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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/25/2019LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 5 June 25, 2019 Call to Order Mayor Gaasch called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. Roll Call Councilors present: Roxanne Grove, Jeff Dains, Andi Moffatt, Kelly Dolphin, and Mayor Mary Gaasch. Councilors absent: None. 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 additions to the meeting agenda. Butkowski stated that she would like to add a petition and waiver agreement to Additional Items section of the agenda. Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Dains to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any corrections to the meeting minutes of the June 11, 2019 city council meeting. There being none, Councilor Mofatt moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the minutes of the June 11, 2019 city council meeting. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any questions on the claims. There being none, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the claims totaling $106,805.26. Motion carried unanimously. Consent Councilor Grove moved and seconded by Councilor Dains to approve the Consent Agenda thereby acknowledging the May financial report and approving the Post -Issuance Compliance Policy — Resolution No. 062519A, the performance agreement with Lazy Does It for Day in the Park, and the temporary liquor license for Day in the Park. Informational Presentations/Reports A. 2019 Infrastructure Improvement Project Update City engineer, Kellie Schlegel provided an overview of the progress on the project. B. Day in the Park Assistant to the City Administrator Bownik provided an update on Day in the Park planning. He stated that the event is extended by an hour this year, so it will run from 4-8 p.m. He also noted the entertainment that will be provided for the event. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 5 June 25, 2019 C. City Council Updates Councilor Grove shared that she attended a Ramsey County League of Local Governments meeting earlier in June and more events are being planned for August and early fall. Mayor Gaasch stated that she and Councilor Dains are going to the League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference in Duluth on June 26. Gaasch continued noting the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) training council and staff received at City Hall. Public Hearings A. Alley Vacation Petition for the Alley between Eustis Street and Malvern Street North of Spring Street and South of Summer Street Residents from Malvern Street and Eustis Street that abut the planned alley improvements submitted an alley vacation request to the City Council. The purpose of this meeting was to hold a public hearing on the alley vacation request per the published and mailed notice. After a presentation from city attorney, Ron Batty, Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to anyone in attendance that wanted to address the council at 7:51 p.m. Craig Zbacnik, 1837 Eustis Street, said he would like to see the alley vacation approved or the alley kept as is. He raised concerns about the traffic and costs associated with the project. Bev Powell, 1819 Eustis Street, stated that she does not want to deal with the stress of the situation. She also mentioned the potential of a murdered body buried at 1821 Eustis Street. John Hassinger, 1856 Eustis Street, considers the alleyway an overall bad idea. He said the project removes trees of sentimental importance to him. He was also concerned with the costs. Dave Greenlund, 1836 Malvern Street, mentioned his request to extend the alley previously. He stated that there is no need for an alley for most of the houses there. Michelle Schumacher, Lake Elmo, spoke as the owner of 1821, 1825, and 1831 Eustis Street. She stated that she bought the lots with the understanding that the alleyway would be extended and she did not request the alley extension. Sherry Mills, 1856 Malvern Street, stated that she is upset at the lack of involvement that has been given to those directly affected by this process. She also was upset she might lose vegetation in her yard. Harold Powell, 1819 Eustis Street, expressed his concern about the fence and trees being taken down in his yard. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 5 June 25, 2019 Sandra Brown, 1842 Eustis Street, said she liked the alley improvements as alleys take pressure off of streets. She also stated that she does not think an alley will affect privacy adversely. Mayor Gaasch closed the floor at 8:15 p.m. The Council discussed the matter and got answers to questions from the city engineer and staff. They addressed that private trees and property would not be disturbed without approval from the owner. Administrator Butkowski explained the costs involved with the project and that the alley improvements were not being paid via special assessments or the general levy. The Council indicated they did not support vacating the alley and directed the city attorney to draft a resolution to that effect for the July 9 council meeting. Discussion/Action Items A. Decision on Variance Requests for 1821 and 1831 Eustis