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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 [07] Jul 07 July 7,2005 Page 1 of 6 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in special session on Thursday, July 7,2005 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. I Members Present: Mayor Richard Carlbom, Councilors AI Rassier, Dale Wick, Ross Rieke, Renee Symanietz. City Administrator Judy Weyrens. City Representatives Present: City Engineers Tracy Ekola, Jeff Ledin, Todd LaVold, Tom Wesolowski, Public Works Director Dick Taufen Others Present: Tom Gustafson, Herman Gangl, Chad Carlson Approve Aqenda: Rassier made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes: Add 9 Add 10e Add 10f Add 10g Public Works Director Reports Police Department Request Affordable Housing - Lifecycle Housing Recommendations Special Meeting The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Consent Aqenda: Rassier made a motion to approve the consent agenda as follows: a. b. c. I d. e. f. g. h. Bills Payable - Approve check numbers 035904-035957 Minutes - Approve the Council Minutes June 1, 2005 Application for Payment - Authorize the Mayor to execute Pay Application #2 for the 2005 Cloverdale Improvements and authorize payment to Larson Excavating in the amount of $170,172.49. Application for Payment - Authorize the Mayor to execute Pay Application #2 for the 2005 Hill Street Improvement and authorize payment to RL Larson in the amount of $140,899.01. Mutual Aid Agreement - Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute the revised mutual aid agreement for Law Enforcement. Application for Payment - Authorize the Mayor to execute Pay Application #3 for the 2004 Callaway Street Improvements and authorize payment to Larson Excavating in the amount of $16,884.45. Assessor Appointment - Appoint Ollie Lesnick as Assessor for the assessment year 2006. Certificate of Completion - Authorize the Certificate of Completion for Lot 1 Block 2 Indian Hills Park Plat. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. Public Comments Herman Ganql, 316 ih Avenue SE, approached the Council with some questions about the Cloverdale Project. 1. Did the Fire Marshall approve the close proximity of the homes in Graceview Estates? Weyrens stated that the revised PUD for Graceview has been reviewed by the Fire Chief. Further, the preliminary plat for Graceview Estates was approved before the City changed the sideyard setback. In addition, development as a PUD affords the developer relaxed setbacks if approved with the preliminary plat. I 2. After discussing this with individuals in other cities, Gangl questioned whether or not the City has an Assessment Policy? Weyrens stated that the City passed a resolution approving the methodology for assessments. According to the City Attorney, that serves as the City's Assessment Policy. July 7, 2005 Page 2 of6 3. Gangl also questioned the timetable for the balance of the street improvements and when driveways would be replaced. Ekola stated that they plan to pave the driveways at the end of next week. The contractor has indicated that they will provide a one to two day notice before they begin. Tom Gustafson. 306 ih Avenue SE approached the Council and requested clarification on three issues: placement of the new road; WAC/SAC Fees; additional curb cut. First, Gustafson stated that he would like the additional curb cut so that it would be easier to get his camper in and out of his driveway. Based on the current Ordinance he is limited to one curb cut 24' in width. Gustafson stated that he understands the Ordinance and he will not pursue that at this meeting. The second concern is the WAC/SAC fee. Gustafson stated that he is aware of the fact that the developer of Graceview Estates was able to pre-pay the WAC/SAC fees, avoiding the increase. Gustafson stated that in his opinion the 18 people in the Cloverdale Area should be able to pay the previous WAC/SAC charges as well. Carlbom stated that the developer prepaid those fees before the rates were increased. Weyrens stated that when the fee was changed, people were given three months to respond to the rate increase. The City did not want to accept the reduced fee but the Ordinance at the time did not prohibit prepayment. The developer was only allowed to pay for lots that were already platted. Gustafson's property was not annexed until late 2004, which was after the rate increase. Gustafson also expressed concern with his assessment. He stated that he was told the assessment would be roughly $10-12,000. Now, they are being assessed $25,000. Rassier stated that the City initiated the annexation and improvement as the the area know as Cloverdale was surrounded by City. The project costs were not determined until after the feasibility report was completed and that is the number the City has been using. The third concern of Gustafson was the width of th Avenue. Ekola th Avenue was constructed at a width of 32' for cost containment purposes. This width also allowed the