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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000 [11] Nov 02 {Book 20} · ~ CITY OF ST. JOSEPH 21 First Avenue NW P,O, Box 668. St. Joseph. MN 56374 St. Joseph City Council (320) 363-7201 November 2, 2000 Fax: 363-0342 7 :00 p.m. · MAYOR 1. 7:00 p.m. - Call to Order Kenneth J. Hiemenz 2. Approve Agenda ~:U;RKI 3. Consent Agenda ADMINtSTRATOR a. Resolution annexing properties abutting CR 121 Cari Schmidt b. Authorization to purchase a radio for police department use in the amount of $ 952.27. (Funds are budgeted under Police Communication) :OUNC!LO!!.s 3. Public Comments to the Agenda .so ~hlert 4. Bills Payable and Overtime Ken Twit Mary Niedenfuer 5. Police Chief Reports a. College Avenue South 90 Minute Parking Zone 6. Approve Minutes - October 19,2000 7, 7:20 p.m, - Steven Lovold, request for reliefrrom water hookup fee until water is used, (Prior Council action of June 7. 1999) 8, 7:40 p.m. - City Engineer Reports - update on Millstream Culvert Project 9, 8:00 p.m. - Steve Hagman, Summary of the 2000 - 2001 Rental Licenses 10, Mayor Reports 11. Council Reports 12, Clerk! Administrator Reports 13, Miscellaneous and Announcement Items 14. Adjourn · - r~ . ,j ~:{ ". -- -. y ClTYOF Sl'.JO$I<~PR . . . .. _ow MeI110randum To: Mayor and City Council cc: Can Schmidt, City Administrator From: Gary D. Will Jr., Chief of Police Date: 10/25/00 Re: Purchase new Portable Radio We have $1,000 in the budget for reserves, after reviewing the needs of the department that includes the reserves, I see where using the money to purchase a new portable radio would be best. . We have tested the Motorola HT1250's and found that while smaller and lighter in weight, they have a better effective range the radios we currently use. Granite Electronics have submitted a bid totaling $952.27 for one HT1250, with remote microphone and carrying case. This is a very reasonable price. With all of the problems we had this year with radio's failing during disorientation, the need for newer radios is very evident. I request that we purchase one radio for $952.27 from Granite Electronics. ~.. f@ __ 1 Granite Electronics 535 N 31st Avenue St. Cloud, MN 56303 Phone: 800-477-1887 Fax: 320-259-599411 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- " For: ST. JOSEPH POLICE DEPT Date: 10/23/00 SYSTEM PROPOSAL ST. JOSEPH, MN PRICING Phone: 363-8250 -----------------------------------------------~-------------------------------- Item Quan Description Each Total -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1 HT1250 VHF 128ch Ltd Key AAH25KDF9AA5_N $897.20 $897.20 Includes: a. HT Series Remote Speaker Mic HMN-9052A b. HT1250 AW Lthr Case 6-key MR8100-3BW c. Public Service discount - 2 1 DEALER SERVICE DISCOUNT $-50.00 $-50.00 Includes: a. (Cost of radio charged as labor, no tax) c§P . \/'=> I ; fì'(~ \ Ó\ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terms: 0% down net 10 days Total Equipment Cost $847.20 Lease Contract: Labor, Installation and Test $50.00 $0.00 for 0 months. Tax $55.07 Advance PaymeITt $0.00 Total Purchase $952.27 N/. Proposal valid for 30 days. Frequency Coordination/License Prepared by: Dan McCoy Total $952.27 Accepted by: Less Down Payment $O~OO Date: Balance $952.27 - ~ ~ ;~ ;1 :1 .CITYOF Sl'.JOS":PH -. . . E.... Mell10randum To: Mayor and City Council cc: Cari Schmidt, City Administrator From: Gary D. Will Jr., Chief of Police Date: 10/20/00 Re: 90 minute parking on College Ave. S. Quite a few years ago, the College of St. Benedict's requested 90 minute parking on College A venue for visitor parking. Since that time, they have added new parking lots. . I received a request from the colleges Chief of Physical Plant and Facilities Management that the time limit be removed and that the "same restrictions that apply to other city streets" be used. There are several issues. 1. The 90 minute parking. The Police Department does not have a recommendation either way for this request. I have received complaints that people can not find a spot to park at the college when they need to visit and I see empty spaces in the parking lots. However, we do have time limits in other areas of town (Date, 1 st NE to name a couple). In general, I do not like time limit parking like this because it is hard to enforce unless there are parking meters. Short-term limits (15 minutes for example) are relatively easy to enforce for any police agency. 2. The parking prohibitions on this street also include no overnight parking. There is nothing in the college's request that addresses this issue. I do not know why there is no overnight parking here. This should be addressed in the same motion as the 90-minute parking. ~ i ~ '\ -- 1 .. . ~ October 20, 2000 · 3. Next spring/summer/fall, the road is going to be tom up and during this time, I do not expect that any parking will be allowed. Do we want to change the parking now or look at the issue while the road is under construction to determine what is in the overall best interest for traffic safety so when signs go back up we can have no signs, the same signs or something entirely different. If this option is used, I would recommend some committee made up of the police, public works, colleges, students and at least one area resident, preferable one who lives on 121 or just off of it to work on the issue maybe from Minnesota south to the city limits. · · 2 . C"w .. ¡ollege of Saint Benedict 37 S, College Avenue St. Joseph, MN 56374-2099 Gary Will, Chief of Police City of Saint Joseph 25 NW 1 st Avenue Saint Joseph MN 56374 Dear Chief Will, I am ir..