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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-19-06 January 19, 2006 Page 1 of 7 I Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in regular session on Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Richard Carlbom, Councilors AI Rassier, Dale Wick, Ross Rieke, Renee Symanietz, City Administrator Judy Weyrens City Representatives Present: City Engineers Joe Bettendorf and Tracy Ekola, Police Chief Pete Jansky Others Present: Ryan Gideon, Ed Kacures, Jeff Litfin, Paul Otto Approve Aaenda: Wick made a motion to approve the agenda with the following changes: Delete Sa Mayor Appointments Delete 3a Minutes of December 15,2005 Add 10c Park Resolution Add Police Chief Report before Mayor Reports Add 10d Trobec's Event Center The motion was seconded by Rassier and passed unanimously. I Consent Aoenda: Symanietz made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as follows; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. a. Minutes - Deleted b. Bills Payable - Approve check numbers 36694-36781 c. Ordinance Adoption - Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute the Ordinance adopting the In Lieu of Assessment Ordinance. d. Gambling License Renewal - Accept the Lawful Gambling License Renewal for the St. Joseph Lions for the EI Paso Sports Bar, 200 2nd Avenue NW. e. Replace 2003 Patrol Car - Approve the lease of a new patrol car as the 2003 lease is coming to an end. Public Comments: Ed Kacures, Park Terrace, approached the Council in reference to his previous concerns regarding the 2006 Police Budget. He re-stated that he has contacted Sheriff Sanner and that he was told that he could not give any solid answers as he has not seen the full 2006 Police Budget for the City of St. Joseph. Carlbom expressed his opinion that he is satisfied with the Police Department and he stated that he would not recommend Councilor staff to take any further action. According to Carlbom, in a recent discussion between himself and Sanner, Sanner stated that he believes that the City has a good Police Department. Based on a $600,000 Police Budget, Kacures questioned how many taxpayers there are in the City. Weyrens advised Kacures that there are 1,600 parcels and 1,400 homes in the City. According to Carlbom, St. Joseph is growing and the City needs its own Police Department. The big question that Kacures raised is how will the taxpayers continue to pay for this type of budget? Carlbom and Rassier both concluded by stating that there is no need for a Sheriff to come out to give a presentation, as that would not be money well spent for the City. I Arcon - Rivers Bend: Previously, the City has received several documents regarding the proposed Arcon Development and the plat entitled Rivers Bend. In 2005 the City Council and Planning Commission approved the first phase of Rivers Bend. Since that time, Arcon Development has entered into an agreement with District 742 to sell approximately 71 acres for a school facility. Rivers Bend was approved as a PUD and as such the plan must be amended. Therefore, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing to amend the PUD, consider the preliminary plat and variance on the maximum block length. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the Council approve the revised PUD and Preliminary Plat. January 19, 2006 Page 2 of 7 Ryan Gideon, Westwood Professionals, was present at the meeting on behalf of the developer to answer any questions that the Council may have. Carlbom questioned Gideon as to whether or not anything else had changed, to which Gideon replied had not. Carlbom mentioned that the reason for the change of the plat is to accommodate a school in St. Joseph. I Rieke made a motion to rescind the Preliminary Plat entitled Rivers Bend, approved by the City Council on August 4, 2005. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. The planning process for Rivers Bend included the submittal and approval of an environmental document entitled AUAR, which serves as a Comprehensive Plan for the development and addresses key issues. The City has requested that the developer review the transportation segment of the AUAR. Weyrens stated that that had been completed. Ekola stated that the developer has submitted the information and based on what was submitted, a signal may be required at the intersection of CR121 and Jade Road. She stated that a signal warrant analysis will need to be done, possibly when the school is built, as there is not enough information at this time. Rassier questioned whether or not this issue could be addressed in the Developer Agreement to state that the School and the Developer would be responsible for the cost sharing. Wick then questioned who would actually pay for the costs of the signal. In response, Ekola stated that the school would be causing the traffic problems at the AM and PM peak times. Weyrens advised the Council that based on the Purchase Agreement; the school is responsible for any signal costs. City Attorney, Sue Dege, advised Weyrens that this issue would not need to be addressed in the Developer Agreement as it is already addressed in the Purchase Agreement. Rassier made a motion to amend the AUAR to accept the traffic analysis and the impacts on the Rivers Bend development. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. I Wick made a motion to amend the PUD Application entitled Rivers Bend as submitted and approve the variance allowing for an extended block length. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: There were some previous discussions regarding a pathway through the field to access the school. Wick questioned whether or not that issue had been resolved. Rieke stated that kids will be kids and they will go the shortest distance. Carlbom stated that the School District does not plan to have a path through the field to access the school; rather there will be a fence around the school. According to the School District it would be more beneficial to have children walk along the public sidewalks rather than through a field. Wick then questioned whether or not the trails would change to which Ekola advised him would not. Weyrens assured the Council that all engineering and legal issues have been resolved. The motion passed unanimously. Symanietz made a motion to approve the preliminary plat entitled Rivers Bend as presented; seconded by Rassier and passed unanimously. Gideon advised the Council that the final plat is being submitted as all outlots. He also mentioned that they will bring this plat back several times, each time dividing the remaining outlots into single-family lots consistent with the preliminary plat. Wick made a motion to approve the final plat encompassing the school property contingent upon the developer receiving the required certification from the Stearns County Engineer. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. I January 19, 2006 Page 3 of 7 I Rieke made a motion to authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute the Development Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between the City of St. Joseph and ARCON Development. The motion was seconded by Symanietz. Discussion: Wick questioned #10 on Page 4 of the Memorandum of Understanding. Ekola explained that although Design Electric designed the decorative lighting along the trail, continuing from CR121, Stearns Electric would still service that area. The motion passed unanimously. Minnesota Skvline Partners: Weyrens presented the Council with the final plat for a plat entitled Sunrise Cottages. The final plat has been submitted by MN Skyline Partners and is located in Morningside Acres 2nd Addition. The final plat is consistent with the Preliminary Plat submitted by Sand Properties. The property is being platted condominium style so that setback requirements can be met. Jeff Litfin, owner of Minnesota Skyline Partners approached the City Council. Litfin stated that the plat will be developed as a Common Interest Community managed through an association. With respect to the Developer Agreement, Litfin stated that he agrees with the final draft that has been submitted for execution. I Upon review of the proposed Developer Agreement, Carlbom noted an error with item 3.18 of the agreement, which states: 'The Developer shall apply for a building permit within two years of the execution of this agreement. Failure to apply within the one-year period shall render this agreement null and void." Weyrens added that it should be consistent and would be corrected. There were some additional questions raised by the Councilors. Rassier questioned who installs the fire hydrants to which Ekola stated that the developer is responsible for such. Carlbom then questioned how the mailboxes would be installed. The developer would be responsible for that as well, however there will most likely be three "cluster boxes" to allow one for each building. Tracy made the Councilors aware of the fact that the "streets" within the development are not actually streets rather they are private driveways. She also added that there are no connections to Rivers Bend needed from Morningside Acres, however, 3rd Avenue will provide the necessary connection in the future. Wick made a motion to approve the final plat as presented and authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute the Developer Agreement between the City of St. Joseph and MN Skyline Partners as corrected. The motion was seconded by Rieke and passed unanimously. CITY ENGINEER REPORTS City of St. Cloud Facilities Plan: Bettendorf reported that the City of St. Cloud has been working on a plan for a new Wastewater Treatment Plant. He stated that the draft plan is completed; however the cost estimates are not yet being distributed due to a pending lawsuit for Annandale/Maple Lake in which there is an environmental group challenging the phosphorus levels. The City of St. Cloud will be meeting with the MPCA and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy in January. I St. Cloud APO: Bettendorf reported on several issues with regards to the St. Cloud APO. · He stated that the new 20/30 plan is out and is available on either paper or CD format. Carlbom added that he could have his copy available in City Hall for review purposes. · Bettendorf also reported that the APO has put together a new list of high priority projects. He added that the APO Executive Board already approved this list. According to January 19, 2006 Page 4 of 7 Bettendorf, the Pine Cone Road right-of-way is ineligible for this money and 3rd Street North is already completed. . The APO TAC will meet on February 2nd, at which they will be ranking projects. He noted that there are $14 million in requests; however only $2.5-3 million will be