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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 1995/09/26APPROVED Page 1 September 26, 1995 1 2 3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL 4 CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW 5 RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA 6 7 g Regular Meeting 9 10 September 26, 1995 11 12 Mounds Vew City Hall 13 2401 Hwy. 10, Mounds mew, MN 55i 12 14 15 -------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------------_________--- 16 17 CALL TO ORDER 18 19 The Mounds View City Council was called to order by Mayor Linke at 7:00 p.m. 20 on September 26, 1995. 21 22 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 23 24 ROLL CALL 25 26 MEMBERS PRESENT Mayor Linke, Councilmembers Trude, Hankner, 27 Blanchard and Quick 28 29 MEMBERS ABSENT: None 30 31 ALSO PRESENT: Samantha Orduna, City Administrator, Michael 32 Ulrich, Director of Public Works 33 34 ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: 35 36 There were no additions to the agenda for this meeting. 37 38 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 39 40 Council member Trude noted several corrections to the Regular Council 41 Meeting Minutes from September 11, 1995; Page 5, Line 6, should read 42 Motion by Blanchard, seconded by Quick; Page 10, Line 16 should read r~ LJ Page 2 September 26, 1995 Motion by Hankner, seconded by Blanchard, and Line 49 should read Motion by Hankner, seconded by Blanchard. MOTION/SECOND: Hankner/Trude to Approve the Regular Council Meeting Minutes from September 11, 1995 AS AMENDED. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried MOTION/SECOND: Trude/Hankner to approve the minutes of the Special Council Meeting from September 5, 1995 as presented in writing. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried ACCEPTANCE OF ADVISORY COMMISSION MINUTES: There were no Advisory Commission minutes to accept at this meeting. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS: There was no Special Order of Business set for this meeting. CONSENT AGENDA: Ms. Samantha Orduno, City Administrator, read the Consent Agenda as follows: A. Adopt Resolution No. 4816, Approving Step Adjustment for Jim Hess, Engineering Aide; B. Adopt Resolution No. 4817, Approving Step Adjustment for Jennifer Bergman, Housing Inspector; C. Adopt Resolution No. 4818, Hiring of a Part-Time Custodian; D. Adopt Resolution No. 4822, Amending Resolution No. 4736, Approving A Contingency Fund Transfer to the Police Crime Prevention Account; E. Adopt Resolution No. 4820, Approving Just and Correct Claims Against City Funds; Page 3 September 26, 1995 F. Licenses for Approval Restaurant -Expires 6/30/96 Pink Flower Siding -Expires 9/30/96 Norsten Exteriors -New MOTION/SECOND: Trude/Quick to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried RESIDENTS REQUESTS AND COMMENTS FROM THE FLOOR: Mayor Linke explained that this portion of the meeting was designated for anyone who wished to speak to the Council on items that were not on the Agenda. There were no comments or requests from the floor. PUBLIC HEARING: Public Hearing to Consider Ordinance No 567 Amending Chapter 202 of the Mounds Vew Municipal Code Entitled, "Public Improvements". Mayor Linke opened the Public Hearing at 7:05 p.m. Mike Ulrich, Director of Public Works, explained that at the September 5, 1995, Council work session, staff presented revisions to Chapter 202 of the Municipal Code, Entitled "Public Improvements". The additions to Chapter 202 were the costs of the reconstruction of streets and the percentages of that are proposed to be assessed. These are as follows: Street reconstnaction 50% Street resurfacing 50% Sidewalks 0% Sealcoating/Mntce 0% Water & Sewer Mns 50% Water & Sewer Trunks 100% Water & Sewer Service Line 100% Surface Water Imp. 50% Page 4 September 26, 1995 The other areas that were added were the methods of assessments. It explained the three that are proposed -which are 1) a unit assessment (every lot would be assessed); 2) an area assessment (a watershed district or a water and sewer service area); and 3) the adjusted front footage method. Mr. Ulrich explained that the Public Hearing was for the Council and resident's consideration of this amendment to Chapter 202. Ms. Trude noted there were several references in the Ordinance to areas that have been deleted, so those must be omitted. She also noted that under (h) Drainage Improvements the sentence should read "....and/or by an ad valorem property taxes" (rather than an ad valorem tax basis). Mayor Linke closed the Public Hearing at 7:15 p.m. MOTION/SECOND: Hankner/Quick to Approve the Introduction and waive the reading of Ordinance No. 567, Amending Chapter 202 of the Mounds mew Municipal Code Entitled, "Public Improvements". Ms. Trude stated she does not have a problem with introducing this ordinance at this point because she does feel it is an improvement over what the Council looked at in June. The improvement is that the Council went from a 66% rate to a 50% assessment rate, which creates less of a burden on homeowners of streets that are assessed. Also the sealcoating and patching of cracks was taken out of the assessment and made a part of general maintenance activities. She is upset, however, about the lack of information to the public on this issue. She stated she feels there should be additional publicity on this issue before it is formally adopted