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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 03262013I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 CITY OF ST. ANTHONY CITY COUNC IL REGULAR MEETrNG MrNUTES MARCH 26, 2013 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. ROLLCALL. Present: Absent: Mayor Faust; Councilmembers Gray, Jenson, Roth and Stille. None. Also Present: Director of Public Works Jay Hartman, Finance Director Shelly Rueckert, and City Engineer Justin Messner. Guests: Stacie Kvilvang (Ehlers & Associates) and Rob Smolund (Open to Business). CONSIDERATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. I. APPROVAL OF MARCH 26, 2013, CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA. Councilmember Stille requested the removal of agenda item VI.D . (Resolution Approving the Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rates for 2013). Motion by Council member Stille, seconded by Councilmember Roth, to approve the City Council Meeting Agenda of March 26, 2013, as amended to remove agenda item VI.D. Motion carried unanimously. II. PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS. None. III. CONSENT AGENDA. A. Consider March 12.2013. Council meeting minutes; B . Consider licenses and permits; and C. Consider payment of claims. Motion by Councilmember Jenson, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to approve the Consent Agenda items. Motion carried unanimously. IV. PUBLIC HEARING. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 26, 2013 Page 2 V. VI. None . REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF. None. GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL. A. Open to Business Program. Rob Smolund. Open to Business, presenting. Mayor Faust introduced Mr. Rob Smolund from Open to Business. Mr. Smolund explained that Open to Busine ss is a unique program geared toward helping cities expand their economic development efforts by offering financing options to entrepreneurs. He stated the program is subsidized through the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and provides free , unlimited I: I technical assistance in areas such as financial management, loan packaging, and business plan development. He stated the program is currently offered in 17 Hennepin County cities as well as Carver and Dakota Counties and the program offers loans up to $25,000 for new and emerging businesses and also provides assistance with bank financing. He advised that the Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority has committed funds to continue supporting the program and communities participating in the program pay an annual fee based on population. He indicated that Open to Business provided I , I 00 hours of technical assistance in suburban Hennepin County during 2012 and helped 252 businesses and entrepreneurs; in addition , 97 jobs were created and retained and $950,000 in direct and facilitated financing was provided to businesses. He added that information regarding Open to Business is available at City Hall and on the City 's website. Councilmember Stille requested that Mr. Smolund make a presentation regarding Open to Business at a future Kiwanis meeting. Mayor Faust felt that the City 's investment of $2 ,200 in the Open to Business program was a good investment in the City 's continuing efforts to grow a healthier community. B. Resolution 13-033; Resolution Authorizing Issuance, Awarding Sale, Prescribing the Form and Details and Providing for the Payment of$1,810,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series 2013B. Stacie Kvilvang, Ehlers & Associates, presenting. Ms. Kvilvang presented the sale of$I ,775 ,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series 2013B, for the 2013 road reconstruction project and advised that a rating call with S&P was held on Monday and the City's AA rating was upheld. She stated this rating reflects the City'S very good income levels and healthy financial profile and fund balance. She advised the sale was held at 10:00 a.m. today and six bids were received with United Bankers Bank emerging as the lowest responsible bidder at 1.9%. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 IS 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 26, 2013 Page 3 Councilmember Stille noted the City is selling these bonds at 21 basis points less than previously thought and it appears the Federal sequester did not impact the bond sale. He also requested further information regarding the seven year call on the bonds. Ms. K vilvang advised that a seven year call is standard and means in year seven the City would be able to payoff the bonds or refinance them. Councilmember Stille indicated this could be the last year that rates are below 2% and the City needs to keep this in mind and do whatever it can in the near term to manage its interest rate risk. Ms. K vilvang stated they have been discussing this issue with Mr. Casey and Ms. Rueckert and will provide options to the City Council in the near future. Motion by Councilmember Roth , seconded by Council member Jenson , to approve Resolution 13-033 ; a Resolution Authorizing Issuance, Awarding Sale, Prescribing the Form and Providing for the Payment of$I,775,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series 20138. Motion carried unanimously. C. St. Anthony Public Works Annual Report. Jay Hartman, Public