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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 [07] Jul 08July 8, 2010 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, July 8, 2010 at 7:OOPM in the St. Joseph City Hall, opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members Present: Mayor Al Rassier, Councilors Dale Wick, Renee Symanietz, Steve Frank, Bob Loso and City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives Present: City Engineer Randy Sabart, Finance Director Lori Bartlett, Public Works Director Terry Thene and Police Chief Pete Jansky Others Present: Samantha Bushey Public Comments: No one present wished to speak. Approval of the Agenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes /deletions: Delete 4g Human Rights Appointment Move 4a Minutes The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Consent Agenda: Wick made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows: a. Moved for discussion. b. Bills Payable — Approve check numbers 042999 -043071 and EFT numbers 000421- 000431. c. Transfers — Authorize the 2010 Operating Transfers. d. Donations — Accept the donations and their purposes as presented. e. Election Judges — Appoint Election Judges for the August 10 State Primary and November 2 State General Elections. f. Work Comp Deductible — Authorize staff to notify the insurance carrier of establishing the Work Comp Deductible at $2,500 per occurrence. g. Deleted The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: Wick clarified that the bills paid to Astech did not include the $12,000 for the seal coating along CR121. Bartlett stated that was correct. The motion passed unanimously. Minutes: Wick questioned the minutes of June 17, 2010 relating to the seal coating of CR121. The minutes state that "Rassier and Loso both commented that it would be irresponsible not to seal coat the entire road to which the Council concurred ". Wick did not feel as though the Council concurred on that. According to Rassier, although Wick may not have agreed, there was a consensus amongst the Council. Symanietz agreed with Wick and stated that they did not talk about where the funds would come from. Loso stated that it was his understanding that the City would go ahead with the seal coating and get more information from the Council regarding the timeline for this project and a reason as to why the City was not notified earlier. Wick questioned how the City could spend $12,500 without a vote. Symanietz was concerned about the fact that there wasn't even a final cost provided to the City. Frank advised the Council that he went along with the project because he felt as though the City didn't have a choice. He, too, was not sure that there was consensus. According to Frank, this project came up at the last second. Sabart agreed and stated that crews would have been done with the work prior to the next Council meeting and, as a result, there was not much time allowed for discussion. Wick suggested that the city nail down a process with the County. It was stated that the County does not have a written policy for how these types of situations are handled. He added that he visited the County Website and it does not appear that this was ithin their five year plans for road maintenance. Wick also July 8, 2010 Page 2 of 6 questioned who would be responsible for painting the crosswalks. Sabart stated that it is the understanding that the County would be responsible for the crosswalks; however, the City would be responsible for the painting of the parking stalls. Symanietz questioned Weyrens as to where the funds will come from. Weyrens responded that this will be budgeted for with the 2011 budget. Frank suggested that they go on record, as a Council, to object as to how this was done and that letters be sent to the County Engineer, the County Administrator as well as the County Board Members to explain the City's strong displeasure as to how this was handled. He stated that this is not how units of government should be working together. He suggested that a draft letter be presented to the City Council for approval. Rassier advised Frank and the other Council members that other local cities have been having similar issues. Sabart and Weyrens have been working with the County regarding this and they have asked that if the County changes their road plans, they should speak with the Cities involved. Sabart reminded the Council that this is considered maintenance rather than part of the County's actual road plan. Weyrens concluded by stating that the City has not yet conceded that this is our responsibility. Wick made a motion to amend the minutes of June 17, 2010 removing the statement "to which the Council concurred. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. The minutes will read "Rassier and Loso both commented that it would be irresponsible not to seal coat the entire road ". Ayes: Wick, Symanietz, Frank Nays: Rassier, Loso Motion Carried 3:2:0 FINANCE REPORTS 2009 TIF Reports: Bartlett reported that the City is required to submit annual TIF Reports to the State Auditor. Currently, there are three TIF districts within the City: • Borgert Products — This district was decertified on September 22, 2009 and thus this is the last year for reporting. Bartlett stated that this district had a $0 balance at the end of the year. • St. Joseph Development (Vic West) — This district will decertify in 2012 and had a healthy balance this year of $34,000. • Millstream Shops & Lofts — According to Bartlett, this is the first year for reporting and there is a balance of $472. Since this is the first year, they haven't yet realized the full value of construction. The 2010 Tax Increment will be much higher and this district is due to decertify in 2034. Wick made a motion to accept the 2009 TIF Reports as presented. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Treasurer's Report: Bartlett provided the Council with a brief overview of the City's cash position. She stated that the cash balance is down approximately $85,000 since the beginning of the year and explained that that is due primarily to spending down the working capital reserves. She added that the cash balance includes the 70% tax settlement. The remaining 30 %, along with the first half of LGA, will be received in July. She advised the Council that the City's cash position represents 2 % months of the year's expenditures. With respect to the various funds, Bartlett explained that the General Fund expenditures were spent down approximately 47% and approximately 23% of the budget revenue has been received. She explained that the Enterprise Funds show greater expenses than revenues and that is due to the fact that the City has received only 4 months of revenue, but incurred 6 months of expenses. Bartlett added that there has not been a lot of capital expenditures as most of the capital items purchased have been purchased through the equipment certificate. There is a balance of approximately $60,000 in the equipment certificate; but she stated that most of that will be spend down in July as we are beginning to receive those invoices. July 8, 2010 Page 3 of 6 Frank made a motion to accept the financial reports as presented. The motion was seconded by Wick. Discussion: Frank questioned where the funds will come from to pay for the 16th Avenue SE Improvements. It was stated that the funds will come from the Stormwater Fund. Frank questioned the balance in that account. Weyrens stated that the balance is $302,000. Frank added that he, along with a few other Council members, attended the League meeting at which they stated that every Minnesota City will be in a severe budget crisis by 2015. He stated that the City will need to be a little more diligent and they may need to look at more of the micro items as well. He questioned Jansky as to whether or not it would be better to have another officer rather than pay the overtime that is currently being paid to the current officers. Jansky advised the Council that much of that overtime is reimbursed through State or Federal grants. Bartlett added that some of the overtime is also due to special projects and holidays and, as a result, that overtime would be there regardless. Weyrens stated that the Council has recently been talking a lot about the budget process and, in the past, they have discussed bidding out the consultant services. She questioned whether the Council would like to do one each year or whether they want to bid all of them on an annual basis. Loso stated he would like to bid each service every year. Rassier stated that it cannot hurt to bid all of them, as our current consultants would most likely re -bid. Loso commented that cheaper is not always better. The motion passed unanimously. ENGINEER/PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR REPORTS 16'x' Avenue SE, Bid Results: Sabart reported that the City opened bids for the 16th Avenue SE Improvement project. There were 8 bids received. The low bidder was JR Ferche of Rice, MN with a bid of $550,416.85. He added that there was some stiff competition and aggressive pricing. The good news is that the construction costs came in lower than originally estimated. Sabart reminded the Council that there were several assessment options that were discussed. The Council chose option 1 B. Based on that option, Sabart provided information relating to the project costs. The preliminary cost that was originally presented was $989,200; whereas, after bid opening the projected final cost is $808,617. He presented the breakdown as follows: 32' Wide Urban Section Roadway $608,341 • 60% Special Assessments $365,005 • 40% City Cost $243,337 1" Water Service $ 1,465 Storm Sewer Improvements $198,811 • 100% City Cost $198,811 TOTAL PROJECT COST $808,617 Based on that breakdown, 45.1 % of the project cost will be paid through special assessments and 54.7% will be the City's responsibility. Sabart stated that there is one property owner that is requesting to have City services installed and they would be responsible for paying 100% of those costs ($1,465). The assessment rate is calculated at $90.16 /front footage. Frank questioned whether or not Sabart, or his firm, has