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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-84 CCMCLAIMS TO BE APPROVED AT AUGUST 7, 1984 LAKE. ELMO COUNCIL MEETING 35083 Commissioner of Revenue - July State withholding $ 850.00 85084 State Bank of Lake Elmo - July Federal withholding 1,618.60 85085 I.C,M,A, Conference- Pat Klaers Conference Expense 339.50 85086 State Treasurer- 2nd Quarter Building Surcharge 1,012.03 85087 Volunteer Firemen's Relief Assn Annual Dues 60.00 85088 thru-85100 August 3, 1984 payroll - actual 5,727.73 85101 Lake Elmo Associates Ltd, - August rent 1,689.00 85102 LMCIT - AugustHospitalization 1,359.78 851Q3 Minn. Benefit Assn 52.00 85104 Allied Group insurance Trust 69.69 85105' Patrick Klaers - August expense 100.00 85106 Americans Abroad - Pat Klaers travel to I'CMA conference 259.00 8510.7 Laurie Waterman - newspaper 10.80 65108 Mary Meyer.- 7/24/84 newsletter 200.00 85109 Lillie Suburban Newspapers - legal publications 41.16 85110 Assn of Metro Municipalities - dinner meeting I. Fraser 15.00 85111 James McNamara - July mileage 165.16 85112 Stillwater Book & Stationery - office supplies 46.84 85113 Pegboard Accounting Controls - office supplies 142.59 85114 Copy Duplicating Products - Mai'nt, Agreement & Paper 822.04 85115 AT & T - Telephones 33.68 85116 Northwestern. Bell 328.71 85117 Northern States Power 1,150.64 85118 Satellite - Paul & Marcellus 6/26 thru 7/21 245.86 85119 Gerald Dahlberg - July animal control officer 348.00 85120 Oakwood Animal Hospital 124.50 85121 Lawson, Raleigh & Marshall - General 516.46 Prosecution's1',8'251_,_2_0_ 2,341.66 85122 TKDA - General $ 1,518,15 201 Sewer 3,974.45 MSA 668.45 6,161.05 85123 Elmer Richert - V.B.W,D. -' 750.00 85124 ,Mid -Central Fire, Inc. - Fire Dept. supplies 135.00 85125 Lakeview Memorial Hospital - Fire Dept. 20.00 85126 Village Treadle - Fire Dept. cleaning 4.00 85127 Road Rescue, Inc. - Fire Dept. EMS Fund 150.72 85128 Minnesota Fire, Inc, -- -Fire Dept, supplies- -- 27.00-- 85129 Lake Elmo Fire Dept. Relief Assn , request of transfer 2,6001:00 85130 Lakeland Ford - work of 79 Ford Dump Trk - Maint. Dept, 173.44 85131 BBT Equipment, Inc.- Park Mower parts 13.49 85132 Vern's GTC - Park Tractor parts 1.92 85133 Carlson Tractor & Equip. - Park Mower maint 53.20 85134 Fred's Tire Co., - Park Tractor tire repair 16.50 85135 Bob Johnson- Park Mant, Chain Saw repair 20.00 85136 Midwest Fence & Mfg, - Demontreville park Backstop 1,090.00 85137 Water Products Co. - Water dept hydrant repairs 30.11 85138 thru 85150 August 17th payroll 6,000.00 Total $ 36,400.40 LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7. 1984 The meeting was called to order by Mayor Eder at 7:00 p.m. in the council chambers. Present: Fraser (arrived 7:30), Mazzara, Morgan. 1. Agenda M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To approve the agenda as amended: Add 8B - Morgan on the speeding trucks on Lake Elmo Avenue. (Motion carried 3-0). 2. Minutes M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To approve the minutes as amended. (Motion carried 3-0). 3. Claims M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To approve claims 85083 thru 85150 as presented. (Motion carried 3-0). 4. Licenses M/S/P Morgan/Eder - To approve the 3.2 beer license for the Jaycees during Huff & Puff Days (August 16, 17, 18, 19) and waiving the normal fee for this license. (Motion carried 3-0). 5. Public Inquiries None 6. Lake Elmo Fire Department Fran Pott - Mid -Year Report The Fire Chief, Fran Pott, presented an update on the personnel status of the fire department along with a report on the number of fire runs - for -the first six months of 1984. He further -discussed the fire department's 1984 goals which covered the fire hall, hydrants, blood pressure clinic, CIP and the fire department's training program. A copy of this report is on file at the City Office. Mr. Pott further recommended that the fire department notify the city administrator when new members are taken into the department or when an existing member resigns, and the administrator would, in turn, notify the city council. M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To adopt the new procedure regarding new members and resigning members to the Lake Elmo Fire Department as recommended by the Fire Chief. (Motion carried 3-0). As Steve Pott, the Washington County EMS Representative, has taken a one year leave of absence, effective May 1, 1984, the following action was taken by the, council. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 2 M/S/P Mazzara/Morgan - To appoint Jim Bjorkman as the Washington County EMS Representative and Dick Sachs as the first alternate to this position. (Motion carried 3-0). 7. City Engineer's Report A. Public Hearing for James Beers at 3235 Lake Elmo Avenue for side yard setback. Pursuant to published notice, this public hearing was opened at 7:30 in the city council chambers. The council reviewed Mr. Beers' proposal to construct a 16' x 22' garage on the north side of his lot, parallel to 32nd Street, and his request for a variance to the side year setback requirement of 25'. The council reviewed the building official's report in which he indicates that due to a private driveway at the back of this lot and the septic area in the back yard, the proposed garage location is the only location a garage would fit on this lot. He further indicated that Mr. Beer's garage is set back deep enough so that the line of vision interference is not a problem. The garage would be placed 4' from his property line and 24' from the existing curb line of 32nd Street. The building official recommended approval of this requested variance because of the hardship on the property for a garage location and the ability to maintain safety for the traffic in the area. There were no objections from surrounding property owners and the public hearing was closed at 7:35 P.m• M/S/P M/S/P Morgan/Fraser - To approve the side yard setback variance for James Beers at 3235 Lake Elmo Avenue for the construction of a detached garage. (Motion carried 4-0). B. Public Hearing for David Alford at 8080 Hill Trail N. for shoreland permit and (4) variances. Pursuant to published notice, this public hearing was called to order at 7:52 p.m. in the council chambers. Richard Arney, an attorney representing Mr. Alford, asked the City Council to reconsider their denial of Mr. Alford's original application. He feels that the records should be clear as to the existing situation. He feels that the 30' of lakeshore property that this land is on would be totally useless if Mr. Alford was not allowed to rebuild. He further stated that, to his knowledge, none of the abutting neighbors objected to these variance requests. He suggested that the sewer system problems be solved by including this home in the 201 Program, and asked that the city work together with Mr. Alford in coming up with a solution so that this property can be used. Mr. Arney stated that this re -application is identical to the original application, but that Mr. Alford is open to any suggestion from the city staff as to what he could do to comply with the city ordinance and asked the council to delay in making their decision until Mr. Alford had conferred with the city staff. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 3 The City Engineer reviewed his comments from his letter dated May 15, 1984 in which he states that "The question is the improvements and enlargements being proposed. The house is being moved farther away from the water in line with the neighboring houses which improved the shoreline. The major concern is the adequacy of the sewage treatment and its effect on the health, safety and welfare of the applicant and the neighbors, especially with the zero setback." The Engineer further stated, regarding the 201 Program, that this home, prior to its burning, had not been included in the 201 Program, probably at the owners request. Tom Sweeno, property owner to the north of Mr. Alford's property stated that he is against Mr. Alfords plan. Mr. Arneytalks about compliance and for years Mr. Alford has had numerous junk cars, refridgerators, applicances, etc., on this property which was resolved somewhat last summer. However, since the fire, Mr. Alford has had almost eight months to comply with cleanup (which was required by the city to be done by July 31st, 1984) and there is still quite a ways to go before the cleanup work is done. Mr. Sweeno further stated that if Mr. Alford is permitted to build, and is included in the 201 Program, he too would expect to be included in this program for the home that he plans to build on the adjoining property. The septic system setback on his property line is at a zero setback and he will not allow anything less than what is required by the city code. There were no other comments for or against this proposal and the public hearing was closed at 8:10 p.m. The council review the past minutes and information regarding this application. Eder stated that he did not see where anything has changed from the original application and sees no reason to waiver from the council's original decision. Morgan stated that he always tries to go along with the requests of the residents and to let someone use their land, as long as it did not damage the environment; but in this case the lot size is so much below the average in the neighborhood that he cannot go along with this proposal. Fraser stated that the number and extent of variances that would have to be permitted are beyond what one can justify. M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To deny the reapplication from David Alford for a shoreland permit and (4) variances at 8080 Hill Trail North for the construction of a new home as the lot is too small, and none of the factors have changed since the original application. (Motion carried 4-0). C. Public Hearing for simple lot subdivision and road frontage variance at Lake Elmo Avenue and 30th Street for Richard Durand. Pursuant to published notice, this public hearing was opened at 8:25 p.m. in the city council chambers. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 4 Eder stated that there still remains a question as to the ownership of the 33' easement. Washington County has been asked to research this, and to date they have not responded to the city staff as to who owns this 33' easement. Mr. Durand stated that he has approximately 3.75 acres and there is a 33' easement into the property from 30th Street to allow access to this property, and that he is asking a variance for a 12' driveway onto his property. He further stated that he would like to split the property into two parcels. Mr. Durand stated this easement is a public easement which was granted when his uncle purchased the property in 1946, to benefit the use of the property. Mazzara asked if the document Mr. Durand presented indicated that this 33' easement gave exclusive rights to the Durand property. Fraser suggested that Mr. Durand's document be reviewed by the city's legal staff for clarification. The City Engineer reviewed his report of July 20, 1984 in which he states that it would be appropriate to grant a road frontage variance because of the hardship of unbuildability. However, he also states in this letter that the request for a simple lot division be denied unless significant hardship can be demonstrated as this is the action the council has taken on similar requests in the past. The Engineer further stated that it was his understanding that the lot was 3.38 acres, not 3.75 acres as stated by Mr. Durand, and this is something that should be clarified. Donald Durand, adjancent property owner, stated that Richard Durand has a 6' encroachment onto his property (which is now in litigation) and he would like this problem resolved before this lot split is granted. Bill Taylor, adjacent property owner, stated that his abstract reads that this 33' easement is for the use of the public; and he would interpret that as meaning someday a village road would go thru. He asked if there are going to be homes back there, is there a better way to get a road back there? Mr. Taylor further stated that the easement area is now a drainage area for heavy rains and in the spring, and no matter what is done, something will have to be done with the water or it will end up in everyones basement along the street. Carol Kuettner, Planning Commission member, stated that the Planning Commission had concerns with the 1966 lot split -- what was the council thinking of when they allowed this parcel to be landlocked. Should we check our records to find out why this was done the way it was? Klaers stated the County will continue to research this question of the 33' easement. The Examiner