£orming you that the College of Saint Benedict no longer needs the 90-minute parking restriction along College A venue. At this time we would prefer the same restrictions that apply to other city streets. Thank you for your past and future assistance to the college. We appreciate you, your department, and the collaborative initiatives for a better community. . Best regards, ~~ tdriCkS Chief Physical PlantIF acilities Management Officer . - ;fI . Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, October 19,2000 at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Acting Mayor Bob Loso. Councilors Cory Ehlert, Mary Niedenfuer. Deputy Clerk Judy Weyrens. Members Absent: Mayor Kenneth J. Hiemenz, Councilor Ken Twit. Others Present: Police Chief Gary Will Jr., David Kuefler, Al Rassier, Stephanie Howe, Tom Nahan, Approve Agenda: Niedenfuer made a motion to approve the agenda as presented; seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present Noise Violation Hearing, 110 - 10th Avenue SE. #101: Property Manager David Kuefler appeared before the Council on behalf of the owners of Meadowlark apartments. He stated that his company has recently secured a contract to manage the Meadowlark Apartments, and as property managers do not tolerate disruptive behavior. Kuefler further stated that the residents in apartment # 10 I have been evicted and a letter has been sent to all residents in the complex stating that all residents are to abide by the City Noise Ordinance and included a copy of such. Kuefler stated that he has no reason to contest the violation that occurred on September 29, 2000 as the police reports provide supporting documentation. The residents of apartment #101 expressed remorse to Kuefler and apologized for any inconvenience they caused. Further, Kuefler stated that he is a part of the St. Cloud Multi Housing Coalition which drafted housing regulations for the City of St. Cloud and offered his services to St. Joseph. . Ehlert made a motion to verify that a noise violation did occur onS~ptémber.29, 2000 at 110 _10th Avenue SE; apartment #101; seconded by Niedenfuer and pass~ªt:yp:animously'by those present. :<:-::-":~::: - :,.,;,.',_, _C_i-<;-'-' _.,_/",,'" ,.:,,_,',_' ····..u'- ,_, _ '", '-"- """",,-',,- -. ·'.'Y,'::,':::::'_:':'_'::::::::"::_ c"," Acting Mayor Loso stated that the Council needs to consi~~r;'lat typ~;'of penalty Will be assessed. Ehlert stated that he feels this noise complaint coul~;þa~.I~·ee1J,T~andlê~¡as a discretionary matter as the complaint stated the residents had only five fìjellt~~?,er!,mnd~!-" discretionary policing the police could have stopped and gave the te~~!li~lf¡~~i~inutest~i;co1"tecq"¡qhe m~~er before issuing a violation, Ehlert further stated that discretion~¡PQ1ì~m~::.was'iit~~us~·ed:iW a If1ÊtFPITomthe City Attorney. Loso stated that the police are enforcing IIlis currê'I¡iJ;'0lilf and th~¡¡~t~~~~bônary policing method regarding the noise ordinance has not beenilfopted. 'tfeq-"uestioneœi.iif'the Council will be reviewing the discretionary policing matter',~~ written~f th~¡City Attorney. Niedenfuer stated that positive results can be seen ITom the CORE COmfflittee meFting~: A resident questioned the police how to have a safe party and the Police Chief is happy¡t() provicreinfortnation. Ehlert made a motion to assg~ith~property owners of 110 - 10th Avenue SE the administrative fees of $ 150.00 and a fine of $ tOO:OO. The motion was seconded by Niedenfuer and passed unanimously by those present. Consent Agenda: Ehlert made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows; seconded by Niedenfuer and passed unanimously by those present. 1. Application for payment #2 - Gopher State Contractors, $ 18,873.00 2. Resolution calling for the Redemption of the Outstanding General Obligation Improvement Bonds of 1992, Series B . October 26, 2000 Page I of 5 . Proposal Request for City Hall Proiect: Stephanie Howe, Grooters Leapoldt Tiedeman, appeared before · the Council to present five (5) change order requests for the remodeling project of the fonner First State Bank building. They are as follows: #1 . Electrical Modifications (GLT Proposal Request No.2): Howe reported that not all the electrical work could be detennined at the time the plans were drafted, therefore additional electrical work is needed. The total cost of the additional electrical work is $ 529.00, Ehlert made a motion to approve the electrical modifications as detailed in GL T Proposal Request No.2; seconded by Niedenfuer and passed unanimously by those present. #2 - Carpeting and Painting (GL T Proposal Request No, 5): Howe presented a proposal to carpet and paint portions of the facility. The total cost of the additional carpeting and wall covering is $ 9,358.00 Ehlert questioned the need to carpet the lower storage room area and the condition of the existing carpeting. Howe stated that the area does not need to be carpeted, however, whenever the storage room door is open you would see the old carpeting ITom the Council Chambers. Niedenfuer questioned the carpeting in the employee breakroom. Howe responded that she is looking for something durable for the breakroom as it is in need of replacement. The existing flooring is a vinyl covering. Councilors present agreed the area should be udpated and replaced. Ehlert made a motion to approve GLT Proposal Request No.5 with the deletion of carpeting the storage area and addition of updating the break room and bathrooms. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously by those present. # 3 - Electrical Outlet Modification (GL T Proposal Request No.7): During the construction meeting it was detennined that four wall outlets and two flush mounted floor outlets need to be · added with a contract increase price of $ 1,307.00. Howe stated that the cost may seem high, but the pre cast floor adds additional costs. Ehlert made a motion to approve GL T Proposal Request No.7, adding four wall outlets and two flush mounted floor outlets. The motion ,,,as seconded by Niedenfuer and passed unanimously by those present. # 4 - Modifications to upgrade basement corridor and stairs to meet fire codes (GLT Proposal Request No. 11): Howe reported that once demolition was completed it was discovered that the existing corridor walls were not completely fire rated. It is necessary to complete these items as they are required by fire codes. In addition to the basement corridor and stairs, there are areas that will need to be fire caulked which will also be an additional cost. The cost to upgrade the basement corridor and stairs as well as the additional caulking is $ 2,762.00. Niedenfuer made a motion to approve GLT Proposal Request No. 11, upgrading lower level areas to meet fire codes. The motion was seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present. # 5 - Modifications to the Council Chambers (Gopher State Proposal Request No. 14). Howe presented the additional cost to relocate the door and window, removing the middle door into the council chamber area to accommodate the redesign of the Council Table, The total cost of this request is $ 657.00. Niedenfuer made a motion to approve Gopher State Proposal Request No. 14, modifications to the council chambers; seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present. Bills Pavable: After review the bills payable, Niedenfuer made a motion to approve them as presented, check numbers 28902 - 28980. The motion was seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present. Overtime and Callouts: Niedenfuer made a motion to approve the overtime and callouts as · presented; seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present. October 26, 2000 Page 2 of 5 . . .'_1 · DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS Pond View Ridge Five: Weyrens reported that Bob Herges has requested the City Council accept Pond View Ridge Five. The developer has completed all the punch list items as prepared by the City Engineer. Before accepting the developmentthe Engineer has requested additional time to review the developer's agreement to assure that all terms and conditions of the agreement have been fulfilled. Ehlert made a motion to accept Pond View Ridge 5 upon the written approval of the City Engineer. The motion was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously by those present. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Al Rassier - Questioned the bills payable listing and how to determine which funds have been expended, Weyrens responded that the column on the bills payable listing to the far right indicates which fund has been expended with the column in front of the item the department that has been expensed. Leo Buettner - Request to Defer 2000 and Assessments: The Council received a request from Leo Buettner to defer his assessments for the development ofthe Buettner Business Park Plat at least one year or until a major portion of his property is sold. His letter stated that since nothing has been sold so far, he has had to borrow money to pay the assessments and cannot continue to do this in the following years, Loso stated that it is his understanding that the revenue source obtained~hrough assessments is needed to make the bond payments for the 1999 Improvements; and he has a hat~ª.time justifying deferral of the · assessments. Weyrens responded that the City does rely on the asses~~~~~~ täpa¥the debt. The amount Buettner is requesting is approximately $ 50,000 for the current year:j~jlè it is ~<?t unusual for the City to have a negative fund balance the long term implications will ne9~\~~¡pe review~~ias the interest from the assessments is also a revenue source for the bond fund. )il'\f;~ditio~: W eyrens ~t~ted the City has had to levy the funds to pay the loan the City secured for the ._r~,¥ement$ which has an annual payment of approximately $ 29,000 per year. The Council wi:~litlsq~.eed~~ be caîJ.tious of the precedence it will be setting if the Council defers payment of assessn1~!i~~i)' Ehlert questioned if the Couqåtl:~Ølîl¡:~~þle t.