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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-21-06 December 21, 2006 Page 1 of 4 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, December 21,2006 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Richard Carlbom, Councilors AI Rassier, Dale Wick, Ross Rieke, Renee Symanietz, City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives Present: City Engineer Tracy Ekola, City Attorney Tom Jovanovich Others Present: Ken Hiemenz, Mike McDonald, Margy Hughes, Sr. Thomasette, Sr. Maritrese Woida, Sr. Kara Hennes, Sr. Paula Revier, Bob & Ellen Wahlstrom, Gary Sneide Approve Aaenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes: Move 3(i) AFSCME Labor Contract - to be discussed prior to City Engineer Reports The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Consent Aaenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows: a. Bills Payable - Approve check numbers 038198 - 038241. b. Minutes - Approve the minutes of November 30 and December 7,2006 c. 2007 Budget - Approve Resolution 2006-046 Adopting the 2006 Tax Levy, Collectible in 2007. d. Ordinance Amendments - Clarify that the Amendments to the Ordinances 52.11, 52.21, 52.09,54,51,56,52.27,52.34,52.12,52.32,52.33,84 and 44 were approved on December 7,2006 and the same was to be published. e. Ordinance Amendments - Clarify that Resolutions 2006-040, 2006-041, 2006-042,2006- 043 and 2006-044 were approved on December 7,2006 authorizing that the amendments to Ordinances 52.11, 52.21, 52.09, 51 and 84 be published by summary publication. f. SCAWAC Report - Requested Action: Clarify that the City supports the St. Cloud Area Wastewater Treatment Facility - Facilities Plan Completed by Black & Veatch Corporation by City Council Resolution 2006-045 rather than 2006-050 as approved on December 7, 2006. g. Application for Payment - Authorize the Mayor to execute Pay Application #3 for the Centennial Park Pavilion Project and authorize payment to W. Gohman Construction in the amount of $22,874. h. Liability Insurance - Authorize the Administrator to execute the LMCIT Liability Coverage Waiver Form, verifying that the City does not waive the monetary limits on tort liability. i. Moved for discussion before City Engineer Reports. j. Data View On Line - Authorize execution of the contract between the City of St. Joseph and SEH for Data View On Line. k. Donation - Accept the donation of an AED from the Central MN Heart Center. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE AGENDA Margy Hughes, 128 Able Ct. E, approached the Council to speak in reference to the Transportation Plan that was presented earlier. She stated that she was selected as one of the citizen stakeholders. In her opinion, the process was very technical in nature and she did not feel as though she had enough opportunity for input. She added that although Field Street was included on the maps, she was not in favor of Field Street and felt that if Field Street is not approved, that road be classified as an East-West Collector rather than a Minor Arterial. Hughes also stated that more public input was needed during the process. December 21, 2006 Page 2 of 4 Hughes made reference to Page 36 Section 6.2.7 of the Transportation Plan which states: "The City of St. Joseph began collecting a portion of the St. Cloud Area Y:z-cent sales tax in 2006. This tax revenue can be used by the City for regional transportation projects, as well as other regional type projects within the City. Based on the regional requirement, the streets that are eligible for utilizing this method of financing include arterial and collectors streets." Hughes advised the Council that when the sales tax was voted on, citizens were asked what they would like the City to spend that money on. In her opinion the results indicated that roads were not the number one priority. She also added that St. Joseph is a low priority area for funding from MN Dot and questioned how the construction of future roads will be funded. Steve Frank, 606 Birch Street LV, approached the Council as well. He had two questions: 1. Transportation Plan - He clarified that there will be a formal public hearing before the Transportation Plan is adopted by the City. 2. Bills Payable - Frank questioned some bank fees as listed on the bills payable. Weyrens explained that when a check is returned for insufficient funds that check is then turned over to a collection agency and they collect the money as well in addition to the funds needed to cover the bank costs incurred by the City. She also stated that if a contract requests that payment be made electronically, a fee is charged, but that fee is charged back to the contractor. Michael McDonald, 213 - 13th Avenue SE, addressed the Council regarding the proposed Transportation Plan. McDonald stated that he too was a citizen stakeholder for the Transportation Plan and in his opinion, there was plenty of public