of Titles will give us his opinion as to the ownership of this parcel as soon as possible. { LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 5 Eder suggested the property owners get together and work on some kind of a plan. Otherwise, we will have nothing but piece -meal decisions which can be detrimental, not only to the public, but to the individual property owners in the long run. There were no further comments from the public and the public hearing was closed at 8:45 p.m. Fraser asked, assuming that there is no question about the ownership of the 33' easement, is this a request for a variance to allow a driveway thru the easement? (yes) The width of that driveway is 33' so how does that compare with the width of new city roads if planning a new street in the city? Bohrer stated that a standard city street is 32' wide of blacktop. The city's minimum right-of-way width is 60' wide. There is no width requirements for a single driveway. Suggestions from the council were for the landowners to work out some kind of a long term plan for a road to the properties that have no immediate access. Morgan stated that the city does have a policy which prohibits development if there is no public road. He would agree with building one house on this property with a private road; but cannot see where he could agree with dividing the lot with no access to a public road. M/S/P Morgan/Fraser - To deny a simple lot division to Richard Durand at Lake Elmo Avenue and 30th Street. (Motion carried 3-0-1 <Mazzara>). M/S/P Fraser/Morgan To defer action on the road frontage variance until the question of who owns the 33' easement is answered. (Motion carried 3-0-1 <Mazzara>). This item will return to the council table as soon as the question on ownership of the 33' easement is resolved. D. 201 Program: (1) Review of 7-28-84 Informational Meeting The engineer state Tri-Lakes area and involved, 23 resid and could not make with the engineer. open -house. i he has held an open -house for the residents in the the Jamley Avenue area. Of the 48 people that are ants attended the open -house, about 6 called ahead the meeting and discussed any questions they had All in all, there was about a 60% response to this The engineer stated that with the council's permission he would proceed with the next open -house for the residents in the old village area. (Permission was granted by the City Council). LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 6 (2) Discussion of application by Mr. and Mrs. Hagberg. The city engineer presented a chronological list of events regarding the classification of the septic system at 2976 Lake Elmo Avenue North, presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Hagberg. Mrs. Hagberg stated that they purchased the home in May of 1980. In response to Fraser's question as to what would be involved procedurally and financially in adding the Hagberg's (or anyone else) to this program; the city enginner responded that soil tests would have to be performed, this is a shoreland lot so a contour map and site plan would have to be drawn up, and based on that information, the design would be prepared. If the property could be served on -site, it would be less complicated than if the system could not be upgraded on -site. Soil tests have a cost of about $225, the site survey and drawing it up costs about $300, the design would cost approximately $100. The administrator stated that if we open the door to new applicants, he does not know when that door could be closed. Morgan stated that this is a unique situation. There are not many people that move from one house in Lake Elmo to another, and can understand when you are changing houses where this sort of problem could happen. Fraser stated that if the house would have been purchased by the Hagberg's in 1981 or 1982, she would have reluctantly said she couldn't justify adding this request for participation in the prograri However, in finding out that the house was purchased in May of 1980,�_ it puts a different light on the subject. What might be appropriate at this point is to say that the circumstances are sufficiently unusual; that apparently the material never got to the Hagberg's, and if they would be willing to bear the additional costs, that we could include them in the program. Eder asked Mrs. Hagberg to reiterate the conversation she had with the city staff regarding her inquiries regarding participation in this program. Mrs. Hagberg stated that she called the city office regarding the problem they were having with the septic system in their new house and stated that they had not been notified at the new property regarding the 201 Program. She was told by the city staff that she should not be concerned because everybody on Lake Elmo was going to get a new system whether they filled out a form or not. The engineer stated that if the Hagberg's were included in this program, they would have to provide the soil tests immediately as all of the work has to be done within three weeks. M/S/P Fraser/Morgan - Whereas Mr. and Mrs. Hagberg were inadvertently not notified in the original questionnaire; and whereas they appear to have been given some erroneous information upon inquiry; and presuminm they are willing to have done and provide to the engineer the preliminary testing; and presuming that after that they still want to participate, that they be allowed to participate in the 201 Program. (Motion carried 4-0). LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 7 (3) General Update The engineer informed the council that no further information was available other than what has already been discussed. E. 1984 Special Assessments (1) Jamaca Court Improvements The breakdown for this assessment is as follows: Construction Cost: $14,385.67 Engineering 2,135.61 City Administration 719.25 Total Project Cost $17,240.53 The Engineer asked for clarification on how to assess particular lots in this program. (1) #4600 a corner lot that does not access onto Jamaca Court; (2) #4350 - a 66' wide frontage of a much larger parcel (should that receive an assessment); (3) Lot 2, Block 2 is a duplex; and (4) Lot 1, Block 3 is a single family home being used as a duplex. M/S/P Fraser/Eder - For the purpose of preparing for the assessment hearings that we charge each of the lots equally, including the access, with two exceptions. They are a double assessment