street to be matched at East Baker Street. Gustafson questioned whether or not they would be able to park on the street along th Avenue SE. Carlbom stated that they can park on the street north of Baker, so they should be able to park on the street south of Baker as well. CITY ENGINEER REPORTS Seal Coatina Bids: Ekola stated that the City previously accepted bids for the 2005 Seal Coat Improvements. According to Ekola, two bids were received: one from Allied Blacktop and another from Astech Corporation. Both submitted a base bid (crushed granite aggregate) and an alternate bid (pea rock). Ekola recommended that the City award the bid to Allied Blacktop, as they were lower for both bids. When asked which option would last longer. Ekola stated that crushed granite lasts longer, whereas, pea rock depends on the amount of traffic. The bids also included striping, however, Taufen was seeking bids for other striping projects in town, which may be less expensive. Rieke made a motion to award the 2005 Seal Coat Improvement to Allied Blacktop at a cost not to exceed $27,000. The motion was seconded by Rassier and passed unanimously. Northland Heiqhts - Request to Advertise for Bids: Ekola reported that SEH has finished the design for Northland Heights and is requesting authorization to seek bids for the improvements. It is anticipated that bids will be due on August 2, for Council consideration on August 4, 2005. The plans require utlites to be completed by November 15, 2005 and the streets completed by June 15, 2006. Rassier made a motion authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute Resolution 2005-16 approving plans and specifications and ordering advertisement for bids for Northland Heights. The motion was seconded by Rieke. I I I I I I July 7, 2005 Page 3 of 6 Discussion: Rassier clarified that this would only include the 1st phase of the development. The motion passed unanimously. Proiect Update - Cloverdale: Ekola updated the Council on the status of the Cloverdale Project. She stated that the pavement has been installed and the contractor has indicated that they may begin restoring driveways and boulevards next week. A small portion of the project located at the south end of the project will not be completed as planned due to the need to lower the gas main. This portion of the project will be completed with the Graceview 3 improvements. Ekola stated that the grading for Graceview 3 is in progress. Carlbom questioned whether or not there would be any disruption of service during the lowering of the gas main. Ekola stated that she has not been notified of any disruption of service. Proiect Update - Hill Street: Ekola reported that they are currently working on the sub grade corrections. They will then take out the driveways and put in the new culverts. She stated that they should be putting gravel down within the next two weeks and then paving in late July or early August. Carlbom stated that one of the major culverts that will need to be fixed is the Grise property. At this time, Ekola was unsure whether or not that culvert had been installed. Water Filtration Plant Update: Jeff Ledin, SEH, approached the Councilors to provide an update on the Water Filtration Project. Ledin stated that at this time they are finished with 30% of the design. The plans have been modified to include the comments from the meeting held on June 1, 2005. The proposed changes include the following: LOWER LEVEL · They have created a sweeping element to the back side of the building, enclosing the generator room. · More doors have been added throughout. MAIN (MID) LEVEL · A stairway was added, as an exit was needed from the Mezzanine Level. · Cabinets were added to the meeting room. · A storage room was added off of the meeting room. SITE · Part of the driveway has been eliminated leaving only one entrance. · A circle driveway has been created in front of the facility, which they feel would have better curb appeal. · Employee parking/overflow parking in the back of the building. . Small fence around the building. Carlbom questioned whether or not a circle driveway is practical and whether or not more parking spots can be added. Ledin replied that there is room for a few more parking spaces for future expansion. With the employee parking on the back of the building, there was some concern as to whether or not chemical trucks could still get in to unload. The design team replied that it is rare that a semi truck would be delivering to the facility, so it should not be a problem. In response to whether or not there is room to add on if necessary, Lavold stated that there is plenty of room for additional backwash tanks, filters, etc. Lavold also stated that the outside would consist of two colors of brick with a granite base. The center of the circle drive as well as around the front of the buildings will be landscaped. Originally, they were only asked to put curb and gutter in front; however, now they are being asked to put curb along the entire driveway. Ekola stated that