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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/13/2011LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 4 September 13, 2011 Mayor Dains called the City Council meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. Councilors present: Mary Gaasch, Roxanne Grove, Denise Hawkinson, and Mayor Jeff Dains. Councilor absent: Lara Mac Lean. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator. Mayor Dains asked for changes to the meeting agenda. There being none, Councilor Hawkinson moved to approve the agenda. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved to approve the August 30, 2011, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved approval of the claims totaling $82,232.03. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Grove moved the consent agenda approving participation in a training course for the City Administrator. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Mac Lean joined the meeting at 7.•38 p. m. The Mayor introduced the budget discussion. He said the Council would be setting the preliminary levy during the meeting. The final levy must be set by the end of December and cannot exceed the amount set in the preliminary levy. Butkowski said the revised budget included funding to continue exploring the municipal liquor store concept and a budgeted transfer to off -set part of the cost of replacing a public works truck. The budget materials also included information on the residential impact of levy increases ranging from one to five percent based on the new Market Value Homestead Exclusion Program. Mayor Dains opened the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. Marsha Hoffman, 1708 Carl Street, addressed the Council. She asked whether the General Fund was the same as a reserve fund and whether Finn Sisu was financed by tax increment. Butkowski responded that the General Fund is the City's operating fund and that Finn Sisu was not financed by tax increment dollars. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 Mayor Dains closed the public hearing at 7:42 p.m. Mayor Dains mentioned that he had attended Ramsey County's budget meeting and the county board approved a 1.7% preliminary levy increase for 2012 and Hennepin County was considering a 1% increase. The county board discussed concerns over the projected November state forecast and whether it would lead to more cuts in aid. Councilor Gaasch reiterated that the City should be prepared for more aid cuts considering the discussions from the past legislative session. Each councilor proposed a levy increase in the 2.5 to 3.5% range knowing that the levy could be lowered in December but it could not be raised. Councilor Mac Lean moved to adopt Resolution 091311A — A Resolution Levying Taxes for 2011 Payable in 2012 in the amount of $598,152 and establishing December 13, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. as the date and time of the Truth in Taxation Hearing. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski said the Roseville Area Youth Baseball organization received three fence and three excavating quotes to complete the baseball field improvements. New fencing would extend 24 feet on each side of the backstop to protect the players and six feet above the back stop. The infield would be extended ten feet with lime stone and a new surface over the field. Councilor Hawkinson asked where the storage box would be located. Butkowski said that would be determined later; at this point no one had indicated a preference. Councilor Hawkinson moved to accept Keller's quote for fencing at a cost of $3,850 and Mattco Excavating's quote for the field work at a cost of $5,900 contingent on receipt of $9,750 in project funding from Roseville Area Youth Baseball. Councilor Grove seconded the motion. The Council discussed McNamara's quote, distributed during the meeting, for the ball field work at a cost of $5,600. The vote was taken with Councilors Gaasch, Grove, and Hawkinson voting yea and Councilor Mac Lean and Mayor Dains voting nay. Butkowski said the City received complaints from the school district the last two winters as they couldn't drive buses through the Idaho Avenue / Carl Street area south of Larpenteur Avenue due to road narrowing due to snow accumulation. Last year, the Falcon Heights Fire Chief also suggested reconsidering the parking on Carl Street to ensure fire trucks could continue to service the area in an emergency. Butkowski spoke with the apartment managers. They either strongly supported the idea of restricting parking on the east side of Carl Street or said it was not a source LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 of concern for them. Buticowski sent letters to the property owners; none of them replied regarding the parking issue. The Council discussed whether parking on Carl Street should be limited year-round and when the restriction should go into effect. Councilors suggested limiting parking year-round starting November 1 unless that proves to be a problem. Since the parking restriction is set by resolution, it could be readily changed. Councilor Hawkinson moved to adopt Resolution 091311B - A Resolution Prohibiting Parking on the East Side of Carl Street from Idaho Avenue to Larpenteur Avenue starting November 1, 2011. Councilor Grove seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski reviewed the preliminary agenda for the next meeting, which included a visit by a member of the Ramsey County Emergency Management staff, CDBG playground grant, and parking ordinance revisions. Mayor Dains explained the Council was moving into the work session. Work sessions are a continuation of the meetings but not aired on community television. The Mayor asked if anyone present wished to address the Council. Melissa Eisenschenlc, 1903 Walnut Street, addressed the Council. She explained that she and her husband own the property north of City Hall and they would like to replace their driveway. As their driveway is narrow, they regularly use city property to access their property. She proposed three options for improving their driveway: Replacing only the portion of driveway on their property. Replacing their driveway and part of the City's parking lot to improve aesthetics and drainage. Purchase a portion of the City's driveway and replace the concrete in that entire area. She said they would like to complete the project this fall because the freeze / thaw cycle of winter causes their foundation to heave and leak. The Mayor said the Council would like to reach a suitable agreement but thought it may not happen quickly enough for them to get the area replaced this fall. Staff was directed to explore the three options and ask the city attorney's opinion and costs for drafting an agreement. Marsha Hoffman, 1708 Carl Street, also addressed the Council. She asked about the City's contingency fund. Buticowski said the City budgets anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 each year in the General Fund for unexpected cost overruns. The City does not have a dedicated LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 reserve fund so any additional operating funding needed would be drawn from one of the capital, improvement funds. 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 8:38 p.m. Resp ctfully submitted, Heather Butkowski City Administrator