as an ordinance so that the public can know that Council is moving forward with it. Mayor Linke explained that this issue has been before the Council for a long time. Nothing has changed substantially from what they looked at before other than the items Ms. Trude has addressed, however they were talked about at a prior Council meeting. He stated there will still need to be a notice prior to adoption and then it will also need to be publicized in the paper after the ordinance is adopted. Ms. Trude stated she would really like to see something in the newspaper or in the next City Newsletter. Ms. Hankner stated she does not have a problem with publicizing it prior to adoption. She feels however that something needs to be decided by the Council on how they will handle future information. Some type of limits must Page 5 September 26, 1995 be established as to how far the Council will go before the public takes some responsibility on educating themselves about these issues. She knows of times when information was published repeatedly only to have residents complain that they were not informed. Mr. Linke stated he feels the introduction and adoption of this ordinance should be well known to residents if they have been paying attention. Ms. Orduno stated she would address the suggestion made by Ms. Hankner at the next Council work session. In the meantime, per Council direction, she will see that this item is put into the next City Newsletter. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried COUNCIL BUSINESS: A Consideration of Resolution No. 4821. Adopting Street Standards. Mayor Linke took this opportunity to read Resolution 4821 to the public. He . explained that if this resolution is adopted, the street width would be thirty feet from face of curb to face of curb. On each side there would be six inches of concrete curb and one foot of concrete surface which becomes the gutter surface. The actual asphalt width in the inside would be 28 feet. He noted that if a project is proposed, there would be public hearings or informational meetings with the neighborhood. Mr. Ulrich explained that of the current roadways in the city, those which range in width from 18 feet to 27 feet represent 24.4% of the roads. The roads ranging from 28-30 feet wide encompass 53.6% of the roads in the city. The roads ranging from 31-41 feet represent 9.6% and the roads from 42 to 43 feet wide represent 11.2%. Ms. Hankner stated she feels there is one thing missing in the resolution. She feels there needs to be a policy in there saying that if the people of a particular neighborhood decide they want their street to be 32 feet wide, they must assume the additional costs. If, however, they want it to be 28 feet for a reason determined to be acceptable, they will need to have a consensus of a majority of the neighborhood. There should be something in the policy which states that the Council can override the decision if it is determined to be not feasible. She would like the neighborhoods to have a more active say than a passive say as to what they want. Page 6 September 26, 1995 Ms. Trude stated when she reviewed the notes from the two meetings held in June, it was apparent that this is the direction the public thought the Council was going. She was bothered by the section in the clause which talked about the loss of an extremely high amount of mature trees. This could be interpreted differently by an engineer than by the neighborhood itself. Problems may be viewed differently by residents than by engineers. She feels the fourth paragraph of the resolution allows too much room for staff and council to make decisions. She has heard from a lot of residents throughout the summer and talked to some people who live on Fairchild recently who are very concerned about the impact on their green space. Ms. Hankner stated she is comfortable with the resolution, with the exception of the fourth paragraph. She feels there should be a neighborhood meeting. Ms. Orduno suggested that this paragraph be changed to read "...required such as timber walls, or reductions of driveway slopes, the streets may be constructed to a minimum width of 28 feet as determined by the feasibility study as outlined in Section (XXX) of Chapter 202 and approval of a majority of the homeowners of the affected street". Ms. Hankner stated she feels if residents request that the street width be reduced to 28 feet or increased to 32 feet, they must have just cause. Ms. Trude stated the resolution does not address impacts to the landscape plans or the feeling of the neighborhood in the sense of community. There is not going to be a concern about pulling out bushes, etc. Mayor Linke stated if a resident has a bush that is planted on the city/county right-of-way, it isn't their property in the first place. Ms. Hankner noted that there is a sentence in paragraph four of the resolution which states "...or be determined to be a detriment to the neighborhood such as but not limited to, ..." Ms. Tnade asked who determines whether or not it will be a detriment to the neighborhood. Ms. Hankner stated ultimately it is a Council decision. However, if amended as suggested by Ms. Orduno, it is determined by a feasibility study and approval of a majority of the residents on the affected street. • . Page 7 September 26, 1995 Mayor Linke stated if a project is proposed, a feasibility study will be completed and a street width determined. Stakes will then be