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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/23/2010LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 1 of 4 March 23, 2010 The Mayor called the meeting to order at 7:32 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 Administrator. Mayor Dains asked for changes to the meeting agenda. Butkowski added a report on the upcoming zoning ordinance update meeting and emerald ash borer informational meeting. Councilor Gaasch moved to approve the agenda as amended. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor MacLean moved to approve the March 9, 2010, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Hawkinson moved approval of the claims totaling $23,895.21. Councilor Mac Lean 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 asked if councilors wished to remove the item from the consent agenda. There being no one, Councilor Mac Lean moved the consent agenda acknowledging receipt of and placing on file the PCIC minutes. Councilor Grove seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski said the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) was hosting an emerald ash borer (EAB) informational session on April 1 at the Roseville Oval for residents of Lauderdale, Falcon Heights, Roseville, and St. Anthony. Experts would be available to answer questions starting at 6:30 p.m. with a formal presentation starting at 7:00 p.m. Butkowski also noted that the City Council will be holding an open house for residents to provide input on the zoning ordinance that will be amended before the end of 2010. The open house will run from 6:30 — 7:30 p.m. on April 13 at Lauderdale City Hall. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 4 Noah Pierce, 1745 Lake Street, addressed the Council. He would like to install five to six bat houses on city property for his Eagle Scout project. He said bats houses benefit the community as bats eat many insects. The Council expressed support for the project. Councilor Mac Lean moved to approve Noah Pierce's bat house project to fulfill his Eagle Scout requirement. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Andreas Thul also addressed the Council regarding his idea for an Eagle Scout project. He would like to build benches for the dog park. The Council supported the idea and said the project would visually enhance the dog park. Councilor Mac Lean moved to approve the creation of benches for the dog park by Andreas Thul to fulfill his Eagle Scout requirement. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski showed the Council photos of the dog park area taken between March 11 and 16. The photos showed how snow pack from the northeast quarter of the park drains through the dog park area and creates muddy conditions in the spring as frost comes out of the ground. She then provided the Council with a range of options for the maintenance of the dog park and the pros and cons of each. Mayor Dains said he supports improvements, but the City simply doesn't have the money to do it. He said he spoke to a number of officials from other cities and they don't have plans to create dog parks so we will continue to draw users from a much larger area. He suggested an annual donation from users so the City can improve the area. Daniel Gumnit, 1951 Pleasant Street, and Paula Moyer, 1938 Carl Street, each expressed gratitude for the park. They said it is a great asset and community builder. They felt users would be willing to donate money to make improvements. They asked for Council assistance in setting up a structure for giving. The Mayor instructed the city administrator to add the item to a future meeting agenda for further discussion. He encouraged residents to communicate their ideas to city staff. In the fall, the city engineer designed a storm water utility credit program to provide three businesses that had been required to install various stormwater drainage improvements to receive billing credits for them. Butkowski said the policy has been revised to make it applicable to all property owners. Councilor Mac Lean moved to adopt the Stormwater Utility Credit Policy as presented. Councilor Hawkinson seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 4 Butkowski explained that the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) was asking the Council to comment on the proposed amendment to their 2006 Watershed Management Plan so they can construct a new office complex. Any comments of the Council would be forwarded to the MWMO for consideration. The Council did not have any comments for staff to submit to the MWMO regarding the amendment. Previously, the Union and Council reached a tentative agreement on a new union contract. Since then,. the proposed changes have been merged into a final draft document. After adoption, the administrator will send the document to the union for signatures. Councilor Mac Lean moved to adopt the 2010 - 2011 union contract as presented. Councilor Gaasch seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. In the past, the City extended the benefits of the union employees to the non-union employees. Butkowski asked the Council whether they wanted to continue that practice, and if so, starting on what date. Councilor Gaasch moved to extend the benefits of the union agreement to non-union employees effective January 1, 2010. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Butkowski reviewed the preliminary agenda for the next meeting, which included a discussion with the city attorney regarding nuisance code enforcement and may include revisions to the purchasing policy. 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. Truman Howell of Truman Howell Architects & Associates, along with Mike Burton of Twin City Die Casting (TCDC), addressed the Council. TCDC would like to improve their production processes by enclosing the pathway between two of their buildings. The City has an easement for this area, which is why it has not been built over before. Howell said the area would be enclosed, but a 14' x 14' overhead door would allow for access. Burton said there would be expansion joints in the concrete to allow for access to the sewer system. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 4 of 4 The Council asked who was serviced by the sewer line. Butkowski said the entire City with the exceptions of Rosehill Townhomes, half of the apartments at Eustis & Larpenteur, Luther Seminary, and Children's Home Society. The Council asked for a tour of the site to get a better idea of what the new structure would look like. The parties agreed to meet at 5:30 p.m. on April 13 at TCDC. The Mayor asked staff to invite the city engineer and the public works coordinator. 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 8:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, l n t / MAI( ' Heather Butkowski City Administrator