input. McDonald clarified the difference between an opinion being included on the map and one that is not. He stated that one of his suggested roads did not make it in the Transportation Plan but that does not mean that he did not have the opportunity for input. He agreed that the process was very technical in nature and he stated that he did not understand all of the traffic modeling. He was hoping that the College and Monastery would have provided their future plans to the Stakeholders as their plans will have a huge impact on the City. Carlbom advised McDonald that the College is currently doing some master planning and it is anticipated that those plans will be shared with the Community. Rieke thanked all those who participated in the adoption of the Transportation plan include stakeholders and residents who attended the public input meetings. AFSCME Labor Contract: Weyrens reported that the negotiating committee met with the Union and a tentative deal was made prior to the results of the Springsted Study. Since then, the City has requested to amend the contract to add two more maintenance employees to work weekends. The Union has not approved the amended contract. Carlbom added that with the new Water Treatment Plant coming online in February or March, two of the current maintenance employees will be dedicating most of their time to learning how to run the new plant. With the possibility of snow in February and March, it is disappointing that the Union will not approve the hiring of the two new employees simply due to the weekend requirements. He also stated that there seems to be some confusion between the City and the Union as to the original contract. Rassier stated that the implementation of the Springsted Study was also addressed during the original contract negotiations. Tom Jovanovich, City Attorney, was also present. He stated that he was under the understanding that both the Springsted Study and the weekend maintenance employees were part of the original negotiations. Due to the fact that the contract was never negotiated to conclusion, it is unfair for the Union to claim Unfair Labor Practices as the Council must also approve the contract, rather than just the Union. He believes that the outstanding issue is that of the weekend maintenance employees and how that language should be added to the contract. Rassier stated that, on behalf of the negotiating committee, the negotiations are not completed. December 21, 2006 Page 3 of 4 Rassier made a motion to reject the contract as proposed by AFSCME. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. CITY ENGINEER REPORTS Water Treatment Plant: Recently, the Council was taken on a tour of the new Water Treatment Plant to see the current progress. The Plant is ahead of schedule and it is anticipated that they will begin making water in mid February. 2007 Jade Road Improvements: Ekola reported that when District 742 was reviewing land alternatives, the Council authorized the preparation of a feasibility report for two potential sites for the new school. Since then, a site has been chosen and the design process is coming closer to completion. At this point in the process, it is necessary to revise the scope and costs for the project to include the storm water pond located west of Jade Road, trunk water and sewer mains from College Avenue to the School and Trail improvements from Iverson Street to Jade Road. The developer is requesting that this project be done as part of a public improvement project rather than a private project. The costs would be paid for by the Developer and the School District. The Developer is aware of the financing requirements and that the same will be placed in the Development Agreement. Ekola stated that the Developer is requesting that the Council consider authorizing the Design Plans and Specifications in order to move up the bid date on the schedule. Weyrens stated that the Developer will sign a document stating that if the project is not approved, he would be responsible for those costs. It will be a similar process used for Lumber One. Symanietz made a motion to authorize SEH to prepare a revised Feasibility Report and the Design Plans and Specifications for the 2007 Jade Road Improvements. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. MAYOR REPORTS Mavors/Administrators Meetinq: Carlbom reported that he and Weyrens attended a meeting for the area Mayor and Administrators at which they discussed upcoming Legislative issues and LGA changes. He added that Sartell's City Administrator is going to prepare a document to be distributed to the area cities regarding the priorities for the legislative session for the St. Cloud Area. APO Executive Committee Meetinq: Carlbom stated that they discussed the ability to lobby Washington DC and Congress for the Sauk Rapids Bridge. Mavors Luncheon: Weyrens, Jansky and Carlbom met with the Deans of Students from St. Johns as well as the College of St. Benedict to discuss issues surrounding Senior Farewell. EDA Meetinq: Carlbom reported that he attended the last EDA meeting. School: Carlbom stated that he met with Weyrens and the School District to discuss the Storm Water Fees for the School Site. COUNCIL REPORTS SYMANIETZ - No Report WICK - No Report RASSIER - No Report RIEKE St. Cloud Area Economic Development Group: Rieke reported that he attended the St. Cloud Partnership Annual Meeting at which time they presented the year-end report. The meeting also included representatives from Artic Cat. December 21,2006 Page 4 of 4 EDA Meetina: Rieke stated that he was present for the final EDA meeting at which they did their end of year wrap up as well as began looking at their goals for 2007. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Sales Tax - Joint Powers Aareement: Recently, the City has been reviewing the Joint Powers Agreement for the % cent Sales Tax. Due to some vague wording in the agreement, the City is suggesting a proposal to St. Cloud in either Section 7.2 or 5.3 to state "once funds are distributed, they are the sole property of the Participants. Wick made a motion to authorize execution of the agreement by the end of the year with the proposed changes. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Proposed Liauor Ordinance Update: Weyrens advised the Council that the Meeting Grounds is requesting to begin selling wine and beer; however, based on the current Ordinance, they must pay half of the intoxicating liquor license fees. The current Ordinance also states that 70% of sales must come from food. Based on information provided by the City Attorney, coffee is not food. Therefore, if a wine license is issued, the Meeting Grounds must meet the food sale requirement. The attorney has prepared a proposed Ordinance change, but the City must first decide if they want to consider reducing the fees to make these items more readily available. This matter is information at this time and a final draft will be prepared for Council review when all outstanding issues are resolved. Outdoor Events: Weyrens stated that the City has received two requests for outdoor events to extend beyond the Ordinance ending time of 9:30 PM. The current Ordinance states that all Outdoor Events must be over by 9:30 PM and recently, there have been more and more requests for events to extend beyond that time. Most recently, the College has contacted the City regarding an outdoor event with approximately 5,000 people to last until 11 :00 PM. The Church of St. Joseph has also requested to hold the Bobby Vee Concert again this summer. According to Chief Jansky, if the City is going to keep making exceptions to the Ordinance, it may be better to change the Ordinance to allow for some outdoor events. Weyrens stated that there would need to be objective criteria set up as to when these events should be allowed. Rassier stated that if the Ordinance relating to outdoor events is changed, the noise ordinance would need to be amended as well. Wick stated that it is a balancing act as there are some events that are good for the City and others that are not. According to Carlbom, we need to make decisions which are in the best interest of the City. Jansky stated that, in the past, staff had been working with some establishments such as the Stonehouse for outdoor events. Weyrens stated that she would take the matter back to the staff to develop a proposed Ordinance Amendment for review at a later meeting. Colleae Coffee Shop: Carlbom questioned whether or not underage students can be in the Coffee Shop past 9 PM since they now have a full liquor license and are selling wine. Jansky stated that they can be there if they are accompanied by an of-age person and they are there for the purpose of eating. If not, they must be out by 9:00 PM. Jansky assured the Council that the College will be included in the alcohol compliance checks. SW Beltwav: Weyrens reported that the APO has received four proposals for the SW Beltway. Proposals were submitted by SRF, WSB, Ahres, and Edwards and Kelcey. A TAC group has been formed to review the proposals and each area city will have a representative. Adiourn: Symanietz made a motion to adjourn at; seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. ~ /L _,i.::.-(: ~.-:..;,/ ~ ,.. "" / A'ud~ Weyrefns /AdlJl'inistrator '-.