Works Director, presenting. Public Works Director Hartman presented the 2012 Public Works Department annual report and stated the Public Works Department is divided into five divisions with twelve maintenance staff and two management personnel. He stated the Street Division performed eight street sweepings in 2012 and the City used 200 tons of salt during 14 snow events in 2012-2013 with minimal sand used this year. He stated the Parks Division is responsible for all City parks and also takes care of the City 'S storm water retention ponds. He advised the Water and Sewer Division is responsible for hydrant flushing and during 2012-2013, the Water and Sewer Division repaired ten water main breaks and four service leaks. He indicated the Vehicle Maintenance Division provides fleet maintenance of all City vehicles and current staff is trained and licensed to service all vehicles. He discussed the City's street and utility improvement program and stated the City 's 2012 projects included a biofiltration ditch improvement project on Foss Road as well as completion of the final report on the Mirror Lake Industrial Park flooding. He stated that proposed water and sewer system improvements include the inline storm sewer treatment system at Highway 88 and Lowry Avenue being funded by a grant from MWMO as well as the Silver Lake carp removal project and installation of an alum system at Salo ponds to improve water quality. He stated the Public Works Department installed an in-pavement crosswalk at 34"h and Silver Lake Road and installed a flashing stop sign at 29"h and Crestview. He added that a flashing stop sign is planned for 33 rd and Rankin and the City is working with the County to install an in-pavement crosswalk near Kenzie Terrace and Pentagon Drive. He advised the City was recognized at the League conference as a Green Step 3 City and will work toward achieving Green Step 4 status in 2013. He expressed appreciation to the St. Anthony Sports Boosters for a $500 grant that will be used to offset the cost of field marking paint. He discussed the City's sustainability projects including a regional indicators project to determine the City'S carbon footprint adding that the report regarding the City'S carbon footprint will be communicated to residents once the report is done. He reminded residents of the annual cleanup day on Saturday, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ·12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 26, 2013 Page 4 May 4 , from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the public works facility, curbside branch chipping May 13-15 , and annual hydrant flushing May 20-24. He indicated that the Public Works Department was able to achieve its 2012 goals and thanked the City Council for its ongoing support . Councilmember Gray expressed thanks to Public Works Director Hartman and his staff for all their efforts and added these efforts help the City achieve its environmental goals. Council member Jenson requested further information regarding the planned dredging at Mirror Lake including how much capacity would be added to the lake. Public Works Director Hartman advised that a study has not been done to determine how much capacity will be gained adding the delta areas will be dredged with three to four feet of material removed throughout this area. Mayor Faust expressed the City Council 's thanks to the Public Works Department for all their work and noted the City's first S.E.R.V.I.C.E. award recipient was a Public Works Department employee. He pointed out that the City uses little to no sand and has reduced its salt usage, which has a direct effect on lakes and streams and lowers the City's cost of doing business. D. Resolution 13-034; Resolution Approving the Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rates for 2013. Shelly Rueckert, Finance Director, presenting. This item was removed from the agenda. E. Resolution 13-035; Resolution Accepting Funds from Stakeholders for the Removal of Carp from Silver Lake in the City of St. Anthony Village. Justin Messner, WSB & Associates, presenting. City Engineer Messner explained that Silver Lake is listed as an impaired waterway by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and carp removal is part of an implementation plan to restore the ecology of the lake. He explained that carp stir up sediment in the lake , which reduces plant growth, reduces oxygen in the water, and suffocates other fish and fish eggs. Mayor Faust noted the City has received commitments from Columbia Heights, New Brighton, Rice Creek Watershed District, and Three Rivers Park District to assist with this project and thanked these agencies for their commitment to this project. Councilmember Stille requested further information regarding the scope of services to be performed in this project. City Engineer Messner explained they will work with commercial fishermen to catch carp using hoop netting in order to insert radio collars on the carp and releasing them back into the lake. He stated that later in the season, the carp pool together and they will be able to locate a majority of the fish and net them effectively; once captured they will mark the carp using fin clips so that as they are collected they will be able to determine how many clipped fish have been caught and calculate how many have been removed from the lake with the goal of