for the two duplexes and only a 1/3 assessment for the corner lot which does not front on Jamaca. (Motion carried 4-0). Mazzara questioned charging double for the duplexes. However, this will be brought up at the public hearing if the homeowners object to this. (2) 1983 Sealcoating Program Construction Cost $49,347.83 Engineering 477.36 Administration (5%) 2,467.39 Total Project Cost $52,292.58 Amount to be Assessed (20%) $10,458.42 The engineer stated that the 20% that is proposed to be assessed is proposed to be assessed on a per lot basis. The number of lots to be assessed is being determined by the city staff at the present time. The administrator stated that the amount proposed to be assessed for the Jamaca Court project and the sealcoating projects is lower than previously estimated. In the past, the school has been used for anticipated large public hearings. However, the staff feels that with a properly worded notice and with these lower costs assessments, that we can hold these public hearings in the council chambers. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 8 (3) 1984 Sealcoating Construction costs not yet available from Washington County. M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To instruct the city engineer to proceed with preparations for the September 4, 1984 public hearing for special assessments (Jamaca Court, 1983 and 1984 sealcoating projects) as outlined in the city engineer's memo of August 2, 1984. (Motion carried 4-0). F. Public Hearing for a shoreland permit for Paul Swan at 2197 Lake Elmo Avenue. Pursuant to published notice, this public hearing was called to order at 9:00 p.m. in the city council chambers. Mr. Swan stated that his intention is to repair and remodel an existing cabin to stop the deterioration of the structure. The cabin is strictly for day use and has no sewer or water facilities available. Mr. Swan further stated that the DNR has requested that the color of the cabin be earth -tone colors, but was planning on painting the cabin redwood and asked if this was permissible. (No objections from the council). The administrator reviewed the recommendations from the DNR in which they state that they have no objections to this application provided the exterior of the structure be finished with a natural wood siding( and/or be of earth -tone color; there be no addition of a deck or patio, and that future addition of such shall be prohibited; that the structure is not used for human habitation; that no sewage or water facilities are located in the structure; and that the external dimensions of the structure are not expanded. Dorothy O'Tool, adjacent property owner stated as a neighbor she is in favor of this proposal and the work that is being done by Mr. Swan. Shirley Grant asked why Mr. Swan was doing all of this work at the cabin if no one could live in the cabin. The administrator responded that it was his understanding that the cabin would be used for daytime activities, and also that this work was being done to prevent any further deterioration to the cabin. The council further reviewed the letter from the city enginneer dated August 2, 1984 in which he states that since the proposed repairs will not increase non-compliance with city codes, a permit could be issued. There were no other comments from the public and the public hearing was closed at 9:10 p.m. M/S/P Morgan/Fraser - To approve the shoreland permit for Mr. Paul Swan at 2197 Lake Elmo Avenue for the remodeling of an existing cabin on the lakeshore, contingent upon this cabin not being rented out ands no expansion of the existing structure is made. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 9 G. Other (1) MSA - Jane Road North Street Improvement Project Partial Payment M/S/P Fraser/Morgan - To issue a partial payment to Forest Lake Contracting for the work completed on the 1984 MSA and Jane Road North Street Improvement Projects in the amount of $92,656.22, contingent upon the City receiving the State MSA Funds. (Motion carried 4-0). The Engineer stated that he has just received notificiation that the paperwork has been completed and the City will receive the partial payment from the State Aid Division in the amount of approximately $150,000, and this is the money that will be used to pay the contractor. (2) Castle Design - Update The engineer reminded the council that Castle Design owns a vacant lot in the Lanes DeMontreville Addition (a sub -standard lot) and applied for a shoreland permit. When the application was denied it was pointed out that the City storm sewer emptied across the Castle Design lot. The engineer and maintenance department were instructed to take care of the problem. The engineer and maintenance foreman have reviewed the situation, measured up what materials are needed to be ordered, etc. The engineer called Ken Gervais of Castle Design and they discussed the need for a temporary construction easement on his property to correct the drainage probelm because the right-of-way is quite narrow. Mr. Gervais stated that he would not give a temporary construction easement, so we are faced with the situation of doing the work, but may have to condemn-the>.constructiop=Basemen=t. There was discussion on alternatives to the engineer's original plans to alleviate this problem. Consensus of the council is to send a letter formally asking. Mr.- Gervais for a temporary construction easement and if the City is denied, to take no action at this time. 8. City Council Reports A. Mike Mazzara: Update on the 7-18-84 Waste -To -Energy neighborhood meeting. iI Mazzara stated that there were about 21 property owners from Section 32 in attendance at this meeting, along with Doug Wood, project coordinator for the Waste -To -Energy Project. It was explained to the residents the difference in the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and mass -burn facilities. The program is still basically in limbo - what the Board has done is elected to take a two -stage procuremnt process to get proposal from the RDF first, and if the figures prove what they have been talking about, it is about 50% cheaper than the mass -burn facility. The Board is also putting together options on land in Section 32 that is effected. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 10 The consensus of the residents attending this meeting was that they would rather see a mass burn plant than a RDF plant. Basically, because their perception is that a RDF plant is dirtier, and more refuse would be shipped out with a RDF plant. Mazzara further stated that the Board realizes that the residents would prefer the mass burn facility; and also that a RDF plant would be easier to locate than a mass burn facility. Morgan stated that the two concerns about the RDF are that the residual volume is higher and it is also likely to be a lot more toxic. So you will still "landfill" more with a RDF than you will with a mass burn. The administrator stated that he is starting to look at dollar figures for the budget and it came to mind that we requested funds to do a comprehensive storm water sewer and water study. At what point in the process would the City be able to get the funds to do these studies? . Mazzara responded that he is constantly reassured that the Board will pick up all of these costs. Right now, they are not committing any funds at any amount to Lake Elmo until we actually decide which technology we are going to go for. The timetable we have right now is to accept or reject RDF, with all the figures that we have on hand by January 1, 1985. B. Morgan: Speeding trucks on Lake Elmo Avenue. Morgan stated that the week of July 30th, Lake Elmo Avenue was like 5 construction zone. Gravel carriers were wheeling thru there at hig rates of speed. He was told that this material was being hauled to Oakdale and Morgan questioned why they had to use Lake Elmo Avenue instead of loth Street. If this is still going on, Morgan requested that the staff find out why Lake Elmo Avenue is being used rather than loth Street. 9. Administrator's Report A. Discussion on salary for mayor and councilmembers. M/S/P Fraser/Eder - To approve adjustments of the mayor and councilmembers salaries to $2400 for the mayor and $1800 for the councilmembers from the previous wage rate of $2000 for the mayor and $1500 for the councilmembers. (Motion carried 3-0-1 <Morgan>). Mr. Donald Durand, a resident of Lake Elmo, stated that he felt the increases were well deserved. B. Appointment of election judges for the September 11, 1984 primary election. M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To approve the attached list of election judges for the September 11, 1984 primary election. (Motion carried 3-0). M/S/P Morgan/Mazzara - To designate the Lake Elmo Firehall as the polling location for precints I and II. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 11 The Council requested that the election judges specify their party affiliation to assure an even balance for both major political parties. C. Request from Landfill Advisory Committee. M/S/P Mazzara/Morgan - To indicate to the Washington/Ramsey County Landfill Committee that the Lake Elmo City Council has no objections to the placement of a municipal water system in either Sunfish Park or Pebble Park if this alternative is deemed to be the best solution by the Advisory Committee and both Washington and Ramsey Counties. (Motion carried 3-0). Morgan stated that he would prefer the placement of this water system in Sunfish Park as there are less people in the Sunfish Park area. D. 1985 Employee salary/wage proposal. M/S/P Fraser/Mazzara - To approve the 1985 City Employee Wage Plan as presented and recommended by the City Council Personnel Committee. (Motion carried 4-0). Fraser stated that the Personnel Committee reviewed this proposed plan person by person and the Committee voted to accept this proposal on a 2-1 vote. Dunn was in agreement with some of the proposal and in disagreement with other parts. Morgan stated that typically, industry will give wage increases to keep up with inflation and merit increases and that seldom exceeds 8%. You would really have to be an outstanding or exceptional employee to receive more. So, anytime there is an increase of more than 8%, we would have to take a good look to determine if we have people that warrant an increase of this amount. Morgan further stated that the budget has gone up quite substantially and we are not getting the aid that we once got so we had a fairly sizeable increase in the mil levy last year. The cost of our employees must be looked at in the total budget picture. We should make a strong effort this year to keep our spending down so that we do not have to have another increase in the mil levy. The administrator stated that the mil levy increase last year was caused by the special assessments that were added to the program, and the State Aids were reduced by a mil which consequently raised the taxes by a mil. E. Request for increase in Newsletter expenses. M/S/P Fraser/Mazzara - To approve the increase per Newsletter paid to Newsletter Editor, Mary Meyer in the amount of $50 to increase the total payment per Newsletter edition to $250. (Motion carried 4-0). F. Discussion on City issuing temporary beer licenses for Green Acres Recreational Center. The administrator advised the council that he had not received any information for the City Attorney on this topic. The administrator further asked the council if it was their desire to get out of the business of issuing these licenses. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AUGUST 7, 1984 PAGE 12 This subject will be put on a future agenda when more information is available from the City Attorney. G. CIP Council Committee Recommendations M/S/P Eder/Morgan - To accept the staffs recommendation to purchase a word processor/micro computer in lieu of the typewriter that was detailed in the 1984 CIP. (Motion carried 3-0). The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 P.M. Approved 8/7/84 PROPOSED 1985 Pav Plan Wages/Salaries 1985 Pay Ranges Hourly Personnel Low Mid -Point High 1985 Rate 1. Secretary $6.60 $7.45 $7.84 $7.45 2. Senior Secretary 6.60 7.45 7.84 7.45 3. Accountant II 9.34 10,44 10.99 10.99 4. General Maintenance Operator A 9.47 10,59 11.14 10.86 5. General Maintenance Operator B 9.47 10,59 11.14 11.14 Salaried Personnel 6. Code Enforcement 22,360 24,960 26,520 25,740 Officer 7. Maintenance Foreman/ Supervisor 22,880 25,480 27,040 26,260 8. City Administrator 29,462 32,927 33,661 32,061 9. Meter Reader: 45(, per call of outside readers; 550 for both 10. Temporary Help: State Minimum Wage Since we do not have time to discuss every point presented, it may seem that decisions are preconceived. However, background