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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/13/2017LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 4 June 13, 2017 Roll Call Mayor Gaasch called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. Councilors present: Kelly Dolphin, Roxanne Grove, Andi Moffatt, and Mayor Mary Gaasch. Councilors absent: Jeff Dains. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator; and Miles Cline, Deputy City Clerk. Approvals Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any changes to the meeting agenda. There being none, Councilor Grove moved and Councilor Moffatt seconded the motion to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. Councilor Grove moved to approve the minutes of the May 23, 2017 City Council meeting. Councilor Dolphin seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the claims totaling $86,480.82. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Councilor Dolphin moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the Consent Agenda thereby approving the Day in the Park Entertainment Agreement, Employee Step Increases, and the Park Use Application. Informational Presentations / Reports A. 2016 Fire Department Report Rich Hinrichs, Falcon Heights Fire Chief, addressed the Council to give an update on the fire department. He touched on many subjects including the budget, equipment usage, the types of calls for service, and their training exercises. He concluded with a list of notable events and accomplishments from 2016, as well as plans for the remainder of 2017. Public Hearings A. Variance Request for a Fence at 1821 Lake Street Bownik explained that the owners of 1821 Lake Street proposed constructing a fence along the rear property line. Due to the existing landscaping and grade changes, they requested a two -foot variance to put the fence on the rear property line. Mayor Gaasch opened the floor for public discussion at 8:01 p.m. There were no interested parties in taking the podium, and the floor was closed at 8:01 p.m. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 June 13, 2017 Councilor Moffatt asked if the fence would be at the top of the retaining wall or at the edge of the grass. Josh Keller stated that the fence would be on the retaining wall. The Council continued their discussion and expressed support for the variance. Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the variance request for 1821 Lake Street. Motion carried unanimously. Staff will bring a resolution with the findings - of -fact to the next meeting for Council consideration. Discussion/Action Item A. Hazardous Structure at 1925 Walnut Street In March, staff sent a letter to the owner of the property indicating the improvements that needed to be made in order to avoid the matter being brought to the attention of the City Council. Staff believes the failure of the owner to complete the exterior of the home has resulted in damage that makes the property hazardous or substandard. The letter indicated that completing the housewrap and exterior siding and repairing or removing the deck would eliminate the hazard and prevent the ongoing deterioration of the structure. Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to residents interested in sharing their opinions on the matter. Linda Sax of 1935 Walnut Street approached the Council. She stated that the owners have not lived there for the better part of 16 years. She also mentioned that she witnessed squirrels entering openings in the fascia. Seth Dahlquist of 1966 Walnut Street approached the Council. He stated that the owner of the property appears to be passive aggressive. He continues to do the minimum amount of work to keep his building permit active without ever finishing any projects. Butkowski explained that using the hazardous and substandard building statute was akin to initiating a lawsuit against the property owner. If the Council wished to proceed that way, staff would invite the city attorney to an upcoming meeting to explain and initiate that process. The Council requested that staff schedule the city attorney to attend an upcoming meeting. B. Dog Park Drainage Improvement Options Butkowski explained that staff, the city engineer, and a representative from the Friends of the Lauderdale Dog Park have been exploring options to address the drainage issues. The preferred plan is to lay a drainage pipe along the exterior of the fence. This will collect the water coming from the park hill and the water that generally remains after rains due to the poor soils. The water would flow north to a catch basin and then follow a pipe that would carry the water through the dog park toward the drainage ditch. If this ends up being too expensive, the plans can me modified. The city engineer estimated the project might cost approximately $9,000 to $10,000. Per our LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 June 13, 2017 purchasing policy, something of this price would require two quotes. Due to the additional cost for the engineer to prepare the documents to quote the project, estimated at around $2,500, he suggest the City work with a contractor it has used in the past for this sort of work to eliminate most of the engineering costs. Staff recommended doing this if the Council supported the concept. The Council expressed support for having the city engineer work with contractor at a cost of less than $1,000. C. Drafting a Statement on Climate Change The Council engaged in a discussion regarding human involvement in climate change, specifically in light of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Accord. The Council discussed being as progressive as possible in regards to green energy. The Council also pledged to continue moving forward with the GreenStep City process to reach the next tier. Staff will draft a resolution to that effect for an upcoming meeting. D. Drafting a Statement of Inclusivity Council members revisited the topics of inclusivity to make sure the City remains open and inclusive to everyone. Staff provided examples of what others have adopted. The Council directed staff to draft a resolution to this effect for an upcoming meeting. Councilor Dolphin offered to draft the language. E. Insurance Renewal Tort Liability Waiver The City's insurance policy runs through July 31 of each year. Annually, the City Council must determine whether to waive the municipal tort liability limits established by state statute. The City has not waived them in the past as it opens the City to greater financial liability and would require the purchase of additional insurance. Council Member Grove moved and seconded by Councilor Moffatt not to waive the monetary limits on municipal tort liability established by MS 466.04. Motion married unanimously. Set Agenda for Next Meeting Administrator Butkowski stated the next meeting may include a League of Women Voters Housing Report, the May Financial Report, a Resolution for the 1821 Lake Street Variance Request, and setting the date of the goal setting session. Work Session A. Opportunity for the Public to Address the City Council Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to anyone in attendance that would like to address the Council. There being none, the floor was closed. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 June 13, 2017 B. Serving Alcohol at City Events The Council engaged in a discussion about allowing a brewery to distribute alcohol at City events such as Day in the Park. Council Members agreed that having a brewery at the event would be a welcomed addition and attract more attendees. Staff will work with the city attorney to amend city code accordingly. C. Community Development Update Administrator Butkowski informed the Council that officers apprehended graffiti artists near Corval's site. Butkowski also stated that she met with the Goat Dispatch group and they are expected to get back to us with a proposal. Staff used Facebook's paid advertising services to promote the Farmers Market for the first time. Staff will meet with Ramsey County engineering staff about Eustis Street on June 14, and the Comprehensive Plan consultant will be at the Farmers Market this week. Informational Presentations/Reports (continued) B. City Council Updates Council Member Grove attended the Ramsey County League of Local Governments meeting. She shared an interesting story about Arden Hills renting beehives from a fanner in Arkansas for the summer months. Mayor Gaasch noted that the legislative bills proposed this session that would limit local control were a hot topic at recent Metro Cities meetings. C. Farmers Market Report Bownik gave an update to the Farmers Market regarding vendors, food trucks, and entertainment. Adjournment There being no other items on the agenda, Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Miles Cline Deputy City Clerk