1999.03.03 CC Minutes - Special Council meeting

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NMUTES FOR THE HUGO CITY COUNCEL MEETING OF MARCH 3,1999 The Mayor convened a special meeting of the Council at 7:00 p.m. PRESENT: Barnes, Haas, Leroux, Petryk, Stoltzman City Administrator, Robert Museus The meeting was called to discuss City staffing and facility needs. Due to the short deadline to make an application, the City Administrator presented the Council an application for a grant from the DNR to acquire property and conservation easements for a greenway corridor along Clearwater Creek. As there were a number of residents present interested in this proposal, the Council decided to make this the first item of discussion on their agenda. Harley and Debbie Johnson, owners of Harley Sod and property west of Fenway Avenue, north of 140th Street, stated that they do not want the City to apply for the grant, as they have no desire to sell any of their property for the greenway corridor. Marvin LaValle, whose mother owns land along Clearwater Creek, stated that he believed the Council should take more time in investigating the possible restrictions that would be placed on the land, if the DNR money was used to obtain conservation easements. Mayor Stoltzman expressed severe concerns regarding potential impacts of the conservation easements on the City's ability to maintain the drainage in the area, and Council Member Petryk requested information on whether the property acquired with this grant could be used for light recreational use and possibly trails. All the Council members stated that they would only support acquisition of property along the greenway corridor from willing sellers. Barnes made motion, Leroux seconded, to approve the application for the Metro Greenway Site Protection/Site Restoration Nomination form, as submitted by staff, subject to the item being placed on the regular City Council agenda for March 15, 1999. Staff is to provide the Council with information on future use and restrictions of the conservation easement proposed. VOTING AYE: Barnes, Haas, Leroux, Petryk VOTING NAY: Stoltzman Motion Carried. The City Administrator presented proposals to hire a regular, full-time building inspector for the Building Department; this position being made necessary by the large number of new homes being built in the community. The additional building permit fees would fund this position. He also recommended making the Deputy Clerk's position full-time, effective May 1, 1999, in order to provide clerical support for the City's increasing workload. The Administrator stated that he felt that a billing clerk, and an additional full- time employee in the City's Utility Department will be necessary in response to the growing number of utility customers, and that it was likely that additional revenues generated by these accounts would pay for these positions at some point in the future.