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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[04a] Minutes February 21,2008 Page 1 of6 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor AI Rassier, Councilors Renee Symanietz, Dale Wick, Steve Frank City Administrator Judy Weyrens Citv Reoresentatives Present: City Engineer Randy Sabart Others Present: Margy Hughes, Bob Lindvahl, Kelly Lemke, Sr. Thomasette, S. Gen Meier Police Chief Reports Scanner System SCAWAC Update - Move to 7....... li'>:<;': '<$~t~/< The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unani uS"Y' Aoorove Aaenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes/additions: Delete Add Move 6 11b 11a -Yr, Public Comments to the Aaenda: Margy Hughes, 128.. :~/e Ct. E, approach~(: ,Councilors on behalf of the St. Joseph Action Group. She stated t.tt' y hav~ acknowledge &~h~' maps regarding Field Street from the November 15, 2001'Y . ,~:Gound~~eting are avail .' J~"cm the website. She added thatthey were under the impressiOA.i~9.,. 19.~eb1JnCil had aske'" for periodic updates from WSB and they have not yet seen any.';'?' 'ltJi.jx" , Hughes also stated that she would like th~:i~ityto publish the different boards and commissions. She aISG:~:aij at that infor website as well. w? of the new appointees to the (ibe updated on the ';/<'~ Frank stated that, he too, W . nder the impre' from WSB relating to the..;o::,:> t Study. W . s replie" at the Council agreed that they did not want to incur a Uttional ' '".' ,~t costs for ir'it,~rmittent reporting. As an update, Weyrens reported that the Fi~r 'et Alter11l':""ives have be~( ~::\)Varded to the State Agencies for review. :.IQ",,~pprove the consent agenda as follows: ..ppro ,,::tb.~ min '~,;:ganuary 31 and February 7,2008. , - App"';:N:, check numbers 39936-39990 uth,cution of the grant agreement between the DNR " Jose ccepting a grant funding for the purchase of a .~rtable gene r. ....PJ,bling Perm. i Accept the application of the Watab Creek Whitetails for an eve~tj:to be heldi.Qn September 11, 2008 at the EI Paso Club. e. Dev~i~R ent 1,teement - Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute the am:' .. to the Development Agreement between the City of St. Joseph and Coli .,,' lie Development Group. f. Treasurer::r.s Report - Accept the January 2008 Treasurer's Report and budget transfer requests. g. Gambling Permit - Accept the Gambling Application of the St. Joseph Parish for an event to be held on July 3 and July 4, 2008. The motion was seconded by Frank. Discussion: Frank questioned item (e) and whether or not there were any major changes. Weyrens stated that the only change was to allow for the change in bedroom configurations. The motion passed unanimously. February 21,2008 Page 2 of 6 Stearns County Assessor - 2008 Valuation Update: Stearns County Assessors Bob Lindvahl and Kelly Lemke approached the Councilors as the commercial and residential appraisers for the City of St. Joseph. Lindvahl stated that the assessments for 2007 came in lower than anticipated and there were only 2 commercial sales in 2007. He added that the 2008 Assessment year was from October 2006 - September 2007. Within Stearns County, the St. Cloud, Waite Park, Sartell, and St. Joseph Markets have seen the least growth because supply does not meet the demand. He added that in areas such as Cold Spring, Albany, Paynesville, etc, the markets are much healthier. Wick questioned Lindvahl as to whether or not the new buildings at the College of St. Benedict will be tax exempt. Lindvahl replied that the decision has not yet been made as to whether or not the College will have any exempt properties. Rassier questioned who fl)~~;s that decision to which Lindvahl stated it is the County Assessor or the CommissionerN9J~Re\l~nue. Rassier stated that the residents have expressed concern that St. Benedict is co ,"" g with private business with regard to the new dining facility. Commercial property own.~C ;, sking the City to make sure that all competing parties have the same regulations. Ifif;:'Ben '~~, does not have to pay property taxes, they have an unfair advantage. Lindvahl s~teCl~that the,.)!.be meeting in the near future with representatives of the College to continH~:~f,1e6elscussion. '"'Rt. questioned whether bookstores at St. Cloud State are held to the'" e standards as tho CSB/SJU. Lindvahl stated that St. Cloud State has a different, of puplic use so thes s are different. Wick questioned whether or not the 2008 property tax val advised the Council that they will go out' April and the ope 2008 from 5-6 pm at City Hall. Lemke sta ~t last year therre 68 sales and the assessment rate is 100%. The state guide I", l~~)~Mi,r; that the ass, ", ,ent rates be between 90- 105%. Property values have decreased by 3~loj~'6a~~n specific hborhoods. ;":~~'; s, developers'are", t~~~ir properties. He questioned \\'r_,:_':'~:-' i,J. Joseph. Lemke stated t it is not happening in St. Joseph. ;~~r than expect~d, but they do not plan to sell any property. \~B~i:~,~~ -';::~t r i!