this area will eventually be annexed into the City and the City Ordinance requires that all business have curb and gutter. They are trying to match what is required by Ordinance as well as improve visibility and not detract from new business development in the area. July 7, 2005 Page 4 of 6 Rassier questioned whether or not they had a rough idea about how the changes would affect the costs I for the facility. Ledin provided the Councilors with a handout showing the changes in the costs associated with the proposed changes. Following are some of the impacts of the design changes: . Increase in masonry . Increase in wall thickness . Enclosing the generator . Extra parking spaces . Creating a more urban look rather than rural look. . Storm sewer . Extra fi II . Adding cabinets and training equipment to the conference room. Ledin stated that they have been planning for a 2 MGD plant, however they are bringing costs along for a 1.5 MGD as an alternative. Originally, the City budgeted for $5,039,100. With the proposed changes, however the construction costs are $5,283,300. Wick expressed concern with the escalating costs and reminded those present that the facility being designed is not a City Hall or Library. Wick also stated that he is not comfortable with the driveway, curb and gutter, extra parking, etc. Ledin stated that the remaining design process should not increase dramatically the construction cost of the plant. MAYOR REPORTS St. Cloud Area Economic Partnership: Carlbom stated that he attended the meeting for the St. Cloud Area Economic Partnership. The City recently joined the partnership with a membership fee of $7,500. They are now trying to recruit businesses other than government and have been discussing the possibility I of an associate membership, which would allow others to join the Partnership at a lower cost; however they would not be allowed to vote. He also stated that the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce would withdraw part of their members if this happens. Fire Board MeetinQ: Mayor Carlbom reported that the Fire Department ordered 14 portable 800 MgHz radios as well as 3 headsets. The Fire Department has received a grant in the amount of $28,000, which covers 100% of the costs. The Fire Department has applied for a FEMA Grant to purchase a personnel carrier for transporting Firefighters to training and fire scenes. Carlbom also reported that the Fire Department is recommending the appointment of the following four applicants to fill the current vacancies. The four candidates are Jarrett Crue, Bradley Randall, David Salzer, and Dan Muyres. If approved the applicants will begin July 12, 2005. The Fire Department is also requesting to retain the remaining two candidates that passed the tests on an eligibility list. It is anticipated that the City will have two more openings for firefighter within the next 6 months. Wick made a motion to accept the recommendation of the Fire Board and hire the four candidates as presented to be Pay Per Response Firefighters. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. School Committee Meetinq: Carlbom mentioned that the School Committee will be meeting again on Thursday, July 14 and July 28. They are still working on both their short and long term goals. Carlbom stated that he insisted on getting a K-8 school in St. Joseph as part of the mid-term plan, which is 3-5 years in the future. A K-6 school is in the short-term plan at this time. He also stated that it is hard to discuss a High School in St. Joseph because of where we are located within the district. Expansion is very limited in St. Joseph due to the proximity of other schools in the area to the West and North. COUNCIL REPORTS I I I I July 7, 2005 Page 5 of 6 RIEKE - No Report RASSI ER - No Report WICK - No Report SYMANIETZ APO Meetinq: Symanietz reported that she attended the APO Meeting last Thursday. They had a presentation on the transportation system. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR REPORTS Street Paintinq: Dick Taufen addressed the Council to discuss street paining. He stated that this is normally done once a year and consists of painting the curbs yellow, parking spots white as well as the crosswalks. Currently, the workload for the Maintenance crew is full and they are working on training all of the maintenance crew how to run the new sewer truck. According to Taufen, if the City were to paint the all of the curbs, crosswalks, stop, stop lines, and parking spaces, it would cost the City approximately $3,000 for the paint and thinner as well as the expenses to run the paint machine. This would also require two city employees to work 140-160 hours each. Taufen stated that there are roughly 44 crosswalks in the City. Taufen stated that received a bid from a contractor who stated that he could do the crosswalks for $2400 and have them completed by the end of July. Taufen stated that with budget cuts it has been difficult to complete all the necessary tasks. Wick stated that he did not remember a cut in the budget. Taufen stated that there was not a cut in the budget, but with the additional workload the budget did not increase to accommodate for the additional work. Taufen stated that the money would come from the street fund. Rieke made a motion to approve the expenditure to outsource the street painting as requested. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. The Council requested Taufen consider adding the City Hall parking lot, the parking lines along Minnesota Street and the seal coat area to the cost proposal. ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Coalition Conference: Weyrens stated that the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities Conference will be held in Moorhead July 27-29 and questioned if any of the Councilors is interested in attending. Symanietz stated that she would be interested in attending the conference. Update-School Committee: Weyrens reported that Kevin Januszewski of District 742 had contacted her in regards to a potential site for the new school. The site is located adjacent to the Arcon Property almost abutting CR 121. The School District is working with the property owner, Ted Schmid. The School Committee is asking that the City contribute approximately $280,000 towards purchase of the property. The contribution is in the form of giving the developer a $2,000 credit towards the development fees (park or WAC/SAC) for 140 homes. The size of the site is 102 acres and after the school purchases the portion they need, approximately 28 acres will be remaining. In doing the math, Ted is looking at approximately 5 homes per acre. To accomplish this, the City would have to rezone the entire 28 acres as R4. When the City was working with District 742 and Farr Development, the City considered waiving the Park Dedication Fees as the City would receive something tangible in return. The City needed a park to serve the potential residential development and the school would provide such, including equipment and maintenance of the park. Weyrens stated that she had spoken with the City Attorney and Jovanovich advised Weyrens that the City cannot enter into any agreement that will guarantee zoning. Weyrens stated that she needs to know if the July 7, 2005 Page 6 of 6 City is interested in contributing financially. Carlbom stated that when they build a school in S1. Cloud, they do not ask the City for any contributions. I Rieke stated that if the City is interested in contributing to the school the Council should find a mechanism to make it work. Sometimes the Council needs to make a decision based on quality of life and this may be one of those decisions. Rassier agreed with Rieke, however he stated that $2,000/10t is too much. He suggested that we continue to talk to the School District and the Property Owner. The Council agreed that Weyrens should continue talking to the School District and the Property Owner and bring this back for further consideration. Township Request - Seal Coatinq: S1. Joseph Township has notified the City that Jade Road is in need of seal coating and since half of the road is located within the City, they are requesting consideration for cost sharing. The same situation is true of 16th Avenue and this road is scheduled to be overlayed. It is anticipated that the City portion of seal coating will be approximately $4,000. The cost estimate has not been provided for 16th Avenue. Rieke made a motion to authorize the expenditure to cost share the seal coating for Jade Road and the overlay to 16th Avenue, based on the footage in the City limits. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Police Department Request: Police Chief Jansky is requesting authorization to purchase 10- 800 Mhz radios at a total cost of $24,702. The City is part of a regional grant where the same funds will be reimbursed to the City. To utilize grant funding the City must first expend the funds. Wick made a motion to authorize the purchase of 10 - 800 mhz radios as requested; seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. Affordable Housinq: Weyrens stated that the Life Cycle Housing Board has requested that the area Cities I participate in a housing study to help administer the housing needs of the area. S1. Joseph has been requested to fund $ 600 of the study, which is estimated to cost $ 10,000. Wick made a motion to approve City participation in the affordable housing study at a cost of $600. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Special Meetinq: Weyrens stated that the River Bats have requested a special meeting to meet jointly with the City Council and Planning Commission. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the concept plan for the future stadium. The meeting has been scheduled for July 20, 2005 at the S1. Joseph Community Fire Hall. The River Bats are hoping to finish the planning process in December with construction beginning spring of 2006. Adiourn: Wick made a motion to adjourn at 9:10; seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Sf#;:s~ I