installed to show residents what the end result will essentially be. After that time, an informational meeting will be held. Ms. Hankner suggested that two neighborhood meetings be held. One would be to obtain resident's input as to what should be included in the feasibility study. The other could be held after to go over the study and what is being proposed. This would provide residents with an active participation tool to influence the council in their final decision. Mayor Linke reminded the Council members that the City Charter dictates when there will be public hearings on these things. Ms. Hankner stated she feels some responsibility needs to be put back on the residents in the communities to get active. Mr. Quick pointed out that this is a Resolution and it is not cast in stone. Somewhere down the line it will be reworked and amended until it is a good working document. Ms. Trude stated she will be voting against this resolution. She feels very strongly that the residents that came to the Council meetings in June and the those she has spoken with personally, made it clear that they are very satisfied with the present widths of their roads and they do not see wider streets as any improvement to the city they live in. She thinks a unanimous decision has been. made in her neighborhood. She does not feel that Paragraph 4 of the resolution will cover those neighborhoods who just appreciate green space over asphalt. She feels that is the basic underlying difference amongst the council members. Some people view their home as an extension of the street and others view their home as part of a green space and the streets are strictly a way to get to and from places. She stated many of those she has spoken to say that the environment is their number one concern for staying with the road widths that the city has now. Additionally, they have concerns about traffic speeds and costs. She agrees with all of these. Mayor Linke stated he is looking at what is best for the community. He likes green space also and just because he supports 30 foot street widths does not • Page 8 September 26, 1995 mean that he doesn't. He feels that taking a small portion of the right of way is not going to be a detriment to his home. Ms. Hankner stated she values green space also. However, if a 28 foot standard is set, what does that do for everything that is larger than that? Do all of those need to be reconstructed down to 28 feet? Ms. Trade stated what she has been hearing from people is that they don't want change. When reconstruction occurs, they want these roads reconstructed at the existing width. Ms. Hankner stated the resolution sets the standard at a 30 foot width which is a mid point between the 28 and 32 that was previously looked at. Changing the words in the fourth paragraph allows people to keep it at 28 feet. Ms. Trade noted, however that the burden will be on the residents because the standard is 30 feet. Ms. Hankner stated the burden is on the city through the feasibility study to show that 30 feet is better than 28 feet. Pat Novak, 8371 Knollwood Drive, stated he appreciates the fact that the Council is trying to get some resident involvement and say in what is going on. He was disappointed to hear that this was coming up again after the time that was spent on this issue in June. He has problems with the standard street width of 30 feet. He does not believe in a need for wider streets. Safety seems to be more a problem with wider streets as traffic speeds are faster. He does not think emergency vehicles have ever had a problem because of narrow streets. He does not feel wider streets will have any affect on the values of the properties. In fact, if there is a loss of trees, it would decrease. Mr. Novak stated he hopes the street widths will be left up to the neighborhood. He took a survey of the residents in his neighborhood from the middle of his block going south and he received signatures of 38 residents saying they want to leave the street width as it is now. He feels the decision should be primarily up to the residents. Mayor Linke stated the residents will still have the opportunity to veto the project through the charter.. The way the Charter is proposed to be changed is that it will take 50% of the residents to approve an assessment project. Mr. Novak presented a copy of the petition to Mayor Linke. • Page 9 September 26, 1995 Jim Jorissen, 8368 Knollwood Drive, stated he appreciates that some of the council members are willing to listen to what the residents have to say. He concurs with what Mr. Novak had to say. He does not feel that engineering studies should determine what will happen in the city's neighborhoods. He asked if it is possible to get a copy of the feasibility study if his street is proposed to be redone. Mayor Linke stated he can get a copy if and when his street is done. All of this information would be presented at a public hearing on the project when and if his street were to be completed. Ms. Trade stated in order to give residents a choice, she would suggest that the eight paragraph be changed to read "WHEREAS, the majority of the affected properties within the entire project may elect to reconstruct the street "at 28 feet" (rather than "wider")... as this would make it clearer that the people do have the ability to affect the outcome and it doesn't depend upon circumstances that have to be proven. Ms. Hankner stated this was done in the fourth