$matter;'£~. No~¢~ber 2,2000 when the full Council will be present. Weyrens stated t~~t is up tq'II.e C)~uncil. ~~~~pïted that he does not feel the Council should table this matter as he is read~i¡~o make ~:'ec~i!on at this meeting. Niedenfuer concurred with Loso and stated that she too is concem~ with the.'Pfecx!!lence that could be set and what impact such relief would have on the residential propefI:Y owner.it( Ehlert questioned if EDA Di~~fto~ç::~a.tl Carlson has reviewed this request. Weyrens stated that she did discuss this matter with Carl~~~~1'Jg.he too questioned the request. Buettner did sign a developer's agreement which indicated thetenn and amount of the assessments. Ehlert questioned if part of the assessments can be deferred to which Weyrens responded that she could research that issue. Loso made a motion to deny the request of Leo Buettner to defer the special assessments on his property at least one year or until a major portion ofthe land has been sold. The motion was seconded by Niedenfuer. Ayes: Loso, Niedenfuer Nays: Ehlert Motion passed 2:1:0 Minutes: Ehlert made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 5, 2000 Council meeting as · presented; seconded by Loso and passed unanimously by those present. October 26. 2000 Page 3 of 5 , Ehlert questioned the status of the preliminary plat Pond View Ridge Phase Six and the proposed variance · to the lots with Wetland issues. Weyrens stated that the Wetland Ordinance is relatively new and it was determined that a public hearing would be necessary to allow the lesser setback from the wetland areas, However, since that time the developer has agreed to wait to request the variance until they present the City with a final plat for that section, Council Salary Increase Proposal: Loso stated that he would like to see the Council increase the wages of the City Council and Mayor as it has been a long time since they have been increased, Therefore, Loso made a motion to increase the salary of the City Council and Mayor $ 150.00 each per month. The Council salary after the election would then be $ 300 per month with the Mayor being compensated $ 450.00 per month. The proposal leaves the meeting fee at $ 20.00 per month. The motion was seconded by Ehlert. Ehlert questioned if this matter could be tabled until the full Council is present. Loso stated that the Council increase must be set before the election and cannot take effect until after the election. Therefore, the decision needs to be made at this meeting. Ehlert discussed the request of the various boards to receive an increase in pay and if the meeting fee could be increased. The current practice has been to not pay boards and commissions more than City Council members. Weyrens stated that while the Council and Mayor deserve a raise, these type if issues need to be presented during the budget process which began in August. At this time the City has certified a preliminary budget to the Steams County Auditor and the Council will need to determine where the proposed increase will · come from. Ehlert took exception to the comments by Weyrens and stated that the budget has not yet been set, nor does the Council receive a three (3) percent increase each year. Weyrens concurred with Ehlert and stated that she is not disputing the raise but suggests that in the future these issues be included in the budget process. Loso concurred with Ehlert and stated that the Council has discussed increasing their wages. Niedenfuer stated she appreciates the comments ofWeyrens and agrees the matter should have been discussed during the budget planning process. Ehlert questioned Weyrens ifshe is suggesting that a department budget will be cut due to the proposed salary increase for the City Council. Weyrens stated yes, as the preliminary budget has been set and there currently is a revenue shortfall. Once the preliminary budget is certified the Council cannot increase the budget. Police Chief Gary Will approached the Council and stated that he too concurs that the Council and Mayor deserve a pay increase and Weyrens is only pointing out that the City has a budget process and we need to include these types of discussion during such. Ehlert stated the increase would come out of the $ 44,000. Loso again stated that it has been many years since the Council has increased the wages of the Council and it needs to be addressed at this meeting. Further, the Council has not approved the final budget and will be reviewing the budget on November 8, 2000, Weyrens suggested the Council establish the wages at the level they are seeking and during the budget process the Council could waive a portion of the increase for 2001. Therefore, Ehlert made a motion to amend the original motion to also increase the meeting fee to $ 30.00 for further discussion during the budget meeting. The amendment was seconded by Loso and passed unanimously. Vote Call on amended motion: · Ayes: Loso, Ehlert Nays: Niedenfuer Motion Carried 2:1:0 October 26, 2000 Page 4 of 5 .. - .,. . COUNCIL REPORTS Ehlert Park Board: Ehlert reported the Park Board is in the process