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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[04a] Minutes - Aug 07 August 7 2014 Page 1 of 7 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 6:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall, opening the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members Present: Mayor Rick Schultz, Councilors Renee Symanietz, Dale Wick, Steve Frank, Bob Loso, City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives: City Engineer Randy Sabart, Public Works Director Terry Thene, Police Chief Joel Klein Others Present: Tom Klein, Garry Hawkins, Ellen Wahlstrom, Joe Klein, Mark Ostendorf, Public Comments th Ellen Wahlstrom, 409 8 Ave NE, questioned the status of the Government Center. She questioned whether or not the City has taken any formal action to move forward and what is the intent of hiring a facilitation consultant. Wick made a motion to approve the agenda with the noted additions and Approval of the Agenda: changes to the consent agenda. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Discussion: Weyrens stated that item [4f] had been added to the consent agenda which is asking for approval of the road closure for the Millstream Arts Festival. Frank added he would like to pull out item [4e] Exempt Employee Compensation. Loso made a motion to approve the remaining items on the consent agenda. The Consent Agenda: motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. a. Minutes – Approved the minutes of July 23, 2014. b. Bills Payable – Approved check numbers 048155-048206; payroll EFT # 000959-000963. c. Application for Payment – Authorized execution of application #1 for the 2014 Park Terrace Improvement and payment to Kuechle Underground in the amount of $40,367.48. d. Lot Split – Authorized the execution of a certificate of compliance severing Lot 1 Blk 5 Buettner Business Park into two lots. st f. Road Closure: Approved the road closure of a portion of MN Street between 1 Ave E/W and College Avenue N on September 28, 2014 for the Millstream Arts Festival. [4e] Exempt Employee Compensation – Frank mentioned that there is a slight difference from the bargaining units and department heads. Weyrens clarified that it refers to the deferred compensation, but Frank made a motion to establish and implement the wages and that difference is not new. insurance benefits for exempt employees as they are for the bargaining units. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Xcel Energy: Relocation of Power Lines: Weyrens stated that in late 2013 the City Council inquired if the stnd overhead power lines on MN Street between 1 Ave E and 2 Ave W could be relocated or buried. Xcel appeared before the Council in late 2013 to discuss the options and process for re-designing the power poles. In order to determine the cost for the relocation, the City would be required to deposit $ 5,000 to offset the staff time to prepare the new design. If the City moved forward with the design, the deposit would be applied to the cost. In February 2014 the City Council authorized the expenditure of $ 5,000 for the redesign to determine the cost and whether or not the matter should be placed on the agenda. Rod Bemis and Joe Klein of Xcel approached the Council to present the proposed cost and associated design. Bemis stated that the proposed design moves the existing overhead lines one block north to the east/west alley with an estimated cost of $ 400,000. The estimated cost only includes the cost to relocate the existing poles and does not include costs of other utility companies utilizing the poles, nor does it include restoration, easements, or new lighting on MN Street. August 7 2014 Page 2 of 7 Sabart stated that the other utility companies have been contacted and he has received costs estimates. In addition to utility companies, all the businesses whose power is feed from the existing poles will need to be relocated to the back side of the property. Taking in to account the private utility costs, property owner costs and costs not covered by Xcel the project would exceed one million. Weyrens stated invited all impacted owners to a meeting to discuss the proposed project and impacts. Only two owners attended the meeting and neither one saw much benefit to the project. If the Council wishes to place the matter on the November ballot, the ballot question must be submitted no later than August 13. Frank made a motion to not move forward with the power line relocation from Minnesota Street to the East/West alley. The motion was seconded by Loso and carried unanimously. Discussion: Frank stated that he was intrigued by the project, but after looking at all the extra costs of the project, it is not cost-effective. Schultz stated that the City pursued the project due to a suggestion in a survey of the residents. Schultz thanked Xcel for providing the proposal as it is exactly what the Council and City needed to see. Hard numbers were needed in order to make a decision whether to put on the November ballot. Wick stated that he would rather have the lines buried than moving the lines a half a block. Unfortunately that particular line is unable to be put underground. Wick stated that burying the lines is much more costly. Bemus stated that the cost would be at least double if not triple the costs. Additionally consumers would need to have their wiring flow to specific central locations. Bemus added that if outages occur, they could occur for longer periods of time. City Engineer Reports Sewer Lining: Sabart stated that the Public Works Department had identified a block long section of clay st piping along 1 Ave NE that is exhibiting signs of distress. Some of the specific deficiencies occurred at the building connections, where the connections are made with the main line. There are several sections of cracked piping. Sabart displayed photos showing root intrusion and cracks in the piping. One picture displayed show a potential future collapse where the pipe is severely cracked. The main concern with that particular pipe is that it services all of the Northland Heights Addition. Due to the pipe’s condition, it is unable to be