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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 03251980 Meeting Sheet IIIIII VIII VIII VIII VIII VIII III IIII 102137 - BOX: ZZ Folderi CC MINUTES AND AGENDAS 1980 Document: CC-MINUTES 03251980 CITY OF ST. .ANTHONY COUNCIL MINUTES March 25, 1980 The meeting was called to order by Mayor Haik at 7 :30 p.m. , immediately following the Council Work Session at 6 :45 p.m. Present for roll call: Letourneau, Ranallo, Haik, Sundland and Marks. Also present: Jim Fornell, City Manager; Ron Berg, Administrative Assistant; William Soth, City Attorney; and Carol Johnson, Clerk- Treasurer. Motion by Councilman Sundland and seconded by Councilman Marks to approve as submitted . the minutes for the Council meeting- held on March 11, 1980.- Motion carried unanimously. The minutes for- the meetings of the Cable TV -Advisory Committee held - February 27 and March 6 were accepted as presented. Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Mayor Haik to adopt Ordinance 1.980-001 with changes as agreed to, including the -refer- ences to "Highway 8" as "State .Highway 88" and deletion of all re- ferences to "fire zones" on the condition staff ascertains these deletions will. .not adversely affect Section 350.2'O of the ordinance. ORDINANCE 1980-001 AN ORDINANCE .RELATING TO FIRE PREVENTION; ADOPTING THE MINNESOTA UNIFORM FIRE CODE; ADDING CERTAIN FIRE PREVENTION PROVISIONS; AND REPEALING SECTIONS 320, 321, 340, AND 420 OF THE 1973 CODE OF ORDI- NANCES. Motion carried unanimously. A proposed draft forrevision, of the existing City' Sewer Ordinance had been drawn 'up pursuant to Council directives -by Carol Johnson. Mr. Fornell. said he believed the fact that bills from the Metro Waste Commission had almost doubled and additional work on the. City sewer system is probable, justified its adoption. Councilman Sundland said only the discounting of . senior rates made the ordi- nance, which will put residential accounts on a .flat charge basis, palatable to him. Motion by Mayor Haik and seconded by Councilman Ranallo to direct the City Attorney to prepare a sewer ordinance, as proposed, to- in- clude a retroactivity clause . for senior accounts for which:.rates will be discounted.. • ORDINANCE 1980-003 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO SEWER RATES AND CHARGES, AMENDING SECTION 540 OF THE 1973 CODE OF ORDINANCES. -2- Motion carried unanimously. • Motion -by Councilman Ranallo and seconded by Councilman Letourneau to adopt Resolution 80-022 as written. RESOLUTION 80-022 A ..RESOLUTION' ELIMINATING THE POSITION OF FIRE MOTOR. OPERATOR •FROM THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUC- TURE OF THE -ST. ANTHONY FIRE DEPARTMENT. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Councilman Sundland to accept -the bid of $2,700 from the ITT Grinnell Corporation for the purchase -of water filtration plant valves, as recommended by the Director of Public Works. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilman Sundland and seconded by Councilman Marks to adopt the resolution which provides the necessary accounting trans fer for the purchase of water filtration plant valves. RESOLUTION 80-023 A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR NECESSARY ACCOUNTING TRANSFER TO PROVIDE FOR • WATER FILTRATION PLANT VALVES. Motion carried unanimously. The Council agreed with, the Mayor that a work session to discuss the energy maxi-audit of the Park View building by the Ashley Engineering Company was probably not necessary, but the supplemental professional inspections proposed by the Manager would seem to be essential for the possibility of either purchasing or leasing the building for a city hall following the lease expiration date in 1981. Both options . had been addressed by the Manager in his December 10,- 1979 , memo to .Tom McMullen, Assistant to the Superintendent of District #282, and his March 18, 1980, recommendations to the Council. He told them .F he believes -the purchase price proposed by the school board March 17 was very negotiable, especially considering the school district' s interest in continuing certain programs in the building. He estimated 3' the cost of having the Ashley Company make the supplementary inspec- tions would probably. run between one and two thousand dollars. Motion by Councilman -Ranallo and seconded by Councilman Marks to authorize the City -Manager to negotiate with Gary Ashley the costs for determining the efficiency of the existing boiler and the struc- tural -integrity of the Park View building. Motion carried unanimously. • Donna Stauffer -appeared to confirm her resignation as Chairman of the Chemical Abuse Information Committee and Mayor Haik presented her with -3- a bertificate of .appreciation for her services to the Committee. Mrs. Stauffer said she appreciated the opportunity to work through the Committee with .the school to establish the TAHC (Teen Age Health Consultant) program in the school, since school officials have per- ceived a .coirplete turnaround - in pupils ' attitudes towards drug use acceptance. She saw the Committee as now directing more of its ef- forts towards a community education program. Councilman Ranallo said it had only been Mr.s. Stauffer's determination to keep the group going which had prevented it from dispersing last fall and he "only hopes it will keep going without her." In view of the success of the survey regarding the Police Department, Mr. Fornell said the Police Chief had suggested a similar survey be conducted regarding youth community relations for which an appropri- ation of $150 will be necessary. Specific goals and objectives for the survey will be developed by the Committee. Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Councilman Ranallo to - approve the appropriation of $150 for a survey on youth/community relations to be developed by the Chemical Abuse Information Committee, with the aid of the Police Department. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilman Letcurneau and seconded by Mayor Haik to adopt Resolution 80-024. • RESOLUTION 80-024 A RESOLUTION COMMENDING DONNA STAUFFER FOR HER SERVICE ON THE CHEMICAL .ABUSE INFORMATION COMMITTEE. Motion carried unanimously. In his .March 10 memo, Larry Hamer had advised the Manager that Hennepin County Tree Trust had again offered to provide the youth helpers and tools -for community projects such as a development of a play area in buck of City Hall or the improvement of the pathway the City owns around the holding pond known as Mirror Lake. Al- though a previous $8, 000 improvement for the holding -pond has been abandoned because of opposition, mostly from the residents of Mirror Lake Manor and New Brighton, the Public Works Director said ... he had received many calls from other residents in the area expres- sing their disappointment that these improvements had been defeated. Mayor Haik said she also had- received indications from the residents . of the Caravelle and Diamond 8 apartments as well as from the nursing home, that they. were interested in having the area around the holding pond improved for. recreational purposes. She also pointed out the poor condition of. the concrete intake area. Mr. Fornell said the .Public Works Department had understood only a minimal maintenance of the pathway was expected when the $8,000 • improvement plan was turned down and suggested a committee of resi- dents near the holding pond should be set up to determine what level of maintenance -they wish for the area. -4- Councilman Letourneau said .he had been led to believe the Mirror Lake Manor residents were still opposing a walkway around the pond and he understood some of the New Brighton residents had considered initiating legal action against the City if the walkway and recre- ational areas were put in as proposed. When questioned, Mr. Soth said he was puzzled as to what grounds there could. be for such action since the area adjacent to the pond is owned by St. Anthony. Motion by Councilman Ranallo and seconded by Councilman Marks to follow the Manager' s recommendation that residents of the apartments , townhouses and. nursing home in the Mirror Lake holding pond area be contacted regarding the Tree Trust offer, to ascertain what level of maintenance or improvement they would like to see around the holding pond. Motion carried unanimously. The Council accepted the assurances of the Saliterman management that Intergraphics , Inc. will vacate its premises in the- shopping center before April 30 , 1980 , and therefore deemed no further action by the City Attorney to be necessary. Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Councilman Letourneau to grant a license for a carnival to be held April 29 through May 5 , 1980, as proposed, under the sponsorship of the Apache Plaza Merchants Association, on the condition the Police Chief has the authority to • require additional security personnel should they be required to main- tain order during the event. , Motion carried unanimously. The results of the survey of the community' s attitude towards the City Police Department .were developed in the Manager's March 11 memo and during the Council ' s work session. The Council agreed top pri- ority should be given to better youth/police .relations and attain- ment of greater visibility of the Department by the community and saw the youth community survey approved earlier in the evening as an aid. towards the first. Councilman Marks -said he is convinced any effort to cut down the size of the police force would only result in a "councilroom full of opponents" . He suggested the Manager and the Police Chief should be commended for their work on the survey which he saw as providing a useful tool for the Council perceiving what the public wants. The' February report from the Police Department was ordered filed. Councilman Ranallo indicated his reluctance to engage community . development consulting services until he is able to make a firm decision regarding prioritizing the goals and issues. for the City as suggested in the Manager's February 6 listing. He saw the fail- ure of the bonding market as all but eliminating, ..at this time, the • senior housing or redevelopment of the shopping center and saw no need for the services until they are actually needed and Councilman Letourneau didn't think -"we have to rush into a decision" . Council- man,-Sundland