Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/26/2021LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES HELD REMOTELY VIA TELECONFERENCE Page 1 of 3 January 26, 2021 Call to Order Mayor Gaasch called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll Call Councilors present: Andi Moffatt, Roxanne Grove, Jeff Dains, Duane Pulford, 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. There being none, Councilor Dains moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any corrections to the minutes of the January 12, 2021 city council meeting. There being none, Councilor Pulford moved and seconded by Councilor Moffatt to approve the minutes of the January 12, 2021 city council meeting. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Mayor Gaasch asked if there were any questions on the claims. There being none, Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Dains to approve the claims totaling $162,037.30. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Consent Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Grove to approve Resolution No. 012621A — Approving a 3.4% Variance to the Lot Coverage Requirement at 1763 Malvern Street and the 2020-2021 union contract and acknowledging the December financial reports and Fourth Quarter Investment Report. Informational Presentations/Reports A. City Council Updates Mayor Gaasch stated that the City received the Capitol Region Watershed District Partner of the Year award for the Seminary Pond project. Councilor Dains mentioned that Administrator Butkowski sent out a Metro Transit survey that he asked community members to complete. Dains mentioned the meeting Ramsey County is hosting on February 3 regarding economic prosperity and development in the county. Councilor Pulford added that he appreciated the Deterra article in the newsletter. Finally, Mayor Gaasch stated she attended a meeting with other Ramsey County mayors and Betty McCullum to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES HELD REMOTELY VIA TELECONFERENCE Page 2 of 3 January 26, 2021 Discussion/Action Item A. Discussion with City Attorney about Financial, Legal, and Land Use Agreements Required to Close Land Sale of 1795 Eustis Street City attorney Ron Batty attended the meeting. He addressed the Council's questions about the process of pulling together the various financial, legal, and land use agreements for the sale of 1795 Eustis Street to Real Estate Equities (REE). In the January funding cycle, REE was not awarded the tax credits needed to build the project. Based on a last-minute federal tax credit change, a few projects jumped into the 50% AMI track ahead of the City in the lottery pool. We are the priority project at the 100% LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) pool. The next allocation process is in July. B. National League of Cities Warranty Line Program The City Council discussed whether to participate in the National League of Cities (NLC) Service Line Warranty Program administered by Utility Service Partners Inc. Their representative spoke to the Council last spring about how the program operates. The NLC program fills an insurance gap. In summary, sewer lines from the main line to people's homes are the homeowner's responsibility to maintain and replace. Water lines also are the responsibility of homeowners to the right-of-way line. This is not always known by property owners until something stops working. Repairs are typically expensive and not covered by insurance. Staff reached out to the three Ramsey County cities that partnered with the NLC program to see how it was working for them. The responses were not favorable for two primary reasons. The materials advertising the program brought to the forefront issues of service line ownership that cities were caught off -guard by. The partnership created a de facto endorsement for the NLC program that doesn't feel right to some cities. There are other players in the market that provide different levels of sewer / water line coverage and more are coming forward. For example, staff requested information from Xcel Energy as they provide sewer blockage insurance. American Family is in the final stage of getting state approval for their insurance program. However, the NLC program would not be available to residents without Council approval. After discussion, the Council asked staff to prepare information on the topic to include in the next newsletter. Set Agenda for Next Meeting The February 9 council meeting may include the Gasparre Pond dredging quote and a St. Paul Regional Water Treatment Plant update. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES HELD REMOTELY VIA TELECONFERENCE Page 3 of 3 January 26, 2021 Work Session A. Community Development Update The Council discussed Ramsey County HRA's support of a St. Paul housing project that took tax credits from the pool needed to close the REE deal. St. Paul and Minneapolis are allocated tax credits so there is an equity issue when they receive credits and get county HRAs to ask for more on their behalf. Staff will do additional research, discuss with county staff, and report back on talking points for council members who wish to discuss the issue with the county commissioner. B. Opportunity for the Public to Address the City Council Mayor Gaasch opened up the floor to anyone in attendance interested in addressing the Council. There being no people interested in speaking, Mayor Gaasch closed the floor. Councilor Moffatt made a motion to enter into a closed session at 8:17 p.m. This was seconded by Councilor Pulford and carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Closed Session A. City Administrator Performance Review The Council discussed the City Administrator's performance review. Councilor Pulford made a motion to return from closed session at 9:13 p.m. This was seconded by Councilor Dains and carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Adjournment Councilor Moffatt moved and seconded by Councilor Pulford to adjourn the meeting at 9:14 p.m. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote. Respectfully submitted, 044 Miles Cline Deputy City Clerk