~'t6g of strip mall~~1~d whether or not stores are closing. are:(: .tI1e economy and retailers may need to cut ~f.e not as bad as people think. There will always be 'we are seeing record numbers. Frank stated that the Police Chief Report." " ' stated that the Police Department is now caught up to date on their data entry. She added no action is needed for the Police Report and if the Council has questions, they can contact the Chief directly. SCAWAC Update: Weyrens stated that SCAWAC (St. Cloud Area Wastewater Advisory Committee) has been meeting to review the proposed documents for the Treatment Plant Expansion. Each participating City has representation on the Committee and Tracy Ekola of SEH and Jim Marthaler represents St. Joseph. Weyrens advised the Council that St. Cloud is requesting all Cities review the Cooperative Agreement and Pool Capacity Agreement and submit any comments to the SCAWAC representative. The final agreements will then be drafted and brought back to the Council for adoption. Weyrens also stated that the City Attorney has suggested that the City sign the Cooperative Agreement only if the Pool Capacity Agreement can be executed at the same time. Febrl,lary 21, 2008 Page 3 of 6 City Engineer Tracy Ekola approached the Council to discuss the Treatment Plant expansion. She stated that the reason for the expansion is due to the needs of the area cities, not the need of the City of St. Cloud. She stated that St. Cloud does not yet have a need for more capacity. The project includes three different costs: · Expansion costs - These costs were based on population needs and growth. · Upgrade costs - These costs are based needed upgrades, as portions of the plant do not meet the standards for discharge limits. · Rehab costs - The plant is over 20 years old, thus there is rehab that needs to happen now and there may be additional rehab costs in the future. Ekola advised the Council that the current plant meets the treatments r~ '~irements of MPCA. The most efficient manner of treating the current waste is biologically Cth~. time the plant was built considerable research was completed to determine the most ctivetreatment method. However, when the plant is expanded to 17 mgpd, it will no long~.f} sible to use biological treatment. As a result, additional tanks would be needed. Sh~~,ad standards will be lower in the future as well. %;~:~. Rassier questioned whether or not there are any con that the City is comfortable with the population pro' SCAWAC meetings regarding he premium that w the pool capacity. The Pool Capacity Agreement iden Public H hearin 200 formed a education a' maintaining an", enforced the NP 'ng that addi I language will be clarified before a final ,J~~~a cities for approval. . ~~::::;:... na ement Plan: Weyrens stated that the purpose of the '" ater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) for , ,rogram is education and outreach. The area cities ing group call....~f.Central "innesota Water Education Alliance (CMWEA) to provide reach oppottilinities. The City maintenance department has done a good job of tory and ,waintenance schedule of all ponds and the Building Inspector has uir~'Emts through the building permit process. . , -;.:;;~~~:~:?" ened and closed as no one present wished to speak. Wick stated that in reviewing the information St. Joseph contributed $ 2,000 for the promotional activities and questioned how the same was funded. Sabart responded that the Storm Water Utility provides funding for those types of activity. Wick made a motion to authorize staff to submit the 2007 Annual Report. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Planning Matters Ordinance Amendment - Sians: Weyrens stated that the Planning Commission held a public hearing on February 4, 2008 to consider an amendment to the Sign Ordinance. The amendment February 21, 2008 Page 4 of 6 allows infield fence advertising signs at ball fields. There were some questions as to whether or not advertising would be allowed on both sides of the fence. After discussion with the City Attorney, it was decided that signs could not be allowed on the outside of the fence. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendment to Ordinance 52.11, Signs, to allow advertising signs on infield fences in ball fields. Symanietz made a motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning Commission amending Ordinance 52.11 causing the same to be published. The motion was seconded by Frank. Discussion: Wick stated that there was some discussion of the sandwich boards as well. He questioned whether the amendment addresses those as well. Weyrensi~4~ted that this only includes the change for the ball fields. The sandwich boards were aqg!fJss"e.q, for clarification only. i:f~:i!:~>;;> The motion passed unanimously. > ? "::::::(:;~~;;\>> ~, i. Wick made a motion approve Resolution 2008-003, aut~~riZ,ing the"':~rnary Publication of Ordinance 52.11 to be published. The motion was:~ecogded by Sy'm[i'nietz and passed unanimously. , ' '<,\ ii{~::;;:v/. "'~\x?