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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 [08] Aug 01August 1, 2013 Page 1 of 6 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the St. Joseph City Council met in regular session on Thursday, August 1, 2013 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City hall, opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members Present: Mayor Richard Schultz, Councilors Dale Wick, Renee Symanietz, Steve Frank and City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives Present: Finance Director Lori Bartlett, Police Chief Peter Jansky /Joel Klein, City Engineer Randy Sabart, and Public Works Director Terry Thene Others Present: Frank Osendorf, Paul Walgren, Loretta Steckelberg, John Steckelberg Oath of Office: The Oath of Office was given by Weyrens to Police Chief Joel Klein. Klein thanked the Council and City. PUBLIC COMMENTS Frank Osendorf, 615 7th Ave NE, approached the council stating that he thought the coversheet was very informative. He wondered whether anyone had contacted the Sheriffs office for their input on CR 13 in Melrose. He does support the ordinance. He and Tom will be meeting with the county commissioners to work out the county roads issues. Paul Walgren, 1007 Callaway St, approached the Council regarding the upgrade to the asphalt. He was told, can't remember by whom, that his neighbor who has his asphalt tailored down to the street, was grandfathered in. He was curious as to how it is decided who is grandfathered in and who is not. Loretta Steckelberg, 301 11th Ave SE, approached the Council asking when a response will be given regarding the homeowners who are questioning the compliance with the ordinance regarding parking pad and easements. Her concern was regarding class 5 gravel and whether the homeowners who have class 5 gravel will be grandfathered in or not. Her second concern was regarding the digital billboard off of 75 heading east towards St. Cloud. She was traveling towards St. Cloud around 10 PM on 7/30/13 and is concerned that will cause accidents because it is too bright. There are multiple flashes of lights as you drive through and she thought that there was an accident. She questions the height of the billboard; stating that the billboard is very low to the ground. She states that in St. Cloud they have digital boards as well but they are elevated above. She adds that it is in the middle of darkness as there are no city lights around. She believes the billboard is within the city limits of St. Joe. John Steckelberg, 301 11th Ave SE, approached the Council regarding a letter he received about weeds being too big for their lawn. He would like to point out that by the stop sign as you come in across from Coborns, there is trimming that needs to be addressed. He is present to hear about the ordinances, but also states that there seems to be inconsistencies surrounding the enforcement of the laws. Responses to Public Comments: Regarding CR13 in Melrose, Weyrens did contact the sheriffs office because the Highway Department is responsible for granting variances or deviations. She also contacted the County Engineer regarding the golf carts and found that there have been no permissions granted. Frank questions the Council regarding the ordinance and the time limit of 8:OOPM on the ordinance. He added that codes and ordinances change all the time. Approval of the Agenda: Wick made a motion to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded by Schultz with the following revisions; seconded by Symanietz • Schultz moved to have the general budget discussion moved to the end. • Weyrens added 6(c). Park Terrace and 6(d). The Wastewater Plant Upgrade Consent Agenda: Frank made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. a. Minutes — Approved the minutes of June 17 and July 9, 2013 b. Bills payable — Approved check numbers 046823 - 046867 and payroll EFT #000829 - 000833 August 1, 2013 Page 2 of 6 c. Road Closure —Approved the closure of a portion of MN Street between 15t Ave EiW and College Avenue N on September 29, 2013 for the Millstream Arts Festival. City Engineer /Public Works Director Reports Agency Agreement: Sabart presented the Council with a MnDOT Agency Agreement that must be executed for use of federal funds. The City was recently awarded funding for phase II of the western trail extension along West Minnesota Street. The funding will not be available until 2015; however MnDOT is requesting execution of the agency agreement. Symanietz made a motion authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute resolution 2013 -030 providing for execution of the MnDOT Agency Agreement. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. 2013 Crack Filling: Thene reported that staff is recommending expending $30,000.00 out of the $40,000.00 CIP for crack filling throughout the city. It would cover north of 75, Northland Heights, through the south end of 4th. Frank asked whether the project will be done before the cold weather. Thene stated that as soon as the project is approved by the council, the project would be started. Wick made a motion to authorize the 2013 Crack Filling with a budget of $ 30,000. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Discussion: Schultz questioned if the repairs will be catching the city up on street repairs. Thene stated that although the plan looks sporadic, the repairs are part of a plan in place to catch up the City on street repairs. 2014 Park Terrace Improvement: Sabart followed up on previous discussions regarding updating the feasibility report on the Park Terrace project. Since the original feasibility report for the proposed improvements was completed in 2011, the report should be updated before the Council considers conducting a public hearing. Loso made a motion authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute resolution 2013 -029, Ordering Preparation of Report on Improvement for the proposed Park Terrace Improvements. The motion was seconded by Frank. Wastewater Plant Update: Weyrens reported on the financing and rate structure of the wastewater plant project. The increases in utility rates will cover the lift station project and the St. Cloud costs as well. The next step would be approval of ordering plans which would be needed to continue the 2013 Bond Issue. It is anticipated that the sewer project will be reduced to 1.8 M. Frank commented on paving most of the road leading up to the lift station. Frank also commented on the bypass pump and whether it was necessary being there is a pump readily available in Waite Park at no charge. Thene stated the pump would provide backup in case there is a generator failure which would pump it into the existing tanks, preventing a spill. He stated that he could work out a deal with C&L to see if the City can have their pump on standby. Weyrens asked whether the RV dump site was being used. Thene stated that he has not seen many people out there but had talked to other who said that people were using it, particularly after festivals and concerts. Wick asked if the new site is easily accessible in regards to the amount of slope present. Sabart stated that there is the option of creating more room for vehicles and RVs to turn around. This would create a more level area. Frank suggested taking out that part of the project as it would save money, and there is another dump site in Waite Park. Sabart suggested treating it as a separate bid item to gain more information on usage. That way the council can take it out based on additional information or a high bid price. There was discussion on whether parts of the project could be started before winter. Sabart stated that the lowest risk would be making it a spring project. Frank made a motion ordering the preparation of plans for the 2014 Wastewater Improvements, including developing alternatives for bidding purposes. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. August 1, 2013 Page 3 of 6 Committee Reports Park Board – 5K Update: Weyrens presented the Council with a request form the Park Board to fund a 5K run using Park Development Funds. Since the funds in Park Development have been budgeted for projects Weyrens suggested utilizing the gambling funds that have been donated to the City. The current fund has less than $ 4,000 but the 5 K should make money and revenue from registrations can be placed Loso made a motion to approve the use of money from back into the gambling funds for future use. the gambling fund in support of the 5K. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. EDA: Wick reported that during the EDA meeting Patty Garland from the St. Cloud Greater Development Corporation who spoke on membership. The EDA has budget funds available for the membership to include the remaining months in 2013 and 2014. The EDA recommends joining for the remaining of this year at a prorated rate. Loso disagreed with rejoining the St. Cloud Greater Development Corporation as he questioned the benefits, especially since the leadership is changing. Frank stated that in the past, he was opposed to rejoining. Now, he feels that it would be beneficial to rejoin. The price of joining is based on the City’s population. Frank supports giving the membership a try due to those factors and the ability to drop out of the agreement at any time. Symanietz asked what the cost of joining would be. Wick stated that the cost for the remainder of the year would be $1,250. For a full year it would be around $5,000.00. He felt that it would be more cost-effective to join in with the region rather than continuing on their own. Weyrens clarified that since this is a EDA Administrator Reports Sign Removal: Weyrens stated that she has received quote from Honer Excavating in the amount of $ 1,500 to remove the electronic sign on CR 2 and 75. Schultz questioned if the City could replace the sign at some point in the future. Weyrens stated that the property is owned by Stearns County and she could verify before the sign is demolished. The Council requested that Weyrens secure approval from the Stearns County Engineer that the City would have the ability to reconstruct a sign in the present location Loso made a motion to demolish the sign at CR 2 and 75, at some point in the