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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMIN_05-10-17CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES May 10, 2017 at 7:00 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 pm B. ROLL CALL: LINDSTROM _X_ HARRIS _X_ BROWN THUNDER FISCHER GUSTAFSON X STAFF PRESENT: THONGVANH_X_ FREIHAMMER X C. PRESENTATIONS: 1. Year End 2016 Annual Audit Report Matt Meyer, with KDV, presented the Audit Reports and Financial Statements. For 26 years in a row, the city has received a certificate of achievement for excellence for financial reporting. That means the city is providing the most comprehensive and transparent report on the city's finances year after year. For 2016, the general fund budgeted for $1.92 million for revenue, and $1.9 million for expenditures. Revenue came in a little higher than anticipated at $1.97 million. Expenditures for 2016 were less than budgeted at $1.79 million. The fund balance was at the highest point it's been in the last five years. Spending from the general fund went up 3.6%. Public Safety makes up about 51% of the budget, Public Works is 11%, Parks and Recreation is 4%, and General Government is 34%. The sewer charges are covering the cost of doing business for Sanitary Sewer. The Storm Drainage fund is also operating well. Revenue is exceeding expenses at this time. The excess funds help when planning for future replacements. Council Member Gustafson Moved, Approved 3-0 D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. April 12, 2017 City Council Meeting Minutes Approved E. PUBLIC HEARINGS: F. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. General Disbursements through: 4/07/17 $121,643.08 Payrollthrough: 4/30/17 $38,753.37 2. Donations for 2017 Parks Program Fund Council Member Harris Moved, Approved 3-0 11Page G: POLICY ITEMS: 1. Conduit Bond - St. Paul Academy The city received a request from Briggs and Morgan for a conduit bond. The city would receive .25% from this. The city has up to $10 million of approved conduit bonding. The street project will be using about $1.5 million of those funds, so there is about $8.5 million remaining. Mary Ippel, with Briggs and Morgan, stated that cities can issue any dollar amount for municipal governmental purposes in a year. If you want to designate your bonds as bank qualified, you have a limit of $10 million dollars in a year. These bank qualified bonds can be used for municipal governmental purposes and tax exempt bonds for 501c3s. Historically, Falcon Heights has not been a big issuer of bonds. The city is in no way obligated to pay on the amount being issued to the other entity. This does not affect the city's bond rating as this cannot be paid by the city. To proceed, they are calling for a public hearing on June 14th. Council Member Harris Moved, Approved 3-0 2. Approve Pay Request #1 to Valley Paving, Inc. for the 2017 Pavement Management Project Jesse Freihammer, City Engineer, stated that Valley Paving, hic. started about three weeks ago. A lot of the reclaim is done, they have decided on the placement of the water main, and many of the curbs have already been replaced. The first payment is $93,528.45. The bulk of the work is expenses that can be passed on to St. Paul Water Utility. They're still on track to be done with the project before the State Fair. Council Member Gustafson Moved, Approved 3-0 3. MnDOT Highway 51/Snelling Avenue Project - Sidewalks from Hoyt Avenue to Larpenteur Avenue The city is in the process of acquiring a permanent easement from Sherman and Associates. This allows MnDOT to complete the sidewalk along Snelling and connect it with the existing sidewalk. This would also authorize a temporary permit to construct for MnDOT. Council Member Gustafson Moved, Approved 3-0 4. Division Request - Falcon Heights Church -United Church of Christ The city received a request for a tax parcel split from Falcon Heights United Church. The purpose of the request is to sell lot 14 and 15 of block one of Barthel Villas for private development and request new parcel idea numbers. They are looking to construct two single- family homes on those lots, and those lots will no longer be tax exempt. Even with the selling of these lots, Falcon Heights United Church will still meet code for the required parking spaces. Council Member Harris Moved, Approved 3-0 H. INFORMATION/ ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1. Weekly Police Reports - Can Now Be Found At: http://www.falconhei by ts.org/index.asp?SEC=75B3E8BB-785B-4048-B543- 995BAE0716A5&Tyke=B BASIC 2 1 P a g e Council Member Harris: There was a Planning Commission meeting and no updates. Mayor Lindstrom: There was an Environment Commission meeting on Monday. They discussed vacant homes, and the environmental tie is the noxious weeds that become overgrown without regular maintenance. Staff has been instructed to look into this issue and bring a resolution to the Environment Commission that would strengthen our ordinance around vacant homes. Council Member Gustafson: • Parks and Recreation Commission did not meet in May. Registration is open for Park Programming, and a Summer Programs Coordinator has been hired. • The Task Force made its presentation to the Council last week. 9t3Administrator Thongvanh: • The Planning Commission will be seeing the noxious weed