Street At the June 11 City Council Meeting, the Council took public comment on the variance requests for 1821 and 1831 Eustis Street. The Council indicated their support for the lot coverage variance to allow for the construction of front porches which is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. Councilor Dolphin made a motion to approve the variance for 1821 Eustis Street without conditions and moved to adopt Resolution No. 062519B. This was seconded by Councilor Grove and carried unanimously. Councilor Moffatt made a motion to approve the variance for 1831 Eustis Street without conditions and moved to adopt Resolution No. 062519C. This was seconded by Councilor Grove and carried unanimously. B. 2019-2020 Liability Insurance Renewal — Liability Limits Butkowski explained that the City's insurance policy runs from August to August. Annually, the City Council must determine whether or not to waive the municipal tort liability limits established by 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. Councilor Moffatt made a motion to not waive the monetary limits on municipal tort liability established by MS 466.04. This was seconded by Councilor Grove and carried unanimously. C. MWMO Neighborhood Clean Up Event Butkowski highlighted that the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) planned to recruit volunteers at Day in the Park for a neighborhood cleanup. The proposed date of the cleanup is one to two weeks after the City's summer festival. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 5 June 25, 2019 The target area will be the residential portion of Lauderdale with garbage collection at the public works building. If the collection exceeds the dumpster space, the City will incur an expense to have our garbage hauler take the excess. The MWMO will provide whatever other supplies are needed for volunteers. They will also weigh the material to see how much was collected. The MWMO created the Good Neighbor Guide for Healthy Yards & Clean Water, which they plan to share with residents at Day in the Park. Staff will continue to work with MWMO to support this effort. Additional Items A. Petition and Waiver Agreements Butkowski said city staff is finding Emerald Ash Borer in greater numbers of private trees that are becoming hazards based upon their die back. For some households, the unexpected expense poses a financial hardship. The City can provide the funding to remove the trees through petition and waiver agreements and recover the costs through special assessments. This results in a quicker and more aurical resolution than through the abatement process. Attached is the agreement for one property owner. In addition to approving this agreement, staff is asking the Council to authorize the mayor and clerk to sign future agreements for the removal of diseased or hazardous trees. Staff will work with property owners in setting terms based upon the costs they are incurring. Councilor Dolphin made a motion to approve the Petition and Waiver Agreement as presented and authorize the mayor and clerk to sign future agreements. This was seconded by Councilor Grove and carried unanimously. Set Agenda for Next Meeting Administrator Butkowski stated that the July 9 council meeting may include a resolution finalizing conditions for redevelopment of 1795 Eustis Street. Work Session A. Opportunity for the Public to Address the City Council Mayor Gaasch opened the floor to anyone in attendance that wanted to address the Council at 9:04 p.m. Mary McGraw, 1876 Malvern Street, said she is affected by the alley project since her garage encroaches into the proposed alley. She said she currently experiences runoff in her garage and asked that the scope of the project allow for addressing her drainage issues. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 5 of 5 June 25, 2019 Jim Porter, 1880 Malvern Street, expressed concern that the alley improvements were not adequately communicated so that he could respond appropriately and plan around the construction. B. Police Contract Discussion with City of St. Anthony Staff Charlie Yunker, St. Anthony Assistant to the City Manager, was at the meeting to discuss the contract proposal for 2020 and answer questions from the Council. St. Anthony indicated they do not wish to make many changes to the contract language aside from changing the contract reopener language from 3% to 5%. This means the contract could be reopened if the proposed costs exceed 5%. The Council asked questions to clarify the contract costs and what the City should expect into the future. Staff will work with St. Anthony Police to finalize a contract for the next meeting. C. Community Development Update Butkowski mentioned that she has a meeting with the Luther Seminary developer on June 26. She continued to say that she and Jennifer Haskamp have a meeting on July 2 with the neighbors abutting 1795 Eustis Street regarding Real Estate Equities' landscaping plan. Finally, the comprehensive plan was resubmitted to the Metropolitan Council. Adj ournment Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Dolphin to adjourn the meeting at 9:43 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, 44(iiie,.4__ ce,././11.e, Miles Cline Deputy City Clerk