~^ Ordinance Amendment - R1/R2 Interim Use: We,,~gvised Council that, c'litfently, there is a moratorium on rentals in the R1/R2 Zoning Distrids~fl ling Commissio~::::'met and agreed to amend the R1/R2 Ordinances relating to Interim'. to state that there may only be two owners listed as property owners a both must live at t ' loperty as their primary residence. To qualify for an Interim Use,{Qperty owners:~~~(Rrovide proof of ownership in the form of a recorded document. A purch, ment will no 16Y"' > :::be accepted. It was suggested that the definition of a natural per~Qn'>:~:~9Jor clarifi )on and that the definition of family be added by reference. >li,:: }~~~/' amendme~l$*r~ Ordin 52.27 (R1) and 52.28 (R2) as Ibe pUblishe~~\The motion was seconded by Symanietz~ ,,:il, Discussion: Frank quest/d,," hOWl:, 's will impact t~~;:t~ntal issues in the City. Weyrens stated that it will not allow for pari/ii,r,l,. students to live in during school and they will be requi J5ll..an in'M,.;,:en eo> hg approved for a rental license. She added that they Will,tQJ~~ ide pr~mM?f ownership on a yearly basis to renew their license. "~:<;):~:~; ~<"',," J)> The!, , ':::::;'\;;;::;{:~i, Rental License'Nloratorium:; k made a motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning Corrntll~~ion and ~!Iease the Moratorium on Rental Licenses in the R1 Zoning Districts, effectiv,:):~pon p~,ncation of the Ordinance Amendments. The motion was seconded by Symall' lid passed unanimously. Comorehensive Plan lJ6date: Weyrens stated that the Planning Commission will begin the review of the Comprehensive Plan on Wednesday, February 27 at 6PM. A public input session will follow starting at 7PM at the Fire Hall. MAYOR REPORTS Sales Tax Committee: Rassier stated that the City is looking to form an advisory Committee for the % cent sales tax. He stated that there will be two citizens, a member of the Park Board and a member from the Chamber. Rassier suggested that the following members be appointed to the Committee: · Cory Ehlert · Mike McDonald February 21, 2008 Page 5 of6 · Bruce Berghorst · Chamber Member (to be appointed by the Chamber) The Committee will be responsible for advising the Council as to how to handle the % cent sales tax. Wick questioned how often they will meet and whether or not they will bring reports to the Council. Rassier advised the Council that they will set their own meeting dates and they will provide periodic reports to the Council. He added that there will be times for public input as well. Wick then questioned how long this group will meet for. Weyrens stated that it will be ongoing and they may form subcommittees throughout the process. State of the State Address: Rassier reported that he attended the State of the State Address in St. Cloud. Coftee House Meetinas: Rass,ier stated that he would like resident concerns in the City. As a result, he mentioned that he will be c at which residents can come to talk to him at a different level. ' cable show. ':~~ e able to talk to him about coftee house meetings I,ic meeting or via his FRANK - No Report COUNCILOR RE N ,.:~~:~" WICK SYMANIETZ - No Report ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Scanner Svstem: Wey, stated that she met with the company that sells the Laserfiche software to discuss imp ementing the scanning of the Police Department Records. She added that they will use a bar-coding system for the PD and every document associated with a certain case will have a barcode associated with it. In order to move the process forward, an additional scanner will be required. The proposed equipment certificate includes the purchase of two scanners, one for the Police Department and one for Administration. Weyrens clarified that funds would also be available from the Administration Capital Improvement Plan. In addition to purchasing the scanners, the software modules will need to be purchased at an approximate cost of $3,500. . Wick made a motion to approve the expenditure of up to $ 10,000 to purchase two scanners and the additional software required to implement Laserfiche in the Police Department. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. February 21, 2008 Page 6 of 6 Human Riqhts: Weyrens provided the Council with a proposed Organization Chart for the St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Office. The participating Administrators have meet with the Commissioner of Human Rights to discuss the services that will be provided. The services break down into three groups including education, enforcement and contract compliance. The Chart also illustrates the two governing boards of the office and membership makeup, The Administrators are working on establishing a joint meeting to continue the discussion with the elected officials. Habitat Proiect: Rassier stated that he was able to cook dinner for all those participating in the Habitat for Humanity Project. He thanked everyone for all their hard work to make this a success. Police Report: Frank stated that since Council Member Schultz could forwarded his some suggestions for the future police reports, Ras . comments should be forwarded to the Administrator and Police . tt~nd the meeting, he ted'that those Adiourn: Wick made a motion to adjourn at 8:15 PM; unanimously. ..~;',~~ietz and passed !')>~;:~;l::~;:::,.> '(("::';<'Z<:';:.' Judy Weyrens Administrator