and vacant homes resolution as well. The city has reached its limit of what they are able to do with overgrown grass and noxious weeds. Right now the process is to send out a letter. When it has not been taken care of, the city abates the property. The invoice is sent to the property owner. If the property owner does not pay it, it goes on their property as an assessment. If assessments are not paid, the house may go into foreclosure, but that is at least a five- year process. Currently the city only is notified about a vacant home if St. Paul Water Utility contacts us with a water shut off notice, or if the city gets complaints from a neighbor about overgrown grass and noxious weeds. • The Summer Program Coordinator position has been filled, and the new hire is named Heidi Weiler. The city has been approved for the UMN Good Neighbor grant for a piano at Community Park. There will be a public hearing at the Planning Commission meeting for the market rate senior housing for 55 and older. That is for the parcel next to The Good Acre. They have submitted an application, and they presented at the last Planning Commission meeting. They will also be making their presentation to the Council. The public hearing is to amend the PUD for density of units, parking requirements, and to remove the affordable housing component. That was not a requirement made by the city or Met Council, but a requirement set by the Pohlad Foundation. May 23 will be the last Task Force meeting. On May 24, the Council will have a meeting where they will discuss the Task Force recommendations on policing. On June 7, there will be a Council Workshop to review the Task Force recommendations on Inclusion. On June 19, it will be the last Task Force Community Conversation. The city only received one submission in response to the Request for Interest in Police Services. The city received a 'no' from St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN State Fair, University of Minnesota, Hennepin County, Maplewood, New Brighton, Roseville, and St. Anthony. He and the Mayor will be meeting with the Ramsey County Sheriff soon. I. COMMUNITY FORUM: Akil Foluke: What are the next steps that the city will be taking with Ramsey County? 3 1 P a g e City Administrator Thongyanh: In the next week or two he and the Mayor will be meeting with the Ramsey County Sheriff s Department. The city will not be sending out an RFP, and they are not required to do so for professional services. The City received notice from St. Anthony that they would not be submitting a "Letter of Interest" to provide police services, so that is giving the impression that they are ending the contract. Akil Foluke: Since you are not anticipating renewing the contract, can you put that on the agenda that you will be terminating the contract? Mayor Lindstrom: We should have our meeting with Ramsey County Sheriffs Department first and have discussions about the future of policing. City Administrator Thongyanh: The city is looking for a formal letter from St. Anthony regarding ending the contract. He has made phone calls to the various cities, counties, and organizations that received the Request For Interest to confirm their interest. Sarah Chambers- Folwell Ave: She commends the Task Force on the hard work that they have done. She wants to encourage the Council to adopt the recommendations. The community is behind the Task Force recommendations, and the common themes have been heard at the Community Conversations. Paula Mielke-1868 Arona: She wants to clarify when the community will be able to have input on the recommendations. She also wants to thank the Task Force for their hard work. City Administrator Thongyanh: There will be ample time for the community to provide feedback about the recommendations when it is it presented to the Council. Steven Carpenter- Larpenteur Ave: The impression is that the Council would still go with St. Anthony. He would also hope that we could engage St. Paul more on submitting a request for interest. Kristen Bomler-1871 Larlenteur Ave: What was St. Paul's response, and would they be able to be persuaded to negotiate terms? City Administrator Thongyanh: St. Paul was sympathetic to the city, but they had no interest in providing police services. He can follow up again. Kristen Baumler-1871 Larpenteur Ave: What is the process for that follow up, and can residents give input for pursing cities and organizations more aggressively? Could that process go beyond informal conversations? 4 1 P a g e City Administrator Thongv_anh: He would need direction from the Council. We need to vet the agency that expressed interest. They would also need to update that agency with the recommendations from the Task Force. Georgian May- Iowa Ave: She was very impressed with the recommendations the Task Force presented. She thinks it is really important that these recommendations be taken seriously, and it is an excellent starting point when having discussions with a new police department. City Administrator ThgManh: He really appreciates the Task Force and the hard work that they have done. There was a lot of behind the scenes homework and extra effort put in even outside the long meetings. He thanks them for all those efforts. J. ADJOURNMENT: 8:02 pm eter Lindstrom, Mayor Dated this 10'x' day of May, 2017 J Sack Thongv ity Administrator 5 1 P a g e