paragraph. Dave Janke, 8420 Eastwood Road asked why council is trying to change the standard road width when so many residents at the June meetings stated they wanted to leave them at the width they are. A comment was made that the decision would be left up to the residents. Suddenly, the council has the final say. Mayor Linke stated residents do have a say in the matter. An example of this would be Pleasantview. They made the decision to go with a 38 foot wide roadway. At the June meeting, a majority of the residents who attended were under a misconception of their street width. He went back and checked and Eastwood Drive is 30 feet wide now. Mr. Janke stated he has measured in four different areas on the roadway and in no place did he measure 30 feet from Long Lake Road to the third block down on Eastwood. Mayor Linke stated he believes a minimum of 28 feet is what should be established, especially if residents want to be able park on the streets. Mr. Janke stated he does not see anything wrong with a 28 foot street. He hopes that the Council will table their decision on this matter and think about it for a while. So many residents expressed their opinions and he feels the i Council is being inconsiderate of them. • Page 10 September 26, 1995 Mr. Janke stated for those residents who currently have a 24 or 26 foot roadway, they will have no alternative but to go to at least a 28 foot wide roadway. Ms. Hankner stated this width represents only about 4% of the actual miles of streets in the city. Mr. Janke asked that these residents be allowed to have their say if they want to keep their streets as they are now. Ms. Trude stated she spoke with Rhonda Smieja, 5298 St. Stephens Street who stated she was concerned about the environmental impact this would have, she does not feel the improvements are necessary and she is concerned about the added cost. She likes the fact that the yards stand out. If she did not have prior commitments she would be present at the meeting to state her opinions in regard to this matter. Ms. Trude stated she also spoke with Sherry Gunn, 8120 Red Oak Court and she said she measured her court and it is 28 feet wide. She wanted the Council to know that a fire truck comes down her cul-de-sac and makes a complete circle every winter and has had no problem. She would like to keep the street at 28 feet. Yrgil Peterson, 2152 Oakwood Drive stated he understood the Mayor Linke believes in what is best for the community. If this is the case, he should want what is best for each and everyone who are paying the taxes. He has talked with many residents and he cannot find anyone who wants new water meters or wider streets. If the City Council wants to stay where they are, they need to listen to the residents and what they want. Mayor Linke stated what he finds interesting is that there was virtually no discussion on how a project like this will be paid for. The document which was approved earlier, stirred no discussion whatsoever. _ Mr. Peterson asked if the council would be voting on this resolution tonight. Mayor Linke stated yes, if the council chooses to do so. Brad Janke, 8408 Eastwood Road, stated he feels it comes down to money. What is the problem with keeping the roads the same width that they are now? This would be inexpensive. As proposed, if the subcut goes three feet behind the curb, anything within three feet of the curb including trees and bushes will need to be removed. Whatever the road width is, the city can • Page 11 September 26, 1995 maintain the road by a simple milling overlay, reconstruction of the catch basins that need to be reconstructed, etc. Mr. Ulrich noted that the city will not be replacing the utilities under every street reconstruction project. Mr. Janke asked why the city won't consider keeping all the roads at the width they are now. Mayor Linke stated it is his belief the there should be a minimum width of 28 feet. Mr. Janke stated he has seen streets that have been widened from 28 to 32 feet, with sidewalks, bike paths, etc. and as soon as it is opened up, the road turns into a freeway. Ms. Hankner stated the Council is simply talking about a "when and if scenario". The minimum width for this policy is 28 feet. There is only 1.4 miles of streets in the city that are less than 28 feet wide, other than MSA streets. These are the only ones that will have to be brought up to the standard 28 feet. The council has allowed for a policy for all sorts of participation by residents to be able to determine that their street would remain at 28 feet if that is what they want. She thinks that the curbs are a good idea as they provide aesthetic value. The council is trying to start some type of maintenance plan for the future. Mr. Janke stated what it boils down to is that the City Council decides in the end what is good for the residents. Ms. Trude asked if the council could allow for exceptions for those smaller streets which may have an unusual situation. Mayor Linke stated the resolution allows them to go to 28 feet. Ms. Trude stated it does not give them the option to prevail on the council that there may be some special circumstances and that is probably why those roads were built that way in the first place. Ms. Trude thanked all those residents who took time to come to the meeting and voice their opinions in regard to this issue. • Page 12 September 26, 1995 MOTION/SECOND: Hankner/Quick to approve Resolution 4821, with the AMENDMENTS