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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/13/2009LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Pagel of 3 January 13, 2009 Councilor Christensen called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. Councilors present: Lara Mac Lean, Karen Doherty, and Clay Christensen. Not present: Denise Hawkinson and Mayor Jeff Dains. Staff present: Heather Butkowski, City Administrator; Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator. Councilor Christensen asked for changes to the meeting agenda. There being none, Councilor Doherty moved to approve the agenda. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. :Councilor Mac Lean moved approval of the December 9, 2008, City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Doherty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Doherty moved approval of the December 30, 2008, special City Council meeting minutes. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Mac Lean moved approval of the claims totaling $506,657.91 Councilor Doherty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Councilor Christensen asked if members of the public wished to address the Council. No one was present to address the Council. Councilor Christensen asked if councilors wished to remove items from the consent agenda. Councilor'Doherty removed item M concerning a donation request of the Lauderdale - Falcon Heights Lions Club. Councilor Mac Lean moved the consent agenda approving the Roseville Review as the City's official newspaper for 2009; 2009 gas station, tree contractor, mechanical contractor, cigarette, and 3.2 liquor licenses; Councilor Mac Lean as the 2009 mayor pro tem; an extension of Colleen Callahan employment as temporary deputy city clerk; $1,500 donation from the Twin City's Chinese Christian Church; Sam's Club donations for community events; the Elected Officials Out -of -State Travel Policy; Section 15: Travel and Related Expenses of the Personnel Policy; 2009 employee wages; destruction of City Council and committee recordings per the retention. schedule; Park and Community Involvement Committee minutes; and revisions to LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 2 of 3 the City Vehicle Use Policy. Councilor Doherty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Bownik reported on Snow*Commotion activities taking place on January 24 at the Community Park. Plans for the day include a wagon ride, treats, sledding, skating, and games. All of the events are free. New this year is a snow or ice sculpture contest. Councilor Christensen asked Butkowski to explain the proposed changes to the social room policy. She explained that as the use of the room has changed, the policy has been silent on some issues related to its use including a cancellation policy and closing time. In the past, the goal was to keep the cost as low as possible but the costs to run the facility are increasingly outpacing revenue. Staff asked the Council to consider making rental prices contingent upon time used and not kitchen use, which has little impact on the cost to maintain the facility for rental use. The Council asked for clarification of aspects of the policy before agreeing that the revisions seemed appropriate. Councilor Mac Lean moved to adopt the social room use policy updates as presented. Councilor Doherty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The next item on the agenda was the fee schedule, which is updated annually. Butkowski explained to the Council staff's suggestions. Councilor Doherty asked whether the City's permit and license fees were comparable to other cities and whether they cover the costs to run the benefitting program. She said she wants to make sure fees cover the program costs so they aren't subsidized by the general fund as the City deals with local government'aid (LGA) cuts. Butkowski said Lauderdale has often charged less for services than the surrounding cities with the general fund subsidizing the programs. She said staff would revisit the fees prior to the next meeting and suggest increases that more closely cover the costs to run the programs. Councilor Doherty removed item M from the consent agenda regarding a donation request from the Lions Club. She said she wanted the City to set itself up for success so she suggested asking for the donation in smaller increments. She knows that requests of greater that $1,000 require additional approval per Lions policy. Bownik said he appreciated the suggestion and would send the requests to fund the music at city events prior to each event. Councilor Doherty moved to have staff request donations of the Lauderdale — Falcon Heights Lions Club for music at city events. Councilor Mac Lean seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Lauderdale City Hall 1891 Walnut Street Lauderdale, MN 55113 Page 3 of 3 The final discussion item concerned the selection of a sound wall color. Butkowski provided the Council images of the one and two-tone options. The replacement TH280 Bridge would be two brown colors and that was Mn/DOT's preference for the sound wall. Councilor Doherty felt it was important to keep it the same color as the bridge. Councilor Mac Lean moved to accept the two-tone brown color scheme for the sound wall to match the replacement TH280 Bridge. Councilor Doherty seconded the motion and it passed unanimously Butkowski read items being considered for the next council meeting. They included: 2009 committee appointments; Virginia Matheny's request regarding the former lift station property near 1974 Walnut Street; issues concerning the stairs and bridge in the Nature Area; cable equipment improvements; and 2009 garbage hauler licenses. Councilor Christensen explained the City Council was moving into the work session. The work session is a continuation of the meeting but it is not aired on community television. Butkowski told the Council that the Eustis Street feasibility study would be presented at the first meeting in February. At the previous meeting, Councilor Doherty asked whether the Council should move ahead with the Eustis project if the interest rates are low and contractors are looking for work. Staff spoke with the city engineer, Tom Kellogg, and he responded in two ways. First, he said the City was in as good of a place as it can be with the completed feasibility study should the federal government use infrastructure projects as a means to stimulate the economy. Second, he said the City would be better off planning for a 2010 project as the projects bid early in the year generally get the best rates. At best, the City would now be looking at an April letting which might not get the optimum results. The City also has to negotiate with Ramsey County for the improvements which may take time. Kellogg suggested the Council prepare for an early 2010 bid letting after resolving the outstanding road authority and funding issues. With no further discussion, Councilor Doherty 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