removing a majority of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 26 , 2013 Page 5 VII. the carp and limiting growth for a number of years and hopefully increase the population of game fish in the lake. Motion by Councilmember Roth, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to approve Resolution 13- 035; a Resolution Accepting Funds from Stakeholders for the Removal of Carp from Silver Lake in the City of St. Anthony Village. Motion carried unanimously. F. Resolution 13-036; Resolution Accepting Scope of Services for the Silver Lake Carp Removal Project. Justin Messner, WSB & Associates, presenting. Motion by Councilmember Jenson, seconded by Councilmember Stille, to approve Resolution 13-036; a Resolution Accepting Scope of Services for the Silver Lake Carp Removal Project. Motion carried unanimously. O. Resolution 13-037; Resolution in Support ofa Metropolitan Area Dedicated Transit Sales Tax. Mayor Faust advised that the Regional Council of Mayors has expressed support for a sales tax increase to support sustained investment in the region's transit system and the Regional Council of Mayors agreed to present a resolution to their City Councils in support of a dedicated transit sales tax. He noted the legislative process will determine whether to pass a bill providing for a sales tax increase and this resolution indicates the City'S support for this sales tax increase. Motion by Councilmember Stille, seconded by Councilmember Gray, to approve Resolution 13- 037; a Resolution in Support of a Metropolitan Area Dedicated Transit Sales Tax. Motion carried unanimously. REPORTS FROM CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. Councilmember Stille reported on his attendance at the March 18 th City Council joint meeting with the Planning Commission where the City Council presented its 2013 goals. He stated the City Council and Planning Commission also received a presentation from the Urban Land Institute regarding the City'S demographics and future trends. He reported on his attendance at the March 21 st League of Minnesota Cities joint legislative conference which included discussion about the League's potential lobbying efforts, including privacy of email addresses contained in emails directed to the City and continued sales tax exemption for the City. Councilmember Gray reported on his attendance at the March 16 th presentation to the Girl Scouts held in the City Council Chambers. He also reported on his attendance at the March 23,d annual Mel Hart memorial breakfast and stated Mr. Hart was an outstanding student athlete who served in the Marines and was killed in Vietnam in 1966. He added the breakfast is held every year to raise money for a scholarship given in Mr. Hart's name. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I I 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes March 26, 2013 Page 6 Councilmember Jenson reported on his attendance at the March 18 th joint meeting with the Planning Commission and the ~resentation from the Urban Land Institute. He also reported on his attendance at the March 20t District #282 financial review meeting to discuss a possible referendum. He also reported on his attendance at the March 21 st joint legislative conference. Council member Roth reported on his attendance at the March 18 th joint meeting with the Planning Commission. He also reported on his attendance at the March 17'h Sister City meeting. He added that a meeting will be held via Skype on April 6th with the City's sister city and residents can contact him if they are interested in being involved with the Sister City meetings. Mayor Faust reported on his attendance at the March 18 th joint meeting with the Planning Commission. He also reported on his attendance at the March 18 th Chamber meeting where Mr. Smolund gave a presentation regarding Open to Business. He also reported on his attendance at the March 21 st League of Minnesota Cities joint legislative conference. VIII. COMMUNITY FORUM. Mayor Faust invited residents to come forward at this time and address the Council on items that are not on the regular agenda. Ms. Lona Doolan stated she lives on Harding Street and indicated she appreciated the City's sustainability plan. She encouraged the City to consider adding a designated bike lane in conjunction with the 2013 street project and possibly prohibit parking on one side of the street. She stated there are a lot of younger kids in the neighborhood and felt the street project would provide an opportunity to add the bike lane while the street is being done. She also encouraged the City to add LED lighting on the street since this is a main thoroughfare to Wilshire. Mayor Faust agreed to have the City consider her request and thanked her for her comments. IX. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. Council member Gray advised the North Suburban Communications Commission along with Comcast provides scholarships each year and the deadline is Friday, April 12. He stated that further information and an application form is located on the CTV website at www.ctvI5.org. Mayor Faust requested that a link to the CTV website be added to the City's website. X. ADJOURNMENT. Mayor Faust adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m. 42 Respectfully submitted, 43 Barbara Hughes (TimeSaver OjJSite Secretarial, Inc.) 44 :~ ATTEST: eu~XkWet1itLZ1 47 City Clerk