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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[04a] Minutes, August 1 August 1, 2016 Page 1 of 3 Pursuant to due notice and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph me in regular session on Monday, August 01, 2016 at 6:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Rick Schultz. Councilors Dale Wick, Matt Killam, Bob Loso. Administrator Judy Weyrens. Absent: Councilor Renee Symanietz. City Representatives Present: City Engineer Randy Sabart, Police Chief Joel Klein, Finance Director Lori Bartlett, Public Works Director Terry Thene, Community Development Director Therese Haffner. Others Present: Dustin Orr, Demetrius Pontikes, Brent Fandal, Frank Lee. Approve Agenda: Wick made a motion to approve the agenda as presented; seconded by Killam and passed unanimously by those present. Consent Agenda: Wick made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows; seconded by and passed unanimously by those present. a. Minutes—Approved the minutes of the July 12, 2016 Joint Planning Meeting and the regular Council meeting of July 16, 2016. b. Bills Payable—Approved check numbers 050803-050863, Payroll EFT#001225-001230 c. Government Center Draw No. 4—Approved payments for contractors listed in draw#4 for the Government Center Project. d. CIP Software—Authorize the purchase of CIP Software in the amount of$ 2,200.00 Oath of Office: Mayor Rick Schultz administered the oath of office to reserve officers Dustin Orr, Demetrius Pontikes and Brent Fandal.. Engineer Reports. City Engineer Randy Sabart stated that he and the Public Works Director Terry Thene have reviewed the 2016 Capital Improvement Plan and assessed the proposed projects. To help facilitate the discussion, they have ranked the top four projects which include the following: 1. Downtown alley improvement. Sabart stated that previously the Council has considered enhancing the east/west alley between College Avenue N and 1St Ave NW. Enhancements included bike rakes, landscaping, arch, lighting, paving of alley and parking areas and other plantings. Since most of the improvements would have been constructed on private property it become difficult to determine what was public improvement and what was private. While the enhanced project has not been abandoned, at this time the project has been limited to public improvements to include drainage, sewer and surfacing. 2. Refurbishing or upgrading the filter media for Water Treatment Plant#1. Typically, after 20 years, it is common to recondition the tank and replace the media. The plant is still in service and important in the water system. Schultz questioned if the plant is a backup plant or if it serves a specific area. Sabart clarified that it is not separate system and supplements the distribution system. It does afford the City some redundancy but also provides additional capacity. Schultz questioned if there is a time when the cost of operation exceeds the benefit. Sabart responded that he would agree if the wells at plant#1 were not high producers, but the wells provide a considerable amount of water and are a different water source than the wells located at plant#2. Wick questioned if they have an indication of future large items expenditures. Sabart responded that he would expect the needed maintenance to last 20 years. 3. Generator— Baker Street East. The East Baker Street Lift Station provides service to a large area, including an area that continues to develop. In the event of a power outage, the maintenance staff would need to transport a generator to the site, and until that generator is delivered and connected, the lift station would be out of order. Therefore, it would be reasonable to place a permanent generator at the site. August 1, 2016 Page 2 of 3 Schultz questioned if the addition of Fortitude Housing and Country Manor will increase the need to install a permanent generator. Sabart stated that the Baker Street lift station would serve Fortitude Senior Housing, but not Country Manor. One of the concerns with care facilities is flushable wipes and products that can create an obstruction in the sewer system. 4. First Ave NE street and utility improvement. Thene has identified this area in the past as staff has noticed some sewer issues and the street is in need of repair. Wick questioned the status of the proposed pedestrian bridge over CR 75 and if the study would be completed in 2018. Sabart stated that the funds for the study have been earmarked, however, the APO has yet to solicit bids for the study. Schultz stated that he would verify with the APO on the status but it might not be until 2018. It was agreed the funding for the pedestrian bridge in the proposed budget can be reduced. Sabart stated that some additional projects have been added to the CIP ton include: a. Street scaping for Minnesota Street East—Stearns County will be resurfacing East MN Street in the near future and at that time the City may consider assessing the condition of the existing planters and trees. b. Industrial Park East—Sabart stated he had an opportunity to review options for extending services to the Industrial Park East. There are two option for extending sewer with the first option extending the mains from the lift station on Ridewood Road parallel to the tracks. The challenge with this option is securing the necessary right of way. The City would have to secure ROW from both the railroad an Stearns County, creating some difficulty. The second option is to extend the utilities from 19th Ave SE on the eastern end. Sabart stated the second option is his preference. c. Gateway—extension of utilities to the area referred to as Gateway, adjacent to I-94 Schultz questioned how the park project fit into the budget as he notices some park projects listed in the Engineering list. Weyrens stated that the Park Board has yet to finalize their budget and after the next meeting they will bring forward their priorities and the Council can review how those projects fit into the budget. Sabart discussed the CSAH 2 realignment trail and funds that have been awarded for the construction. Through the St. Cloud APO the City has received partial funding for the construction of a trail from 4th Ave NW to CR 51. The City can begin the process to access federal funds in December 31, 2018. Wick stated that he would like to pursue the pedestrian bridge as that has been on the table a long time. Maybe it is not from the budget standpoint; rather encourage the APO to complete the study. Wick questioned the Jade Road and 16th Ave proposed improvements. Sabart stated that both of those improvements are development dependent. Schultz questioned if the City needs to allocate engineering funds to determine the feasibility of extending utilities to St. Joseph Industrial Park East. Sabart stated that there would have to be an analysis and location study and questioned if the goal is to study the process in 2017 and construct in 2018 or both in 2017. Schultz stated that incrementally the City needs to determine what is the most feasible approach. Sabart stated that one approach is getting the utilities to the boundary and the other one is to extend the utilities and serve all the lots. Wick questioned if the CIP presented includes all the projects as some residents have expressed concern that the Government Center was approved and it did not appear on the CIP list in prior years. Schultz questioned the sidewalk along Northland Drive and the extension of Elm Street. Thene stated that the improvement for Northland includes storm water, street repair and sidewalk. Sabart stated that the project has not been priorized higher as the street still has useful life. Schultz stated that he would like to see as a priority the feasibility of extending utilities to St. Joseph Industrial Park East. In addition, he would like to see the monument signs planned and placed. Sabart stated that the discussion regarding August 1, 2016 Page 3 of 3 the signs should include whether or not the sign display will be static or dynamic. Wick stated that the CIP should be updated to remove Field Street as it is in the bidding project. EDA Meeting Update: —Wick reported that the EDA recently met and approved a preliminary budget for City Council consideration and listened to a presentation from the St. Cloud Visitor's Bureau regarding administration of the lodging tax. Killam questioned the implementation of the lodging tax and if collections have been received. Weyrens stated that the City has not received any proceeds yet, but the tax has been implemented. Mayor Reports: Schultz reported that Stearns County will be meeting on August 2, 2016 to present the master park plan for the Park adjacent to Kraemer Lake. Killam and Thene stated that the plan includes a non-motorized access, camping for only girl and boy scouts and a small beach area. Schultz stated that it is his understanding that the plan compliments the residential area. District 742 will be conducting a public hearing on August 12 for consideration in participating in Tax Abatement for the Country Manor project. Schultz requested Weyrens provide the Council with a monthly update on development activities. Admiourn: Loso made a motion to adjourn at 7:10 PM; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously by those present. Judy Weyrens Administrator