Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/27/2012I. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 3 March 27, 2012 Mayor Dains called the City Council meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. Councilors present: Mary Gaasch, Roxanne Grove, Lara Mac Lean, and Mayor Jeff Dains. Councilor absent: Denise Hawkinson. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator. Mayor Dains asked for changes to the meeting agenda. There were no changes offered. Councilor Grove moved to approve the agenda. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved to approve the March 13, 2012, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved approval of the claims totaling $22,036.56. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved the consent agenda approving a park use request, replacement of a grill at Community Park, and acknowledging the PCIC minutes. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. City prosecuting attorney Katrina Joseph addressed the Council. She updated the Council on the number and type of cases she prosecutes for the City each year. The Council thanked her for doing an outstanding job on behalf of the City. The Council considered quotes for street sweeping services. Reliakor Services offered the lowest price at $4,200 for two sweepings. Councilor Grove moved to approve Reliakor Services to perform 2012 spring and fall street sweeping at a cost not to exceed $4,200. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The Council discussed replacement of the public works truck which had been tabled at the last meeting. Since the last meeting, staff learned that Burnsville Dodge held the state contract for Dodge trucks and Polar Chevrolet held the state contract for Chevrolet trucks. Staff did not ask Burnsville Dodge for a quote and Polar Chevrolet said the City would need to wait until the 2013 LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 3 pricing came out. Staff suggested the Council either approve the purchase of a Ford or wait for 2013 pricing. Councilor Grove moved to purchase a replacement dump truck through Boyer Ford Trucks at a price not to exceed $35,000. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mary Croteau's daughter, Kate, approached staff about having a memorial or dedication in the park in honor of her mother. They are considering donating a bench or asking the Council to consider dedicating the tennis courts to her. Willy Croteau said his wife's headstone is in Iowa but his family would like to have a place to remember her here. He said the ideas were preliminary, but the family was asking the Council to consider them. If the Council response was positive, the family would begin raising the funds for the project. The council members present said they liked the idea of a memorial bench. Staff said they would work with Mary's daughter on the project. Butkowski reviewed the preliminary agenda for the next City Council meetings which included the 2011 audit presentation, union contract discussion, February finances, and a discussion with the city consultant on the municipal liquor store concept. 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. Mayor Dains asked if anyone present wished to address the Council. No one present addressed the Council. Butkowski said Katrina Joseph would be staying for the spring cleanup discussion to answer questions the Council may have about the code enforcement process. Butkowski provided the Council an overview of how staff have approached code enforcement based upon staffing and court decisions. The City Council added building maintenance and appearance standards to the nuisance ordinance in late 2007. Before staff could implement them, a State Supreme Court decision involving the City of Morris effectively left the City unable to enforce the new standards on rental property. It seemed inconsistent then to enforce them on owner -occupied properties. Cities were optimistic that the legislature would "fix" the court decision and they finally did a couple of legislative session later. Without a deputy clerk during the summers of 2010 and 2011, staff dedicated their time to the most egregious code violations. This year, the City has staff again to make code enforcement more of a priority. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 3 Since the building maintenance standards were adopted almost five years ago, staff wanted to get Council input on plans to begin implementing them. Staff provided the Council with a PowerPoint presentation of examples of homes with peeling paint, as that is one of the most common complaints staff receive. Staff also mentioned methods to notify those with the most paint loss (paint loss in excess of 20%) and highlighted ways to help residents connect with resources for painting projects. The Council confirmed they would like staff to notify those with paint loss in excess of 20% that they will need to paint this summer and agreed that city staff should help match residents with resources that will help them comply. Butkowski presented the proposed 2013 police contract with the City of St. Anthony. The proposed cost is $602,030 for 24-hour patrol. Butkowski asked the Council for feedback on the current police service and direction on whether the Council would like to continue discussing options for a reduction in service/cost if needed to match budget constraints. The Council felt the City should explore alternative police services with Chief Ohl to be prepared for the worst case scenario. They felt this was no different than how the Council had been operating since 2008 with regard to looking for ways to reduce costs. They also reiterated that they want to see strong traffic enforcement on Larpenteur Avenue as two pedestrians were hit by cars in the last year and enforcement of parking ordinances, especially in winter to ensure the streets are able to be cleared quickly to make them as safe as possible. There being no further business on the council agenda, Councilor Grove moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:28 p.m. Heather Butkowski City Administrator