of planning a Family Fun day and he will provide additional information as it is available. Niedenfuer questioned if the Park Board has or is looking at a BMX Course. Ehlert stated the Park Board did have that matter as an agenda item and will be discussing the matter in the upcoming months. The Park Board will be presenting Concrete Plus (Kurt Schneider) and Granite City Ready Mix with an award of appreciation for their donation to the construction of the skateboard rink. Niedenfuer Town Meeting: Niedenfuer reported the Town Meeting held on October 11,2000 was a success with approximately 60 residents participating. The RCP Committee circulated a survey questioning what type of services/activities the community would like to see in St. Joseph. The top five responses are as follows: 1) Community Center; 2) Trails/Park Network; 3) Farmers Market; 4) Recreation Center; 5) Library. At the end of the Town Meeting residents were asked to coml1J,itto working on one of the five items identified. The RCP Committee will coordinate the different cOP:lrriittees. . Candidate Forum: The RCP will be conducting a candidate forum on:~c~~per30j2000 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The forum will include prepared questions as well questio~ª;~gÌl1 the audience and phone questions. .. CORE: The CORE Committee met on October 25 and o~¡þroactive enforcement, such as encouraging students to contact the Police âþarty. MISCELLANEOUS AND Bar Violations: Loso on the bar violations as reported by the Police Chief until the full concurred. Adioum: Loso made a p.m.; seconded by Ehlert and passed unanimously by those present. Judy Weyrens Deputy Clerk . October 26, 2000 Page 5 of 5 ...- '" ... . CITY OF ST. JOSEPH 21 First Avenue NW P.O, Box 668, StJoseph,MN56374 :nO) 363.p20L City Offices Fax: 363-0342 .. Memo -~ MAYOR Kenneth J, Hiemenz To: Honorable Mayor H~enz and Members of the City Council ~:u;RKI From: JU~W~ AUMINISTlL\TOR Date: 10/27/00 '......... \ Cari Schmidt Re: Water Hookup :OUNCILOB--8 Bob Loso Please find attached a letter from Steve Lovold, 22 - 16th Avenue SE (fonnerly 90th Avenue) W1ert requesting relief from paying the water hookup fee at this time. The City has a policy that when a It Mary Niedenfuer private service line is extended the hookup fee becomes due and payable, The reason for the policy is for the City to keep control on services provided. While I have no reason to believe Mr. Lovold would hookup to City water without notifYing us, we recently dealt with an issue were a resident was receiving sewer for 6 months and the City was unaware of it. In June 1999 the City Council allowed the residents along 90th and 9151 A venue to delay paying the water hookup fee for one year. Each resident was asked to sign a letter of understanding that the money was due an payable on or before July 1, 2000 or the amount would be submitted to the County Auditor for collection in 2001. Mr. Lovold signed this agreement as did eight other residents. Mr. Lovold is the one of two resident that we have certified to the auditor for collection, Mr. Lovold's letter indicates a bill he only received early this summer. This is true, since the amount was not due until July 1,2000 the City sent a statement in June reminding residents of the amount due. While in the office on Thursday, Mr. Lovold stated that he was of the understanding that he could not received sewer services until he signed the fonn and felt he was forced to sign it. The water hookup issue is not unique to this area, we will run into the same issue when we extend utilities along CR 121 and again when 29Sth Street request services. The City staff encourages the Council to reinforce the current policy regarding when utility hookup fees become due and payable as it seems to be an effective manner to control services. . For your convenience I have enclosed minutes of prior Council action on this matter, . Page 1 . October 25,2000 Dear St. Joseph City Council Members: My name is Steve Lovold, and I live at 22-16th Ave. S.E., which was formerly 30408 91st. Ave. in St. Joseph. The reason for this letter is to ask you for a ruling on why I am supposed to pay the city water hook-up fees, which amount to $1000, when I am not presently hooked up to St. Joseph City water. I now have a very good well and I was told by G&M Well Drilling of St. Joseph, that we should have plenty of water for a number of years. When the city sewer project went by our house, we were told that we had one year from the completion date to hook up to city sewer and there was no time limit on hooking up to water because some of us had wells that we still wished to use. It was suggested to us to run the water pipe to the house at the same time so that we . wouldn't have to pay an excavation fee twice, or dig up our yard twice. We were never told at the meetings or in writing, that by doing this we would be responsible for the activation fees at that time. In fact, we were not informed of this policy until long after the project was finished. We only received a bill for this at the beginning of this past summer. t realize down the road that I will want to hook-up to water and I will need to pay