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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/11/2012LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 4 December 11, 2012 Mayor Dains called the City Council meeting to order at 7:37 p.m. Councilors present: Mary Gaasch, Roxanne Grove, Denise Hawkinson, Lara Mac Lean, and Mayor Jeff Dains. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator; and Kevin Kelly, Deputy City Clerk. Mayor Dains asked for changes to the meeting agenda. The Mayor added employee recognition to the agenda under additional items. Councilor Hawkinson moved to approve the agenda as amended. Councilor Grove seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved to approve the November 27, 2012, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Hawkinson moved approval of the claims totaling $83,180.69. Councilor Grove seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved to approve the consent agenda acknowledging the PCIC meeting minutes, and approving the 2013 City Council Meeting Schedule; 2013 business licenses; and the hiring of warming house staff. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Public Hearing: 2013 Budget and Levy Butkowski presented information to the Council and those present regarding the 2013 budget. Butkowski stated the proposed General Fund Budget is $1,187,216. This is an increase of 0.8% over 2012. The budget also reflects a 2% increase in the property tax levy for 2013. If adopted, the city tax rate would increase from 31.19% to 31.63%. The assessed home values decreased by 9% in 2012. Two-thirds of homeowners will see a decrease in their property taxes. The owner of a median valued home will experience approximately a $44.00 reduction in the City portion of their property taxes. This is attributable in part to additional Fiscal Disparities revenue anticipated in 2013. Butkowski demonstrated the cost of city services by departments. Public Safety is the largest expense comprising 55% of anticipated costs. Administration comprises 14% of the budget and LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 December 11, 2012 Public Works comprises 8%. Butkowski said the scheduled debt levy was not necessary in 2013. The remaining bond issue will be paid off in February of 2015. Butkowski also noted that $50,000 in anticipated grant money for a sewer lining project would need to be accounted for in the sanitary sewer fund instead of the TIF fund as was identified in the budget materials the Council received. The public hearing regarding the 2013 budget and levy was opened at 7:47 p.m. The Mayor asked if anyone present wished to address the Council. No one present came forward to address the Council. The public hearing closed at 7:48 p.m. Discussion Items: 2013 Budget and Levy — Resolution 121112A Mayor Dains stated that the change in the State Legislature in 2013 may make things better for cities in the new year. The legislature is expected to make changes to the Local Government Aid and Fiscal Disparities formulas which may improve funding to cities with a demonstrated need. Council Members stated the City has used resources well, is evaluating new initiatives such as a municipal liquor store, and has been accountable to the public. The Council thanked Butkowski for her work on the budget. Councilor Grove moved to approve the 2013 Lauderdale budget and Resolution 121112A — A Resolution Levying Taxes for 2012 Payable in 2013 in the amount of $610,115. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Inflow and Infiltration Grant This item was discussed at a previous Council Meeting. Butkowski stated the grant proposal was submitted. The proposal will allow the City to receive a minimum of $50,000 with a maximum amount of $60,000 to assist with the sewer lining project. She said the Council could still rescind the application before the end of the year. The Council did not express an interest in doing this. Evening Use of the Dog Park Two volunteers offered to turn on and off the rink lights for dog park users in the evening. Due to the recent snow and cold weather, the rink attendants will soon be doing this as part of their responsibilities. City staff will work on a policy addressing the use of the warming house and rink lights for future council review. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 December 11, 2012 Application for the Public Entity Innovation Grant for Recycling Ramsey County has made available $1.5M for cities to increase recycling in the County. The City of Lauderdale and the City of Falcon Heights are requesting $100,000 each to collaborate on a program for the disposal of large items. This may be accomplished through vouchers to property owners. The Council expressed their support for the project. Additional Items: Employee Appreciation The Mayor proposed to give city employees an extra day off for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Councilor Hawkinson moved to approve an extra day off for city employees from December 11, 2012 through January 31, 2013. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and the item passed unanimously. Agenda items for the January 11 council meeting will include designation of the 2013 official newspaper, Investment Policy, and the official depository and investment institutions. The discussion will also include rental housing ordinance revisions. Mayor Dains explained the Council was moving into the work session. Work sessions are a continuation of the meeting but not aired on community television. The Mayor asked if anyone present wished to address the Council. No one present addressed the Council. Work Session: Fire Call Charge Backs Annually, the City has fire calls that could be billed out to the parties responsible if the Council adopted an ordinance to that effect. Examples of this include motor vehicle accident clean up, gas main breaks, and downed electrical lines. The City of Falcon Heights adopted an ordinance to bill for accident clean up because of the number of accidents at Snelling and Larpenteur each year. Butkowski said that it is a mixed bag as to whether cities exercise their right to charge for fire calls. The Mayor said he thought it would be prudent to adopt an ordinance as it costs nearly $500.00 for the fire department to respond to each fire call. It would also cover the City in the event of a major spill event. City staff will draft an ordinance and bring it before the Council for review. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 Animal Control Ordinance December 11, 2012 Staff explained that the last revision of the animal ordinance was codified incorrectly. The correct version of the ordinance was included in their packet. In spite of this, the ordinance still needs to be revised. The City will conduct research into the keeping of bees, chickens, and other animals and invite community members to participate in the discussions in January and February. Snow Commotion Planning Snow Commotion is scheduled for January 26. There has been a lack of volunteers helping out with this event. The Council said they didn't want Snow Commotion to continue if it was a staff driven event. The Council agreed to cancel Snow Commotion for this winter. The Council requested staff to write an article in the city newsletter explaining the reason for the Snow Commotion cancelation. Eustis Street and Larpenteur Avenue Development Butkowski and the city engineer discussed the proposed sidewalk along Eustis Street with the owner of the Corval Group recently. Ramsey County officials stated they are considering revising their cost-sharing policies and may pay for half of the cost for the sidewalk. The County is also considering repaving Eustis Street when a sidewalk is built. Butkowski, Bilotta, and some council members recently met with Croix Oil to address concerns they had in siting a new building. Butkowski asked the Council whether they would like the city's engineering firm to prepare some concepts for aesthetic improvements for the area around BP when it is rebuilt. The Council directed Butkowski to have Bilotta's staff prepare some concepts. The Council discussed whether to put up posts along Eustis Street north of Larpenteur to be ready to use for no parking signs. The County prefers to install the posts if they are needed. Council members felt the County did a good job of plowing during this first storm event of the year. The Council will decide in January whether the posts are warranted. There being no further business on the council agenda, Councilor Hawkinson moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Kevin elly Deputy City Clerk