-.,..... December 21, 2006 Page 1 of 3 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in special session on Thursday, December 21,2006 at 6:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Richard Carlbom. Councilors AI Rassier, Dale Wick, Ross Rieke, Renee Symanietz. City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives Present: City Engineers Tracy Ekola and Kate Minier. Others Present: Ken Hiemenz, Mike McDonald, Margy Hughes, Sr. Thomasette, Sr. Maritrese Woida, Sr. Kara Hennes, Sr. Paula Revier, Bob & Ellen Wahlstrom, Gary Sneide St. Joseph Transportation Plan: Carlbom stated that, over the past year, SEH has been working on a Transportation Plan for the City of St. Joseph. He stated that the plan will be officially delivered at this meeting, however it will not be adopted until a Public Hearing is held by the Planning Commission to include the Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The Council and Stakeholders were given a copy to review prior to being presented. The purpose of the Transportation Plan is to give the City a tool to use when planning future developments. Kate Minier, SEH, approached the Council to present the City's Transportation Plan. She stated that SEH began the process last year to provide the City with a tool to guide future development. Cities develop Transportation Plans to be proactive and guide development in the best interest of the City. If a City does not have a Transportation Plan, the City is forced to be reactionary, looking at only the current needs. This type of planning leads to fragmented roads or lack of collector streets. Miner commended the City for having the foresight to plan for the future. Miner stated that a Transportation Plan considers the full build-out of the City. She stated that the development of the Transportation Plan included the following items: · Public Meeting - Purpose: To give residents a brief overview of the project. · Stakeholder Group - Purpose: A Stakeholder group consisting of citizens, business representatives, City Staff, City Council and Planning Commission and other interested groups was put together to provide guidance throughout the process. Three stakeholder meetings were held at which stakeholders were asked to draw transportation routes on maps. Those maps were then put together for the draft plan that was presented. · Public Input Meeting - Purpose: To get input from residents and other interested persons. · Traffic Forecasting - Purpose: To look at future traffic amounts to help in determining how each roadway should be classified. Minier stated that they worked with the St. Cloud APO regional traffic forecasting model to include future land use. They also used work done during previous corridor studies. Minier added that the City also requested that trails be included in the Transportation Plan. As a result, she stated that they worked closely with the Park Board to include a future trail map as part of the plan. After holding multiple stakeholder meetings, public input meetings and meetings with the APO and the Park Board the Plan was developed. Part of the Transportation Plan includes a Recommendation Table. This table provides a right-of-way footprint for each future minor arterial and collector roadway within the City, again considering full build out. The purpose of this table is to provide a short and useable table for City Staff to use when looking at new developments within the City. Carlbom raised some questions regarding the possible Field Street Corridor and what impact that decision will have on the Transportation Plan. He stated that the design of College Avenue will change depending on the outcome of the Corridor Study. 1. Carlbom questioned the change in College Avenue as follows: · College Avenue from North Corridor to Field Street 2-3 lane · College Avenue from Field Street to east of Jade Road 4 lane December 21, 2006 Page 2 of 3 Minier explained that Field Street is the breaking point as the area north of Field Street leads to developed areas within the City and, based on traffic forecasts, there will be less than half of the amount of traffic extending from Field Street to east of Jade Road. 2. If Field Street does not actually get built, what happens to the traffic to the west of College Avenue? Minier stated that if Field Street does not happen, College Avenue would be classified as a collector road rather than a minor arterial roadway. She stated that the firm working on the Field Street Study will provide options as to where traffic will be directed if Field Street is not constructed and this can be reviewed again once that study is complete. There were some questions raised by Councilor Wick as well. 1. Wick questioned the access spacing guidelines as presented. He stated that the changes to the specifications in the 20/30 plan have not been reflected. Wick advised Minier that there were some changes made to the speed limits for different types of roadways. 