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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/22/20063 MINUTES OF THE LAUDERDALE CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, A UG UST 22, 2006 4:30 p.m. Lauderdale gLy Hall, 1891 Walnut Street Mayor Dains called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. and asked administrator Heck to call the roll. Council members present: Karen Gill -Gerbig, Denise Hawkinson, Karen Doherty, Clay Christensen and Mayor Jeff Dains. Also present for the meeting: Brian B. Heck, City Administrator, Jim Bownik, Assistant to the City Administrator, and Heather Butkowski, Deputy City Clerk. Mayor Dains stated the purpose of the meeting was to review the draft budget and answer questions and concerns the council has regarding the budget. Mayor Dains asked how the council members would like to proceed. The council decided to get right into the budget. Council member Doherty began the discussion stating she was concerned the numbers did not match. She noted the general fund revenue was off by about $90,000 and wanted to know if the proposed budget is based on a standard index. Administrator Heck stated the budget is not figured on an index, but on the city's history of revenue and expenditures. Council member Doherty requested that administrator Heck gives a brief overview on the budget preparation process. Heck told the council he provided staff with budget sheets with three years of actual revenue and expenditure history, current budget amounts and year to date amounts and asked staff to provide revenue and expenditure estimates for 2007 based on current and past history. Heck then stated staff met and discussed each budget in the general fund and each of the fund budgets. What is presented is the result of those discussions. 4 The council asked questions on discrepancies in some of the budgets and in the general fund and fund budget narratives. The council asked for information on tax rates for other cities in Ramsey County, for information on the city's tax rate, and information on the estimated tax burden for the average home. The council then discussed the levy. They asked what the tax impact would be if the levy stayed the same, increased by 2.5%, 3%, 1.5% and other options. Following additional discussion, the council asked the administrator to revise the numbers on the budgets and narratives so that they tie together and do not leave a gap from the individual budgets to the budget summary. The council also directed the administrator to provide tax impact information on the average priced home in the city, figure the effective tax rate on different options, and to reformat the fund budgets by removing the beginning balances from the revenue. The Council also asked Council member Doherty to meet with the administrator to discuss other issues and discrepancies she found in the budget. The Council recessed the meeting at 7:15 p.m. The Council reconvened the meeting at 7:30 p.m. The mayor asked the administrator to call roll and council members Karen Gill -Gerbig; Denise Hawkinson, Karen Doherty, Clay Christensen, and Mayor Jeff Dains were present. Other staff present at the meeting included City Administrator Brian B. Heck, Assistant to the Administrator Jim Bownik, and Deputy City Clerk Heather Butkowski. 5 Mayor Dains asked for additions or deletions to the agenda. The mayor requested removal of the University of Minnesota Vegetation study, to move the discussion with Mr. Skow to the work session, to add discussion on having an additional council meeting on September 6, 2006, and to discuss the administrator's performance. The council approved the agenda as amended on a motion by council member Gill -Gerbig and a second by council member Christensen. The mayor asked if there were any additions or deletions to the minutes of the August 8, 2006 council meeting. There being none, the minutes were approved on a motion by council member Hawkinson and a second by council member- Doherty. The mayor asked for comments on the claims. There being no comments or questions on the claims, council member Hawkinson moved to approve payment of claims in the amount of $39,400.52. The motion carried on a second by council member Christensen. Mayor Dains asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda. Council member Gill -Gerbig moved the consent item approving a gas station and tobacco license for the BP located at 2421 West Larpenteur Avenue. Council member Christensen seconded the motion and it carried. Mayor Dains stated this is the time in the meeting where the council hears from the public on items not on the agenda. There being none, the mayor moved on to the public hearing. The mayor announced the council will conduct a public hearing to abate a nuisance at 1835 Carl. Deputy City Clerk Butkowski presented information to the council explaining the process staff used in an attempt to get the owner to voluntarily abate the we nuisance. The public hearing is the last opportunity for the owner to address the issue. Butkowski stated the public hearing only covers the rank growth on the property. The other situation involving refuse and brush on the property has been forwarded to the city attorney for resolution. Mayor Dains opened the public hearing at 7:35 p.m. There being no one present to address the issue, the mayor closed the public hearing at 7:36 p.m. Council member Christensen moved to instruct staff to abate the nuisance at 1835 Carl using the lower of the two quotes received. Council member Gill -Gerbig seconded the motion and it carried with council member Gill -Gerbig, Hawldnson, Doherty, Christensen and Mayor Dains all voting yes. Assistant to the Administrator Bownik presented information on the Day in the Park celebration that was held on Saturday, August 19. Bownik stated the event was well attended and he wanted to thank all the volunteers who helped at the event. Mayor Dains reiterated these sentiments and also suggested staff evaluates the parade route. The mayor introduced the next item, park improvement plans and specifications. Assistant to the Administrator Bownik presented background information to the council on the status of the project. He said the bids will be opened on the 22nd of September and presented to the Council for consideration at the September 26, council meeting. Council member Clay Christensen asked if the cost is for two basketball courts or one. Bownik responded the plans and specifications call for two courts. 