which would allow for the public participation in the approval process with the feasibility study, as re-worded by Samantha. Mr. Janke asked if anyone has been over to North Oaks. There is no curb and no gutter on those streets. VOTE: 3 ayes 1 nay (Trade) Motion Carried Mayor Linke stated the residents convey concern about money, but there were no comments at the Public Hearing on the Assessment Policy and how the street improvements would be paid for. Ms. Trade stated she still believes it is a "green space" issue. B. Consideration of Resolution No. 4819 Hirinct of Cable TV Technician/Producer Ms. Orduno stated this resolution approves the hiring of Susan Henry for the position of Cable TV Technician which was vacated earlier this month. She would like to start within a two week period. Ms. Orduno suggests that Ms. Henry be started at Step 3 which is $10.13 per hour (the same step that the previous Cable Technician started at). The effective date should be listed as "date of start" on the resolution. MOTION/SECOND: Hankner/Trude to approve Resolution 4819, Approving the Hire of Susan Henry as Cable TV Technician/Producer. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carved C. Consideration of Authorization to Purchase Golf Course Maintenance Equipment for Winterizing Golf Course. Ms. Orduno stated John Hammerschmidt has looked at what equipment the golf course needs for winterizing the course and he has suggested the purchase of the following equipment: 1) Greens Aerator - to aerate the greens at least once each year - $8,185. 2) Vertical Mowing Units -attachment to the Greensmower that prevent thatch formation - $2,250. • 3) Jacobsen Leaf-blower, Back-Pack Blower and Sweeper - to keep the course Page 13 September 26, 1995 open for Fall play - $3,700 for leaf blower and $450 for back-pack blower and $15,000 for the sweeper. 4) Turf tires -for the city's slit seeder - $2,565. 5) Computer System - $2,000. Ms. Orduno stated that the money for this equipment will come from the course construction funds which were set aside for maturation. This is defined as things needed in the first season of operations. As of 9/11/95, there was $86,830.95 in that fund. To date the city has not touched any of the anticipated loan from the water fund. The city is trying very hard not to ever touch that money and to make the course operate on those funds set aside for it. The funds for the equipment were anticipated, however, we did not know exactly what pieces of equipment would be needed. Ms. Orduno stated the city is doing extremely well with operating and maintaining the course and she is very pleased with Mr. Hammerschmidt. MOTION/SECOND: Quick/Hankner to Authorize the Purchase of Golf Course Maintenance Equipment for Winterizing the Golf Course. . Ms. Trude asked if other bids were received for this equipment. Ms. Orduno stated yes, and that this is required as a part of the purchasing policy. VOTE: 4 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried REPORTS: 1. Report of Council members: Quick: Mr. Quick stated he hopes Ms. Blanchard is feeling better soon. Hankner: none Trude: Ms. Trude stated she has been meeting with the TCAP Utilization Committee every Saturday of September. She would like to thank those representatives who have given of their time to attend these meetings for the past year. The public meetings where the public will be able to see the maps to be approved will be held on October 14th at 9:00 a.m. and October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. (no place designated to date). Page 14 September 26, 1995 Ms. Trade stated she also received a lot of calls from residents in regard to the newspaper article on the crime rate for the City of Mounds mew. She noted that all of Mounds View's offenses are reported as Class I or II crimes. Two very different crimes can both fall under Class I. Additionally, the more arrests that are made, the higher the crime rate goes because they are reported as Class I or Class II crimes. Mounds Vew has more reported smaller crimes than larger more serious crimes and they have a very large arrest rate -which shows a higher statistical crime rate than the conditions the residents actually live under. 2. Report of Mayor Linke: Mayor Linke informed the public that those residents who do not have cable should note that the Cable company will install Universal Service in a home if they have a cable ready TV at no cost. If a resident does not have acable-ready TV, it will cost $1.93 per month for a cable box. Mayor Linke stated the Budget Informational Meeting will be held on October 23rd. Mayor Linke reported that effective October 1, 1995, the New Brighton courthouse will close. This will mean increased driving time for Mounds Vew officers who need to attend court and additional costs for the city. 3. Report of Administrator: Ms. Orduno stated that she was disappointed that there was not better communication between Ramsey County and Mounds View for something that so dramatically impacts the community. 4. Report of Staff Members: none The next Council Work Session will be on October 2, 1995 at 6:00 p.m. The next Council meeting will be on October 9, 1995 at 7:00 p.m. • Page 15 September 26, 1995 ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business before the Council, Mayor Linke adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~ f,Ci1~2,Q,~Zl~. N~ ~ ~'J~Q~~~ Tamara D. Saefke Recording Secretary ~J •