2. There was also some disappointment regarding the changing of several streets from neighborhood streets to community collectors. These streets include: Iris, Elm, Ash, 2nd, 12th, Pond View, 3rd and 2nd Avenue NW. Ekola stated that these streets may not be widened as there are houses currently along most of these roadways. Minier added that it is hard to define a neighborhood road versus a community collector. Wick stated he is most concerned with 12'h Avenue as there are many driveways along 12'h. When people built those homes, it was a neighborhood street. Rassier stated that 12th Avenue is a difficult roadway in that it already has a stop light at the intersection of CR 75. Minier added that traffic volume will increase along 12th regardless of how it is classified because of where it is located. In the study, it is proposed that 12th become a future 3-lane road to provide for a middle turn lane. Wick stated his main concern with 12'h Avenue becoming a community collector is the increase in truck traffic. In his opinion, the City should design streets to go around neighborhood streets rather than through developments. Carlbom advised Wick that this is an issue that the City will need to deal with to create flow throughout the City. Minier added that if 12th Avenue is not extended, the City may look at this not being a truck route, but the City needs another North-South Collector within the City. Carlbom added that if Field Street is not approved, traffic will need to be re-directed somewhere and Minnesota and 12th would be the most likely spot for that traffic to go. Wick stated that he is not concerned with the extension of 12'h rather the change from a neighborhood roadway to a community collector. Rieke stated that this Transportation Plan is a tool to help the City in the future. As an option, he questioned the possibility of the traffic being directed east to the future 20th Avenue which will probably be developed as commercial. Rassier stated, however, that 12th Avenue is the easiest route because of the existing intersection with CR 75. Minier advised the Council that the re- location of the school is contributing to a lot of the changes in traffic patterns. Wick stressed that he is most concerned with the re-c1assification of those streets that were developed as neighborhood streets. From a City standpoint, Rieke stated that people who built homes in the affected areas were able to look at plats prior to building homes. On the other hand, he also stated that it was a mistake on the City's part to allow driveway access to 12th Avenue. Carlbom stated that as the City grows, neighborhood roadways will also change. Rassier agreed. He added that the City tries to make the best decisions, but there are examples such as December 21, 2006 Page 3 of 3 Graceview Estates when a decision is made to allow for curvy roads and cul-de-sacs and the City must decide if it was the right decision for the future of the City. Ekola concluded by stating that the City must determine which level of service is acceptable for each neighborhoods. Minier advised the Council that it would be best to update the Transportation Plan as the Comprehensive Plan is updated. Carlbom stated that he hopes to get conclusion on the Field Street Study early in 2007. Carlbom stated that a good Transportation Plan focuses on both Transit and Transportation Corridors. He questioned whether Transit was considered during the study process. Minier stated that when the plan was started, Transit was considered. However, since the Council made the decision to not participate in Transit, it was no longer considered. Miner stated that a good Transportation Plan is reviewed similar to the Comprehensive Plan and at some point Transit will be added. Carlbom questioned how the Stakeholder Meetings were structured and whether or not there was enough public input. Minier stated that the stakeholders were divided into three groups, each of which worked on putting roadways on the map. She stated that an additional stakeholder meeting was added and, in her opinion, another public meeting could have been added. Carlbom stressed that this is a big decision for the entire community. However, Minier stated that, since the document is so technical in nature, it is hard to be technical with a large amount of citizen input. Rassier questioned the trails as shown on Figure 9. He clarified that the goal was to connect the trails throughout the City. Minier stated that there are some neighborhood sidewalks that are not shown, but they are part of the trail connection within the City. Ekola stated that City Ordinance requires that developers connect future trails with the existing trails within the City. Rieke addressed the Council as one of the members of the stakeholder group. He stated that the group was divided into three and each group was asked to draw the various roadways on the maps. He said it was interesting to see how common the maps were among the groups. In his opinion, the meetings accomplished what they were supposed to do. He added that the extension of 1ih Avenue was shown on 2 of the 3 maps. Carlbom concluded by stating that the Transportation Plan will be reviewed in depth by the City Council, but he urged businesses and citizens to provide input regarding the document to ensure that the Council can make informed decisions regarding future transportation in the City. Adiourn: Symanietz made a motion to adjourn at 6:50 PM; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. ~!Id ~'J/?<!'/,,~@' ~~yl Weyrens eri'linistrator