this fee, I have no objection to doing so at that time. t would be happy to have my home inspected at any time to prove I am not using city water, nor do I have any plumbing done inside my house for this. My wife was in the city office and spoke to Dick Taufen one day. He made a comment that there were a number of problems with this project, communication being one of them. He also said with your approval of postponing the hook-up charge he would be willing to do an inspection check, to validate that we are not anywhere close to being hooked-up. If you would like me to appear at the next council meeting I will, in order to resolve this issue. Please advise me as to what you will do to correct this unfortunate situation. Again, my address is, 22 - 16th Ave. S.E. St. Joseph. My phone number is 363-4459. Thank You, . ~H ¡Jifrrtd? Steven B. Lovold . Confirmation of Payment for Water Hookup Fees I, the undersigned, acknowledge that the City of St. Joseph charges a $ 1000 hookup fee for connecting to the St. Joseph Water System. The said hookup fee becomes due and payable at the time a property owner extends a private service line. However, the City Council on June 7, 1999 allowed residents involved in the 90th and 91 st Street Improvement to install the private water line and cap the service inside the house, deferring payment of the hookup fee to June 30, 2000. I agree to pay the City of St. Joseph the $ 1,000 water hookup fee on or before July I, 2000, If the tenns of this agreement are not met, the hookup fee will be submitted to the Steams County Auditors Office for attachment to the Year 2001 tax statements. . sleæ-l1 ¿ ~Clð ¡d Property Owner, Name (301 r) r- c¡ (S'+ /tv£- Property Address ~.~. Ê;;¡:~ Property OWl1er signature ;/ /íS/c;9 Date I I . . '. Extract of the June 3, 1999 City Council Meeting 90th & 91st Avenue Water Hookup . Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, June 3, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Kenneth J. Hiemenz. Councilors Ken Twit, Bob Loso, Cory Ehlert, Mary Niedenfuer. Deputy Clerk Judy Weyrens. City Representatives Present: Dick Taufen, Public Works Director. Others Present: Steve Streng, Jeff Palm, Gary Heltemes, Tom Cruikshank. Jeff Palm. 30336 - 90th Avenue: Jeff Palm appeared before the Council to request relieffrom the City policy whereby the Water hookup fee is payable at the time the service line is extended. It wasn't until recently that Palm was infonned that ifhe extended the service line he would be required to pay the hookup fee. Palm stated that is was his understanding at the public improvement hearing that the hookup fees did not become payable until the service is used. Further, Palm stated that he supported the improvement with the understanding he could install the service line, cap it at the house and pay the hookup charge when physically connecting to the water system. The Council discussed the hookup policy and clarified that the fees are due at the time the service line is extended. Weyrens and Taufen cited the following reasons for the policy: 1) once the service line is . installed the service can be used without the City being aware of the use; 2) it cumbersome to keep track of installed service lines. Weyrens further questioned the possibility of setting precedence by relieving this policy. With the City anticipating reconstructing Joseph Street, would the property owners on Joseph Street request the same relief also? Hookup fees are used to finance the improvements of water and sewer, and if they are not collected at the time of installation, other financing plans may be necessary. Ehlert questioned if the residents could be given a three year period to pay the hookup fee. Twit and Loso cautioned this type of practice as it may set precedence for future projects. The Council agreed to consider this matter further and take action on the request on June 7, 1999. . . Extract of the June 7,1999 City Council Minutes 90th & 91't Avenue Water Issue · Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the St. Joseph City Council and St. Joseph Planning Commission met in joint session on Monday, June 7,1999 at 8:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph City Hall. City Council Members Present: Mayor Kenneth J. Hiemenz. Councilors Cory Ehlert and Mary Niedenfuer. Deputy Clerk Judy Weyrens and City Attorney John Scherer. Planning Commission Members Present: Chair Hub Klein. Commissioners Gary Utsch and Jim Graeve. Council Liaison Cory Ehlert. Others Present: Mark Lambert, Jim Krebsbach, Ellen Wahlstrom, Steve Dehler, Jeff Palm Other Matters of Concern Hookup Fees - Jeff Palm: The Council discussed the request of Jeff Palm, 30336 - 90th Avenue to waive the requirement to pay the water hookup fee at the time of connecting to the main line. Palm does not wish to use the water service at this time, but wishes to install the service line and connect at a later time. The City has a policy whereby the water hookup fee is due and payable at the time the private water line is extended. Palm had indicated that he understood he would not have to pay the hookup fee until he actually uses the water services. The Council stated that