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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[04a] MinutesCITY OF 8T. JUST H Council Agenda Item 4(a) MEETING DATE: February 17, 2011 AGENDA ITEM: Minutes — Requested Action: Approve the City Council minutes of February 3, 2011. SUBMITTED BY: Administration ATTACHMENTS: Request for Council Action 4(a):1 -2 DRAFT CC Minutes — February 3, 2011 4(a):3 -10 REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION: Approve the City Council minutes of February 3, 2011 4(a):1 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 4(a):2 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at TOOPM in the St. Joseph City Hall, opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members Present: Mayor Rick Schultz, 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, Police Chief Pete Jansky and Sgt. Dwight Pfannenstein Others Present: El Haus, Noreen Loso, Tom Klein, Wahlstrom, Jeff Grunenwald, S. Kara Hennes, S. Paula Revier, Shelly Hillmann and Jeremy Kirt [Marco] Public Comments: No one present wished to speak Approval of the Agenda: Loso made a motion to approve the agenda with the following change: Pull 4a Bills Payable — to be discussed prior to Administrator Reports The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Consent Agenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows: a. Minutes — Approve the City Council minutes of December 15, 2010, January 20 and January 25, 2011. b. Moved for discussion. c. Pay Application — Authorize the Mayor to execute Pay Application #4 for the 16th Avenue Improvement and authorize payment in the amount of $12,072.11 to J.R. Ferche. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Recycle Bank — Presentation of Green Award to Kennedy School: Jeff Grunenwald approached the Council on behalf of Allied Waste and Recycle Bank to announce that Kennedy School has been awarded a $5,000:00 Recyclebank Green School Grant for spring semester, 2011. They are only the 2"d school in Minnesota to receive the award. St. Joseph residents will have the opportunity to donate their Recyclebank points to the program. He added that a 100 point donation is the equivalent to a $10.00 donation. El Haus was present, on behalf of the School District, to accept the award. Their project will consist of a nature trail being constructed with posted signs identifying the various grasses, flowers, birds and insects that can be found in the prairie. Due to this being a trail project, Schultz questioned whether the Park Board could get involved as well to which Haus stated they certainly can. Cable Operations: Schultz stated that the Council has discussed the cable operations at previous work sessions. They have had a long discussion as to where the operation has been and where it is going. a. Presentation of updated software: Shelly Hillmann and Jeremy Kirt approached the Council on behalf of Marco Innovations. Kirt began by providing the Council with an overview of what changes will be made to the equipment. He stated that the sound system will include the addition of digital sound processors and speaker replacements. There will be two separate zones and everything will be controlled through the network. They have proposed to replace the amplifiers as well as upgrade the video system to include replacing the cameras. The proposal includes all cables, installation, training and setup. He advised the Council that the equipment is easy to move, if needed. kirt also stated that he has included a proposal for an optional HD recorder and optional assisted listening devices. 4(a):3 Schultz questioned whether or not they offer a maintenance contract. He was advised that they do offer a prepaid maintenance service which can be extended from year to year. Frank stated that he likes the proposal, but questioned the possibility of getting a second bid. Loso stated that he, too, would like to see a second quote. Frank questioned the representative as to how long this quote is good for, to which he was told there is no timeline. Frank then questioned what this upgrade will provide for the residents. Kirt advised him that the residents /viewers will notice better sound quality and less feedback. Currently, the cameras being used are security cameras and they will be replaced with video /conferencing cameras. It was stated that the meetings will be copied to a blue -ray high definition recorder. Frank questioned how the public will be able to get copies of the meetings in the future. He was advised that the content can be copied to a flash drive, a CD or stored on a network. Based on Frank's concerns, Hillmann, along with Richard Turner, a representative from Tightrope Media Systems (via conference call), presented the Council with some options for video on demand and cable casting. Their goal is for the Council to fully use the content available to them. After listening to what Tightrope Media has to offer, the Council posed questions about their service. Symanietz questioned how many viewers can watch a certain meeting at one time. Turner replied that approximately 50 viewers can access it at one time. Wick questioned whether there is any additional software or fees to which Turner stated there were not. Frank questioned what kinds of analytics are available and whether or not there is an app available for the I -phone or Android phones to be able to access the webcast. Turner replied that there are different reports that can be