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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-04-25 - City Council Work Session MinutesLino Lakes City Council Work Session Minutes DATE: August 4, 2025 TIME STARTED: 6:01 P.M. TIME ENDED: 7:45 P.M. LOCATION: Community Room MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Rafferty Councilmembers Ruhland, Lyden and Stoesz EXCUSED ABSENT: Councilmember Cavegn Staff Members Present: City Administrator Karen Anderson, City Clerk Roberta Colotti, Community Development Director Mike Grochala, Human Resources and Communications Manager Meg Sawyer, Environmental Specialist Tom Hoffman, and Chief of Police Curt Boehme. 1. Call to Order and Roll Call Mayor Rafferty called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. 2. Setting the Agenda: Addition or Deletion of Agenda Items The agenda was adopted as presented. Biennial Review of Council Compensation The City Clerk reported that in accordance with City Code Section 203.01 Compensation of Mayor and Council Members, the City Council is required to review the salaries every two years. Minnesota State Statute 415.22 states that the Council may set the salaries at an amount to be established by ordinance and that the date must be effective after the next election. The next Election is November 4, 2025. Any proposed amendment would be recommended for January 1, 2025. She noted that past practice has been to use the current and immediate prior year (2025 and 2024) salary adjustments for staff in setting the future (2026) Council salaries. Council Action The Council completed the formal review as required by City Code and move this item forward for further discussion at a future meeting. 4. Lino Lakes Main Street final Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) The Environmental Specialist provided an overview of the AUAR scheduled for approval on August 11, 2025. In September of 2024, the City Council approved a professional services contract with Kimley Horn to prepare a master plan and complete an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR). The study area includes 980 acres of the northwest portion of Lino Lakes. The process has included multiple community outreach opportunities, Page 1 of 4 involvement of study area stakeholders and review by the City advisory boards and City Council. Three development scenarios originally emerged, one being the existing 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Each scenario maintained essentially the same residential unit count with a mix of land use types but provided for different design alternatives. Through the design process scenarios 2 and 3 merged into Scenario 2.1, which establishes a gateway into the City at the border with Blaine. Scenario 1 and Scenario 2.1 are proposed to be carried through the environmental review process. The Environmental Board reviewed the AUAR at their July 30 meeting and recommended approval of the AUAR by City Council. 5. Otter Lake Road Extension Improvement Project Update The Community Development Director reported that the City Council authorized the preparation of plans and specifications for the Otter Lake Road Extension Project in August of 2023. Design work has been ongoing, and final design is at the 60% stage. WSB Inc. was retained in September of 2024 to handle right-of-way acquisition for the City. The project will require acquisition of permanent right-of-way, utility and drainage easements as well as temporary construction easements. Approximately 8 parcels are affected by the project. Appraisals preparation for the individual parcels is nearing completion, and staff expect to be ready to make offers in September. The Community Development Director reported that while we are anticipating completing acquisition through direct purchase with property owners the City will initiate eminent domain proceedings, in part, to establish a possession date to allow for project construction. Staff are working with the City Attorney to set up the schedule for this process. Staff will likely be requesting City Council consideration to authorize staff to make offers in late August. Consideration to proceed with eminent domain proceedings would follow likely in September 6. Vadnais Lakes Area Water Management Organization (VLAMO) JPA Amendments / Updates The Community Development Director reported that Since the early 1980's, communities in the metropolitan area have been required to manage surface water in accordance with the Metropolitan Water Management Program set out in Minnesota Statutes, sections 10313.201 through 10313.253 ("Act"). To address that requirement, the City, together with the other communities in the watershed, adopted a joint powers agreement in 1983 to form the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization ("VLAWMO"). VLAWMO is a joint powers watershed management organization under Minnesota Statutes, section 10313.211 and is authorized to carry out the duties under the Act. Page 2 of 4 Since its formation, VLAWMO has developed, adopted, and updated its watershed management plan as required by the Act. It has also undertaken, on its own and in cooperation with the member communities, water quality and restoration projects throughout the watershed. VLAWMO is in the process of updating its watershed management plan and is working to update the JPA at the same time. The JPA has been amended and renewed since its original adoption, with the current JPA set to expire on December 31, 2026. The JPA was last updated and readopted in 2016. The updated JPA is the result of a detailed review and work to incorporate VLAWMO's long-standing practices and procedures. This update also includes recognizing the storm sewer utility fee as VLAWMO's primary source of funding. VLAWMO was originally funded through a cost sharing assessment to each community. As with any joint powers agreement, all member communities need to adopt the same agreement language. VLAWMO staff worked with member community staff to seek review and comments. Staff reviewed the City's comments at the June 2, 2025, work session. Those comments were then incorporated into the JPA. Council Consensus It was the consensus of the City Council to place the JPA on the August 11, 2025 City Council agenda for formal consideration. 7. City Administrator Update The City Administrator provided the following updates. • Night to Unite is Tuesday, August 5, 2025 and there are 35 registered neighborhood parties. • The second City Council Strategic Planning Session is this Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room. • Staff have been working diligently on preparing the 2026 Preliminary Budget book for discussion at the August 18th Special Budget Work Session at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room. The budget meeting presentation format will include presentations from the Department Directors of their department budgets. A second budget meeting will be scheduled following this first budget meeting. The Preliminary Budget and Levey must be adopted by the end of September. • The Police and Fire Departments are finalizing the re -branding of the departments, following the move from a Public Safety Department to a Police and Fire Department this year. • The Human Resources and Communications Manager will be bringing forward the recommendation to appoint Lino Lakes Accountant Tracy Thoma to the position of Finance Director and the appointment of a Building Inspector, who is a current employee of a neighboring city at the August 11th meeting. The Human Page 3 of 4 Resources Department is currently conducting interviews and the recruitment process for open positions in finance, fire and the police departments. 8. Adjournment Mayor Rafferty adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m. These minutes were approved at the regular Council Meeting on September 8, 2025. 7�� 1;11 it � -, F, I z Roberta Colotti, CMC Rob of rty, City Clerk Mayor Page 4 of 4