the hookup fee is part of a bonding requirement and relieving hookup fees at · this time could have a negative financial impact. However, as there appears to have been some misunderstanding regarding the charges and only 18 homes are affected, Ehlert made a motion to allow the residents involved in the 90th and 91 st Street project to delay paying the water hookup fee until June 30, 2000, Further, residents requesting delay of payment will be required to sign an agreement stating they will pay the hookup fee no later than June 30, 2000 or the fee will be submitted to the County Auditor for collection on the year 2001 tax statements. The motion was seconded by Niedenfuer. Ayes: Hiemenz, Ehlert, Niedenfuer Nays: None. · ~ c 0 \ MID STA~ .HOM~ECTIONS :»ROPERTYINSPECTED: (~Tl ð -p ST, )o~t:CPN IV) )J R[:;AJTA 1 PRD pGÆ'f¡'~t; ?. ð~jñ - ~ r) ð ( J f-) LL 11 JL}l1J { ) 19 L R ~ Jll "ì4 L ¡: AJ SPL-::<::. r; Dt-U ;I/J.. () E= ~££IJ é ¿?)Ý) PLr:Ç"/Fp 1j.:¡- I ;j, tç rr 'M€.. Y ð (J N4û/6 III To~ L ~~µï'A L 1}DDRr2-S<; S I JV T ,l.1<:~ ". ìT'v II J /T /-1 ~C> 4 RGIùT~ L UÆJ ¡'7i w¡',,,l/ IN 7 À/,ç- ./ I . . , IJf>DRç::~ s ~ I TT Te¥~ A. Þ1 E I ~ 8... S- II/(ç r To Tµ~PG<:.-r A.LL u/V}i5 I PLus 4( I!Rs r:e?R J11Gt5TI/u6!<. FoR A- roT/}l ~F /7Q.,S Nk'c.~ I - j J,!t;vG' 7'~ f:IA~ (;u~I?);flJe ~r ~l/ ~Ü . ß ~)./t;;I?';: _ () £Yf~ _ - (C-RGJ4 JD P, (S ',I,,, tj ìTl.! r'J/1T 4 Dt')u A'I T J.../ E Cí/;/ /\/4S S I9J:"'ER fi£iUJ'ß L P RDÞC~ r.l~s ~ ¡:: C4AJ ~A..1Sb~.P-. 4;J/v QVé9",b4..~ fTJùf) (^CJ ¡¿(.lID Mo~~ D~TA ,'L í1--)- (.II ~ C f:>fJ~?C ì{, t).{Ja.' L' , f/J1ét=T lU&-~ .' ,¡\) J:' lÃJPU () I. I )",f= I'D 54/ý T)j,jwfr.- ì/(/(J ¡::e'¡~.. GUG;?) ß~D;eS Sc) PÞn{.(J.". . SIGNATURE:_&- ,() ~......... DATE: 10 -;:>. ';>- "a ^ , ~ Page 3717 April 6, 2000 . Symanietz addressed the Council. He stated that because of the sharp slope, he could only build a home with a tuck under garage and not the rambler walkout that he would like to construct. Ehlert stated that Mr. Symanietz also agreed to have a circular drive so that he would be driving out and not backing out onto the street. Twit stated that regardless of whether or not he is backing out or driving out, it is still a safety issue on Northland Drive. Hiemenz stated that the City hasn't even begun to see the traffic on Northland Drive. It's only going to get worse. This lot is especially dangerous a it is at the very top of the crest of the hill. Bettendorf stated that it is an issue of safety. The crest of the hill is fainy sharp and people's reaction time will not be quick enough to prevent an accident. You can't see the driveway when you are coming from the South. Bettendorf stated that the City has the same problem with the lot on the other side of the street. This is a slightly different situation as this lot is landlocked and Northland is the only access out of the lot. Weyrens indicated that the City knew about the landlocked lot when the developers agreement was signed. Ehlert asked if we are standing strong on nothing exiting onto Northland Drive. Niedenfuer stated that another concern is the width of the road. She stated that wider streets allow for faster traffic. Hiemenz disagreed. Loso stated that the original agreement was based on a safety issue and should stand. Loso made a motion to deny the request of Mr. Symanietz and to not take the recommendation of the Planning Commission to waive the requirement for this Lot 1, Block 3. Twit seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. 7. Approve Minutes -Loso made a motion to approve the minutes of March 16, 2000 and March 9, 2000. Twit seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. . 8. Bills Payable and OvertimeJCallouts Niedenfuer made a motion to approve the bills payable 28073 through 28193. Ehlert seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Niedenfuer made a motion to approve the overtime and callouts, seconded by Twit. The motion passed unanimously. Twit expressed concern regarding the four officers that put in for overtime for the Building Committee meeting. The Council asked who told them they had to come to the meeting. Schmidt stated that she asked them to come and told them it would be paid time. Ehlert stated that he was impressed that they were there, but was surprised that they put in time for it. He asked what happened to loyalty and just being there to be part of the decision. Schmidt stated that she knew that Meyer wasn't going to be at the meeting and she felt that it was important that there was a police presence there. Twit stated that because Schmidt asked them to come that they would pay it, but that he has a problem with this. Loso stated that this type of overtime should be run through the Council first. Schmidt again stated that she thought it was imperative that there be a police presence at the meeting especially since there were decisions that were going to be made at that meeting. Twit asked if Meyer was the delegate for the other employees at the previous meetings and if they would be coming to the rest of the meetings. Schmidt explained that the meetings before had been during Meyer's paid shift. These employees were off at that time. Schmidt said she would pass it along that the employees would no longer be paid overtime if they wanted to take part in those meetings. 