run to show different information. In response to Frank's question about viewing the webcast via phone, Turner stated that there is not an app; however, one can view it by browsing the web on their phone. The files will load as a Windows Media File only. Wick then questioned whether or not there are ways in which MAC users can view the webcast. Turner advised Wick that there are possible solutions. Loso questioned whether the Tightrope software is easy for one to use if they are not "quick" on the computer. Turner responded and advised the Council that they have a live training website that can be used for people to become more familiar with the software. Based on the information provided, Tightrope offers assistance from 9am to 5pm. He questioned whether that was daily or only Monday thru Friday. Turner stated that support is available Monday thru Friday only. Hillmann advised the Council that, if staff needs help and Tightrope is not available, they can call Marco and they have staff available 24 -7. It was previously stated that the annual maintenance contract is included for the first year, but subsequent years will require annual maintenance for software updates, etc. The maintenance contract also provides for support. Wick clarified that the PEG fees can only be used for capital to which Weyrens concurred and stated that the Council would need to budget for the yearly maintenance. Kirt advised the Council that they would not need to purchase the HD recorder if they choose to use the Tightrope software. The Council was advised that there may be more potential savings if the entire package is completed at one time. Frank stated that he would like to see what the total price is and what discounts may be available. He also stated that he would like to see the cost if this is done incrementally. Frank advised the Council that, if they choose not to get a second bid, he would like to check with other cities to get their opinions. Weyrens asked Hillmann and Kirt to provide the City with a total cost proposal for the entire system. b. Affirmation of meetings to be broadcast: Previously, at the Council Workshop, the Council discussed what meetings they would like to see broadcast. Frank stated that at the meeting 4(a):4 he agreed to, at a minimum; televise the budget workshops, Planning Commission and regular City Council meetings. Wick made a motion to approve the televising of the Budget Workshops, Planning Commission meetings as well as regular City Council meetings. The motion was seconded by Frank. Discussion: Frank stated that he would like to see more televised, but feels that this is a small step and, in the future, they may be able to televise more. Schultz clarified that the Cable Commission Ordinance will be reviewed for correctness and brought up to date. The motion passed unanimously. c. Cable Commission Composition: Schultz stated that, based on the upgrades, the Council needs to decide where they want to be with respect to the composition of the Cable Commission. He questioned whether the Council would like to see two commissioners along with part-time help to aid. Symanietz replied that she has a hard time with that due to the fact that they did not budget for two commissioners. According to Loso, two of the Commissioners resigned in December and the budget was approved with only one. As a result, he has a hard time allowing for two commissioners. Loso made a motion to utilize one commissioner and part-time help, as needed. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: Based on the Financial Analysis provided to the Council, the amount budgeted for 2011 is $8,355.00. Wick stated that it appears that the City can have two commissioners with some part-time help for an amount lower than what was budgeted. Weyrens stated that those calculations are based on the City approving the upgrade. He also stated that, along with the Mayor Appointments, there have been two already appointed to the Cable Commission. Frank stated that he believes that we need at least two commissioners. Ayes: Loso, Symanietz Nays: Schultz, Wick, Frank Motion Failed 2:3:0 Frank made a motion to authorize two Cable Commissioners and part-time help, as needed. The motion was seconded by Wick. Ayes: Schultz, Wick, Frank Nays: Loso Symanletz Motion Carried 3:2:0 CITY ENGINEER/PUBLIC WORKS REPORTS Millstream Dredging Project: Thene reported during the budget workshops he presented the Council with a request to dredge the Millstream Pond and at a subsequent meeting the Council allocated $ 12,000 for the project with the understanding that the Council would review the final plans. Thene stated that he has contacted the DNR to secure a permit to complete the work, to which they approved. The permit requires the City to complete the work no later than March 15, 2011. Thene presented the Council with a quote from C & L Excavating to complete the work at a cost of $12,000. Loso made a motion to accept the quote of C & L Excavating in the amount of $12,000 to complete the maintenance dredging of Millstream Pond. The motion was seconded by Frank and passed unanimously. Park Terrace Update: Sabart advised the Council that he has been working on the Feasibility Study for the Park Terrace Improvements. He stated that he was planning to present the study at the next Council meeting; however, he introduced the possibility of holding another neighborhood meeting prior to the presentation. He stated that, if the neighborhood meeting