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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-21-08February 21, 2008 Page 1 of 6 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 Hail. Members Present: Mayor AI Rassier, Councilors Renee Symanietz, Dale Wick, Steve Frank City Administrator Judy Weyrens Citv Representatives Present: City Engineer Randy Sabart Others Present: Margy Hughes, Bob Lindvahl, Kelly Lemke, Sr. Thomasette, S. Gen Meier Approve Agenda: Symanietr made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes/additions: Delete 6 Police Chief Reports Add 11 b Scanner System Move 11 a SCAWAC Update -Move to 7a The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Public Comments to the Agenda: Margy Hughes, 928 Able Ct. E, approached the Councilors on behalf of the St. Joseph Action Group. She stated that they have acknowledged that the maps regarding Field Street from the November 15, 2007 City Council meeting are available on the website. She added that they were under the impression that the Council had asked for periodic updates from WSB and they have not yet seen any. Hughes also stated that she would like the City to publish the names of the new appointees to the different boards and commissions. She also asked that that information be updated on the website as well. Frank stated that, he too, was under the impression that they were to receive monthly reports from WSB relating to the Field Street Study. Weyrens replied that the Council agreed that they did not want to incur additional project costs for intermittent reporting. As an update, Weyrens reported that the Field Street Alternatives have been forwarded to the State Agencies for review. Consent Agenda: Symanietr made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows: a. Minutes -Approve the minutes of January 31 and February 7, 2008. b. Bills Payable -Approve check numbers 39936-39990 c. Grant Award -Authorize execution of the grant agreement between the DNR and the City of St. Joseph accepting a grant funding for the purchase of a portable generator. d. Gambling Permit -Accept the application of the Watab Creek Whitetails for an event to be held on September 11, 2008 at the EI Paso Club. e. Development Agreement -Authorize the Mayor and Admiinistrator to execute the amendment to the Development Agreement between the City of St. Joseph and Collegeville Development Group. f. Treasurer'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 makes that decision to which Lindvahl stated it is the County Assessor or the Commissioner of Revenue. Rassier stated that the residents have expressed concern that St. Benedict is competing with private business with regard to the new dining facility. Commercial property owners are asking the City to make sure that all competing parties have the same regulations. If St. Benedicts does not have to pay property taxes, they have an unfair advantage. Lindvahl stated that they will be meeting in the near future with representatives of the College to continue the discussion. Frank questioned whether bookstores at St. Cloud State are held to the same standards as those at CSB/SJU. Lindvahl stated that St. Cloud State has a different degree of public use so the standards are different. Wick questioned whether or not the 2008 property tax values have been sent out yet. Lemke advised the Council that they will go out in April and the open book meeting will be held on May 8, 2008 from 5-6 pm at City Hall. Lemke stated that last year there were 68 sales and the assessment rate is 100%. The state guidelines require that the assessment rates be between 90- 105%. Property values have decreased by 3-7% based on specific neighborhoods. Frank stated that, in certain areas, developers are trying to sell their properties. He questioned whether or not this is occurring in St. Joseph. Lemke stated that it is not happening in St. Joseph. She added that Lumber One is slower than expected, but they do not plan to sell any property. Frank also questioned the overbuilding of strip malls and whether or not stores are closing. Lindvahl stated that the numbers are down due to the economy and retailers may need to cut back on the number of stores. Lindvahl concluded by stating that things are not as bad as people think. There will always be foreclosure properties; however, right now we are seeing record numbers. Frank stated that the bottom line is that cities will receive less money from property taxes to which Lindvahl stated that the City controls the tax rate. He added that the increased revenue for new construction went away and there were little or not change in the assessments for those properties. Police Chief Report: Weyrens stated that the Police Department is now caught up to date on their data entry. She added that 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. February 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 requirements of MPCA. The most efficient manner of treating the current waste is biologically. At the time the plant was built considerable research was completed to determine the most effective treatment method. However, when the plant is expanded to 17 mgpd, it will no longer be possible to use biological treatment. As a result, additional tanks would be needed. She added that standards will be lower in the future as well. Rassier questioned whether or not there are any concerns with the pool capacity. Weyrens stated that the City is comfortable with the population projections and had raised concerns at the SCAWAC meetings regarding he premium that would be charged if the City would need to utilize the pool capacity. The Pool Capacity Agreement identifies the conditions under which a City may access the additional capacity and the financial terms. Since the last