7 Council member Denise Hawkinson asked if the tennis courts will be two colors. Bownik stated the courts are planned for a two color scheme. Council member Hawkinson moved Resolution #082206-A, A Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications and Ordering an Advertisement for Bids for the Redevelopment of the Tennis Courts. Council member Christensen seconded the motion and the resolution carried with council members Karen Gill -Gerbig, Denise Hawkinson, Karen Doherty, Clay Christensen, and Mayor Jeff Dains all voting yes. Mayor Dains began the discussion on the seal -coating project. He stated the roads do look bad, but he also commented on the statement made to council that the project would begin on a Tuesday and not on a Monday. He wanted the engineer to go back and look at the information on start dates. He also stated that sweeping is a major issue. The Mayor indicated there is a significant amount of gravel on the streets and he feels the streets need to be swept again. Harlan Olson, Project Inspector, stated he looked at the sweeping and agreed it looks as if some parts of the project were not swept and he will contact the contractor to get them to sweep the streets again. Council member Hawkinson asked how long gravel is generally left on the streets as she was concerned it was swept up too soon. Mr. Olson stated the gravel is generally left on the surface for 2 to 3 days. He said when the city decides to seal -coat the second half of the city, they will make sure the project is not started on a Monday when recycling and garbage trucks are on the street. Council member Karen Gill -Gerbig said that a day of the week should not be completely discounted. She said other factors should ILII also be taken into consideration such as heat, humidity, rain, etc. and a decision made based on these criteria as well. Mr. Olson said some of these factors such as humidity and heat are already taken into consideration. The criteria they use are temperature above 70 degrees and humidity below 70%. The council thanked Mr. Olson for his comments and moved on to discuss holding a meeting on September 6. Motion by council member Christensen and seconded by council member Gill -Gerbig to schedule a council meeting for Wednesday, September 6, 2006 starting at 6:00 p.m. The motion carried with council members Gill -Gerbig, Hawkinson, Doherty, Christensen, and Mayor Dains all voting yes. The council moved into work session to discuss an issue with Harvey Skow of 1931 Carl Street. Mr. Skow addressed the council and stated he sustained damage to his property as a result of the alley improvement project in 2002. He said at the time of the damage he spoke to Mr. Jerry Dempsey about correcting the damage done. The damage to his property resulted from grading the alley so run off flowed to his yard, removal of a retaining wall and potential erosion to his garage. He went on to say that Mr. Dempsey indicated the slope created by widening the alley and removing the retaining wall would be seeded. The city also paved the ally up to the foundation of his garage and constructed an asphalt curb to keep run off from entering his yard. Mayor Dains asked if the seeding was done. Mr. Skow said mesh and seed was placed on the slope which he indicated was about 2 to 1. I Council member Gill -Gerbig asked Mr. Skow where the water drained to before the work was done. Mr. Skow said it went toward his yard, but now there is significantly more. Gill -Gerbig asked what type of retaining wall was removed. Mr. Skow said it was concrete chunks tied back into the hill with iron straps. It was indicated that the retaining wall was built in the alley right of way. Council member Christensen asked if a retaining wall would fix the problem. Mr. Skow indicated it would. Council member Hawkinson asked how large a retaining wall would be needed. Mr. Skow answered about two feet high by thirty feet long. Mayor Dains recalled other areas where the city provided additional support on slopes during the construction project and mentioned a couple locations. The council directed the administrator to contact the city engineer for a cost estimate to provide a retaining wall and to bring the information back to the Council for a decision as to what can be done. The mayor asked if this was agreeable with Mr. Skow and Mr. Skow indicated it is ok with him and he wants to hear back on the decision. The council moved into a closed session at 8:24 p.m. to discuss performance issues with the administrator. The session was closed at the request of the administrator. The council came back into open session at 9:53 p.m. and proceeded to discuss new information regarding potential development along Larpenteur Avenue. Administrator Heck infonned the council of a meeting he had with a representative of 10 NewMech. Heck stated NewMech is considering relocation and is interested in redeveloping their existing site. After further discussion, council member Karen Gill -Gerbig moved to adjourn, second by council member Denise Hawkinson and carried. Meeting adjourned at 10:05 p.m.