CC MINUTES 04262005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes April 26, 2005 Page 5 Mayor Faust asked if ordinances from other cities were used as a basis for writing St. Anthony's. Captain Ohl said they did talk to several other cities. He said that Little Canada's Ordinance is more comprehensive and seems to meet the criteria necessary. Councilmember Gray asked if there have been other arrests in the city. Captain Ohl said there have been several arrests in the city for meth - related offenses. 9 Councilmember Gray questioned whether there have been arrests at the school. Captain Ohl 10 answered it has not yet been found at the school. He said it is chemically based, and is easy to 11 make in the backyard. 12 13 Councilmember Thuesen asked if the clan labs are an equal problem instate as well as outstate. 14 Captain Ohl said it is much easier to disguise a meth lab outstate. However, there are many meth 15 labs in the inner city. He explained it does produce some fumes, but it is still being done in the 16 highly populated areas. 17 18 Councilmember Stille inquired if it is known what an average clean up could be. Captain Ohl 19 said it can get very expensive. He said there is a plan in place to reduce the City's responsibility. 20 He said he has heard that it can cost $200,000 for a small lab. He said this Ordinance will allow 21 the City to assess the amount. 22 23 Mr. Gilligan noted that a lien can be put on unpaid bills and a mortgage, which can help with the 24 clean up bills. 25 26 Motion by Councilmember Stille, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to approve Ordinance No. 27 05 -005 Declaring Clandestine Drug Labs to be a Public Nuisance, Providing for their Removal 28 and Clean-up and Assessing Costs Against the Property Owner, and Amending the Municipal 29 Code of the City of St. Anthony by Adding Chapter 1175. Clandestine Drug Lab Sites, and also 30 to waive the first two readings with this being the First and Final Readings. 31 32 Councilmember Stille commented that the housing is falling off, and more people are renting 33 homes. He said if a place is potentially rented to the wrong people, it can demolish a person's 34 net worth. 35 36 Motion carried unanimously. 37 38 Mayor Faust said there has been a complaint in regard to a law that changed regarding making a 39 right of way for pedestrians in the crosswalk. He said he understands that the individual in the 40 crosswalk has the right of way. 41 42 Captain Ohl confirmed this is what the law says. He said there has not been a lot of voluntary 43 compliance to that law. He said they have a difficult time enforcing that rule because there are 44 issues in enforcing it and idiosyncrasies that go along with the law. 45 46 Mayor Faust said he brought this up in order to refresh the citizens' minds and to give the police 47 some credibility. He said he wanted to use this forum as a teaching point.