Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2026/08/10APPROVED PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW CITY COUNCIL CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA Regular Meeting August 10, 2026 Mounds View City Hall 2401 Mounds View Boulevard, Mounds View, MN 55112 6:00 P.M. 1. MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL: Clark, Gunn, Meehlhause and Smith NOT PRESENT: Lindstrom. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Monday, August 10, 2026, City Council Agenda. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Clark. To Approve the Monday, August 10, 2026, agenda as amended adding Item 5D to the Consent Agenda. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approval of Minutes: July 27, 2026. B. Just and Correct Claims. C. Resolution 10282, Approving the Promotion of Molly Olson to the Position of Police Officer. D. Resolution 10286, Authorizing Separation Compensation for Police Officer Terran Pantelis. MOTION/SECOND: Clark/Meehlhause. To Approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. 6. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS A. Officer Asa Overton Official Swearing In - Police Chief Zender. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 2 Police Chief Zender introduced Police Officer Asa Overton to the City Council and administered the Oath of Office to Officer Overton. Officer Overton’s badge was pinned on and a round of applause was offered by all in attendance. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT Acting Mayor Gunn encouraged the public to speak with kindness and respect when addressing the City Council during Public Comment. Vince Meyer, 8380 Spring Lake Road, requested the Council regarding the Spring Lake Road project. He explained this project was not yet complete. He indicated there were many driveways that were installed incorrectly and noted this had to be addressed. He explained Pleasant View Drive was cracking and popping after two years. He recommended the road be sealed before this road becomes a disaster. Dr. Jeanne Strait, 7728 Knollwood Drive, suggested the Council allow public comment after the Council completes their reports at the end of the meeting or that the Council give their reports prior to the Public Comment portion of the meeting. She indicated the public may have questions about items, especially on the items the Council was voting on - under Reports. City Administrator Zikmund reported the Council would not be having a discussion on the raffle for the Festival in the Park at this meeting because the Mayor was not at the meeting. He noted this item would be brought back to the Council for discussion at an upcoming work session meeting. Dr. Strait indicated she had also heard some concerning comments that proper documents and taxes may not have been paid by the Festival in the Park Committee and noted this was concerning to her because this was a community event. 8. COUNCIL BUSINESS A. PUBLIC HEARING: Approval of Resolution 10281, Approving a Chicken- Keeping License for Wendy Stepanchak, 7373 Knollwood Drive. City Administrator Zikmund requested the Council consider a chicken-keeping license for Wendy Stepanchak at 7373 Knollwood Drive. He reported all necessary requirements have been met by the applicant, noting the City received one comment in support of the request from a neighbor. Wendy Stepanchak, 737 Knollwood Drive, asked how she would be notified of the yearly renewal for her chicken-keeping license. City Administrator Zikmund explained Ms. Stepanchak would be notified by staff. Acting Mayor Gunn opened the public hearing at 6:13 p.m. Hearing no public input, Acting Mayor Gunn closed the public hearing at 6:13 p.m. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 3 MOTION/SECOND: Clark/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 10281, Approving a Chicken-Keeping License for Wendy Stepanchak, 7373 Knollwood Drive. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. B. First Reading of Ordinance 1065 Amending the Zoning Ordinance Regarding Height of Principal Structures in the R-1, R-2, R-3 Zoning Districts. Evan Monson, Stantec, requested the Council hold the first reading for an Ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance regarding height of principal structures in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zoning districts. He explained that the Planning Commission reviewed this item and recommended amending the zoning ordinance reducing the principal structure height to 35 feet in the R-1 and R-2 zoning districts and 45 feet in the R-3 zoning district. He commented on the Ordinance amendment further and recommended the ordinance be introduced by the Council. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Clark. To Waive the First Reading and Introduce Ordinance 1065 Amending the Zoning Ordinance Regarding Height of Principal Structures in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 Zoning Districts for Option 3 with the amendment to the daycare use. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. C. Resolution 10284, Recommending Approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a “Drive-Thru Business” at 2535 Mounds View Boulevard. Evan Monson, Stantec, requested the Council recommend approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a drive-thru business at 2535 Mounds View Boulevard. He explained the B-4 zoning requires a CUP for any type of drive-thru business. He indicated the applicant was proposing to tear down the existing building in order to construct a new building with a drive-thru on this property. He commented further on the request and reported the Planning Commission recommended approval of the CUP with conditions. Councilmember Smith inquired if the inlet and outlet road would be changed. Mr. Monson reported the access off of Mounds View Boulevard and Long Lake Road would remain in place but the building would be more centered on the site. Council Member Meehlhause asked if this property would have to be subdivided. Mr. Monson explained the subdivision request would be coming before the Council in September. Council Member Smith stated she had concerns with how traffic would backup at the entrance to this property. She requested staff work to address this concern. Council Member Clark agreed this was a problematic intersection and she anticipated Culver’s would draw even more traffic to the area. Mr. Monson explained a stop sign would be installed on the Culver’s property and noted he was uncertain what type of traffic controlling measures Aldi had in place. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 4 Acting Mayor Gunn indicated she had concerns with the noise that would be generated by the drive-thru speaker. Mr. Monson stated it would be hard for the City to react to this without a complaint in place. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Clark. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 10284, Recommending Approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a “Drive-Thru Business” at 2535 Mounds View Boulevard with the recommended findings and conditions. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. D. Resolution 10283, Approving the Referendum Questions for the Park System Master Plan Funding. Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson requested the Council approve the referendum questions for the Park System Master Plan funding. He explained the Council has been discussing this topic for some time in order to find a way to fund park improvements for the City going forward. He stated a resident committee was created to discuss how to fund the Park System Master Plan. He indicated this group considered the financing options available to the City and was recommending approval of ballot questions, with the second ballot question contingent on the first, for the Park System Master Plan funding. He commented if the ballot questions were approved, staff would be working with WSB on an education campaign. Council Member Meehlhause recalled at the work session meeting that the Council was interested in keeping the ballot questions separate and that one question does not hinge on the other. He noted staff was making a different recommendation from this for the ballot questions. Council Member Clark stated she supported keeping the ballot questions separate. Councilmember Smith agreed. Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson explained he was recommending that question two could only move forward if question one passed. Councilmember Meehlhause supported the City having two separate bonding questions that were not tied to one another. Council Member Clark recommended the ballot questions be phrased as proposed on Attachment J. MOTION/SECOND: Clark/Meehlhause. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 10283, Approving the Referendum Questions for the Park System Master Plan Funding as recommended on Attachment J. Vince Mayer, 8380 Spring Lake Road, requested the ballot questions state how much an approval would cost each taxpayer in the community. Council Member Meehlhause reported the City Council has worked with Ehlers & Associates on Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 5 this matter and noted the median value homeowner would see an annual increase for the $15 million bonding question would be $237 per year and if both ballot questions are passed, the annual increase would be $315. Acting Mayor Gunn stated the City was out of park dedication funds and in order to improve and maintain the City’s parks, this was what the City had to do. She indicated the Council was allowing the public to vote on this matter. Joyce Jones-Strait, 7728 Knollwood Drive, reviewed the language for the first ballot question and stated it appears the dollars would not be exclusive to the listed sites. She explained that the Council is who decides how to allocate the park funding, if approved, however, it may not be this Council. She believed specific wording should be put within the ballot question to ensure the dollars are used strictly for park improvements and not the betterment of other City projects or facilities. She recommended the language be phrased in a manner that all funds will be park directed. Council Member Meehlhause indicated the City Council has worked with the City Attorney on the ballot question language, and he believed the attorney knew what he was doing. Council Member Clark stated she believed the intention was to direct the funds to Silver View Park and Wood Crest Park and the remainder of the funds would be used to address the rest of the Master Park Plan improvements. City Administrator Zikmund reported that any Council in the future could change how these funds were directed. Lisa Rolfs, 8429 Eastwood Road, suggested the language be reversed to have the parks come first. Council Member Clark requested an amendment to her motion noting the ballot language should read: the betterment of City park sites and facilities. Council Member Meehlhause asked what the City would do if the full $15 million was not used for park improvements. Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson reported the remaining dollars would be applied to the bonds in order to shorten the time for the bond repayment. City Administrator Zikmund indicated there was well over $15 million in park improvements in the Parks System Master Plan. AMENDMENT/SECOND: Clark/Smith. To amend the ballot language to read: the betterment of City park sites and facilities. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. Acting Mayor Gunn called for a vote on the amended motion. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 6 ROLL CALL: Clark/ Meehlhause/Smith/Gunn. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. E. Resolution 10285, Accepting RFP’s and Awarding a Contract to Landbridge Ecological for Ecological Restoration Maintenance Services. Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson requested the Council accept the RFP’s and award a contract to Landbridge Ecological for Ecological Restoration Maintenance Services. He explained in 2024 the City received funding through BWSR for habitat enhancement and landscaping to help restore 15.9 acres of pollinator habitat in Silver View and Ardan Parks. He reported most of the work had been completed and requested the Council accept the RFP’s and award a contract with Landbridge Ecological for restoration maintenance services. Council Member Smith asked if this contract would be covered by grant funding. Public Works/Parks and Recreation Director Peterson reported this was the case. MOTION/SECOND: Meehlhause/Smith. To Waive the Reading and Adopt Resolution 10285, Accepting RFP’s and Awarding a Contract to Landbridge Ecological for Ecological Restoration Maintenance Services. Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. 9. REPORTS A. Reports of Mayor and Council. Council Member Smith reported Festival in the Park began in 1975 and was originally called the Bicentennial Commission. Over time, this event became known as the Mounds View Festival in the Park when the event was held on an annual basis. Council Member Smith explained the 2026 Mounds View Festival in the Park would be held on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22. She reviewed the list of events scheduled for this year’s festival. She noted the Festival Committee was still seeking volunteers for those residents that may be interested in getting involved in this event. Council Member Clark stated there would be fireworks again this year that would begin at 9:50 p.m. She noted there would be a live band, free kids’ games from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Council Member Clark thanked all of the residents who participated in Night to Unite. She thanked Deputy Chief Hellpap for allowing her to ride along with him on Night to Unite. Council Member Clark noted the Mounds View Police Foundation would be meeting next on Tuesday, August 18. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 7 Council Member Smith commented she was seeking information from individuals that served on the first Festival in the Park Committee regarding the time capsule that was buried in 1975 in the City. She encouraged people with information to reach out to her. Council Member Meehlhause stated he would be attending a Charter Commission meeting on Tuesday, August 18. He indicated he would be attending an NYFS Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, August 19 and noted the Planning Commission would meet next on Wednesday, August 19. Council Member Meehlhause noted there would be a mayoral candidate forum on Tuesday, September 29 and on Wednesday, September 30 there would be a council candidate forum. Council Member Meehlhause stated there would be a State House 39B and 40A candidate forum at City Hall on Monday, August 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Acting Mayor Gunn thanked the residents of Mounds View for showing up and hosting parties for Night to Unite. She stated Mounds View had a total of 29 parties this year. Council Member Clark noted there would be an open house meeting on Rice Creek Boulevard at the Ramsey County Public Works Facility on Wednesday, August 19 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or residents could learn more about this project by attending a live webinar on Wednesday, August 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. B. Reports of Staff. Assistant City Administrator Beeman stated staff applied for a Met Council grant to assist with planning efforts for the Comprehensive Plan. He noted the City was approved for a $40,000 grant. He noted the City was now working to create a planning task force to assist with the Comprehensive Plan updates. Assistant City Administrator Beeman explained he was working on a joint powers agreement between Mounds View and Spring Lake Park for building inspection and code inspection services for the two cities. Assistant City Administrator Beeman reported El Novello Allegre should be moving into their new suite in Mounds View Square later this week. He provided further updates on development projects that were being completed in the City. City Administrator Zikmund stated the Rice Creek Watershed District would be holding a public meeting on Judicial Ditch 1 on Wednesday, August 12 at City Hall. Acting Mayor Gunn encouraged residents to get out and vote during the Primary Election which would be held on Tuesday, August 11. Dr. Strait asked when the lawful gambling and raffles topic would be on a Council agenda. Mounds View City Council August 10, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 8 City Administrator Zikmund reported the Council would be addressing this topic in September. Acting Mayor Gunn reported what the Council decides in September will impact the Festival in the Park for 2027. 10. Next Council Work Session: Monday, September 14, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Next Council Meeting: Monday, August 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:23 p.m. Transcribed by: Heidi Guenther Minute Maker Secretarial