information is provided for the City Council on each agenda item in advance from City Staff and appointed Commissions; and decisions are based on this information and past experiences. In addition, some items may also have been discussed at previous Council meetings. If you are aware of information that hasn't been discussed, please fill out a "Request to Appear Before the City Council" slip; or, if you came late, raise your hand to be recognized. Comments that are pertinent are appreciated. Items requiring excessive time may be continued to another meeting. AGENDA LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 7, 1984 ################################################################# 6:15 p.m. Council Capital Imrpovement Program Committee Convenes. ################################################################# 7:00 p.m. Meetings Convenes 1. Agenda 2. Minutes: July 17, 1984 3. Claims: 4. Licenses: 3.2 beer license for Huff & Puff Days at Lions Park on August 16, 17, 18, 19; plus at the Brookfield II parking lot on August 18 for the "Street Dance". 7:15 p.m. 5. Public Inquiries: 6. Lake Elmo Volu nteer Fire Department mid -year report by Chief, Fran Pott. 7. City Engineer's Report: 7:30 p.m. A. Public Hearing for Mr. James Beers for a and zoning code side yard setback variance for the construction of a garage at 3235 Lake Elmo Avenue. 7:45 p.m. B. Public Hearing for Mr. David Alford for a shoreland permit and zoning code variances for the proposed construction of a new house at 8080 Hill Trail North. ######################## BREAK ######################## 8:15 p.m. C. Public Hearing for Mr. Richard Durand for a proposed simple lot subdivision and zoning code road frontage variance for a parcel of land near the SE corner of Lake Elmo Avenue and 30th Street. D. 201 Program: (1) Review of 7-28-84 Informational meeting. (2) Discussion of application by Mr. and Mrs. William Hagberg. (3) General Update E. Discussion on September 4, 1984 Public Hearing for seal coating and Jamaca Court special assessments. 9.00 P.M. F. Public Hearing for Mr. Paul Swan for a shoreland permit and zoning code variances for the remodeling of an existing boat house/cabin at 2197 Lake Elmo Avenue. G. Other 8. City Council Reports: A. Mike Mazzara: update on the 7-18-84 Waste to Energy neighborhood meeting. B. Other 9. City Administrator's Report: A. Discussion on salary for Mayor and Council Members. B. Appointment of election judges for the September 11, 1984 primary election. C. Request from Landfill Advisory Committee. D. 1985 Employee salary/wage proposal. E. Request for increase in Newsletter expenses. F. Discussion on City issuing temporary beer licenses for Green Acre Recreational Center. G. Review CIP Council committee recommendations. H. Other The location of the following 8-7-84 City Council agenda items are indicated below: 7A, 7B, 7C, 7F, 8A, 9F a t 1 I M r6 �i �J . Ut L#4f%r- G IM19pTA August 1, 1984 To: City Council Members From: Pat Klaers, City Administrator Re: Informational Material for August 7, 1984 Meeting 1. Attached for your information is the most recent City Newsletter dated July 24, 1984. This Newsletter edition highlights articles on the boat ban being lifted on Lakes DeMontreville and Olson ; and the upcoming Huff & Puff Days celebration. 2. Wish to acknowledge that as of Friday, July 27, 1984, the boating restrictions have been removed for Lake Jane . On this date, the City was informed by VBWD member, Dick Murray, that the level on Lake Jane had gone below the 924 mark listed in the resolutions restricting boating activity. 3. A very complimentary letter from Larry Nelson to our Building Official, James McNamara is attached for your information. With all of the complaints and problems that we hear at City Hall, it is nice to get a letter of a different flavor once in a while. 4. In mid -July, the City was approached by Mrs. Walter Hartman who lives directly east of Tablyn Park about the possibility of the City being interested in purchasing her land as a future expansion site of Tablyn Park . Mrs. Hartman has approximately 4-1/2 acres of land, plus a house and accessory structures on this site. I approached the Parks Commission with this proposal at its July 16, 1984 meeting, and they responded with a resounding lack of enthusiasm. The Parks Commission did not see a need for this land or how this land could be utilized by the public as park land. Furthermore, they are keenly aware of the lack of funds that are available for additional land purchases. Unless I hear otherwise at the City Council table on August 7, I will inform Mrs. Hartman of the City's position (no interest) regarding the possible purchase of her land. 5. Attached for your information is a Mn/DOT news release announcing an informational meeting that will be held at the Stillwater Senior High School on Wednesday, August 15, 1984 beginning at 7:30 p.m. regarding the new St. Croix river crosing near Stillwater The Senior High School is located at 523 West Marsh. 6. City Engineer, Larry Bohrer, has informed me that the July 28, 1984 informational meeting on the 201 Program for the residents that are participating in this sewer improvement program was a success . Well over one-half of the people notified attended this informational meeting and Larry was busy from start to finish with answering questions from the residents. A further report will be given to the City Council from Larry Bohrer during the 8-7-84 council meeting. Informational Material for August 7, 1984 Meeting Page 2 7. Attached for your information are four separate articles relating to the new Comparable Worth Law . This law is obviously attracting a( great deal of interest amoung governmental agencies. It is com£ortinA to know that the State is anticipating cities having difficulties establishing guidelines fgr comparable worth of employees; and that they are willing to help in developing guidelines. Note that a plan must be filed with the State by October, 1985 detailing how we will be implementing a job evaluation system, and that this job evaluation system must be implemented by 1987. I anticipate that we will have our Council Personnel Committee working with the staff on these evaluations in early 1985. It will be wise for the City to implement these future guidelines as soon as practical. 