worked with this contractor in the past. Sabart replied that they have done a fair amount of work in the area and they have been around for a while. He added that he feels this is a confident firm and he believes that they are a responsible bidder. Weyrens added that JR Ferche did a project in St. Joseph in 2000 [Northland Drive] and there were no issues. Weyrens advised the Council that they will receive packets prior to the Assessment Hearing showing the impact of the bid results. It was questioned whether the residents would receive a new assessment notice July 8, 2010 Page 4 of 6 to which it was suggested that new notices be prepared and hand delivered to the residents prior to the meeting. Sabart stated that the information presented will be the same information that will be used to prepare the information for the assessment hearing. He added that the assessment hearing is the last time at which residents will have the option to appeal their assessment. By conducting the assessment hearing first, the Council can be more confident when awarding the bid. Wick questioned some of the individual charges for sanitary sewer and water mains. Sabart advised the Council that some of the manholes and fire hydrants may need to be adjusted due to grading issues. When services were constructed, the road was not cut open. They are taking some precautionary measures as there may be some issues when installing the storm sewer. Wick clarified that the costs for the 1" water service are separate from the assessment rates to which Sabart agreed. Frank stated that he has received emails from a few residents on Hill Street regarding issues that arose after the project was completed. He questioned how the City and the Contractor can minimize the chances of that happening. Sabart stated that project newsletters are sent out letting the residents know what is going on and to make them aware of how long the warranty period is on certain services. Rassier stated that it is best for residents to let the City know right away if something is not right or they have concerns. The sooner staff is notified, the better. Seal Coating: Sabart stated that this was previously discussed during the discussion regarding the minutes of June 17. Frank commented that the layer looks much thicker than most residential streets. Sabart responded that this is the type of seal coating that is typically done on County Roads and Highways with heavier traffic. It is coated on two sides, which is a newer approach to seal coating and is proven to be more suitable for heavy volume roads. POLICE CHIEF REPORTS — No Report Parades: Frank stated that he is aware of the fact that it is against City Ordinance to throw candy in the parade. He recently became aware of the fact that other cities have Ordinances relating to horses. Jansky stated that staff can look into that. EDA REPORT Streetscape /Landscape Plan: Wick stated that the purpose of the presentation is to bring the Council up to date on the beautification project within the City. He stated that Scenic Specialties was brought in to help prepare the plan. There were three main goals: • Promote Downtown Revitalization • Tie the Wobegon Trail Center to Downtown and to the new County Road 2 • Let people (property owners /donors) an idea of what "could be" Some of the expected outcomes include giving pedestrian visual clues as to how to get downtown, soften hardscapes at intersections such as County Road 75 /College Avenue and Minnesota Street/College Avenue, Promote lingering in downtown and solicit participation and raise funds for the project. So far, the process included contracting with Scenic Specialties to come up with a plan, taking a walking tour of the project area, develop concepts and presenting those concepts to the EDA and refining them prior to presenting the final plan to the EDA. Wick stated that they plan to meet with the property owners after presenting the information to the Council. Wick stated that the plan consists of some key concepts such as: • Reflect the skyline from the water tower throughout the project. • Consistent color palette • Consistent lettering • Repetition in plant species throughout the area • Perception of vertical space in built up areas downtown with voids in building wall • Places of interest where people can linger July 8, 2010 Page 5 of 6 • Visual interest, soothing landscapes, sounding of running water, information signage • Soften the volume of concrete, bituminous at intersections: median plantings, pedestrian and vehicular separation, places for pedestrians to rest • Traffic calming influences • Sense of place /location Wick stated that the purpose of this presentation was to spur discussion. The full report will be available on the website. Rassier stated that he spoke with Terry Thene, Public Works Director, about the beautification that has already been done within the City to make sure that everyone is on board and to ensure that what we have is usable and not dying. Wick added that discussions need to take place with the property owners. Rassier stated that the next step is