available. St. Joseph currently has no projects for funding, but he advised the Council that the Corridor Study for the SW Beltway will impact St. Joseph. According to Bettendorf, the local match for this study is $255,000 and they plan to begin this summer. St. Joseph is being asked to select a Council member and a staff person to be on a committee for this Study. He stated that the APO is requesting that the staff person appointed to the committee be an engineer. Weyrens stated that Carlbom would add this committee to his list of Mayor Appointments to be approved at a later date. I North Corridor Studv: Bettendorf mentioned that the Project Management Team for the North Corridor Study met recently to continue the study process. PMT consists of the City Engineer City Administrator, County Engineer, SRF (Consultant retained for the study) and the Public Works Director. Based on the 20/30 APO study, the North Corridor may need to be a 4-lane rather than 2-lane road. Bettendorf also stated discussion at the meeting included what type of environmental assessment will be required. SRF will contact MN Dot and the Federal Highway Commission for an opinion and report back to the PMT. Field Street: Bettendorf stated that they are waiting for the environmental review to be completed. Weyrens added that the archeological study has been completed and no impacts have been found. She also stated that the cultural review could be finished as soon as late January. In that event, the T AC would meet again to continue the study process. POLICE CHIEF REPORTS Alcohol Compliance Checks: Jansky reported that the Police Department recently conducted alcohol compliance checks, in which all establishments passed. They conducted checks at both on and off-sale establishments. According to Jansky, this is the first time in two years in which there was full compliance. The compliance checks are normally done twice a year and they normally conduct checks for both alcohol and tobacco. I Talk to the Police Chief: Jansky mentioned that the third Thursday of each month at 6:00, he will be hosting a segment on the cable access channel entitled "Talk to the Police Chief', in which residents can call in and ask any questions or state any concerns regarding the Police Department. Other Matters: Rieke asked Jansky for a report of the number of labor hours for the Police Department for last year. MAYOR REPORTS APO: Carlbom reported that the APO is in the process of hiring another staff person. He stated that he is a member of the hiring committee along with the Mayors from Waite Park and Sartell. Minnesota Transportation Alliance: Carlbom mentioned that there would be a drive-in at the Capital on either March 14 or 15, 2006. EDA: On behalf of the EDA, Carlbom reported that the following have been re-appointed to the following offices: Chair Vice-Chair Treasurer Secretary Ross Rieke Richard Carlbom Tom Skahen Ken Jacobson I He also mentioned that they have begun to vision the future of 20th Avenue. Cynthia Smith- Strack, MDG, has been asked to look at additional land along the proposed corridor. January 19, 2006 Page 5 of 7 I School District: Carlbom stated that he met with Weyrens and the School District to discuss the proposed school in St. Joseph. It is anticipated that the bond referendum will be held in Spring of 2006 and they hope to close on the Arcon property on February 28, 2006. Mayor Appointments: Carlbom stated that he is still working on the 2006 Mayor Appointments and will have them at the next meeting. Habitat for Humanity: Carlbom reported that he has been working with Habitat for Humanity on the possibility of building a house in St. Joseph in 2007. There is a meeting scheduled at the Fire Hall for Friday, January 27,2006 at 12:30 PM. COUNCIL REPORTS SYMANIETZ Stearns County Municipal Leaque: Symanietz reported that at the last meeting, they held elections for new officers. She also mentioned that Jeff Howe was the guest speaker that evening and he spoke about the soldiers overseas. WICK Park Board: On behalf of the Park Board, Wick reported that they are re-applying for a DNR Grant that was not received last year. They have been working with Ekola on getting all of the necessary information. They plan to submit the information early, as the DNR will look over the information to see if any additional information is needed. I Seminar: As part of the PT A at the Lab School, Wick stated that he attended a Referendum Seminar in Minneapolis. It was a half-day seminar in which they discussed what a referendum means. RASSIER Stearns County Municipal LeaQue: Rassier stated that he attended the Stearns County Municipal League meeting as well and he stated that it is important to approach State Legislatures Representatives to make sure that our area does not lose out on any traffic improvements or studies. I Other Items: Rassier stated that he has some concerns resulting from some phone calls he received. · Developer process: Rassier stated that the current process is very confusing. He suggested the possibility of conducting a survey after a project is completed to see how things went. Rieke stated that the EDA has done exit interviews with a few of the developers. He suggested doing this on a random basis or possibly having a suggestion box available for developers. Rassier's main question is why some projects such as Bliss Media go so smoothly and