8. In May of 1984, Mr. Beutel applied with the City for a building permit and zoning code setback variances for the construction of an addition to his existing garage. Mr. Beutel proposed to locate this addition near the intersection of 36th Street and the alley running between his property and the bank's property. This item was tabled at the 6-5-84 meeting until we could get further information on the precise location of the lot lines to determine the degree of setback variances that were required for this addition to take place. The staff was recommending denial of the application for variances based on a variety of reasons. Mr. Beutel withdrew his application from council consideration before the June 19, 1984 meeting. Subsequently, Mr. Beutel requested information as to whether or not a building permit was required to install a simple metal storage shed. The staff correctly responded that no building permit was required to install this type of accessory structure. However, all individuals in the City must still obey the zoning code and setback requirements. Mr. Beutel has now had this metal accessory structure installed at the identical location as his proposed garage expansion was planned. While this metal shed does not protrude as far as the garage would have towards either the alley or 36th Street, the staff is still quite sure that this metal shed does not meet the setback requirements. I don't want to make a big deal out of this situation, but it seems clear that Mr. Beutel realized his application would have a difficult time receiving a favorable decision from the council and withdrew his application. He subsequently installed a slightly different accessory structure, that required no permits, at the identical location; therefore bypassing council action and discussion on the setback requirements. I think that if the setback requirements were strictly enforced, Mr. Beutel would not be able to put any type of structure at this location on his land. We all know it is difficult to get an individual to remove something that has been installed. The staff will only pursue having Mr. Beutel conform to the setback requirements, or else obtain council approval for setback variances, upon direction from the City Council. 9. Attached for your information is a letter from the County Administrator (former County Engineer), Charles Swanson to the Mayor of Oakdale regarding the extension of 50th Street . As you may recall, the Cities of Oakdale and Lake Elmo met in the spring of this year to discuss the possibility of applying some County state aid designation, that exists in Lake Elmo on the northern part of DeMontreville Trail, to the section of 50th Street in Oakdale. After Informational Material for August 7, 19811 Meeting Page 3 many rounds of discussions, the City of Lake Elmo eventually concluded ( that having CSAH designation on 50th Street would be a benefit to our citizens as well as Oakdale's citizens. This CSAH designation would make available additional funds for improving and upgrading 50th Street. Before this exchange of CSAH designations between Lake Elmo and Oakdale was to take place, we requested the County to petition the State for additional CSAH road mileage in the County that could be applied to this stretch of 50th Street. At the time of this request to the County, we felt our chances of getting additional mileage to very limited. I am pleased to inform you that this request for additional CSAH designation in Washington County has been approved by the State This means that Oakdale can have the CSAH designation applied to 50th Street and Lake Elmo can continue to keep its CSAH designation on DeMontreville Trail. This section of 50th Street will now be prioritized into the County's five-year Capital Improvement Program. Therefore, improvements may be a year to two down the line before they are realized. 10. In the past few months, the staff has had a number of questions from the Council regarding the building material placed on the Tri-Star land owned by Mr. Rossow. The sta f has reviewed this situation and has notified the Department of Transportation about the location of this building material; and NSP about the location of this building material in relationship to its powerline easement. Neither agency seems very concerned about this building material. The City has no section in the City Code that restricts the placement of future building material on any property. Now, if he starts to use that material without obtaining a permit, that is a different story and we can enforce sections of our building code to require obtaining permits before construction begins. At this point in time, there is nothing the City can do to prohibit the placement of this building material on this area of land. 11. Attached is a letter from the Metropolitan Council indicating that the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan amendments have been approved . We will be reprinting the Comprehensive Plan later this year. Additionally, to address some of the comments in the letter, we have already indicated our concerns and displeasure about the aviation rules; the surface water management is done by VBWD; it is difficult to offer moderate cost housing with no sewer and 1-112 acre lots (excluding Cimmaron); and everyone should be able to have solar access on 1-112 acre lots. Therefore, we have addressed the concerns listed from the Met Council; we simply have not agreed with their approach to solving some of these potential question areas. The Planning Commission is still looking at the proposed future plan for the I-94 corridor and the staff is awaiting any final decision from the Planning Commission (this would also get bought to the City Council agenda) before reprinting this Comprehensive Plan. Approval to reprint the Comprehensive Plan was received from the City Council in 1983. 12. Attached for your reference and information is an updated City ( Directory for staff members, commission members, the volunteer fire department and general directory of area businesses and commonly called agencies. r Informational Material for August 7, 1984 Meeting Page 4 disposal proplems rnis meeting is p.m. at the Arts and Science Chimera Street at Cedar (downtown St. Paul). 