is held, the study would be presented at the March 3 meeting. Schultz questioned where the meeting would be held to which Sabart responded City 4(a):5 Hall. The purpose of the neighborhood meeting is to solicit any neighbor concerns. Sabart stated that this is still a fact finding mission and they would like to deal with any outstanding issues prior to presenting the report to the City Council. Wellhead Protection Plan Update: Sabart reported that, previously, Part 1 of the Wellhead Protection Plan was completed and has, since been accepted by the Department of Health. The next step in the process is to conduct an informal meeting to present some of the various parts of the plan. Sabart advised the Council that the Public Information meeting will be held at the February 17 City Council meeting. Water Tower Maintenance Update: Sabart stated that the Water Tower Maintenance has been on the CIP for some time and staff is now looking to conduct maintenance activities on the current water tower. In 2006, an evaluation of the tank was completed to determine the condition of the tower. Maintenance activity was put on hold pending the construction of a possible 2nd water tower. Since it has been over five years since the tower was evaluated, Sabart recommended the Council complete a quick analysis to determine if there is any new or increased deterioration. He stated that such an inspection would cost approximately $1,000. When considering the coating system on the tower, it is generally good for 15 -20 years. It has been 17 years since the tower was built. According to Sabart, the City, at a minimum, needs to address the interior of the tank; however, the question is whether or not work needs to be done to the exterior as well. Wick questioned whether or not it would make sense to do another dive to check for issues inside the tank. Sabart responded that another dive is not necessary since we already know what repairs need to be made to the interior. Weyrens reminded the Council that this is part of the CIP. Loso questioned how much money has been set aside for this to which Bartlett responded approximately $100,000. According to Sabart, they will begin dialogue with the College for water use during that time. Wick questioned when the work would be done. Sabart replied that they are proposing to do the work beginning in August 2011. Symanietz made a motion to expand the scope and re -look at the exterior of the tower at an estimated cost of $ 1,000. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Snow Removal: Thene stated that have been dealing with a lot of snow and he hopes that people are taking their time and not going right out into the intersection. Frank questioned whether or not people are shoveling their fire hydrants. Thene stated that some are and staff appreciates that. He added that staff will be going out with equipment to remove the rest of the snow from the hydrants. POLICE CHIEF REPORTS Joint Powers Agreement, BCA State Computer: Jansky advised the Council that, for the past seven years, the Police Department has been using computers, installed by the BCA, to access information. Jansky stated that the State is looking to go paperless and they are now requesting to use the State computer for e- charging. This would allow for complaints to be signed electronically rather than the current method of signing and dropping off at the Courthouse or Attorney Office. In order to utilize that portion of the State's computer system, a Joint Powers Agreement is required. Jansky added that, in the future, there will be an a -file ticket system as well and officers will no longer write out tickets. Loso made a motion to authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute Resolution 2011 -003 approving the Minnesota Joint Powers Agreement utilizing the data on the BCA Computer System. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Squad Car Replacement: Jansky reported that the Police Department currently leases all of its patrol cars except for the 4WD Yukon that the City purchased a few years ago. He added that the 2007 Crown Vic is ready to be taken out of service. He has looked at two different options for a replacement, either a Crown Vic or a Tahoe. According to Jansky, this will be the last year that the Crown Vic will be used as a patrol car. The Taurus will replace the Crown Vic. The Chevy Impala is being replaced with either the Tahoe or the Caprice. The Dodge Charger is the other vehicle that has been used as a patrol car. He is 4(a):6 recommending that the City replace the current patrol car with the Chevy Tahoe. He has done a comparison on fuel and the Tahoe that the City has been using have done exceptionally well with gas mileage. He added that another plus for the Tahoe is that all of their equipment can be stored inside the vehicle. Officer Klein and Sgt. Pfannenstein have been operating the two Tahoes that the City currently leases. Loso questioned whether maintenance and gas are still included in the lease to which Jansky replied that gas and tires have been removed. Schultz questioned whether it would be better to have a 4WD Tahoe rather than a 2WD. Jansky explained that the Police Package is not available in 4WD. Loso made a motion to replace the current patrol car ( #703) with a Chevy Tahoe. The motion was seconded by Frank and passed unanimously. Seized Property Policy: Jansky stated that, previously, the Council approved the Police Policy Handbook. A new policy entitled "Procession of Property Seized for Administrative Forfeiture" has been added. The new policy was added at the direction of the MN State Legislature and was written by the MN POST Board. Frank made a motion to accept the policy as written and authorize the inclusion of the same in the St. Joseph Police Policy Manual. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: Wick questioned how archery equipment is handled to which Jansky stated it treated similar to a firearm. The motion passed unanimously. 4(b): Bills Payable: Frank questioned a few of the items listed on the bills payable. He questioned a payment to SEH for Gateway Commons and asked what that is for. Weyrens replied that Gateway Commons is a proposed development located behind the Park and Ride by Lake Sarah. These fees are related to costs associated with determining whether or not sewer is available and also some mapping. Frank questioned whether those costs would be recouped by the developer and when. Weyrens advised the Council that these funds would be recouped using some excess TIF funds. She added that the Developer would be responsible for any costs related to the Development. Frank also questioned the payment made to SEH for the APO. Sabart explained that those charges are related to his attendance at various APO meetings. Bartlett explained that the fees for General Engineering are costs associated with Sabart attending Department Head meetings or Council meetings, etc. According to Frank, the December budget included $8,000 to the Partnership. He questioned whether or not that has been paid. Bartlett advised Frank that she has not yet seen the bill as it has not been presented to her for payment. Wick made a motion to approve check numbers 043757 -043802 and EFT numbers 000502 - 000506 and 000527. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Sewer Use Agreement: Weyrens stated that for the past two years a subcommittee has been working with representatives of St. Benedict to revise the Sewer Use Agreement between the City and the College and Monastery of St. Benedict. She stated that, at this point, the committee has an agreement that is really close and thus needs to be discussed with the Council. Weyrens reported that the meters have been installed at the two manholes. They have agreed to the City's billing system; however, they feel that dorms are a little different than apartments. It is proposed that they will "pay a line charge equal to the measured wastewater flow divided by the average gallons used by a residential home (274 gallons /day). The calculated gallons will then be multiplied by the Line Charge established by Ordinance 43 ". Weyrens 4(a):7 stated that the new sewer use agreement will be specific to the Benedict Plat. She added that any new development will abide by Ordinance 44 and pay access charges similar to all other users. The majority of the meetings with St. Benedict dealt with the past financial statements and inclusion of depreciation in the annual fee. The City hired KDV to conduct a financial analysis which indicated some errors in billing for equipment that would result in a credit to St. Benedict and the application of a Sinking Fund, which most likely was to offset capital purchases. This too would result in a credit to St. Benedict. It was also noticed that St. Benedict was not billed for the full twelve months of expenses due to the timing of audit entries. This error resulted in a credit to the City. Given the credits for all parties, the Committee agreed to bring forward to the Council a final credit to St. Benedict in the amount of $16,538.11. The final credit would resolve all outstanding concerns and allow all parties to move forward. Frank stated that he appreciates the work done by the committee. He questioned whether any of the charges incurred by the City will be recouped. He was informed that they will not be charged for any attorney fees. Wick questioned whether or not this agreement is compliant with the Ordinance. Weyrens replied that once the agreement is ready, the Ordinance amendment will be brought forward. He stated that the draft agreement states that "St. Joseph shall not amend Ordinance 43 in any manner which would conflict with the terms of this Agreement without consent of St. Benedict ". According to Bartlett, they would not need to agree to the amendment, but have a chance to review the proposed amendment. Weyrens stated that they will bring that back as well. Schultz questioned what the next step is in the process. Weyrens stated that the City is waiting for final approval from the St. Benedict Attorney. Weyrens concluded by advising the Council that the Agreement does allow for a billing transition. "St. Benedict shall continue to be billed under the past billing practices, charged 45% of all applicable expenses until the meters have been operating correctly for two full calendar months. The City will begin billing St. Benedict under the terms of this agreement after the meters are installed and have been operating for a two month period." "After one year of metering, the City will calculate the percentage of the discharge for each party of this agreement. If St. Benedict is discharging less than 45 %, the City will credit St. Benedict for the sewer charges in 2010 that were based under the terms of the 1987 Agreement. If St. Benedict is discharging more than 45 %, St. Benedict will be charged the additional amount for the year 2010." Prosecuting