vendor from St. Paul prepared by map and that company cannot produce the map at this time. Therefore, the St. Joseph Newsleader has agreed to work on the project and is requesting a digital copy of the City map. Since the project is a community project the Chamber is requesting the City provide the digital map at no cost. As the digital map must be provided by SEH, Councilor questioned Bettendorf if the City will be charged a fee for the digital file. Bettendorf responded that SEH would provide the digital file at no charge. Wick made a motion to donate a digital copy of the City map to the St. Joseph Chamber for the purpose of updating the St. Joseph Chamber map. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: Weyrens stated that they plan to update the map annually. The maps will then be handed out to local businesses around town and will be free of charge. Ayes: Carlbom, Rassier, Symanietz, Wick Nays: None. Abstain: Rieke Motion Carried 4:0:1 Historical Society Update: Weyrens reported that Taufen has been working with the Historical Society on costs to repair and upgrade Old City Hall for use by the Historical Society. It is anticipated to present the information to the Council on June 1, 2006. UpcominQ MeetinQs: . May 23 . June 1 6:00 Transportation Issues 8:00 Joint Meeting with Township regarding Orderly Annexation Issues 5:30 Meadowvale Lawsuit OTHER MATTERS Pedestrian CrossinQ: Frank Osenforf approached the Council to state that the City should look into some type of pedestrian crossing to go over CR 75, as it is very dangerous for pedestrians to cross at any of the existing intersections. Adiourn: Wick made a motion to adjourn at 9:15; seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. /~\ / ,... , JUd~'~~;~ ..ll,,-Lliii~L/ Aflft1'lnistrator