future if so desired. accepting the quote from Honer Excavating at a cost of $ 1,500, provided the City receives written approval from the Stearns County Engineer that the sign could be re-constructed in the future. The motion was seconded by Frank and passed unanimously. Frank commented on the digital billboard on 75 stating that it was very bright. Weyrens stated that because the sign is outside of city limits that the Stearns County Environmental Services will be handling the matter. Golf Cart Ordinance 90: Weyrens presented the Council with the revised Golf Cart Ordinance. The ordinance has been updated to include the use of a golf cart after sunset provided the equipment includes headlights and taillights. Wick also questioned why the speed limit was limited to 15mph and suggested changing it to match the posted speed limit to which the Council concurred. Wick made a motion authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute Resolution 2013-033 revoking Ordinance 88 Snowmobile and Ordinance 90 (ATV) in its entirety and enacting Ordinance 90 entitled Regulation of Golf Carts, Neighborhood Friendly Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles, to include the revisions stated above. The motion was seconded by Schultz and passed unanimously. Discussion: Wick asked whether the permits for the remainder of the year are going to be prorated, or will they combine with next year making it a 1 ½ year permit. Loso and Wick agreed to have the permit fee start at the beginning of the year with the regular fee schedule. August 1, 2013 Page 4 of 6 Wick made a motion to authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute Resolution 2013 -034 authoring summary publication of Ordinance 90. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. 2014 General Fund Budget: Weyrens presented the Council with the draft 2014 General Fund Budget. The presentation included the following information: • Capital Projects — Impact to 2014 Budget: During the preparation of the 2013 budget the Council agreed to move forward with the improvements to the main wastewater lift station, initiating the improvement process for the Park Terrace Improvements and a street improvement. The financial impact from the 2013 projects is an increase in the tax levy between $ 20 - $ 25K. • Capital Projects — Planned for 2014 with 2015 budget impact: The proposed budget includes repair maintenance to the water tower and Park Terrace. The financial impact from the improvement will not be realized until 2015 and it will create a spike in the levy. • Capital Projects — Planned for 2015: Proposed project include street improvements to Northland Drive and Clinton Village and an equipment certificate. In 2015 some levies drop off, so the financial impact should not be as significant for 2016. • Tax Impact — Based on the draft budget, the tax capacity rate would increase approximately 1 %. Both labor contracts expire at the end of 2013 and the City will also have to manage the implementation of provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act. Frank stated he is interested in the financial impacts of the Affordable Health Care Act. Loso questioned the wage increase that was included in the budget to which Weyrens stated 3 %. • Budget Totals: The proposed budget presented for 2014 is $ 2,614,000 with the approved 2013 budget at $ 2,400,000. The budget was also illustrated in three categories, personnel, operating costs and capital. • Budget changes: The administration budget has been increased to add study money for either a comprehensive plan update planned for 2015 or other project. After the presentation of the budget the Council discussed the following: • Schultz questioned the $4000.00 increase in the computer budget. The increase would be from $11,000.00 to $15,000.00. Schultz believed the increase was a bit excessive due to the costs of a desktop computer being relatively cheap. Schultz suggested that software /servers should be listed in a different category as they tend to be more expensive. Schultz asked if leasing would be an option. Weyrens stated they have looked into leasing for the software /servers, but not for the work stations. Schultz suggested looking into a total lease package for all the computers that includes, maintenance and software updates. Frank asked if there were maintenance fees for the current software on the computers. Schultz asked whether the copier machine is a big ticket item. Weyrens stated that it is, but they are looking into leasing it. • Frank stated that he has found that in certain cities and counties they are moving to higher grade election software. Weyrens stated that the last update to the machines was county wide and if it needs to happen again it would filter down through the county. Schultz asked how often the police department replaces their computers. Jansky stated that all their computers go through the same process as administration. The squad car computers are looked at every four years which is one year after the warranty is up. Jansky stated that the old squad car 701 has been sold and the new 701 is on the road. Weyrens