HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 03241998 Meeting Sheet
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Box: 19
Folder: CC MINUTES AND AGENDAS 1998
Document: CC MINUTES 03241998
1 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
3 MARCH 24, 1998
4 I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL.
5 The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor
6 Ranallo.
7 II. ROLL CALL.
8 Councilmembers Present: Ranallo, Marks, Faust, Cavanaugh, and Thuesen.
9 Also Present: City Manager Mike Mornson.
10 Councilmembers Absent: None.
11 III. APPROVAL OF MARCH 24, 1998 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA.
12 Motion by Marks, second by Thuesen to approve the March 24, 1998 Regular Council Meeting
13 Agenda with the following changes:
14 Under V. Licenses/Permits/Petitions add: A. Fridley Knights of Columbus Request to Distribute
15 Tootsie Rolls.
16 Under IX. New Business add: F. Ordinance Enforcement.
• Motion carried unanimously.
18 IV. APPROVAL OF MARCH 10, 1998 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
19 Motion by Marks, second by Faust to approve the March 10, 1998 Regular Council Meeting
20 Minutes with the following change:
21 Page 6, Line 18: Replace "Advisory Council" with "Thuesen".
22 Motion carried unanimously.
23 Mayor Ranallo noted that tonight's Council meeting was live broadcast on Cable Channel 16 and
24 would be rebroadcast on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 P.M. and Saturday, March 28 at 11:00
25 A.M.
26 V. LICENSES/PERMITS/PETITIONS.
27 A. Fridley Knights of Columbus Request to Distribute Tootsie Rolls.
28 Mr. Czech reported the Fridley Knights of Columbus, whose majority of membership includes
29 residents of Fridley, St. Anthony, Columbia Heights and New Brighton,will be holding their
30 Annual Tootsie Roll Drive on April 24, 25, and 26, 1998. Funds raised are donated to programs
J 1 to help the handicapped and mentally retarded. The 1997 Drive raised $16,155, with $14,175
32 distributed to seven different organizations and $1,980 covering the cost of the tootsie rolls. Mr.
Czech explained distribution in St. Anthony would be limited to the liquor store, as the New
014 Market and Town/County had closed. He asked permission of the Council to allow the Fridley
35 Knights of Columbus to distribute tootsie rolls in St. Anthony on April 24, 25, and 26, 1998.
r
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 2
1 Motion by Faust, second by Marks to allow the Fridley Knights of Columbus to distribute tootsie
2 rolls in the City of St. Anthony on April 24, 25, and 26, 1998.
3 Motion carried unanimously.
4 Mr. Czech reported he had requested to distribute tootsie rolls at Cub Foods at Apache Plaza but
5 had been refused.
6 Morrison noted Cub Foods receives so many requests that they have made it a blanket policy to
7 not allow solicitation. They may-, however,=make a financial contribution.
8 Mr. Czech reported locations of distribution will include: Walmart, Sam's Club, Holiday Plus
9 and the Holly Center in the City of Fridley; Rainbow,the liquor store, Walgreen's and K-mart in
10 the City of Columbia Heights; and Lund's and the Hilltop Center in the City of New Brighton.
11 Cub Foods and Target Centers have refused to allow distribution and have made no offer to
12 donate funds. In 1997 Walmart donated an extra$1,000 to the Fridley Knights of Columbus.
13 Mr. Czech noted that in 1997, 268 men worked on this project with a total of over 700 hours.
14
15 VI. PRESENTATION OF CLAIMS.
Motion by Marks, second by Thuesen to approve the following claims:
17 A. Cable Franchise Fee:
18 1. North Suburban Cable Commission in the amount of$10,414.63 for 1998
19 contribution.
20 B. Dues/Membership:
21 1. Middle Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization in the amount of
22 $338.70 for the City of St. Anthony share of the 1998 Operating Budget.
23 C. MSA Road Project:
24 1. Rieke Carroll Muller in the amount of$1,357.55 for professional services
25 rendered from February 1 to February 28, 1998 for 331 Avenue Design.
26 D. Capital Improvement:
27 1. McKay's in the amount of$17,466.00 for delivery of a Public Works pick-up
28 truck.
29 E. Flooding/Storm Water:
30 1. WSB & Associates, Inc. in the amount of$4,524.75 for professional services
31 rendered February 1 through February 28, 1998 for Storm Drainage Task Force.
32 2. WSB & Associates, Inc. in the amount of$250.00 for professional services
33 rendered February 1 through February 28, 1998 for MCES Grant Application.
34 F. 4 pages of Verified Claims as presented by the Finance Director.
0 Motion carried unanimously.
36 VII. REPORTS.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 3
1 A. Police Department 1997 Annual Report.
2 Police Chief Engstrom introduced the newest member of the Police Force Mark Dokken.
3 Dokken received his Associates Degree at Mankato State and Skills Training at Alexandria. He
4 finished#2 in the overall testing process. Engstrom stated Dokken has been with the Police
5 Force for six weeks and they are happy to have him on board.
6 The Council welcomed Dokken to the City. Mayor Ranallo encouraged Dokken to always
7 practice caution when on duty.
8 Dokken thanked the Council and stated he looked forward to working with the City.
9 Engstrom presented the Annual Police Report statistics for the year of 1997. He referred to a
10 comparison of the 1996 and 1997 Part 1 crimes noting that these crimes are usually an overall
11 indicator of the health of the community. Over the past five years the City of St. Anthony has
12 done well in this area due to the demographics, economy and innovative policing in the
13 community. He noted burglaries decreased from 63 in 1996 to 53 in 1997 and larcenies
14 remained fairly constant with 223 in 1996 and 230 in 1997.
15 Engstrom referred to a comparison of the 1996 and 1997 Part II crimes, noting that there had
IR been a decrease in the number of incidents in all categories. A total UOC Literal Translation of
the incidents was included in Council's packet. Also included was a list of the number of other
18 calls/incidents of interest in 1997. Engstrom noted the Suspicious Person/Vehicle category and
19 stated the Police Department encourages residents to call and report anything in the community
20 which appears suspicious.
21 Engstrom noted the Calls for Service in St. Anthony had increased from 5021 in 1996 to 5102 in
22 1997 and Reports Incidents decreased from 5062 in 1996 to 5041 in 1997. Also included were
23 the number of Calls for Service and Reports Incidents for Lauderdale and Falcon Heights.
24 Engstrom reported the police reserves worked 2814 hours in 1997. Most reserve hours were
25 spent on patrol—doing house checks, business card file update, transportation details, assist to
26 St. Anthony's regular squads,police impounds, medical emergencies, and community functions
27 such as Mardi Gras at St. Charles, winter carriage rides at St. Anthony Center and Village Fest.
28 Engstrom noted a comparison of the 1996 and 1997 Patrol Statistics. Moving and Non Moving
29 Violations, as well as Total DWI's decreased from 1996 to 1997. Total arrests increased from
30 466 in 1996 to 498 in 1997.
31 Engstrom noted a memorandum from Lieutenant Ohl which listed the approximate number of
32 Misdemeanor, Gross Misdemeanor and Felony level criminal offenses cleared by Investigations
and patrol. It also included a breakdown by City.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
March 24, 1998
0 Page 4
1 Engstrom noted an Elementary Dare in Review report by Officer Tim Briski. Briski teaches the
2 elementary students at Wilshire Park Elementary School and St. Charles Borromeo in St.
3 Anthony, and Falcon Heights Elementary School in Falcon Heights. He also volunteers in many
4 other events.
5 Engstrom noted a Dare Review for 1996-1997 provided by Dominic Cotroneo. Cotroneo works
6 with eighth grade students at the St. Anthony Middle School and St. Charles Borremeo. This
7 program provides continuing support to the students and helps to retain their respect throughout
8 the high school years. Cotroneo donated a lot of his time and is very involved in the Dare
9 program.
10 Ranallo asked Engstrom to explain the UOC Codes.
11 Engstrom explained that UOC stands for Uniform Offense Codes. These codes are used for
12 reporting services to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Criminal
13 Apprehension.
14 Engstrom reported that in comparing the statistics for the first two months of 1998 to those of
15 1997, there have been 28 more incidents reported this year. If this trend continues St. Anthony
0 will see a substantial increase for the year of 1998.
17 Marks questioned if the 31 handgun requests were for St. Anthony residents.
18 Engstrom stated there were 31 permits to purchase a handgun issued in the City of St. Anthony
19 in 1997.
20 Cavanaugh questioned the 7 rapes which occurred in 1997.
21 Engstrom reported that most of the offenders are known to the victim. Only 1 of the 7 was a
22 stranger.
23 Cavanaugh questioned the nature of the larcenies.
24 Engstrom explained larceny includes shoplifting, stealing a car, stealing property from a garage
25 or a yard, and many more. Depending on the dollar amount it is a misdemeanor, gross
26 misdemeanor, or a felony.
27 Cavanaugh questioned if the City of Falcon Heights had purchased defibulators, if so, why they
28 were purchased and the cost.
Engstrom reported that the Cities of Lauderdale and Falcon Heights had each purchased one
defibulator. The St. Paul Fire Department recommended that Falcon Heights make the purchase.
31 Engstrom explained the equipment is easy to use and includes step-by-step instructions. It is
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 5
1 useful in saving lives within the first five minutes of injury and the police are usually on the
2 scene within one to three minutes. The units cost$2,700.
3 Marks asked if all the moving violations are for speeding and if not, what percentage is for other
4 types of moving violations. He also asked how many tags are associated with drivers following
5 too close to the vehicle in front of them.
6 Engstrom stated that not all of the moving violations were for speeding but he was not aware of
7 the percentage of other types of violation. He noted that a vehicle traveling closely behind
8 another may be a good reason to stop the driver and_often other violations such as driving,with
9 no insurance or warrants are then discovered.
10 Marks stated he believed a substantial number of accidents are caused by cars traveling too close
11 together.
12 Thuesen noted the number of underage drinking offenses and asked how the liquor is obtained.
13 Engstrom stated most persons caught are reluctant to say how the liquor was obtained. Some
14 purchase their own with phoney identification and for others the alcohol is provided by a brother,
sister or parent.
16 Thuesen noted there are probably many more occurrences of underage drinking that are not
17 caught. He stated he hoped the Dare Program would help with this.
18 Engstrom stated the Dare Program is important and does help make inroads with kids.
19 Mayor Ranallo thanked Chief Engstrom for the report and the good work.
20 B. Councilmembers.
21 Thuesen reported his attendance at a recent Parks Advisory Task Force meeting. The meeting
22 went well and the group is focused and trying to move forward. They will be making a
23 presentation to the Council in the near future to discuss the formation of a Parks Commission.
24 Thuesen reported he is the Council representative of the Friends of the Library Group. This
25 group meets on the third Thursday.of the month for 15 to 30 minutes and meetings are open to
26 people whether they are part of the organization or not. Friends of the Library supports and
27 promotes the library by holding smaller book sales in the winter months and larger book sales in
28 the summer and utilizing those funds to purchase books, magazine subscriptions, and puppets.
29 Thuesen encouraged residents to get involved with the Friends of the Library Group.
'10 Faust reported that on Friday, March 20, he visited the legislature to stay abreast of what is
happening with the flood relief funds. He also spoke with Representative McGuire at her office.
32 She continues to pursue the effort diligently. Representative Kalus has confirmed that the letter
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
March 24, 1998
Page 6
1 of March 19 which was sent to Conferees has been received and they are aware of the requests of
2 St. Anthony. Faust stated the City needs to keep the pressure on and that if this is done, he is
3 confident of positive results.
4 Marks reported he had also spoken with Representative McGuire and he confirmed her diligent
5 efforts.
6 Marks reported his attendance at the Parks Task Force Meeting and agreed with Thuesen that it
7 was a very positive meeting. They have put together an overall plan for Central Park which may
8 be upgraded slightly before being-presented to the Council. They will also be recommending the
9 establishment of a Parks Commission to continue the enormous job of extending the park system
10 beyond Central and the other parks. He noted that the City of St. Anthony has one-half of the
11 acres of park that normally exists in a City of this size. He suggested the opportunity of building
12 a walking path system that would utilize the City's own property and other public and privately
13 owned property. He also suggested the opportunity to utilize some of the land which is acquired
14 in flood mitigation. He suggested ideas such as these should be included in the Comprehensive
15 Plan to provide the Parks Commission with direction.
16 Marks distributed a schedule of the upcoming visit from Salo, Finland. Visitors will arrive on
the evening of April 17. Scheduled events will include: Saturday - band rehearsal, orientation of
8 the City of St. Anthony and a tour of Minneapolis; Sunday - church service, supper in
19 community homes and band rehearsal; Monday - concert and tour of the High School, City of St.
20 Anthony tour and official welcome to the City, and dinner at the Stonehouse; Tuesday - concert
21 at the Landmark Center, reception, tour of the St. Paul Capital, and School Board meeting;
22 Wednesday - Kiwanis and two performances at Wilshire Park School; Thursday - a potluck
23 supper at City Hall and the orchestra and band will rehearse together; Friday - official City
24 greeting at City Hall with a concert and reception. The group will depart on Saturday.
25 Cavanaugh expressed appreciation for the new podium. He then reported his attendance at the
26 Safety Fair conducted by the Boy Scouts and held at the City Hall last Saturday. The event was
27 well done with a lot of enthusiasm and huge participation.
28 Cavanaugh questioned the intent of the letter of joint power agreement with Northwest Family
29 Service.
30 Mornson stated this was to be a topic at the April 7 work session. He explained that the original
31 contract with Northwest Family Services called for a$1.20 contribution per capita or $8,000-
32 $9,000 per year. St. Anthony contributed $2,500 and would effectively be in violation of the
33 contract. The contract has since been rewritten to state the population of Ramsey County rather
34 than the per capita of the City so that St. Anthony may now be in compliance and may sign the
0 contract.
36 Cavanaugh noted that the door to the City Hall was locked during the last City Council Meeting.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 7
1 Mornson reported this was done by mistake. The janitor had to leave on an emergency and it
2 was her job to secure the building upon departure so she locked the doors. This has been brought
3 to the attention of the janitorial service and will not happen again.
4 C. Mayor.
5 1. Shriner's Request to Sell Onions as a Fund Raiser on May 2, 1998 at the
6 Stonehouse Parking Lot.
7 Motion by Cavanaugh, second by Marks to approve the Shriner's request to sell onions as a fund
8 raiser on May 2, 1998 at the Stonehouse parking lot.
9 Motion carried unanimously.
10 Mayor Ranallo reported he had received several comments in regard to the first live cable
11 broadcast of the Council meeting. There was comment that the broadcast was not obviously
12 identified. Ruth Mason does have a character generator and will meet with Mayor and City
13 Manager to determine how to correct this situation. Also the cameras are located up high and
14 capture the tops of the Councilmembers heads rather than their faces. Also there was concern
15 that the Mayor was not recognizing Councilmembers who wanted to talk. All these issues will
�16 be discussed at the April 7 work session.
77 Cavanaugh suggested a video tape of the Council meetings be available for check-out at the
18 library.
19
20 D. Cil, Manager.
21 Momson reported his attendance at the State Capital on March 19 to attend an AMM Legislative
22 Update Meeting. The AMM Executive Director provided the Cities with an update on the issues
23 of metropolitan significance. He mentioned that even though the House decreased the flood
24 mitigation funding from $28 to $15 million,there is still a lot of support for the bill. Mornson
25 noted the letter which was signed by all Councilmembers and was sent to the Bonding
26 Committee. There is no testimony allowed before the Conference Board and Mornson stated he
27 is leaving it up to Councilmembers to use their own discretion in putting forth an effort to contact
28 the representatives. Mornson stated the Hennepin County Commissioner had sent a letter to the
29 Conference Board in support of St. Anthony and he has copied this letter to the Ramsey County
30 Commissioner seeking his support in the same manner.
31 Mornson noted an article in regard to the amount of rain received last summer which appeared on
32 the front page of the Star and Tribune newspaper. He reported that he had been interviewed for
33 this article for more than 40 minutes and it appeared that the interviewer was looking for
34 negativity in the declaration of a disaster area. Momson stated there was not negativity and
35 explained FEMA and other grant information. The interviewer seemed interested but none of
this information was included in the article.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 8
1 Mornson reported the City received a certified letter from FEMA informing that the City is now
2 a part of the National Flood Insurance Program. This provides the opportunity for residents and
3 business owners to purchase flood insurance. It appears from the initial letter that the City will
4 not be required to be mapped or to change any of its ordinances. 25% of the communities that
5 are part of the Flood Program are not mapped and it is then not necessary to be designated as a
6 flood zone by Federal Agencies. Mornson noted there was a press release issued last Friday to
7 all three of the local papers and an article will appear in the next City Newsletter.
8 Sue Kozarek, 4029 Shamrock Drive, thanked the City Manager for the information. She stated
9 she had contacted the insurance company to inquire about flood insurance. The insurance
10 company stated they required the flood zone and were unable to locate St. Anthony. She
11 suggested this issue needs some further investigation.
12 Mornson reported a call received from the Chicago FEMA office in regard to the $700,000 grant
13 application for home buy-outs. St. Anthony's grant application is very competitive and someone
14 from FEMA will be meeting with Mornson and WSB on April 3, 1998, to view the homes and
15 obtain a general feel of the area. Mornson stated he believes this is a positive sign. One if not
16 both of the appraisers have begun contacting the five homeowners and a report is anticipated by
�17 April 15, 1998.
-I8 Mornson reported he had met with the Superintendent of the schools last Friday to discuss an
P p Y
19 easement or deed on the portion of Central Park required related to flood mitigation. The
20 Superintendent was receptive and upon receipt of more details another meeting will be
21 scheduled. The 33rd Avenue project was discussed and the Superintendent will ask the Principal
22 to suggest students who might be interested in serving as a clerk at Council meetings.
23 Mornson reported a concept review was held at the Planning Commission meeting on March 17,
24 1998. A local industrial user is interested in relocating in the Town/Country building. This
25 would generate a rezoning request. The site would be utilized for office and research. A tour of
26 the current facility is being scheduled for Planning Commissioners and interested
27 Councilmembers. Another concept review will be held at the April Planning Commission
28 meeting.
29 Cavanaugh noted the Town/Country site is zoned retail. He stated that unless the Council would
30 consider changing the zoning, the tour is a waste of time. He asked when there would be
31 discussion on the change of the character of the shopping center and the diminished retail
32 capacity of the City.
33 Faust stated that this discussion will take place at the next Planning Commission meeting and
34 they will then make a recommendation to the City Council.
QMornson noted the City is currently finalizing an RFP for a planning firm for a Land Use Master
36 Plan. He stated the tour will not be a waste of time because this is a good industry located in the
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
March 24, 1998
Page 9
1 City of St. Anthony and if the Town/Country building does not work, Staff would want to
2 relocate the business to another area in St. Anthony.
3 Cavanaugh stated the reason for his suggestion of a moratorium was that the City not get into this
4 type of discussion without a plan in place.
5 Mornson reported he is in the process of finalizing an RFP for a computer consultant and will
6 provide this at the April 7 work session.
7 Mornson"reported that a sub-committee of the Parks Task Force is-meeting with Public Works
8 Director. They are discussing five bids received for play equipment for Community Services. It
9 is believed that the bids will come in between $20,000425,000 and$20,000 has been budgeted
10 for this item. The agreement made by the City was to replace the equipment like-for-like.
11 Mornson stated the Chair of the sub-committee requested that he could be authorized to chose
12 the vendor so that work could be started as soon as possible. The next Council meeting is not
13 scheduled until April 14 and installation is eight weeks off.
14 Thuesen stated that at the last Parks Task Force meeting there had been discussion that the
�15 equipment would cost $18,000-$20,000 and that there may be additional cost for site preparation.
T6 Marks stated he did not have a clear sense of how much more the site preparation would cost.
17 He noted volunteers and the Public Works Department will be assisting with installation of the
18 equipment to reduce the cost and that the Task Force would like to move as quickly as possible
19 or installation will occur well into the season.
20 Thuesen asked if site preparation was included in the original $20,000 estimate.
21 Mayor Ranallo stated it was but that at that time it was anticipated that some of the old
22 equipment would be utilized.
23 Morrison noted the $20,000 was meant to be seed money to mix the old equipment with the new.
24 This however, will not work because the old equipment is not up to ADA standards.
25 Mayor Ranallo suggested that the Task Force determine a cost.figure for Council consideration.
26 Mornson stated the Task Force is anticipating a cost of$25,000. He noted there is $40;000
27 available in the Contingency Fund for the new building. This does not include the $50,000 for
28 the tennis courts.
29 Motion by Marks, second by Thuesen to approve the replacement of playground equipment for
Community Services in an amount not to exceed $25,000.
31 Motion carried unanimously.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 10
1
2 Cavanaugh noted a letter received from Mr. Tuohy in regard to the appraiser. He questioned
3 what action should be taken. He questioned if Mr. Tuohy should be allowed to chose one of the
4 appraisers.
5 Faust stated it would be premature to answer the letter as neither party has received the results of
6 the appraisal. The City has two appraisers. If the appraisals are not to Mr. Tuohy's satisfaction,
7 he can hire his own appraiser.
8 Cavanaugh stated that in order to obtain a fair market value, one appraiser-should be looking at
9 the property from the owners perspective and one from the City's perspective.
10 Faust asked if Cavanaugh believed the appraisers to be biased.
11 Cavanaugh stated that the appraisers are hired by the City.
12 Marks stated that if the property owner is not satisfied with the results of the appraisal they can
13 hire an appraisal and pay for it themselves.
• VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS -None.
15 IX. NEW BUSINESS.
16 A. Ordinance 1998-004, re: Tobacco and Tobacco Related Products ( 1 S'Reading_).
17 Motion by Marks, second by Faust to approve the 1"reading of Ordinance 1998-004, relating to
18 tobacco, tobacco products and tobacco related devices, amending Section 510 of the 1993 St.
19 Anthony Code of Ordinances.
20 Morrison reported that by State law, the City of St. Anthony is required to provide notice to
21 vendors and establishments within the City limits that sell or distribute tobacco and tobacco
22 related products of the upcoming adoption of ordinance amendment. The City Attorney, Chief of
23 Police and the Liquors Operation Manager have reviewed the proposed ordinance. Staff has not
24 received any response to the notice.
25 Motion carried unanimously.
26 B. Ordinance 1998-06, re: Fees for Tobacco and Tobacco Related Products ( 1S'Reading).
27 Motion by Thuesen, second by Marks to approve the 15'reading of Ordinance 1998-006, relating
28 to fees for Tobacco and Tobacco related products; amending Section 615.06 of the 1993 St.
29 Anthony Code of Ordinances.
0 Motion carried unanimously.
31 C. Resolution 98-034, re: Flood Relief Prop-ram and Provision Funding_
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 11
1 Motion by Marks, second by Faust to approve Resolution 98-034, adopting guidelines for a City-
2 wide flood relief program and provision for funding.
3 Norine Lockrem, 2916 Old Highway 8, questioned how the $10,000 maximum dollar figure was
4 generated. She also asked if property owners who have suffered significant damage would be
5 able to apply for additional funding in a future year. She noted that the memorandum from WSB
6 stated that a property owner could not apply for more than $10,000. She asked the Council to
7 reconsider the dollar cap or to allow residents to reapply in future years.
8 Cavanaugh noted that on Page 2 of the WSB memorandum it states that all flood proofing
9 projects must be completed by December 31 and in the Flood Relief Program document under L.
10 it states that work must be completed within six months. He also noted the repeated use of the
11 word "reasonable" and questioned the test for reasonability and if this would be determined by
12 the City. He noted the requirements that "All flood proofing work has to be approved by the
13 City Engineer" and under M. "The property owner, Inspector, and Program Specialist shall also
14 sign the Completion Certificate after reviewing all work completed." He questioned if there is a
15 sense of an implied warranty that when the work is done there will be a certain protection level
16 and the home will be warranted in the future.
. Faust noted an inspection is performed with all building permits.
18 Cavanaugh stated that WSB is involved in the process from beginning to end and there appears
19 to be an implied warranty that the work will be done to some level of performance.
20 Faust noted that this was modeled after other Cities and they had not experienced this type of
21 problem.
22 Morrison explained that the December 31 date in the WSB letter was a tentative schedule and
23 was just a proposal. The six month requirement in the Flood Relief Program document is the
24 legal requirement.
25 Mayor Ranallo noted that A. of the document states "Any property subject to recurrent flooding".
26 He asked how this will be determined.
27 Morrison stated this will be left to the expertise of WSB based on their research. They will
28 provide a recommendation at the July 14 Council meeting.
29 Cavanaugh noted that A. of the document also states "flooding by storm sewer overflow". In the
30 large picture, the water was destined for the storm sewer but a lot of it came from the alley.
Faust stated the City will only have so much money available per year and the $10,000 cap was
determined to allow the biggest impact of effected residents as possible.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
March 24, 1998
Page 12
1 Mayor Ranallo asked if a person who had $15,000 in damages would be able to receive $10,000
2 this year and another$5,000 next year.
3 Mornson stated the residents would be able to reapply for additional funds in subsequent years.
4 Marks noted these funds were to flood proof against future loss not to compensate for past losses.
5 Mrs. Kozarek asked if there was a potential for residents to receive more than $10,000. The
6 wording of#3 in the WSB memorandum indicates that a resident would not be able to be
7 compensated beyond the maximum of$10,000.
8 Cavanaugh stated it was his understanding that if 30 residents apply in the first year and only 10
9 receive funding, the other 20 would be ahead of the first 10 for funding in the second year.
10 Ms. Kozarek explained that WSB had chosen the $10,000 maximum by taking the money
11 available and dividing it by the people who had experienced damage to their homes. They were
12 attempting to get the "biggest bang for the bucks".
13 Mornson suggested the maximum dollar amount could be left blank and the engineer could make
• a further recommendation.
15 Cavanaugh stated it appears that this amount was chosen to allocate a limited resource. It
16 seemed reasonable that a property owner could apply for funds a second time.
17 Thuesen agreed that the $10,000 maximum cap could be a problem to some people who had to
18 put a greater amount than $10,000 into flood protection. It is however, important at first to give
19 the most number of people help with flood proofing their property.
20 Marks noted that this is a one year continuing program which will need a resolution passed in
21 1999. He suggested that it may be appropriate to consider the issue of reapplying at that time.
22 Mornson stated this is a learning process and changes may be recommended when WSB provides
23 the City with their report on July 14, 1998. The City needs to trust their professional engineering
24 opinion.
25 Mrs. Kozarek stated her only problem was that the WSB memorandum and the Flood Relief
26 Program document are inconsistent. She asked that this be clarified.
27 Faust noted that the memorandum was for discussion purposes. The ordinance was the legal
28 document. He agreed that circumstances may change a year from now and that the City needs to
rely on the engineers who have expertise in this area and go through a cycle to determine what
if will happen.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 13
1 Morrison stated the memorandum is in response to questions which were raised at the work
2 session. In that document point#3 states "as currently outlined" which allows the flexibility for
3 Council to change it.
4 Motion carried unanimously.
5
6 D. Resolution 98-035, re: Policing Services for the City of Falcon Heights and Resolution
7 98-036, re: Policing Services for City of Lauderdale.
8 Motion by Marks, second by Thuesen to approve Resolution 98-035, approving the Joint Powers
9 Agreement for Police Services withAhe City of Falcon Heights and authorizing the Mayor and
10 City Manager to execute said agreement.
11 Cavanaugh noted the 1997 budget for Police was over budgeted by $13,141. The City of St.
12 Anthony absorbed the costs because the contract set the budget and overages are not spread
13 among the 3 Cities. This issue should be covered in the contract somewhere. He stated that
14 otherwise the Chief did a good job.
15 Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by Faust, second by Marks to approve Resolution 98-036,approving the Joint Powers
7 Agreement for Police Services with the City of Lauderdale and authorizing the Mayor and City
18 Manager to execute said agreement.
19 Cavanaugh asked if the City of Lauderdale had approved the contract.
20 Morrison stated the contract will be considered by the City Council at their meeting tonight.
21 Motion carried unanimously.
22
23 E. Approve Proposal Relatingto o Proposed City/School District Residential Survey.
24 Motion by Faust, second by Thuesen to approve the proposal by Decision_Resources, Ltd. to
25 provide a City/School District residential survey.
26 Morrison reported the School Board approved the proposal last Tuesday. The City Manager will
27 now set up a meeting with Bill Morris of Decision Resources, Ltd., the Superintendent and
28 himself. Morrison requested that the Councilmembers provide him with a list of proposed
29 questions for inclusion in the survey by April 7, 1998. The questions will be submitted to
30 Decision Resources and then back to the Council for fine tuning. The survey will be done and a
31 joint meeting will be held with the School Board to explain the results. Mornson stated he has
32 relayed the frustrations of the last survey to Decision Resources and they have offered assurance
0 that these situations will not reoccur.
34 Motion carried unanimously.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 14
1 F. Ordinance Enforcement.
2 Cavanaugh stated he had asked that this item be placed on the agenda because he has looked at
3 the City and is not happy. There is an epidemic of signs. Relators are placing their signs in the
4 right-of-way and banding them to bus stops with plastic banding. Some have been left there for
5 weeks.
6 Cavanaugh stated the question is how the community addresses the ordinance enforcement issue.
7 He noted that a map showing property appreciation in North Minneapolis and St. Anthony
8 provided by Commissioner Stenglein shows that the-trailer courts have had zero appreciation in
9 the last several years.
10 Cavanaugh stated that as you enter St. Anthony on Kenzie Terrace the first store you see has a
11 sign on the side of the building that is smashed. As you continue the first lot has an abandoned
12 car, the next a car and a truck parked on the grass and junk piled around, and the next lot has a
13 green davenport and chair and the condition of the lot is unbelievable. Autumn Woods has a rent
14 sign hanging on the sidewalk. Northgate's refuse containers are broke down and on the second
15 floor all the windows are rotted. At the Stonehouse the garbage cans sit out and the alley has
16 containers laying all over the place.
Cavanaugh described that as traveling down the alley between Kenzie and the residential area
18 there are two trailers parked on the grass, a car that has been parked in the yard for so long that
19 there is firewood stacked around it, two cars with expired tabs—one from 1991 and one
20 September 1997 and both with flat tires, and lastly a junkyard with a pile that Staff describes as a
21 breeding ground for rats.
22 Cavanaugh indicated that along 291 Avenue there is a car parked in the middle of the house on
23 the grass and the house has not been maintained. Along Silver Lake Road there are trucks with
24 expired tabs, cars parked in the mud, and houses in need of work. At Apache Plaza there are
25 beanie baby signs everywhere that look like they were drawn by a fourth grader. The property at
26 2919 Silver Lane has multiple violations including snowmobiles parked in the yard, cars parked
27 with expired tabs,the possibility of a business being run there and junk piled along the side.
28 Cavanaugh asked what it would take for the community to realize that this problem is a serious
29 one and that the City government has the principle responsibility of enforcement. The City is not
30 setting a good example by allowing the car to trespass on their own property at Kenzie Terrace.
31 He stated that steps need to be taken to bring these violations to a stop. This is very distressing.
32 Mayor Ranallo stated he agreed and he had tried to deal with this issue four years ago but at the
33 last minute had not received support from fellow Councilmembers.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 15
1 Cavanaugh questioned why retail users come in for sign ordinances and then are allowed to put
2 banners on their fences. He noted that the Freedom Store window is 100% covered when only
3 50% is allowed.
4 Mayor Ranallo stated it was a relief to some people in the City to see Larry Hamer retire because
5 now they can put a sign up anywhere. When Hamer was the Public Works Director the signs
6 were removed. Ranallo noted there is "catch up" work to do on this issue and suggested that the
7 Fire Chief may need some addition help.
8 Thuesen stated the City should aggressively approach the junk cars. There is no reason that they
9 should be allowed to sit on property with expired tabs. He also suggested the City look at what
10 help the Fire Chief needs for better enforcement.
11 Faust noted many of these violations were in existence before the Fire Chief began code
12 enforcement. He noted that the prosecuting attorney has a difficult time prosecuting these
13 violations. Faust stated he believed that if this list was given to the Fire Chief, most of these
14 violations would be resolved within a minimal amount of time. The Council has to decide as a
15 body how aggressive the code enforcement should be and then provide that direction to the code
�16 enforcer. They then have to be willing to take the legal risks of that decision.
—17 Mayor Ranallo suggested that a special work session be held with the prosecuting attorneys and
18 the Chiefs of Police and Fire to discuss this issue.
19 Faust noted that the new code enforcer is attempting to correct the violations through education.
20 He suggested that the eyesores and the issues that are City-related could be taken care of and the
21 Council could then address the more difficult problems of the cars in the backyards, etc.
22 Mayor Ranallo suggested it would be beneficial for someone to take a camera and photograph all
23 the violations in the City. This could then be utilized at the work session.
24 Cavanaugh stated he would do this. He expressed appreciation for the Council's time and stated
25 the work session would be a good place for discussion. He believed that people who are
26 concerned with their property values will support this issue. He also noted that White Bear Lake
27 and Minnetonka are utilizing an administrative citation and that this might be worth
28 investigating.
29 Tom Nelson, 2840 Silver Lake Road, stated that while the Council was discussing the fire truck
30 issue at their last meeting, he had come to City Hall to address the Council and had found the
31 lights out and the door locked.
Mayor Ranallo stated this is the second time this has happened in 20 years, The City Manager
has spoken with the janitor and she had an emergency and had to leave the building. It is her job
34 to secure the building and she did this when she left.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 16
1 Mr. Nelson stated he felt$250,000 is a lot of money to spend on a fire truck. He would like the
2 Council to look at the issue in the manner which Cavanaugh tried to convey. He stated it did not
3 make sense to drive a$250,000 fire truck up and down Silver Lake Road when a smaller, lighter,
4 faster, quieter vehicle could do the job. This would also extend the lives of the fire trucks the
5 City owns. Mr. Nelson questioned the emergency response equipment.
6 Chief Engstrom reported St. Anthony utilizes Hennepin County Medical Center for their
7 Advanced Life Support. A trained EMT can do more than a police officer can. The Police
8 Department provided Basic Life Support and the Fire Department has two paid paramedics.
9 Mayor Ranallo stated he used to have the same view as Mr. Nelson but then he started studying
10 the activities of St. Anthony's and other City's Fire Department. There are many instances
11 where more than one big truck is required. It would be difficult for him to say that he would
12 support a smaller vehicle.
13 Mornson reported that of the 6% of calls related to fire, 90% of those fires are extinguished by
14 the two people who respond to medicals.
15 Mr. Nelson asked what percentage of the 500-600 calls that the Fire Department made last year
0 went to Chandler Place.
17 Mayor Ranallo stated the Fire Chief would present his annual report at the April 28 Council
18 meeting.
19 Mr. Nelson asked if a high percentage of calls go to support businesses that have the capability to
20 handle many crises situations themselves. He questioned if taxpayers dollars should be spent to
21 respond to these calls.
22 Mayor Ranallo noted that these residents are also taxpayers of the City of St. Anthony.
23 Mr. Nelson stated he felt it was important to make his thoughts clear on fire equipment. He
24 stated he lives on Silver Lake Road and noted that many police cars go through the intersection
25 at the bottom of the hill at 60-70 miles per hour with their sirens off. He asked if it was
26 necessary to travel at that speed.
27 Engstrom stated he had no evidence that the Police Officers were traveling through that
28 intersection at that rate of speed. This would have to be radared or clocked to verify. He stated
29 that Police Officers have the same responsibilities as everyone else unless they are responding to
30 an emergency. On an emergency call their primary responsibility is to get from point a to point b
31 in the safest manner possible. He stated that without hard evidence he could not accept this
report.
33 Mayor Ranallo asked if the officers were driving that fast with the red lights and siren on.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 17
1 Mr. Nelson stated there have been times when the squads have been traveling with the red lights
2 only but this rarely occurs before 11:00 P.M. or 12:00 A.M. Before 11:00 P.M. they always use
3 the siren. Turning off the sirens is greatly appreciated by the residents along Silver Lake Road
4 but they also do not want to see the officers jeopardize their safety.
5 Marks stated he also lives on Silver Lake Road. He noted there have been several extensive
6 conversations in regard to fire trucks and they always peak when a new fire truck is being
7 purchased. The issue of the limited number of professional fire fighters is also part of that
8 discussion. With the combination of these two issues the only conclusion has always been that it
9 is better to purchase a new truck.
10 X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
11 A. Discussion of Award for Student Regarding the City Flag_
12 Marks stated he had a hard time finding any of the drawings satisfactory for a City flag. He
13 suggested that the award be given for the best design and that the process to design a City flag be
14 continued.
15 There was Council consensus to award$25 for the best design of the City flag to Dave Schlief.
0 There was Council direction to Staff to research flag design companies.
17 B. Discussion of Volunteer Dinner.
18 Cavanaugh stated the first objective was to approve the proposed list of invitees.
19 Faust stated he saw this as a deviation and total change of the way the volunteer appreciation
20 dinner has been done in the past. He questioned the appropriateness of inviting groups that the
21 City has no input as to the outcome or the report of what the organization does. He felt this
22 should be a dinner for the people that volunteer at the City's request.
23 Marks stated that he had taken the view that the volunteer dinner should cover the whole range of
24 volunteer activities oriented toward the community.
25 Mayor Ranallo stated that thanking the volunteers is very important because without the
26 volunteers the City would not exist. After the last couple of dinners, however, the volunteers
27 themselves have asked if this was a wise way to spend taxpayer dollars. Those dinners only cost
28 $1,000. The proposal tonight will cost $3,500. He noted that there are many volunteers who are
29 not included on the list including people who work in the daycare and the school.
30 Cavanaugh reviewed the list of invitees from 1997 and noted who had actually attended. He
31 noted there were many people on the list who were paid by the City for their services.
Cavanaugh reported that the City of New Brighton holds a picnic in honor of it's volunteers,
01 includes the families and gives a token gift.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 24, 1998
Page 18
1 Cavanaugh suggested it was time for a fundamental change to recognize in the larger community
2 the people who volunteer. It was time to embrace the volunteers of the community and bring
3 them together in one place to see each other and appreciate the depth of involvement.
4 Faust suggested this be approached as an open house to honor all volunteers. Coffee, cake and
5 cookies could be served and all could be given a token of the City's appreciation. He suggested
6 the entire community could attend and pay tribute to the volunteers.
7 Marks suggested that at the dinner each organization could discuss their charter and goals and
8 this could be rotated through the years. This-would-be a tremendous opportunity to introduce
9 people to volunteers. It could also be broadcast on cable television.
10 Thuesen agreed that both ideas were on the right track with involving more volunteers and that
11 without volunteers the City would be in big trouble. He stated that a large open house would
12 probably get more people involved and may be a way to do something that is really appreciated
13 if a big dinner cannot-be afforded.
14 Marks noted it was recognized years ago that eating together is very important.
Motion by Cavanaugh, second by Marks to accept the 246 invitees as the first effort to expand
6 the umbrella of volunteer appreciation and to consider the possibilities further each year.
17 Thuesen stated he could vote in favor of the motion if there would be an evaluation and if the
18 options presented this evening in regard to expanding participation would be kept in mind.
19 Faust stated he would vote against the motion as it stands. He did not believe that the proposal
20 would accomplish the goal, objectives or mission to acknowledge all volunteers. He suggested
21 this could be a function which would introduce members of the different task forces to the
22 residents of the City.
23 Marks asked how the format could be changed to accomplish the goals.
24 Faust noted the success of the open house for the new Community Services/City Hall. That was
25 a first class operation which involved the whole community. He suggested the volunteer
26 appreciation dinner could be a similar round robin-type format.
27 Cavanaugh suggested the dinner should be more of a night out for the volunteers to relax.
28 Faust stated he did not see this occasion as a night out.
Marks stated the round robin may be an interesting element to include in this function. It may be
nice to get a few groups to tell what they have accomplished this past year.
o •
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
March 24, 1998
Page 19
1 Mayor Ranallo noted that some of the people included on the list have their own function to
2 celebrate volunteers. Also there are other volunteers who are not included on the list. He stated
3 he would vote in favor of the motion but with a caveat that all complaints about the money spent
4 and those not invited be addressed by Cavanaugh and Marks and that the item be studied next
5 year and the amount to be spent be included in the budget.
6 Cavanaugh stated the event could be funded with the Mayor/Council Contingency Fund.
7 Mayor Ranallo stated he liked the idea presented by Faust of an open house format. He stated he
8 couldnot vote against the motion because it was being done for the-volunteers but he would
9 prefer an open house.
10 Marks suggested the appreciation dinner be tried in this format this year and then evaluated.
11 Vote on the motion: Ranallo, Cavanaugh, Marks and Thuesen voted aye. Faust voted naye.
12 Motion carried.
13 XI. ADJOURNMENT.
Motion by Faust, second by Marks to adjourn the meeting at 10:1.5 P.M.
15 Motion carried unanimously.
16
17 Respectfully submitted,
18 Lorri Kopischke
19 TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.
20
21 Mayor
22 ATTEST:
23 City Clerk
•