Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019 [11] Nov 07 [work session] November 7, 2019 Page 1 of 2 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in workshop session on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 6:00 PM at the St. Joseph Government Center. Members Present: Mayor Rick Schultz. Councilors Anne Buckvold, Brian Theisen, Bob Loso, Troy Goracke. Administrator Kris Ambuehl. City Representatives Present: Police Chief Dwight Pfannenstein, Public Works Director Terry Thene, Finance Director Lori Bartlett, Community Development Director Therese Haffner, City Engineer Randy Sabart 2020 Budget: Bartlett started the discussion by stating the preliminary levy is at 62.849% taking into account the annexation piece. The actual market value came in lower than expected, which increased the tax rate. The council still has an opportunity to make adjustments before the final budget is approved in December. The truth in taxation hearing will be held at the first meeting in December. The industrial tax rate for those properties annexed is set at a tiered rate over the next six years. The rural residential rate will be increased the same as the city’s was. If the city’s increase is 2% those residents in the rural area will see a 2% increase. The City has two equipment certificates that off-set each other. Bartlett presented the 2020 equipment certificate. The administration vehicle is included, however that can be taken off as the CSO hiring has been delayed. The Welcome to St. Joseph signs need to be replaced at the city entrances. Will the council be okay with a brick and mortar sign rather than an electronic sign? Thene would like to have an additional digital sign as they help with getting information out to residents. Not all signs have to be electronic. The city has conduit running out west along Minnesota Street so that would be the ideal location for the digital sign. Schultz suggested removing the sign from the equipment certificate as there hasn’t been enough discussion on the style and size. The signs can be moved to the 2023 equipment certificate to allow for additional time to plan. th The draft fee schedule will be presented to the council at the November 18 meeting. Water and Sewer rates for 2020 are proposed to slightly increase. The city’s WAC/SAC charges are significantly higher than area cities. The proposal is to lower the WAC to $3,500 and to raise the SAC to $2,500. Lowering the overall WAC/SAC charges would allow the City to compete for further development. Some developers do not build in St. Joseph due to the high connection fees. Road Construction Schedule Changes: The current schedule has the City starting construction in the fall as opposed to the spring. Schultz suggested changing the schedule to start in the spring. Sabart mentioned the City is off in their scheduling by about 6 months. The feasibility and public improvement stages take at least two months and designing and bidding can take an additional couple months. Discussion was had on moving the projects listed for 2020 to 2021 in order to have the project schedule corrected. The current 2019 Street Improvements are only about half done and will have to be completed in spring 2020. Waiting a year allows these improvements to be completed without starting new projects. st Projects that may need to be completed in 2020 included the sewer lining off of 1 Ave NE near the water st tower and the Minnesota streetscaping could be done in phasing. The 1 Ave NE and Fir St intersection has a culver that doesn’t emply. The city tried to jet it, but the nozzle can only get in about five feet. The improvement would include getting a large enough pipe in that location which would allow for future utility extension to the north. November 7, 2019 Page 2 of 2 Another possible 2020 project would be the baseball parking lot improvements. The concrete is breaking up and needs to be repaired. Discussion was had regarding whether to combine it with the alley improvement projects. Staff will bring back a list of projects for the Council to prioritize for 2020 at a Council meeting. Downtown Traffic Control: Council discussed the possibility of a one-way on the alley going east and west filtering traffic away from College Avenue and not having the traffic exit onto College Avenue. There have been safety concerns regarding the vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic in the downtown area. Bumpouts could be a possiblity to make it safer for pedestrians to cross at the downtown intersections. Buckvold suggested having a crosswalk across College Avenue between Ash Street and Minnesota Street. Residents of the Bayou Alley Flats have to park in the parking lot in the back of the building. Enforcement of that requirement needs to take place. Use of Alleys: Discussion was had on whether the alley should be paved or should Birch St E be redone. In order to make an alley a roadway, there are large costs associated with that. There is clay piping that runs under the entire alley way. Thene stated the area is an area set for redevelopment. Currently, Birch St E is too close to CSAH 75 which would make the alley the main east/west connection. City Properties: Regarding the storage building at the community center, Thene proposed redirecting the heat from the boiler room to the storage garage as well as redoing the roof inside the building to insulate the ceiling. Discussion was had on what to do with the old food shelf building. Should the City tear it down, or market it for another business. Ambuehl suggested getting quotes for the cost of demolition versus repairing it. Thene would like to add to the CIP the purchase and construction of additional storage on the lot to the north of the police garage. The storage building will be for additional police and public works parking. Adjourn: Schultz made a motion to adjourn at 6:50 PM; seconded by Goracke and passed unanimously. Kris Ambuehl City Administrator