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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/23/2010LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 3 February 23, 2010 The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:3 5- p.m. Councilors present: Mary Gaasch, Denise Hawkinson, Lara Mac Lean, and Mayor Jeff Dains. Councilor absent: Roxanne Grove. Staff present: Heather Butkowslci, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the 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 Mac Lean moved to approve the February 9, 2010 City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Gaasch moved approval of the claims totaling $32,455.64. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mayor Dains asked if members of the public wished to address the Council. No one present wished to do so. Mayor Dains said the City was holding a public hearing regarding a proposed flood plain ordinance. Butkowslci noted that the ordinance was required of cities who wished to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). While Lauderdale is not located in a mapped floodplain, some mortgage brokers require it of new borrowers, so it is in the City's interest to adopt the ordinance. Mayor Dains opened the public hearing at 7:37 p.m. No one present wished to speak to the issue. The public hearing closed at 7:38 p.m. Butkowski said the ordinance would be on a future agenda for approval. The Mayor welcomed Chief Ohl to the meeting. Ohl reviewed statistics related to Part I and Part II crimes highlighting the arrest of a group of burglars that cleared 13 of the 29 burglary cases. He also noted the 1,460 calls for. service in 2009 or 36 calls more than 2008. He felt that showed residents were engaged in what happened in the community. Overall, the LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 551'13 Page 2 of 3 department cleared 62% of all part I and II crimes, which he said was a remarkably high number. The Mayor asked whether the murder rate was up in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ohl responded that the national trend in violent crimes was down and he thought the same held true here. The Mayor also asked whether the new bridge made patrol easier. Ohl said it did. The new configuration also made it safer for the officers. The Mayor said the City would like to see foot patrol in the park again this year. He thought that addressed some of the issues brought forward at the meeting in the park. Ohl said the support of the Council was important to the officers. He reiterated that the officers do not see the agreement with Lauderdale as merely a contract. The Mayor said it was a contract that became a relationship. Captain Cotroneo reminded residents that the Citizen's Academy was starting March 10. Space was still available. Bownik said the CDBG grant application for new playground equipment was ready to be submitted to Ramsey County upon authorization from the Council. If granted, all of the park equipment would be replaced in a manner that met ADA and safety standards. The request was for $125,506.97 with no funding match required. Councilor Mac Lean moved to adopt resolution 022310A — A Resolution Authorizing Application for CDBG Funds for Playground Improvements at Lauderdale Community Park. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski reviewed the preliminary agenda for the next meeting, which included the union contract and possibly a request for support from Donnelly Development for a CDBG grant application. The Mayor announced the City Council was moving into closed session to discuss pending litigation. The Council returned from closed session at 8:45 p.m. Butkowski said two applications for the expansion of fiber were being developed in the county and the City has the option of supporting them. One of the grants was being submitted by the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County, while the other was being submitted by the LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 3 private dark fiber provider the Metro-Inet group (of which Lauderdale is a member) has been working with over the previous year. Butkowski explained some of the difference in approach between the two proposals. If the Council supported the County proposal the City would become a member of a joint powers board that managed and shared in the cost of the fiber. In the other case, dark fiber would be provide to the Metro-Inet group on a long-term lease (30 to 50 years) with some cost sharing in the fiber's maintenance. The cost would be shared among the Metro-Inet group according to the same cost share arrangement currently used for technology services. The annual cost for the City was expected to be $500. Butkowski said the other Ramsey County cities would be discussing the issue over the next two weeks. By the March 9 meeting, the Council will know how other cities chose to proceed and the cost to participate with the County and St. Paul. 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 8:58 p.m. Respectfully submitted; Heather Butkowski City Administrator