13. The City has received an Interim Preliminary Draft VBWD 509 Plan from Barr Engineering. This draft is about sixty pages in length, and( therefore, will not be copied to the council or the press. Anyone interested in reviewing this plan is welcome to review the city hall copy available in the city office. A meeting of this VBWD 509 committee to discuss this interim draft plan will be held on August 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Lake Elmo city council chambers. Lake Elmo's representatives on this committee are Mayor Eder and Tom Armstrong. A final plan will be officially forwarded to the City for review this fall. At that point, the 509 Plan will be copied to the entire council for their input and suggestions. However, everyone is encouraged to review the plan on file at city hall and to attend the August 16th meeting to present their comments and concerns. 14. Attached for your information is the June, 1984 monthly report from the Fire Department . It appears that Ehe ten incidents are somewhat below average and that over half of the incidents were of a very minor nature or else cancelled. However, it is also nice to be aware that we are still having a high number of volunteer fire department members responding to each call. Also note that there was no dollar loss in any of the incidents reported in June. 15. Wish to inform the Council that the city crew will be reading the water meters this month for the approximately 235 municipal water users in the core village area. After discussions with the maintenance foreman, it was determined that it was most appropriate to have the city crew do this once -a -year reading in 1984 to verify that all of the meters are functioning properly before implementing the self -reading meter cards. This will also give the residents a more direct contact with the City in order to raise questions and voice concerns. I have sent a letter to Ms. Eichens indicating that we would desire to retain her services for future water meter readings on an annual basis around the month of August, beginning in 1985. 16. Attached for your information is a Council inviting all interested parties topic of changing the approach to_solvi on Monday, August 13, l9b4 at 1:30 Theatre located at 30 East loth notice from the Metropolitan to attend a discussion on the R the area solid waste 17. The 1985 City Budget process is moving forward quite nicely. Attached is a 19 5 budget calendar that is offered as a guideline for what is anticipated to take place in the next six weeks. The actual City Budget, as in the past, will be for only general fund revenues and expenditures and will include a summary total page. In 1985, the staff is planning some minor budget format changes in an effort to make the budget easier to follow. The staff hopes to make this budget a true work document for what the City Council desires to be accomplished in 1985. In addition to the general fund budget (summary page and detail pages of revenues and expenditures), additional information will be included in this document. Some of these additional pages have been included in the past, while other Informational. Material for August 7, 1984 Meeting Page 5 pages will be new. For example, in the past (as planned for 1985), there has been additional pages relating to payroll data, personal services allocated to different funds, pages explaining the fund balances, pages providing information on bond payments and a page explaining the mil rate history. New pages that are planned to be included in this budget include a table of contents, a budget message from me, and a narative associated with each department budget giving explanations as to what is being spent and the changes from the 1984 expenditures. This narative will relate mainly to expenditures. Also, after the adoption of the general fund budget, the staff expects that the budget document will include memorandum type budgets in an effort to provide a true reflection of what is being spent in the City. These memorandum type budgets are not part of the general fund, but will explain what monies is being spent in the Parks CIP Budget (dollars from the bond), and for the Water Fund. This Water Fund will have to be evaluated by the Council in the fall as to determine if rates need to be adjusted. Additionally, we may include memorandum type budgets for the 201 Program and possibly the MSA Program. Please review the attached budget calendar and if there are any questions or concerns, please express them to me as soon as possible. This is simply a proposed calendar and everything is subject to change. Note that I will be out of town for the annual ICMA Conference for the September 18, 1984 City Council meeting. Therefore, we are planning to have the budget approved on September 4, 1984; and if changes are required or more time is needed to review the budget, we can do so at the October 2, 1984 meeting, or can call a special meeting as required. The tax related information must be to the County Auditor by October 10, 1984. At this point in time, I am singly concerned about 1985 expenditures and revenues. After the first of the year, I will be looking for the City Council, thru its Council Committee, to be reviewing the entire Capital Improvement Program and to revise this program for 1986 to 1991 (and beyond) potential. expenditures. The Council Personnel Committee will also have to begin work on evaluating the personnel plan, job descriptions, wages, etc., as part of the Comparable Worth Law requirements. A plan on how we propose to evaluate these jobs has to be sent to the State by October of 1985 and implemented by 1987. Therefore, as soon as we get started on this process, the better for Lake Elmo and its employees. One final area needs to be evaluated by the City Council committees, and this relates to the designation of reserve fund balances. We must closely analyze how much money is set aside in each classification and for what items. Funds may need to be shifted if our priorities change in the future. 18. Attached is an invitation from Washington County Board Chairwoman, Sally Evert to attend a luncheon with Senator Dave Durenburger. The invitation simply says the Senator "is seeking input from our citizens" so I anticipate the luncheon to be a general discussion. Informational Material for August 7, 1984 Meeting Page 6 The luncheon will take place on Wednesday, August 15th starting at 12:30 p.m. at the Lake Elmo Inn. If any council member desires to attend, please inform me and I will notify the County.