others such as Midnight Haulers have so many issues. · Emergency Sirens: Rassier reported that he has had several phone calls from residents near Hill Street/103rd Avenue stating that they cannot hear the emergency sirens. Rieke questioned the possibility of having the current sirens moved. Jansky mentioned that there is a program called 'voice override', which interrupts all TV programs when there is an emergency alert that can also serve as a useful warning device. · Meadowvale Case: Rassier questioned the status of the Meadowvale Case. Weyrens stated that the experts have completed the testing and information should be available soon. · % cent Sales Tax: The % cent sales tax took effect on January 1, 2006 and Rassier questioned if everything was running smoothly as far as the collection of the additional tax. Weyrens stated that she had not heard of any transitional problems associated with the tax; however the area cities are entering into a Joint Powers Agreement to talk about projects and distribution of the tax. January 19, 2006 Page 6 of 7 . Bills Payable: Rassier questioned the fees paid to Inspectron for Rental Inspections. Weyrens will get a breakdown to show how the fees are calculated. I RIEKE - No Report ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS Percheron Properties: Weyrens stated that the Planning Commission has been working with the owner representative of the former Dehler/Linneman Building on a development plan request for 31 Minnesota Street W. They are proposing to remodel the lower level for office space and the upper two floors for rental. Previously, the Council approved a special use permit allowing the rental in the B1Zoning District contingent upon the approval of a site plan and a rental license inspection. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the site plan and execution of the Developer Agreement. Carlbom questioned whether or not the property owner intends to keep the garage behind the building. Weyrens stated that they plan to keep it, but make any necessary improvements. He also questioned the boulevard between their parking lot and the alley and whether or not the Planning Commission was okay with the site plan as presented. Rassier stated that the City cannot require the property owner to curb the alley, as they do not own the abutting property. Weyrens stated that they will be required to extend the sidewalk along the west side of the property abutting 1st Avenue NW to the alley. Rieke made a motion authorizing the Mayor and Administrator to execute the Development Agreement between Percheron Properties and the City of St. Joseph to allow for the mixed density development at 31 Minnesota Street West. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Record Retention: Weyrens stated that all of the City records have been scanned and, as a result, a majority of the paper files will be tossed. She mentioned that she spoke with the Minnesota Historical Society and they stated that digital imaging is a form of permanent record keeping. According to Weyrens, all official documents such as City Council and Planning Commission Packets and Minutes, abstracts, resolutions, etc will be kept. I Stearns County Parks Resolution: Weyrens presented the Council with a resolution from the Stearns County Parks Department for funding for the Wobegon Trail extension. Stearns County is seeking State funding to extend the Wobegon Trail to St. Cloud. Wick made a motion to approve the Resolution for the Wobegon Trail Extension. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Trobec's: Weyrens presented the Council with a request for a Sunday Liquor License for the Trobec's Event Center. Trobec will be completing the fire suppression and he has agreed to the water and sewer access fees. When Trobec completed the application for the on-sale intoxicating liquor license he did not request a Sunday liquor license, which is a separate license and fee. Rassier questioned when the fire suppression will be installed and what happens in the interim. Weyrens stated that Trobec has made arrangements with the Fire Department for the event scheduled for Sunday, January 22, 2006. The Council reiterated the importance of the fire suppression and the need for immediate installation. Symanietz made a motion to approve the Sunday Liquor License as requested. However, the license will only become effective upon submission of an executed contract for the fire suppression and payment of all required fees. The motion was seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. I January 19, 2006 Page 7 of 7 I Interqovernmental Meetinq: Weyrens reminded the Council of the Intergovernmental Meeting to be held on January 31, 2006 at the St. Cloud Civic Center. Dinner is at 5:30 and they will be discussing Human Rights and Affordable Housing. Town Meetinq: Mayor Carlbom advised the Council that he spoke with Mayor Kleis and Kleis asked about the possibility of a town hall meeting that would be held in St. Joseph. The Town meeting would include both Carlbom and Kleis and would provide a forum to discuss regional efforts. Winter Warm-up: Rassier mentioned that the winter warm up would be held again at Trobec's Event Center on February 3, 2006 and encouraged all Councilors to attend. Adiourn: Symanietz made a motion to adjourn at 8:40 PM; seconded by Wick and passed unanimously. Judy Weyrens Administrator I I