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Home My WebLink AboutCCMin_94May25CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 25, 1994 Mayor Baldwin convened the meeting at 7:06 p.m. PRESENT Baldwin, Gehrz, Gibson Talbot, Hustad, and Jacobs. were Hoyt, Maurer, and Asieson. COMKUNITY FORUM There were no comments from the floor. ~.~/N Also present Mayor Baldwin read a letter from Benjamin Lamb, a Falcon Heights Eagle Scout candidate who recently conducted a food drive in the city. Benjamin reported that he collected well over a ton of food, and thanked city residents, the University of Minnesota, and Rainbow Foods for their assistance. MINUTES OF MAY 11, 1994 Council approved minutes as presented. CONSENT AGENDA APPROVED Councilmember Hustad asked why all of the seal coat bids came in so far over what had been budgeted. Engineer Maurer replied that seal coating has not been bid out for several years and that the bid amounts that came in are more reflective of the true costs of the work. Council approved the following Consent Agenda by unanimous consent: 1. Disbursements a. General disbursements through 5/15/94, $76,007.80 b. Payroll, 5/1/94 - 5/15/94, $12,496.55 2. Licenses 3. Awarding of 1994 sealcoat bids 4. Park and city hall grounds weed control and fertilization application service contracts POLICY AGENDA HIRING OF LAWRENCE °PETE° KLTNGENBERG AS PUBLIC i~TORKS AND PARKS SUPERINTENDSN`P Administrator Hoyt introduced Pete Klingenberg and his wife, Jillian, to the Mayor and Council. She stated that after a thorough search process, Mr. Klingenberg emerged as staff's recommendation to fill the position of Public Works and Parks Superintendent upon the retirement of Vincent Wright in June. Mayor Baldwin welcomed Mr. Klingenberg and extended congratulations to him as a new employee. Mr. Kiingenberg's hiring is contingent upon passage of a physical examination for the position. Page 2 ~ ~~ City Council Minutes May 25, 1994 PRESENTATION BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARY JO MCGUIRE ON KEY ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE 1994 MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE State Representative McGuire gave an overview of the past legislative session. She stated that the session was frustrating as legislators were trying to do a lot in a very short period of time. The NSP and Target Center issues also took up a great deal of time. Councilmembers asked several policy questions and discussed a number of issues with Representative McGuire, including targeted property tax relief, open meeting law revisions, data privacy, uniform election laws, local ethics laws, and the Mayor's Commission (MCAD) sponsored legislation on alcohol regulation. Councilmember Gehrz thanked Representative McGuire for her work on the MCAD issues. The Council and Representative McGuire discussed several other issues, including property tax relief, open meeting laws, and annual vs. biannual legislative sessions. Mayor Baldwin read a note from the city's other legislator, Senator John Marty, who expressed his regret at being unable to attend the meeting. The Mayor and Council also thanked Representative McGuire for her attendance. PRESENTATION OF THE 1993 CITY FINANCIAL REPORT Mr. Dave Hinnenkamp, from the auditing firm of Kern, DeWenter, Viere, Ltd., gave an overview of the city's financial condition. Mr. Hinnenkamp stated that the city is in sound financial shape. The budget is conservative and concise, and variances from it are easily explainable. However, he did urge caution in future debt service issuances, and careful planning of future capital expenditures. DISCUSSION REGARDING TRAFFIC CONCERNS IN FALCON WOODS Mayor Baldwin described a speeding problem that is occurring in the Falcon Woods neighborhood. It is especially troublesome because it is suspected that the offender lives in the neighborhood. It had been hoped that the local neighborhood watch group could assist in curbing the speeding, but this has not been effective. The Council and Engineer Maurer discussed several options for dealing with the problem. Councilmember Gehrz noted that this same issue had arisen several years ago. She understood that residents could record the license plate and have the police department issue a warning letter. Page 3 City Council Minutes May 25, 1994 Administrator Hoyt said that some other enforcement measures might need to be considered at this time. Engineer Maurer reported that the State is now allowing certain residential streets to be posted at 25 m.p.h. This may not help, since perceived "speeding" is usually just acceleration. Traffic counter cables can track speeds but do not display it to drivers. Mayor Baldwin suggested that these counters be set up to determine how bad the speeding problem really is. The Council agreed that lines should be set up in two locations and that the city should continue to encourage neighborhood watch groups to notify police with the license numbers of speeders. Administrator Hoyt commented that notices would be mailed to block captains once information on the speeding situation has been compiled. Councilmember Gehrz left the meeting at 8:45 p.m. DISCUSSION REGARDING LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES COMMITTEES AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE The Mayor and Council were asked by Administrator Hoyt to consider serving on several committees established by the League of Minnesota cities. Mayor Baldwin asked to serve on the "Community Life" committee and Councilmember Hustad expressed interest in the "Local Economies" group. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE NAYOR TO ENTER INTO A JOINT AGREEMENT WITH RAMSEY COUNTY FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMEN`PS PARTNERSHIPS ACT (HOME) PROGRAMS Administrator Hoyt explained that Ramsey County is requesting that the City of Falcon Heights once again join their county-wide CDBG and HOME programs. Although Falcon Heights will not receive funds every year, a grant was received in 1993 to demolish a blighted home on Larpenteur Avenue. Administrator Hoyt also recommended that the process for the awarding of these grants be substantially revised. Motion by Councilmember Jacobs to authorize the City of Falcon Heights to participate in the Ramsey County CDBG and HOME program. Motion passed unanimously. ANNOUNCEMENTS Councilmember Hustad reported that the citywide garage sale on May 21st had been a great success. The weather was perfect, acid he was able to get some video footage of the event. He commented- that he had heard-from apartment dwellers that wanted to Page 4 . City Council Minutes May 25~ 1994 participate, and that he would pass this comment on the Solid Waste Commission. Mayor Baldwin thanked the Solid Waste Commission for the success of the day, and noted that because of the event he'd had the chance to meet some new neighbors. He also mentioned the success of the Fire/Rescue Open House on May 22nd. Councilmember Gibson Talbot commended the Parks and Recreation Commission for the work that they put into the Bike Rodeo portion of the Fire/Rescue Open House. Administrator Hoyt made the following announcements: • The garage sale was a wonderful success - there were no complaints regarding the sale in the week following the sale. • Seal coating will begin the first week of June in the northeast quadrant of the city and in Hollywood Court. • A nice thank-you note had been received by the city, commenting on the bike rodeo. • Discussions continue between the Administrator and the City Engineer regarding how to best handle the deteriorating conditions of the city's alleys. • Improvements continue to be made to Community Park and to the University Grove Park. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m. Tom Baldwin, Mayor Carla Asleson Recording Secretary `l