Attorney: Weyrens reminded the Council that the City has a new prosecuting attorney and questioned whether or not the Council would like to have them come to the meeting and introduce themselves. Online Document Viewing: Schultz questioned Weyrens as to whether or not she has figured out the issue with the website. Weyrens stated that items are being linked in PDF for the time being and stated that she is working on fixing the issue. MAYOR REPORTS Mayor Appointments: The City recently advertised for applications for both the Planning Commission and the EDA. Schultz stated that the City received several applications and is recommending that Gina Dullinger be appointed to the Planning Commission and Chad Davey be appointed to the EDA. He stated that both of them have good qualifications and are eager to begin. Schultz reported that Jennifer Steinkamp has announced her resignation from the Park Board. As a result, there will be another opening on the Park Board. Symanietz thanked Steinkamp for her work on 4(a):8 the Park Board and stated that she was an asset to the board. Frank suggested that the City formally thank those who have served on the various boards /commissions. It was stated that this was done in the past and it was discontinued as people did not want the recognition. Wick made a motion to accept the recommendation of Mayor Schultz and appoint Gina Dullinger to the Planning Commission and Chad Davey to the St. Joseph Economic Development Authority. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Sales Tax Meeting: Schultz reported that he recently met with the Sales Tax Committee and stated that they will be coming back on their function as a recommending body. February 17, 2011 Council Meeting: Schultz advised the Council that he may not be present at the next Council Meeting and advised Wick that he may have to serve as Acting Mayor. COUNCIL REPORTS =T-11 I St. Cloud Area Joint Planning Board: Frank reported that he attended the St. Cloud Area Joint Planning Board meeting and stated that he was elected as the new secretary/treasurer. He thanked George Hontos and Matt Glaesmann on all the work they have done on sustainability. Frank stated that the cities now have a lot of tools available. They discussed the Urban Mississippi River Task Force. The plan seems to be almost finished. According to Frank, they also discussed trails being tied into the Wobegon Trail and stated that there may be some grant money available for that. EDA Meeting: Frank reported that he attended his first EDA meeting. He advised the Council that they will receive the annual report at the next meeting. The EDA spoke with a representative from the Winona School District regarding the "Farm to School Initiative ". He stated that there are some economic implications for a city like St. Joseph. He stated that it involves working with local producers to get organic and locally grown products to schools, nursing homes, etc. They also discussed the rental housing group. Frank added that the contract with MDG is coming up as well. Transportation Meeting: Frank stated that the AdHoc Transportation Group met again. It was stated that there has been a demand for ridership in St. Joseph, but Tri Cap stated that we need to increase that ridership. Schultz added that they will come back in April to give an update. LOSO Fire Board Meeting: Loso reported that the Fire Board met and it was approved that two firefighters will be attending the State Fire Convention in late spring. They also approved the purchase of a computer scanner to upload all documents into the Laserfiche System. The estimated cost of the scanner is $2,600 - 2,800. He advised the Council that two members have resigned, Jeff Karnik and Brian Orcutt, and that Bill Wasner will be retiring in either May or June. Applications have been available on the City website. Weyrens added that the ad was also placed in the Newsleader and in the City newsletter. With respect to the maintenance of the water tower, Schultz advised Thene and Sabart that Jeff Taufen should be involved in the process as well. City Council Roles: Loso stated that he is proposing to have the League of MN Cities address the Council and give a brief presentation about the roles of the City Council. Wick stated that this was addressed at the Council workshop last year. Schultz advised the Council that they discussed this at the Leadership Conference that he attended. They also discussed the Open Meeting Law. The Council concurred to schedule such. 4(a):9 WICK EDA: Wick advised the Council that the MDG contract is up again for renewal. It has been approved by the EDA and will be brought back for Council approval at the next meeting. Wick added that they will have a special meeting on February 9 at which time they will discuss the TIF application for the St. Joseph Meat Market. Wick concluded by stating that the annual report will be presented at the next Council meeting as well. SYMAN I ETZ APO Full Board: Symanietz reported that she attended the APO meeting at which time they discussed the possible extension of the Northstar from Big Lake to St. Cloud. It was stated that it will not go thru as there is not enough ridership. She added that they also discussed the funding for the Wobegon Trail. It was pulled from the 2012 Federal Dollars, but has been added back on due to lots of support. Adjourn: Symanietz made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Judy Weyrens Administrator 4(a):10