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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/13/2005LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:30 p.m. Lauderdale Council Chambers Mayor Dains called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. and asked Administrator Bakken Heck to call roll. Bakken Heck called the roll and the following were present: Council Member Gill - Gerbig, Council Member Doherty, Council Member Giannetti, Council Member Christensen and Mayor Dains. Staff present: Administrator Bakken Heck, Assistant to the Administrator Bownik and Deputy City Clerk Butkowski. Mayor Dains began the meeting by offering a Resolution commending Council Member Moose Giannetti for her years of service as a member of the City of Lauderdale Park and Community Involvement Committee and City Council. Motion seconded by Gill -Gerbig and carried with all voting yes. Each council member then provided a brief thanks and congratulations to council member Giannetti. The mayor asked for additions or deletions to the agenda. The mayor added staff recognition to Additional Items. The agenda was approved on a motion by council member Christensen and a second by council member Doherty. The minutes for the November 29, 2005 council meeting were tabled until the January 6, 2006 meeting on a motion by council member Christensen and a second by council member Doherty. The mayor asked for question on the claims. Council member Giannetti asked why the sink in the men's room was replaced and not the one in the women's room. Bakken Heck said the fixtures were too old to find parts for and the entire sink needed to be replaced to fix the leaky faucet. Council member Gill -Gerbig moved and council member Giannetti seconded approval of the minutes. The motion carried with all members voting yes. Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator, provided the council an update on the upcoming Snow*Commotion celebration. He said the event will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 3-6:00 p.m. The Mayor introduced the City Budget for consideration. Bakken Heck provide a brief background on the overall budget indicating the council established the levy at the same amount as 2005 and the city received added assistance from the state this year in the form of increased local government aid. Council member Christensen asked about the Park Improvement fund and why there were no expenditures listed in the budget. Bakken Heck responded that during the budget planning process, the council did not include any specific improvement projects Page 1 of 4 LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:30 p.m. Lauderdale Council Chambers for the park. The council wanted to establish an improvement plan/comprehensive plan for the parks first. Council member Christensen moved approval of Resolution 121305-A Adopting the 2005 Payable 2006 City of Lauderdale Budget. The motion was seconded by council member Doherty and carried on a roll call vote with council members Gill -Gerbig, Doherty, Giannetti, Christensen and mayor Dains all voting yes. Mayor Dains asked Bakken Heck to comment on the Tax Increment Finance Resolution. Bakken Heck said during the Larpenteur Avenue study it was discovered the city's only TIF district would decertify at the end of the year as the bonds the district supported are paid off. The district is not set to expire until 2013. After discussions with Ehlers and Associates, the council chose to keep the district active and to dedicate the increment toward the street and utility improvement bonds. Council member Gill -Gerbig moved and Giannetti seconded Resolution 121305-B Pledging TIF to the payment of general obligation public improvement bonds. Motion carried on a roll call vote with members Gill -Gerbig, Doherty, Giannetti, Christensen and mayor Dains all voting yes. The mayor introduced Resolution 121305-C certifying a list of delinquent accounts to Ramsey County for inclusion as a special assessment on the tax rolls. Resolution 121305-C moved by Gill -Gerbig and second by Christensen. Motion carried on a roll call vote with members Gill -Gerbig, Doherty, Giannetti, Christensen and Mayor Dains all voting yes. On a motion by Christensen and a second by Doherty, the council passed Resolution 121305-D Appointing John Zanmiller, Mayor of West St. Paul, to the St. Paul Regional Water Services Board. Members Gill -Gerbig, Doherty, Giannetti, Christensen and Mayor Dains all voting yes. Mayor Dains commended city staff for their hard work this past year and recognized Jim Bownik for his work filling in as the Administrator following the departure of Rick Getchow. To recognize the work of staff, the Mayor requested the council provide staff with a paid day off to be taken by the end of the year. Bakken Heck noted the items for consideration at the next city council meeting, January 6, 2006. A) Appointment of new council member B) 2006 fee schedule Page 2 of 4 T LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:30 p.m. Lauderdale Council Chambers C) Appointments to boards and committees D) Tree commission discussion E) Variance request(s) There being no further regular business, the Mayor moved the meeting to the work session. The mayor opened discussion on the proposed rental ordinance by asking staff what the intent of the suggested meeting is. Bakken Heck stated staff is suggesting a meeting with affected parties prior to a public hearing on the ordinance to get input and feedback that staff can consider in creating a final draft of the ordinance. Council member Doherty commented on the potential of having a forum that brings together landlords, police and city staff on a regular basis to discuss issues facing the community. The mayor expressed his interest in the possibility of having an independent board to hear complaints and/or appeals from landlords. He did not think the regular council meeting would be a proper forum for these issues to be aired and discussed. Council member Christensen questioned limiting the number of unrelated persons who may occupy a rental unit. He was under the impression the city could not restrict this and also addressed the issue of determining if the residents were blood relatives or not. Council member Doherty asked if the owner of a home who takes a roommate would have to obtain a rental license. It was the consensus of the council that this would not be a circumstance for a rental license. Staff was directed by council to research the number of unrelated people who may occupy a rental unit, to establish a public meeting at an upcoming council meeting to discuss the ordinance and to review the applicability as it relates to owners having roommates. Mayor Dains asked for discussion on the Animal Control Ordinance. Bakken Heck started by saying the only addition to the draft ordinance is in the inclusion of the requirement to have a potentially dangerous dog evaluated by a.certified animal behaviorist. Following much discussion on the issue, staff was directed to obtain information on other jurisdictions that may have this as part of their ordinance as well as to find out.the cost for such a consultation. The council was also agreeable to making this a voluntary provision rather than a mandatory one. Page 3 of 4 M LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:30 p.m. Lauderdale Council Chambers Mayor Dains then asked for comments on the proposed garbage ordinance. Council member Christensen addressed the issue of screening compost. He also questioned the five (5') set back from buildings. He recalled requesting the set back be reduced to one (1') foot from the property line, not changing the property line to structure. Bownik indicated the set back may be a requirement of the fire or building code. Mayor Dains also indicated concern with the set back requirement. Council member Christensen asked if the pick-up time should be 7:00 a.m. instead of the stated 6:30 a.m. and requested it be changed to 7:00 a.m. Staff was directed to look in to the set back issue for backyard composting and to snake the collection time 7:00 a.m. Bownik addressed the issue of the Walkable Communities Grant. He informed the council the PCIC discussed this program at their meeting on Monday, December 5 and they support and endorse the city's application to the host a workshop. Bownik then discussed the draft of the application and the area included in the proposed application. The council consensus is to support the application. There being no further business to before the council, the meeting adjourned at 9:33 p.m. on a motion by Gill -Gerbig and a second by Christensen. Page 4 of 4 11