9. Public Comments on the Agenda - There were no public comments on the agenda. ~1.ñ~~~ Linda Sniezek read a letter aloud that was given to the Council members in ~ their packets. "Dear Honorable Mayor and Council Members, We would like to address you for our mother, Rose Viehauser, since she is unable to do so herself because of her Alzheimer's Disease. Due to our father, Robert Viehauser's untimely death, and our mother's . . .,,~~ illness, we are left in a difficult situation regarding our parent's home at 212 East Ash St., St. ". Y-,.> I, . Joseph. This house is in a "Living Trust,· which means that while our mother is alive, we ,~f'~~' cannot sell her home. Presently, Mom is in Anington Place, here is St. Joseph, because we . , \. Page 3718 April 6, 2000 · feel her quality of life is better there, rather than a nursing home. The problem that we are faced with, is we need to rent out her house, because we need the income to help pay for her expenses. We are hoping that you will make a special exception in giving us a variance, or whatever is needed for us to be able to rent out the house. We have possible renters already, all of which, are families that we already know. We feel that not being able to rent out the house is a real hardship and hope that you take this into account when you consider our situation. We know that when you put on the moratorium on rentals that you did not intend to hurt our elderly. Thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter. The Robert Viehauser family and Linda Sniezek." Sniezek stated that she also went door to door and asked all of her neighbors to sign a petition that states it's alright with them if they rent out the house. They have a number of families that are already interested in renting out the house. Ehlert asked what the time frame she was asking far as the moratorium will end in September. Ehlert stated that there should be a condition placed on it tl1at it is a temporary rental license and the it is rescinded upon the death of Rose Viehauser. Twit stated that this shouldn't even be classified as a license. Instead, it should be a temporary special permit. If something would change in Rose's status, the pennit would end. There should also be a six month limit on the pennit before it has to come in front of the Council again too. Sniezek said the family would love to sell the house. It's good for neighborhoods to have the houses filled and not sit empty. Twit stated that if the people that Sniezek has lined up to live in the house fall through that they still need related people to live there and not 3 unrelated people. Loso added that the traditional definition of family should be used and not the · definition in the ordinance. Ehlert made a motion to grant a special rental permit to 212 East Ash for a six month period with the understanding that a family would be occupying it and that it is a non transferable permit that will cease to exist upon a change in Rose Viehauser's situation. In addition, after the six month period, if no change has occuffed, the permit must again come before the Council for review. Niedenfuer seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. 11. St. Cloud Sewer Use Agreement - Hiemenz stated that this item was put on the agenda for infonnational purposes only. We hope that we will be able to come to the next meeting with some options for financing this project. He stated that he and Schmidt met with S1. Cloud, Waite Park and Sartell about the Sewer Allocations. Loso stated that it was his understanding that the City is only at 50% capacity now and that this was projected to be enough space for the City for the next ten years. Loso stated that the City has so many projects to consider right now that this doesn't seem to be a priority. Ehlert asked if it would be possible to pay for this in our sewer rates. He stated that Developers already cringe at our $2085 fee. Loso stated that in a few years, S1. Cloud may not be the only player in the sewer game. There may be a district or another City that we could work with. Ehlert stated that if we are comfortable with our space now, and we don't have a real immediate need for more capacity, that perhaps it does make sense to wait. Bettendorf said that we have 600,000 gallons of treatment capacity and 600,000 gallons of interceptor space. Bettendorf explained the difference between the interceptor and treatment capacity. Loso asked if the City has already committed to take on S1. Wendel Township. Hiemenz said that nothing has been agreed to. Loso asked Bettendorf to put together a graph that shows our capacity and interceptor use from 1986 to the present and also try to factor in the growth projected. Bettendorf stated that he would put this together, but in the · past the growth has been slower and more controlled. We will probably be seeing a more rapid increase in growth now. 12. Maintenance Facility Options - Taufen reported that approximately a year and a haJf ago he proposed to construct an addition of 45x60 to the existing maintenance shop. At that time