lined. It is a candidate for excavation and replacement of the pipe. Sabart recommends replacing this section of piping as the situation could not go unattended. The rest of the block would be a candidate for pipe lining as the deficiencies are not as severe. Loso questioned how much of the street would need to be excavated to replace the one section that is failing. Sabart stated that the piping typically is sectioned off in 3 feet segments. Wick asked what would happen with the sewer during repairs. Sabart stated that they would monitor and if necessary they would create a bypass. Schultz questioned if the large machines digging in that section would hinder the other section of clay pipe close by. Sabart stated that due the small size of the area they will be digging, the likelihood of that happening is minimal. Loso asked what size the water main is. Sabart stated that the waterline is fairly new. It is a 12 inch pipe that was put in in the 90’s. Frank asked if any of this is in the budget and if not, it should be put into the budget as part of the Capital Improvement. Frank asked how much the City has to pay if their property is part of a project assessment. Weyrens stated that the City is assessed the same. In the Park Terrace project, the City was assessed a large portion due to it occurring by the parks. Frank added that money needs to be set aside to start preparing for these projects. Sabart stated that the challenge is that the City has to deal with multiple life cycles such as the life cycles of the street, the water main, and the sewer. Typically the Capital Improvement plans are planned around the life cycles of the streets. August 7 2014 Page 3 of 7 Wick made a motion authorizing Public Works to move forward with making the repairs to the clay st piping along 1 Ave NE. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Project Updates Water Tower: The water tower coating is completed and the water is now being switched over from the St. Ben’s tower to the City’s tower. Frank asked if there were any mishaps or surprises while working on the water tower. Sabart stated that it was routine. There was a conduit that had been cut so additional wiring had to be done but it was not major. Frank asked when the towers will be put back on the tower. Sabart stated that the City is working with Verizon on a timeline for getting their new antenna system up on the tower. Park Terrace: The utility work on Birch is nearly completed. They are in the process of grading. Work to th the south on 5 sanitary work is underway. Sabart stated that questions have been asked about grading on the sled hill. Staff has observed that the current shape of the slope guides users towards the bleachers. To mitigate that, straw bales have been put out there. Part of the grading piece is to direct users to a northerly direction and away from the bleachers. The vertical elevation is not changing, but the shape of the sliding hill will be changed. Schultz stated that he appreciates the changing in slope, but people are going to slide where they want to slide. Thene suggested planting some type of trees or bushes. Schultz added that the straw bales will not go away as they will continue to serve as a protective barrier. Thene stated that the bales cost about $750 every other year. Weyrens added that from an insurance prospective the bales need to be there. Frank stated that there are concerns from residents that the hill will be taken away and that we might want to communicate it out that the hill will not be going away; rather the direction of the sledding will be changed. Sabart added that a parking lot could potentially be constructed at the top of the hill as the change in slope will allow for that. Loso asked about the parking by the monument and added that there is much confusion about where nd people are to park. People do not know they can park in there and entry can only happen off of 2. Loso would like to have an ingress/egress so that it would direct more people to park in that lot. Schultz stated he would not want to have an ingress/egress on that street because eventually it will be a major collector and there will be parallel parking on both sides of the street. Sabart asked if it would help if the access off nd of 2 would be wider so that cars could pass going in and out. Additionally, parking signs could be put at the entrance. Main Pump Station – the project is ongoing and the tunneling for the 42 inch sewer underneath CR 75 is complete. The contractor is in the process of setting up dewatering and will be constructing additional sewer in the direction of the station. Public Works Director Seal Coat/Crack Fill: Thene stated that previously the Council has adopted a street maintenance plan which an inventory of the City infrastructure is with approximates dates for street improvements. Each year the City has completed the necessary crack fill and seal coating. Thene stated that he has inventoried the streets and is seeking approval to spend approximately $ 45,500 to repair streets. Sabart presented the Council with a map of the areas being discussed. Wick stated that some of the streets on the illustration were just overlayed, so he questioned how they could be cracking, needing maintenance. He questioned if the City does not have some type of warranty on the streets. Sabart responded that it is not a warranty issue. Cracking is a normal activity for streets that just receive an overlay. Thene added that the overlay will be protected by sealing the cracks. Schultz stated he has received calls about the cracks that have showed up. He asked what the longevity is for an overlay and for the crack sealing. Sabart stated that the overlay typically buys another 8-10 years August 7 2014 Page 4 of 7 in extending the life of the street. Sabart added that Thene is trying to get ahead of the cracking in the overlay to prevent more from occurring. Wick made a motion approve moving forward with seal coating and crack filling up to $45,500.00 that was set aside for 2014 Street Maintenance. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Sign Purchase: Thene stated the through the Capital Improvement process, he has established a street replacement fund to replace street signs that do not have reflectivity or are damaged. At this time he is requesting to replace the signs in the Northland Addition that do not meet the standards. The total cost of the replacement is $ 7,200. After this purchase and installation, the street signs and hardware for replacement will become part of overlay and street reconstruction projects unless premature failure occurs. Frank questioned if this would meet the national standards. Sabart said it would. The signs that are being replaced will be in compliance. Frank made a motion authorizing the purchase of street signs, post, and hardware at a cost of $ 7,200.00. The motion was seconded by Schultz and passed unanimously. Loader Tires: Thene stated the loader tires on the 2002 front end loader have reached their useful life and need to be replaced. There will be a credit on the existing tires after they are dismounted and inspected. The money was reserved in operations for the tires. The goal is to purchase the tires and have them on Frank made a motion authorizing the purchase of loader tires with a fiscal impact of by winter. $13,510.00. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. 2015 Preliminary Budget Discussion: Weyrens presented the first draft of the proposed 2015 budget which is the operation piece only. The increase in budget is partly due to an increase in benefits, the new employees whom are entitled to steps every year, gas and electric had a significant increase, the snow removal budget was increased, and the biggest increase would be the seal coating fund. Weyrens added that it would be about a 2.1% increase in taxes from an operational standpoint. Growth numbers have not yet been received from the County. Weyrens questioned the Council would like to discuss salaries prior to the election, as they can only be changed after an election. Frank mentioned that if Council members have more than one meeting in a day, they are only paid for one and that the Council is one of the lowest paid in the area. Weyrens stated they are the only Council in the area that is still paid per meeting rather than a flat rate. Loso stated he is fine with the way things are at for Council compensation. Weyrens stated that the next budget discussion will focus on the Capital Improvement projects which is scheduled for August 21. Committee Update Planning Commission: Schultz reported that the PUD provisions were discussed in the downtown district. Language was updated to reflect square footage changes and maximum building height. It was approved to go to a public hearing and then will be brought to the Council. Wick asked if there has been any progress on the sign ordinance. Weyrens stated that at the September PC meeting, there will a public hearing held for the sign ordinance. th Fire Board: Meeting was cancelled and moved to Wednesday, August 13. Administrator Reports Sales Tax – Ballot Question: Weyrens stated that the City Council has previously conducted two public open houses to solicit input on proposed uses for sales tax funds. The legislature has authorized the extension of the existing additional ½ cent sales tax for an additional 20 years, running through 2038. August 7 2014 Page 5 of 7 Each City must place the matter on the ballot before 2018. In an effort to create uniformity between the Cities, the draft ballot question has been prepared similar for each City. According to MN Statute the Ctiy Attorney must approve any question placed on the ballot. To save on attorney fees, the Cities of St. Joseph, Waite Park and Sartell shared the cost of attorney review, using Mary Ipple from Briggs and Morgan. She has reviewed the question, making necessary changes. For St. Joseph, she recommended removing the green initiatives as they do not seem regional and if the City completed a street or building project, green initiatives could be included in a specific regional project. It is anticipated that St. Joseph will receive over 11 million over the term of the extension. Additionally, for St. Joseph, for every dollar collected, the City will receive $ 1.42. The disbursement is based on the Joint Powers Agreement using a formula that combines population and collections. Frank questioned if handicapped accessible equipment could be put under the regional parks, trails ballot question. Loso and Schultz felt that it does not need to specifically be put on the ballot, but would be included in the umbrella of the regional parks, trails, and open space topic. Loso made a motion to approve the ½ cent sales tax ballot question as follows. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. EXTENSION OF ONE-HALF PERCENT SALES AND USE TAX The residents of St. Joseph, Sartell, St. Augusta, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park currently collect a ½ percent sales and use tax which will expire on December 31, 2018. The State Legislature has authorized the extension of the existing ½ percent sales and use tax for the aforementioned cities through 2038, subject to voter approval in each city. If St. Joseph voters approve an extension, the first $ 900,000 collected annually will be used to fund the regional projects identified below under the section entitled “Jointly Funded Regional Projects”. The area cities can use the remaining sales and use tax dollars for other projects in their individual cities pursuant to a Joint Powers Agreement. Based on the Joint Powers Agreement St. Joseph will receive approximately $ 1.42 for every dollar collected in St. Joseph. JOINTLY FUNDED REGIONAL PROJECTS Regional Trails – Interconnection of trail system, not to exceed $ 500,000 annually; Regional community aquatics center, not to exceed $ 200,000 annually; Regional Airport, not to exceed $ 200,000 annually. ST. JOSEPH REGIONAL PROJECTS – The development, acquisition, and improvement of: REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS and related infrastructure in an amount not to exceed 10 Million of the tax revenue received by the City of St. Joseph. Examples can include, but are not limited to: streets, roads, related infrastructure and mass transit