stated that with the budget there would be enough money trade in of the current vehicle to purchase a new one on a four year cycle with 1 new squad car a year. • Symanietz quested whether the AED defibrillator budget was for future defibrillators or to replace the current ones. Jansky stated that they just updated the AEDs for both the Police and Fire Departments. August 1, 2013 Page 5 of 6 • Frank asked whether the police cameras delayed response time has been fixed. Weyrens stated that the computer has been updated, and the new software will be downloaded. It is a short-term fix, but it was the cheapest. • Frank stressed his concerns regarding large trucks driving through the area and whether their weight is too heavy for the road. Jansky stated that the roads the trucks are driving on, they can drive on. Having scales on the roads would be too expensive. Jansky stated that if there is an issue they have contacted the DOT who have portable scales in their trucks. He added that if residents have issues, they should contact the City. • Frank made a suggestion regarding the maintenance /equipment piece of the budget asking to have a list of the major pieces of equipment along with the age of the equipment for a better picture of the inventory. Loso added it would be nice to have the mileage and hours of the equipment to better prioritize what needs the most attention. • Symanietz asked if the sign replacement mandate was for the street signs. Thene confirmed that it was. • Schultz stated that St. Cloud is under the same mandate with the sign replacement as St. Joseph and they are waiting until they receive money. He questions why the City is not doing the same thing. Frank stated that whether the mandates are funded or not, they are something that should be done as it can affect the city in the long run. He thought the combination of having a stop sign on one side and a street name sign on the other was a good idea. Thene stated that there are a large number of signs that have no reflectivity that need to be replaced. • Frank asked whether the city can lease the hot patch equipment from Waite Park. Thene stated that the cities typically use the same equipment at the same time, so it would be difficult to work out an arrangement with another city. • Weyrens questioned the $20,000.00 allocated to retaining wall and turn back out at Millstream. Thene stated that money could be reallocated. • Wick questioned the Park Board Budget and suggested that the future revenues listed for the Feld Farm and Herges be removed as they are not viable projects at this time. Schultz discussed the Park Project for Klinefelter Park and suggested the board consider an enclosed shelter and partnering with the local service groups. • Loso stated that he is disappointed that the budget increased rather than decreased. He would like to see cushions for projects such as street improvements and putting more money towards the city. Symanietz stated that she liked seeing the impact of the increases on the households by value. • Schultz asked about the $25,000.00 allocated to Memorial Park Grading in the Public Works budget. Thene stated that the money could be lumped in with the Park Terrace project if the council approved. If it is something the council does not want to do, then it can be taken out of the budget. Weyrens stated that they can take the $25,000.00 out of the general fund and leave the Memorial Park project with Park Terrace. Weyrens stated the budget will be revised and brought back to the Council with the additional information requested at the next meeting. Mayor Reports Updates: Schultz mentioned that Doug Carlson from the Lion's Club will be attending the council meeting on August 15th. Schultz met with the new superintendent and they discussed the facilities in the area. August 1, 2013 Page 6 of 6 Schultz invited him to come out and meet the Council once he becomes more accustomed to the area. Schultz stated that he be hosting a Meet and Greet on Saturday at the Local Blend from 9 -10AM. Council Reports Svmanietz: stated that she attended the intergovernmental meeting in Waite Park, whom she thanked for hosting it. The meeting was very productive in that a lot of suggestions were brought up regarding the joint project resulting from the sales tax increase. Wick: stated that the individuals running the brainstorming sessions were spending more time discussing why a suggestion wouldn't work rather than writing down all ideas. Loso: Questioned when the council would be paperless. Weyrens stated it depends if the Council wanted an [PAD 5 for a Retina. The IPAD 5 is being released in September. The Council agreed to move forward with the current technology that is available. Frank: Frank noted that he got a letter regarding the history of the City of St. Joseph and whether there is an interest to write a pictorial book on the history of St. Joseph. Weyrens stated that there is a book and videos of the history of St. Joseph readily available. Adiourn: Wick made a motion to adjourn at 9:10 PM; seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. �y Y Judy W� re ns Y Cit dministrator