SCAWAC meeting the City has been provided with information that has resolved the concern with the premium Wick questioned whether or not the design process has been started. Ekola replied that it has not yet been started as St. Cloud is requesting execution of the agreements prior to beginning that process. Wick stated that, at the time this process began, the City was growing faster than it is now and the economy was thriving. Therefore, does the economic slow down push back the need to expand the plant at this time. Ekola advised Wick that this is still a good time to start the process. Frank added that they will eventually need to upgrade the plant to meet new standards. Weyrens and Ekola concluded by stating that additional language will be clarified before a final draft of the cooperative agreement is sent to the area cities for approval. Public Hearing - 2007 Storm Water Management Plan: Weyrens stated that the purpose of the hearing is to review the St. Joseph Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) for. 2007. She added that a large part of the program is education and outreach. The area cities formed a working group called Central Minnesota Water Education Alliance (CMWEA) to provide education and outreach opportunities. The City maintenance department has done a good job of maintaining an inventory and maintenance schedule of all ponds and the Building Inspector has enforced the NPDES requirements through the building permit process. . The public hearing was opened 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 -Signs: 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. Weyrens stated that this only includes the change for the ball fields. The sandwich boards were addressed for clarification only. The motion passed unanimously. Wick made a motion approve Resolution 2008-003, authorizing the Summary Publication of Ordinance 52.11 to be published. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Ordinance Amendment - R1/R2 Interim Use: Weyrens advised the Council that, currently, there is a moratorium on rentals in the R1/R2 Zoning Districts. The Planning Commission met and agreed to amend the R1/R2 Ordinances relating to Interim Uses to state that there may only be two owners listed as property owners and both must live at the property as their primary residence. To qualify for an Interim Use, the property owners must provide proof of ownership in the form of a recorded document. A purchase agreement will no longer be accepted. It was suggested that the definition of a natural person be added for clarification and that the definition of family be added by reference. Wick made a motion to adopt the amendments to Ordinance 52.27 (R1) and 52.28 (R2) as presented and cause the same to be published. The motion was seconded by Symanietz_ Discussion: Frank questioned how this will impact the rental issues in the City. Weyrens stated that it will not allow for parents to purchase homes for students to live in during school and they will be required to make an investment before being approved for a rental license. She added that they will be required to provide proof of ownership on a yearly basis to renew their license. The motion passed unanimously. Rental License Moratorium: Wick made a motion to accept the recommendation of the Planning Commission and release the Moratorium on Rental Licenses in the R1 Zoning Districts, effective upon publication of the Ordinance Amendments. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Comprehensive Plan Update: 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 %2 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 of 6 ^ 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'/z 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. Coffee House Meetings: Rassier stated that he would like residents to be able to talk to him about concerns in the City. As a result, he mentioned that he will be conducting coffee house meetings at which residents can come to talk to him at a different level than at a public meeting or via his cable show. FRANK - No Report WICK COUNCILOR REPORTS St. Cloud Economic Development Partnership: Wick stated that he attended the Partnership meeting. A quorum was not present so they were not able to act on anything. He was asked to join the Governor's Committee which will begin in March. SYMANIETZ - No Report Sales Tax Committee: Frank suggested that the Sales Tax Committee be expanded to include more involvement. Rassier stated that the Sales Tax Committee will add sub committees as they formulate allowing for additional input. The Sales Tax Committee will be an organization type committee overseeing and reporting back to the City Council. In order for this committee to be effective Rassier would like to keep the committee small in number. He reminded the Council that they oversee this Committee. Rassier also added that a member of staff will be a part of the Committee as well. Wick made a motion to appoint Cory Ehlert, Mike McDonald, Bruce Berghorst and a member of the St. Joseph Chamber to the Sales Tax Advisory Committee. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Scanner System: Weyrens stated that she met with the company that sells the Laserfiche software to discuss implementing the scanning of the Police Department Records. She added that they will use abar-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 Rights: 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 not attend the meeting, he forwarded his some suggestions for the future police reports. Rassier stated that those comments should be forwarded to the Administrator and Police Chief. Ad~iourn: Wick made a motion to adjourn at 8:15 PM; seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. ,~ i~~ / Z l~j'~v d Wey~Ffs l ~Ad nistrator