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Home My WebLink About01-18-2005 CCMLAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 1 MINUTES APPROVED: February 1, 2005 LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 1. AGENDA 2. MINUTES: January 4, 2005 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL: 4. CONSENT AGENDA: A. 2005 Fee Schedule B. Pay Scale Adjustment C. Resolution No. 2005-008 Approving Claims D. Escrow Reduction for Whistling Valley 2 E. Change Order VFW Ball Field Lights: Resolution No. 2005-009 5. FINANCE: A. Telephone Service (verbal) B. Monthly Operating Report 12/04 C. Monthly Operating Report 1/5 6. NEW BUSINESS: 7. MAINTENANCE/PARK/FIRE/BUILDING: A. Update on Building Dept.:Jim McNamara 8. CITY ENGINEER’S REPORT: A. Approve Plans for Phase I Water System Interconnection:Resolution No. 2005-010 9. PLANNING, LAND USE & ZONING: 10. CITY ATTORNEY’S REPORT: A Designation of Legal Newspaper (verbal) 11. CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT: A. Met Council Update (verbal) B. Council Interviews (verbal) 12. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS: Mayor Johnston called the Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council chambers. PRESENT: Johnston, Smith, DeLapp, City Engineer Prew, City Attorney Filla, Building Inspector McNamara, Finance Director Tom Bouthilet, and Administrator Rafferty. ABSENT: Council member Liz Johnson, City Planner Dillerud. 1. AGENDA Remove Fee Schedule from Consent Agenda and add as 5D. M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to approve the January 18, 2005 City Council agenda, as amended. (Motion passed 3-0.) 2. MINUTES: JANUARY 4, 2005 M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to approve the January 4, 2005 City Council Minutes, as amended. (Motion passed 3-0). LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 2 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL: In response to Gloria Knoblauch’s question as to the policy for reporting street light outages, the Administrator asked that she call city hall with the lights-out locations and staff will call in a repair request. 4. CONSENT AGENDA A. 2005 Fee Schedule The Finance Director reported the Fee Schedule requires adoption by Ordinance which would be drafted for the February 1st Council meeting. M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to approve the proposed 2005 Fee Schedule in the ordinance form recommended by the Finance Director for the February 1st Council meeting. (Motion passed 3-0.) B. Pay Scale Adjustment The Finance Director provided a proposed 2005 Employee Pay Plan which was drafted during the 2005 Budget preparation and represents a three percent increase adjustment in all positions and steps. The increase is based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is at 3.6%. The Finance Director indicated this pay structure is a product developed by the Springsted Consulting Corporation who was retained by the City to develop a complete compensation package to be in line with other Metro Cities of similar size. In order to be consistent with the Springsted recommendation, he noted that employee contributions for benefits were also incorporated into employee compensation in 2004. Administrator Rafferty pointed out the City continues to review the benefits portions of the compensation package and will make the necessary adjustments during the renewal periods. M/S/P DeLapp/Smith - to adopt the 2005 Proposed Employee Pay Plan as presented by the Finance Director. (Motion passed 3-0.) C. Resolution No. 2005-008 Approving Claims M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to adopt Resolution No. 2005-008, A Resolution approving claim numbers 235, 236, DD316 through DD328, 26728 through 26756 which were used for staff payroll dated January 6, 2005, 237, 26758 through 26804 in the total amount of $228,873.26. (Motion passed 3-0). D. Escrow Reduction for Whistling Valley 2nd Addition: In his memo dated January 13, 2005, the City Engineer reported the developer has completed most of the site work for this project. Punch list work, clean-up, final seeding, and the final lift of bituminous remain. The wetland treatment system has not gone through start-up. Most of the trees have been planted. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 3 M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to approve of Bond #37SB10426273 securing infrastructure improvements in the Whistling Valley 2nd Addition from $1,295,375 to $135,000 as recommended by the City Engineer. (Motion passed 3-0). E. Change Order VFW Ball Field Lights Resolution No. 2005-009 In his memo dated December 3, 2004, the City Engineer reported the city was unable to obtain an easement for the electric service. Therefore a new overhead power line was constructed from TH5 to the ball field along Layton Avenue. Xcel terminated their work with a service pole and a pole mounted transformer near the outfield fence. The contractor, Arcade Electric, must construct 150 feet of buried line from the service pole to the control cabinet. The City Engineer recommended approval of the contractor’s proposed change order and agreed with the costs. The work will be completed early in the spring so the lights will be operational for the entire 2005 season. M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to adopt Resolution No. 2005-009, A Resolution approving Change Order No. 1 for the VFW Ball Field Lighting in the amount of $5,957.00 for constructing 150 feet of buried line from the service pole to the control cabinet, verified by the City Engineer in his memo dated December 3, 2005. (Motion passed 3-0). 5. FINANCE A. Telephone Service The Finance Director reported the City’s contract expired in September, 2004. He has contacted another vendor for phone service, will get 23 lines, for $10-15 less a month than we are currently paying. He negotiated a deal for one month’s free service worth $800 to offset the cost for moving phone service to the new facility. B. Monthly Operating Report 12/04 C. Monthly Operating Report 1/5 The Finance Director provided copies of the Monthly Operating Reports. 6. NEW BUSINESS: 7. MAINTENANCE/PARK/FIRE/BUILDING: A. Update on Building Dept:Jim McNamara The Building Official reported there were 13 new residential homes and eight new commercial building permits issued in 2004 with a total of about $16 million in value. He reminded residents to check their CO detectors and their chimney to see if it is burning properly. He pointed out that snowmobiles should not be driven over the septic area and the possibility of freezing septic systems this winter season due to lack of insulation. Council member Smith noted that three homes in her neighborhood have tested positive for radon. Radon kits are available and inexpensive. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 4 8. CITY ENGINEER’S REPORT: A. Resolution No. 2005-010 - Approve Plans for the Water Systems Interconnect Phase I In his memo dated January 13, 2005, the City Engineer reported that plans and specs are complete on the first phase of the Water Systems Interconnect Project. This phase of the project installs a 16-inch water main from the intersection of 39th Street and Lake Elmo Avenue to the Tapestry subdivision. Bids will be opened on February 18 and bought to the Council for approval on March 1st. M/S/P Smith/DeLapp – to adopt Resolution No. 2005-010 Approving Plans and Authorize Advertisement for Bids for the Water Systems Interconnect Phase I. (Motion passed 3-0.) 9. PLANNING LAND USE & ZONING: 10. CITY ATTORNEY’S REPORT A. Legal Newspaper Attorney Filla summarized the criteria set by State law designating a qualified legal newspaper. The Lake Elmo Leader meets these criteria. Council asked the public hearing notices be added to the website and whenever possible add an address of the property within the notice. M/S/P DeLapp/Smith – to change Council action from the January 4th Council meeting and designate the Lake Elmo Leader as (add to website and place an address) as the official newspaper. (Motion passed 3-0.) M/S/P Johnston/DeLapp – to direct the staff to write a letter to the City’s representative and senator and ask that the physical mandates of the state be remedied. (Motion passed 3-0.) House located on 37th Street: The contractor has a remediation plan for the house. The federal tax liens has to be cleaned up by May, 2005 11. CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT: A. Met Council Update Administrator Rafferty reported the negotiating team met with Met Council Chair Peter Bell and Mr. Weaver. Progress is being made on the issues which remain similar to the principle issues which were negotiated in the past. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2005 5 B. Council Interviews Administrator Rafferty reported nine excellent candidates were interviewed for the position of Lake Elmo City Council Member. The four finalists will be interviewed on February 1st beginning at 6 p.m. These interviews will be televised and last approximately ten minutes. At the conclusion of the interviews the Council will make their final selection. Council member DeLapp indicated he wanted to make sure that the city residents would be active participants in the discussion of the Met Council’s impact on the City’s comprehensive plan. Council member Smith reminded the public of two vacancies on the Community Improvement Commission. She thanked the nine candidates for their interest in the Council appointment and noted there were openings on other commissions if interested. Council adjourned the meeting at 7:52 p.m. --------------------- Respectfully submitted by Sharon Lumby, City Clerk Resolution No. 2005-008 Approve claims Resolution No. 2005-009 Change Order VFW Ball Field Lights Resolution No. 2005-010 Approve Plans for Phase I Water System Interconnection