to work with the public and other interested groups. He added that this is not a project that the City can fund at this time, but we can work to get donations of money or in -kind labor. Symanietz suggested that this report be presented to the Park Board as she feels that it would be good for them to see what is going on. Wick advised Symanietz that this is not parkland. Rassier added that this is just a concept. When it gets further along, it will be brought to the other committees. Most of the area that is being looked at is private property and the EDA is unsure as to whether or not these different entities are willing to work with the City. Loso commented that this process is similar to a process that was done in the early 90's. The City spent $40- 50,000 on a project to be a Star City. He stated that the same language is being use and this is the same process. That project went nowhere. Rassier advised Loso that the last thing we need to do is assume that things will not happen. He stated that hopefully attitudes have changed and things will get better. He added that it will not happen overnight, but is hopeful that things will start happening. Loso stated that the ideas aren't bad, but in reality things just don't happen. Rassier disagreed and stated that this could happen as there are many people who are willing to work with the City to make things happen. Frank questioned the process for this type of study. He stated that what the Council received is simply a "cliff note" of the actual report. As a Council member, he expects that the Council would receive a copy of the full report. He added that he feels as though the Council, not the EDA, should make this type of determination. Rassier advised Frank that the EDA was given the task to look at the beautification of the downtown area. The purpose of the presentation was to give the Council an overview of where the EDA was at prior to making the full report public. He stated that the full report will be available online. Frank also stated that he agreed with Symanietz that there are other partners. He questioned staff as to whether or not this was presented to the Planning Commission. Frank stated that the City has a Park Board and we have spent a lot of money on a Master Park Plan. He believes that the various City Boards, Commissions and other interest groups should be made aware of this as a lot of them have spent time and money on beautification projects. He added that the Chamber should be contacted as well. Rassier advised Frank that there is a clear difference between the Master Park Plan and Downtown Revitalization. They do not plan to change any of the parks. Rassier stated that the main goal is to work on bringing people to downtown. Frank questioned the crossing of County Road 75 at College Avenue. Rassier replied that they plan to work with the County to work on the timing of the lights, etc. Frank suggested the countdown timers which Wick says are already installed at 4th Avenue. Frank questioned whether sales tax funds could be used for such and Weyrens stated that they could not as most of the area is private property. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Staff Request: Weyrens stated that one of the employees will be taking some time off for short-term disability and she is requesting to hire a temporary staff person for that time. Frank made a motion to allow the hiring of a temporary staff person to fill a short-term vacancy. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. MAYOR REPORTS — No Report COUNCIL REPORTS �I7 July 8, 2010 Page 6 of 6 Budget: Frank stated that when looking forward to preparing the budget, they need to be aware of the State's shortfall. Al agreed that they need to look at the budget from a different perspective this year. WICK Millstream Arts Festival: Wick advised the Council that the road closure request was approved by the County. He stated that they will work with the County, Jansky and Thene to work out the details. LMC Conference: Wick reported that he attended the League conference. He stated that the speakers spoke with some optimism, but with caution. SYMANIETZ LMC Conference: Symanietz stated that she attended the League conference as well. She felt that the turnout was good and added that next year's conference will be held in Rochester. Weeds: Symanietz questioned who is responsible for cutting the weeds at homes that are in foreclosure. Weyrens advised the Council that weed notices are sent out and they are given 10 days to mow the lawn. After that, the City has someone hired to mow the lawn. The process could take up to 20 days. If residents have concerns about weeds, they should call the City Offices and the weed inspector will inspect the site and start the process, if it is in violation of the Ordinance. Street Lights: Frank advised residents that if they notice that a street light it out, they should call City Hall to report it and staff will have it taken care of. Adiourn: Symanietz made a motion to adjourn at 8:20PM; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Judy Weyr ns Ad nistrator