projects. REGIONAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES in an amount not to exceed 8 Million of the tax revenue received by the City of St. Joseph. Examples can include, but are not limited to: community center, senior center, historical center, and branch library. REGIONAL PARKS, TRAILS, OPEN SPACE and related facilities in an amount not to exceed 4 Million of the tax revenue received by the City of St. Joseph. Examples can include, but are not limited to: adding bathroom facilities, water amenities, expanding shelters, and development of Sauk River Park. Shall the City of St. Joseph be authorized to continue the collection of a ½ percent sales and use tax through the year 2038 to pay for all or part of the above listed regional projects? To vote, complete the oval to the LEFT of your choice, like this ( ). Voters desiring to vote in favor of the question should complete the oval opposite the word “YES” next to the question. Voters desiring to vote against the question should complete the oval opposite the word “NO” next to the question. Yes No August 7 2014 Page 6 of 7 RFP for Facilitation Services: Weyrens reported that the Council requested staff prepare and distribute a request for proposals for facilitation services. The request was published on the LMC and City Websites th and emailed to those firms that requested a copy. The proposals were due on August 6 and two were received. One from WSB and one from RA Morton. With regard to questioned raised by Whalstrom at the beginning of the meeting, the request for facilitation services indicated that the community center may play a part in the planning process but it is not the focal point. There has been no action taken by the Council regarding future facilities except for the creation of the RFP to solicit for facilitation services. Wahlstrom questioned what the purpose of the facilitation group is. Weyrens added that they are advocates for the community by reaching out to the community and stakeholders in the community and bringing their thoughts and concerns back to the Council. Frank stated that if he would have seen the RFP prior to publication, he would have questioned the wording. He would have preferred wording that had the government and community center on an equal playing field. Frank added that the community center appears to be on a lower platform priority wise in comparison to the government center. Loso suggested having both facilitation services come to the next Council meeting to present their services to which Schultz concurred. Frank questioned the cost of each. Weyrens stated that WSB has a disclaimer which reads; the total proposed cost of our proposed services to facilitate the below meetings, including preparation, summary notes, and associated exhibits is $5,530 flat fee. This does not include extensive information gathering, producing expert opinions or presentations. The fee for RA Morton is $ 5,500. Wahlstrom asked if the focus of the facilitation services stakeholder group would be to renovate the current building or build a whole new government center. Schultz stated the facilitator will solicit responses and will find out from stakeholders which direction they want to go. Frank stated that at the LMC conference, one of his take always was that there has been an increased use in facilitation services to connect residents with the Council. Donations: Weyrens stated that there have been multiple donations made including 8 sponsors for the movie night and the in-kind donations that were made to Cloverdale Park. Symanietz thanked the organizations and companies that donated to the movie night and Cloverdale Park. She additionally Symanietz made a thanked those who donated to the archery range, disc golf, and Millstream camping. motion accepting the donations and their purposes as presented. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Golf Cart Ordinance – Request to Stearns County: Weyrens stated that since the City approved their golf cart ordinance, the County has approved one as well. The County Ordinance requires a municipality opting to allow golf carts to submit a request to the County. Once approved by the County Board, the city will be responsible for issuing the City and County license. Loso made a motion to request the Stearns County Engineer approve the use of golf carts on County Roads with a posted limit of 30 MPH or less and roadways which are not classified as arterial. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Mayor Reports Meetings: Schultz reported that the APO personnel committee met and discussed merit increases and performance reviews. He attended two sessions with District 742 regarding the location of high schools.. Schultz created a slideshow with information on the City of St. Joseph, estimated growth, events that take place in the City, and pushed for the idea of having a high school in St. Joseph. August 7 2014 Page 7 of 7 District 742 believes that bigger is not better, and Schultz agreed. A few of the reasons for a K-12 school in St. Joseph were; a school in St. Joseph would retain the number of residents who flee to other nearby schools, the school would be a center of community activity, and small schools strengthen local economies. Frank stated that the first high school he taught at had 5,000 students in grades 10-12. He added that even back then smaller schools around 900 seemed to be the ideal size Schultz met with the historical society, asking them to come up with what they will need for storage in the future and that the Council should look at investing more into the historical society. New Business EDA: Wick reported that the meeting was quick and the budget was briefly discussed. The intern program was discussed as well and there was no interest due to the late start. They will continue it over to the fall. Symanietz requested the EDA discuss the new location for the Little Saints Academy. Wick stated that the EDA director has been working on finding an alternate location. Motion made by Wick to adjourn at 7:50 PM; seconded by Symanietz and passed Adjourn: unanimously by those present. Judy Weyrens Administrator This page intentionally left blank