said he also was not ready to make a decision at this time. -5- Mayor Haik and Councilman Marks, however, favored retaining a consultant on an..hourly basis as a means of determining the . finan- cial tools available to the City, .;should they recognize that some of the problems highlighted in the Comprehensive Plan are serious enough to justify the use of City- money to correct, as well as pro- vide, the expertise to aid the Council in making these decisions. The Manager saw the consultant as perhaps talking to the business- men regarding the alternatives available to improve the economic conditions in the St. Anthony Shopping Center, since he saw no interest towards improvement being facilitated without the City working with the merchants. He felt it was worth exploring the possibilities 'of getting the owners , .and others with a substantial interest in upgrading the center, together to consider the alterna- tives and tools available. Councilman Ranallo said he would not be opposed to such a meeting, but still wondered where the financing will come from for -any plans which. might be developed. _ These concerns will be further explored with the Planning Commission during the Council ' s joint dinner meeting with them on April 12 , and the matter of scheduling interviews with the consultants will be placed on the agenda -for the. Council' s April 22 meeting. Motion by Councilman Ranallo and -seconded by Mayor Haik to grant all -licenses listed intthe.-March .25 , 19-80 -agenda. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilman Marks and .seconded by Councilman Ranallo to approve payment of all Verified Claims listed in the March 25 , 1980 agenda, Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilman Sundland and seconded by- Councilman Ranallo to approve payment of $387 .60 to Talle, Herrick and Munns for legal services on the City' s appeal of the court decision regarding the Johnson Wholesale 'Florists litigation. Motion carried unanimously. An indication. from Lee Stauffer that he- would .be -unable to -Serve on the City' s Advisory Committee to .the Health Board prompted the .Mayor to urge -immediate -appointment of some qualified :person to fill out the Committee membership. The Manager will also try to ascertain whether Jim Stephens -will accept his -appointment. Councilman Ranallo -'reported on his attendance of the Conference of Cities .in Washington., : D.C.. , March -16 -through 18. He considered such conferences as very -worthwhile because of the opportunity to discuss with _other municipal', :state and .federal.-official-s the common problems of government and the. aids available to solve them, including commie- nity development grants, revenue sharing, federal-assisted housing, . etc. He included in -his .report the presidential address- as well as seninars on police chief training. and evaluation of police departments ' needs for fighting crime. The responsibility of each municipality -6- for energy conservation, zero budgeting and maintaining municipal salaries within the federal guidelines was also fully explored. From his own experience he urged early reservations for such con- ferences so housing is not too far from the convention site . Councilman Letourneau reminded the Council of the conference to be held in Duluth June 11 , 12 and 13 , 1980 . Motion b•;7 Councilman Sundland and seconded by Councilman Ranallo to appoint Councilman Letourneau to work with the Mayor to develop the personnel evaluation for the Manager's salary review as set up in the new personnel policy and which will be reported back to the Council during a work session scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 12 , 1980 . Iry Peterson presented the minutes and recommendations from the Planning Commission meeting held on March 18 , 1980. He especially noted the merchant and resident input to the conversations regarding the alternatives for the St. Anthony Shopping Center during the hearing on the proposed Comprehensive Plan. The Commission had been somewhat disappointed that attendance at this hearing had diminished from the first , but found the exchanges , especially regarding the "Saliterman center" , as very helpful . 4r. Peterson reported that t1-ie proposal nor a five-store shopping center, :'L--o be located at the southeast corner of 39th Avenue N.E. and Apache Lane, was withdrawn by the proponents after hearing the objections , in regards to the requested variances, from the Planning Commission and the Apache Plaza management and Merchants Association. The proponents indicated they would work with City staff in order to come up with another proposal for the site. Mr. Peterson also reported that the Fas Gas sign variance petition was tabled until the next meeting so that staff could ascertain what effect the County ' s proposed widening of 37th Avenue N .E. would have on the present location of - the free-standing sign. Mr. Peterson agreed to poll all Commission members as to their inter- est in attending . the planning seminar to be held in Bloomington in April. Motion by Councilman Ranallo and seconded by Councilman Marks to adjourn the meeting at 9 : 55 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk