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CITY OF ST. ANTHONY
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 9, 2009
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Faust called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
Mayor Faust invited the Council and audience to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL.
Present: Mayor Faust; Councilmembers Gray, Roth, Stille, and Thuesen
Absent: None
Also Present: City Manager Mike Morrison, City Attorney Jerome Gilligan, Police Chief John Ohl,
Fire Chief John Malenick, Finance Director Roger Larson, Public Works Director Jay
Hartman, and Todd Hubmer, WSB & Associates.
CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
ITEMS.
I. APPROVAL OF JUNE 9, 2009 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA.
Motion by Councilmember Stille, seconded by Councilmember Roth, to approve the City
Council Meeting Agenda of June 9, 2009.
Motion carried unanimously.
II. PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS.
None.
III. CONSENT AGENDA.
A. Consider May 26, 2009 Council meeting minutes
B. Consider licenses and permits
C. Consider payment of claims
D. Resolution 09 -055: Accenting a Donation from the Wal *Mart Comoration to the St
Anthony Police Department.
E. Resolution 09 -056• Adopting the Joint and Cooperative Agreement for Use of Law
Enforcement Personnel and Equipment of July 1 2009
Motion by Councilmember Thuesen, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to approve the Consent
Agenda items.
Motion carried unanimously
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 2
IV. PUBLIC HEARING.
4 None.
6 V. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF.
7
8 None.
10 VI. GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL
11
12 A. Consider Ordinance 2009 -004; Text Amendment to Title XV Section 155 Signs;
13 Allowing Temporary Signs to be Displayed on Fences in the Recreational Open Space
14 Athletic Outfields. (2 "d reading),
15
16 City Manager Morrison stated this is the second reading of Ordinance 2009 -004. The ordinance
17 adopts a text amendment to Title XV, Section 155 Signs. He noted changes from the first reading
18 of the proposed ordinance. City Manager Morrison indicated that the St. Anthony Baseball
19 Association (SABA) and ISD #282 have requested an indefinite extension or delay of
20 consideration for the proposed sign ordinance amendment. The City Attorney has recommended
21 setting a date for the second reading if Council determines to delay consideration of the
22 ordinance as requested.
23
24 Mayor Faust suggested setting the second reading of the ordinance for the November 10, 2009
25 City Council meeting.
26
27 Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Thuesen, to table the Second
28 Reading of Ordinance 2009 -004, Text Amendment to Title XV, Section 155 Signs; Allowing
29 Temporary Signs to be Displayed on Fences in the Recreational Open Space Athletic Outfields
30 to the November 10, 2009 City Council meeting.
31
32 Motion carried unanimously.
33
34 B. 2008 Audit Presentation. Peggy Moeller Taut eg s Redpath presenting
35
36 Ms. Peggy Moeller, Tautges Redpath, provided the 2008 Audit Presentation. The presentation
37 included an overview of the following reports: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report; Report
38 on Internal Controls; Communication with Those Charged with Governance; Audit Management
39 Letter; and State Legal Compliance Report.
40
41 Mayor Faust pointed out that Finance staff has made good progress in complying with
42 governmental accounting standards. He noted the recommendation of the State Auditor on the
43 fund balance is 30% to 50 %; the Council has made a policy decision of 35 %. The 2008 projected
44 fund balance and the actual fund balance are very close at 30.27 %, which is a credit to everyone
45 involved. He commented that the City receives tax distributions in September and June, so while
46 it may appear that there is a large fund balance at the end of the finance reporting period, cash is
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 3
1 needed on hand to make payments. He noted one thing mentioned in the audit was the
2 segregation of duties, which is common of cities the size of St. Anthony. The way to remedy this
3 would be to hire another person; however, Council has made the decision to take that calculated
4 risk. The Council is comfortable with this decision, with expenditures reviewed by the Council
5 with every Council packet.
6
7 Councilmember Stille stated the City Council has hired Tautges Redpath for four years. Since
8 the firm has come aboard they have found thins the City has improved on. He pointed out that
9 the City has received an increase in the bond rating to AA, and that staff has endorsed the hiring
10 of Tautges Redpath as well.
11
12 Motion by Councilmember Stille, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to accept the 2008 Audit
13 dated 12/31/08 as presented by Tautges Redpath.
14
15 Motion carried unanimously.
16
17 C. Consider Resolution 09 -057: Ordering a Feasibility Report for the 2010 Street
18 Improvement Project. Todd Hubmer, WSB & Associates Presenting_
19
20 Mr. Todd Hubmer, WSB & Associates, reviewed the resolution with the Council and indicated
21 that the resolution orders the preparation of the 2010 Street and Utility Improvement Project
22 Feasibility Report. The project consists of street and utility reconstruction in cooperation with the
23 Cities of New Brighton and Roseville. Mr. Hubmer reviewed the project improvements, location
24 and schedule.
25
26 Mayor Faust verified with Mr. Hubmer that the Silver Lake Lane neighborhood west of Silver
27 Lake Road will be included in project meetings.
28
29 Councilmember Roth inquired how the street lighting will be split up between the cities of St.
30 Anthony and New Brighton. Mr. Hubmer replied this is still to be worked out. The City of St.
31 Anthony has decorative standards on MSA streets. With this project New Brighton has a
32 sidewalk on the north side of Silver Lane and staff will work with them closely to determine the
33 lighting outcome.
34
35 Mayor Faust questioned if New Brighton's participation will be limited to road work and
36 potentially street lights, and will not include water and sewer. Mr. Hubmer replied at this time
37 New Brighton is not certain whether they plan to replace the complete utilities under the
38 roadway. If they decide not to replace the utilities, and the road in St. Anthony is damaged due to
39 the need to replace them in the future, a mill and overlay would be required at New Brighton's
40 cost.
41
42 Motion by Councilmember Roth, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to adopt Resolution 09-
43 057, Ordering a Feasibility Report for the 2010 Street Improvement Project.
44
45 Motion carried unanimously.
46
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 4
1 D. Consider Resolution 09 -058: Setting the e City of St. Anthony 2009 "Revised" Budget and
2 Authorizing of the Liquor Fund Transfer. Mike Morrison City Manager / Department
3 Heads, presenting,
4
5 City Manager Mornson indicated that the proposed resolution sets the 2009 "Revised" Budget
6 and authorizes the Liquor Fund transfer to offset the loss of Market Value Credit. Mr. Morrison
7 provided an overview of the following General Government 2009 Budget Adjustments: General
8 Operating Budget @ $135,000 reduction (City Council, Public Relations, General Management,
9 Elections, Finance, Assessing, and Legal); Capital Equipment @ $18,300 reduction
10 (Administration/Finance).
11
12 Police Chief Ohl provided an overview of the following 2009 Police Budget Adjustments:
13 General Operating Budget @ $11,000 reduction (Police and Animal Control); Capital Equipment
14 @ $30,000 reduction (Police Department).
15
16 Fire Chief Malenick provided an overview of the following 2009 Fire Budget Adjustments:
17 General Operating Budget @ $7,100 reduction (Emergency Management and Fire); Capital
18 Equipment @ $27,000 reduction (Fire Department).
19
20 Public Works Director Hartman provided an overview of the following Public Works 2009
21 Budget Adjustments: General Operating Budget @ $19,300 reduction (Public Works Division,
22 Tree & Weed Care Division, and Parks Division); Capital Equipment @ $7,000 reduction
23 (Public Works).
24
25 City Manager Momson recapped the proposed 2009 Budget adjustments. He advised staff
26 recommends approval of he proposed resolution reducing the 2009 General Operating Budget by
27 $52,700 and the Capital Equipment Budget by $82,300. The "Revised" 2009 General Operating
28 Budget now totals $5,224,700 and the "Revised" 2009 Capital Equipment Budget now totals
29 $317,700.
30
31 Mayor Faust stated it is anticipated that the City will lose $135,000 through un- allotment of
32 Market Value Homestead Credit. The City Council held four meetings with staff, and the City
33 Manager and staff held many meetings as well. The easy thing would have been to eliminate the
34 sewer jetter; however, they came to the conclusion there may be some things to spread the risk
35 around. He appreciates the departments, the City Manager, and the City Council for their work to
36 ensure that these cuts are equitable.
37
38 Councilmember Thuesen stated there have been a lot of meetings and this budget cut issue was
39 taken quite seriously. The departments will still do their jobs, but there will be some hurt with
40 these cuts. He applauds the departments for trying to make do a little longer with some things,
41 and he appreciates staff working as hard as they did and doing short term compromises. He
42 stated cities need to be careful about deferring items and they need to be careful not to defer for
43 too many years.
44
45 Councilmember Stille stated the sewer jetter was the low hanging fruit as the worked through
46 this. However, the equipment has not made the priority list for replacement for a number of
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 5
1 years; it was purchased used and has been overhauled twice, and it has not been operating the
2 way it should. He stated his support of the cuts being spread around. He stressed the importance
3 of training for police officers and fire fighters and stated there cannot be continual cuts in
4 training when budget cuts are necessary.
6 City Manager Morrison reported that staff has inquired about the ability to rent one of Columbia
7 Height's sewer jetters in an effort to save additional money. Columbia Heights denied this
8 request. He stated it should be noted that the City will be bidding on a used sewer jetter with an
9 anticipated cost of $150,000, while a new one would cost $300,000. He commended the
10 department heads for their efforts to share equipment with other cities and not always purchasing
11 the new equipment
12
13 Motion by Councilmember Roth, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to adopt Resolution 09-
14 058, Setting the City of St. Anthony 2009 "Revised" Budget and Authorizing of the Liquor Fund
15 Transfer.
16
17 Motion carried unanimously.
18
19 E. Consider Ordinance 2009 -005: Section 72.36: Parking During Snow Removal Mike
20 Morrison, City Manager presenting. (I 't reading).
21
22 City Manager Momson reviewed the ordinance with the Council and indicated that the City
23 Council amended this ordinance in 2008 with a sunset date of July 1, 2009. He noted the
24 following two options for Council consideration: 1) Go back to the original ordinance regarding
25 Snow Plowing & Parking Restriction on November 1 through April 1; 2) Proceed with the
26 current ordinance.
27
28 Councilmember Stille requested a summary of the recommendations provided by Public Works
29 Director Hartman and Police Chief Ohl. City Manager Morrison replied there is no
30 recommendation from the Police Department; their goal is to allow for snow to be cleared by
31 Public Works. The recommendation of the Public Works Department is to return to the original
32 ordinance restricting parking from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. November I" through April I", as these
33 requirements seemed to be understood by everyone.
34
35 Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Roth, to approve the First
36 Reading of Ordinance 2009 -005, Parking During Snow Removal, Option 2.
37
38 Councilmember Stille stated he is not in favor of changing this ordinance. He commented on the
39 direct impact with regards to snowplowing and the positive byproducts of having the streets clear
40 during the winter months. He stated they gave this a trial period and staff has recommended
41 going back to the old ordinance. Feedback includes 12 calls in favor of going back to the old
42 ordinance and 3 in favor of staying with the new ordinance. He stated direct impacts of the
43 ordinance are that the old method provides simplicity for staff and residents and it provides clean
44 streets without areas where plows had to go around cars due to confusion about snow events.
45 Public Works has said the old method involves less overtime and less fuel consumption. This
46 leads to a better impact on the environment and budget. In addition, from a safety perspective,
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 6
1 for six months out of the year they have the ability to look down a long street and know if a car is
2 out there at 3 a.m. that car is not supposed to be there; it could be stolen or a crime could be in
3 progress. Under the old ordinance there is a reason for the police to check that out, versus now it
4 would be a legally parked car. That safety aspect ties to the City's vision statement. He stated
5 there are impacts on the values of homes. The old ordinance encourages people to clean out their
6 garage or pay for boat storage and provides for cleaner neighborhoods. The other issue is tied to
7 rental property. The ordinance can set the stage for there to be many people in a household,
8 while currently the number is at about two per household. He stated he does not see a reason to
9 change the ordinance. In summary, the old ordinance is easier to implement, provides a better
10 product, is more efficient, and has a positive impact on safety and the preservation of home
11 values. With the current number of two residents per household, changing the ordinance back
12 will have a negative impact on a lot of people and will only benefit a few.
13
14 Councilmember Thuesen stated he believes the previous method of having cars stay off the
15 streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. worked well. With the old ordinance there is not a compromise of
16 public safety or compromise of the quality of the streets with the snow removal. This winter on
17 his street where someone did not move their car, the plow went around it and buried it, and
18 eventually when they got the car out there was a huge mound of snow. The likelihood of that
19 happening is greater when they do not clear the streets for a period of time. There are many days
20 throughout the winter where on the surface it may seem silly to not have the cars out there, but
21 looking at the broader picture, the goal is to get the streets cleared quickly, efficiently and safely
22 for the residents and those driving their streets.
23
24 Councilmember Gray stated he supports this ordinance as it was this past year. It requires less
25 government control and he did not see enough negatives not to go with it. Compliance is at about
26 99% and about 1/3 of the tickets were issued than the previous year. He does not think this is a
27 public safety issue; if it was they would go for 12 months out of the year not having cars parked
28 on the street.
29
30 Councilmember Roth stated he will be supporting the motion on Option 2. He agrees with
31 Councilmember Gray regarding fewer tickets being issued, which shows that there is more
32 personal responsibility being taken by the citizens. If there are issues relating to cars being on the
33 street or too many cars on a lot there should be a look at regulations in regards to those issues.
34
35 Mayor Faust stated he will be supporting the motion. He lives on a cul -de -sac and sees a lot of
36 people with overnight guests in November and December. They do not know the rules and if
37 there is snow they ask the question. The people he has talked to are much more amenable to
38 knowing they have the control and they are responsible. If there are issues with cars and/or safety
39 this ordinance is the wrong methodology of trying to police those issues and those issues should
40 be dealt with head on.
41
42 Councilmember Stille stated many cities actually require cars to be off the street after a 2 -inch
43 snowfall, as well as every evening as part of their law enforcement. The Police Chief has said
44 they work with people if there is an event or overnight guests.
45
46 Ayes — 3, Nays — 2 ( Stille and Thuesen). Motion carried.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 7
VII. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
4 City Manager Morrison reported on the following:
5 ■ Nomination for League of Minnesota Cities City of Excellence Award. The City of St.
6 Anthony received first place for the population category of 5,000 to 20,000 for the water
7 reuse facility. A $1,000 check and a plaque will be presented to the City at the June 25`h
8 League of Minnesota Cities luncheon.
9 ■ Night to Unite (formerly National Night Out) is scheduled for August 4`h, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
10 Information will be included in the City newsletter.
11 ■ Salo Park Thursday Night Entertainment Series events will be included in the City
12 newsletter, on Channel 16 and on the electronic sign.
13 ■ June 23, 2009 City Council meeting agenda includes the renewal of liability property
14 workman's comp insurance from the League of Minnesota Cities and approval of police
15 contracts with the cities of Lauderdale and Falcon Heights for 2010 and 2011.
16
17 Councilmember Roth: No report.
18
19 Councilmember Stille: No report.
20
21 Councilmember Thuesen: No report.
22
23 Councilmember Gray reported the June 4, 2009 North Suburban Communications Commission
24 Meeting included approval of the audit on the franchise fee agreement with Comcast. A small
25 sum of money will be received from Comcast to pay what they owe; the money after expenses
26 will be divided between the cities in the commission area.
27
28 Mayor Faust reported on the June 1, 2009 city tour with department heads and the City Council.
29 Thank you to Autumn Woods for providing the bus for the tour. He requested support from the
30 Council on his application for First Vice President of the League of Minnesota Cities.
31
32 Motion by Councilmember Gray, seconded by Councilmember Roth, to support Mayor Faust in
33 his quest to be First Vice President of the League of Minnesota Cities.
34
35 Ayes — 4. Nays — 0. Abstain —1 (Faust). Motion carried.
36
37 VIII. COMMUNITY FORUM.
38
39 Mayor Faust invited residents to come forward at this time and address the Council on items that
40 are not on the regular agenda.
41
42 Hearing none, Mayor Faust moved forward with the agenda.
43
44 IX. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
45
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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 8
Mayor Faust announced Pratt Ordway will hold a meeting regarding the cooperatives at Silver
Lake Village on Tuesday, June 16`h 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at 3800
Apache Lane. Pictures will be presented of the new concept for the cooperatives. RSVP's are
requested at 612 -599 -2612.
Councilmember Gray announced Stuart Kohlstedt received a $4,000 scholarship from the North
Suburban Communications Commission and Comcast towards his degree in film study or
broadcasting.
X. ADJOURNMENT.
Mayor Faust adjourned the meeting at 8:31 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Hamer
Timesaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.
ATTEST: &&JVZ A
City Clerk
Z.
ayor