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Home My WebLink About04/13/2010LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Pagel of 4 April 13, 2010 Councilors Gaasch, Hawkinson, and Mac Lean and Mayor Dains met with Doug Harmon, CEO Twin City Die Castings Company; Mark Mayville, architect with Truman Howell & Associates; and Mike Burton, Plant General Contractor, Twin City Die Castings Company at 5:30 p.m. Also present: city staff Heather Butkowski and Dave Hinrichs and city engineer Tom Kellogg. The purpose of the meeting was to allow the City Council to view the easement area Twin City Die Castings Company would like to build over to connect two existing buildings. They said this would allow for increased productivity and better work flow. The group discussed the proposed height of the structure, emergency access, and sewer pipe capacity. Following the discussion, councilors Gaasch, Hawkinson, and Mac Lean toured the factory. At 6:30 p.m. began the zoning ordinance update open house at Lauderdale City Hall., The , city's planning consultant Tina Goodroad and Butkowski discussed zoning ordinance changes the City Council is considering in light of the Comprehensive Plan update completed in 2009. The City will host another open house or public hearing prior to the adoption of a revised zoning ordinance. The Mayor called the regularly scheduled meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. Councilors present: Mary Gaasch, Roxanne Grove, Denise Hawkinson, Lara Mac Lean, and Mayor Jeff Dains. Councilors absent: none. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City t . Administrator; Dave Hinrichs, Public Works Coordinator. Mayor Dains asked for changes to the meeting agenda. Dains added a report on the Day on. the Hill event organized by the League of Mimlesota Cities. Councilor Mac Lean,mgyed to approve the agenda as amended. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and `i' passed unanimously. Councilor Gaasch moved to approve the March 23, 2010, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor MacLean moved approval of the claims totaling $76,678.29. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 Mayor Dains asked if members of the public wished to address the Council. No one present wished to do so. Mayor Dains asked if councilors wished to remove items from the consent agenda. Councilor Hawkinson removed item 6C, installation of pet waste signage. Councilor Mac Lean removed item 613, park use request. Councilor Hawkinson moved the remaining consent agenda items approving 2010 business licenses and acknowledging the February 2010 finances. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowslci said the City annually must hold a public hearing to give residents and business owners an opportunity to address the Council regarding its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP), which is part of the City's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. Throughout the year, city staff works to meet the 55 best management practice (BMPs) identified in the S WPPP. In 2009, the city updated the existing stormwater management ordinance and adopted an illicit discharge detection and elimination ordinance in addition to having the city engineer complete an Impaired Waters Review to determine what impaired waters Lauderdale stormwater enters. Mayor Dains opened the public hearing at 7:52 p.m. No one present wished to speak to the issue. The public hearing closed at 7:53 p.m. Butkowslci said the zoning ordinance update open house was well attended by residents interested in learning more about the goals and vision of the City. There will be another open house prior to the adoption of an updated zoning ordinance. Butkowslci also noted that the governor and legislature recently enacted another cut to local government aid. Lauderdale will lose an additional $40,699 bringing this years total cut to $128,895. A 2011 cut was included in that legislation; Lauderdale's portion will be $45,891. Mayor Dains said he attended the League of Minnesota's Day on the Hill event with councilor Gaasch and Butkowski. The tone of the day and the sentiment of the speakers was that things were going to be difficult for cities for some time to come. Andrew Berg, audit manager at Abdo, Eick, and Meyers, addressed the Council. He said the city audit was completed and they produced an unqualified or clean opinion. The only finding continues to be that city staff does not prepare the financial statements, which is common in small cities. For the first time, segregation of duties was no longer a report finding. Berg reviewed the management report with the Council. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 Councilor Hawkinson moved to accept the 2009 audit findings as prepared by Abdo, Eick, and Meyers. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski said staff annually solicits street sweeping quotes. Four vendors were contacted and two responded. Reliakor Services quoted $4,800; Mike McPhillip's quoted $5,075. Public works staff recommended selecting Mike McPhillips, in spite of the higher price. ',They felt Mike McPhillips has proved to be a better value due to their attention to detail, especially in the sweeping of the alleys. Councilor Hawkinson moved to approve Mike McPhillips to perform the 2010 spring and fall street sweeping at a cost of $5,075. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski said the City purchased its current copier in April 2000 and a replacement is necessary. Instead of purchasing a unit, staff prepared specs whereby the City would lease a unit for four years. Councilor Hawkinson moved to allow staff to solicit quotes for a new office copier. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Mac Lean removed item 6B regarding a park shelter reservation from the consent agenda. She asked whether notice of the reservations could be posted at the shelter. Butkowski said staff posts notice for park reservations at the picnic shelter and at the bald fields. Councilor Hawkinson moved to approve use of Lauderdale City Park by the Children's Home Society on June 26. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Hawkinson removed item 6C regarding park signage from the consent agenda. She suggested finding alternative language for the signs. Staff said they would revise the sign and bring it to the next council meeting for consideration. Butkowski reviewed the preliminary agenda for the next meeting, which included purchasing policy revisions, dog park maintenance, and a discussion with the city attorney regarding: nuisance code enforcement. 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. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 Sherman Associates met with staff regarding the construction of 57 rental housing units. and an office building on the New Mech site. They requested financial assistance from the City to make the project viable. Stacie Kvilvang,.the City's financial advisor, explained the financing tools available to the City and how projects like this are negotiated so the City can ensure that other city goals are met in the process, such as improving pedestrian safety along Eustis Street south of Larpenteur Avenue. Butkowski said Sherman Associates needs a letter of support from the Council within a couple of weeks in order to apply for grants from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Councilors expressed the opinion that the City already has a significant percentage of rented units and it would be in the best interest of the City to try to keep a commercial use on the New Mech site. Kvilvang was directed to let Sherman Associates know the Council was not interested in pursuing the project if it required financing from the City. 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 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Heather Butkowski City Administrator