1999.03.22 CC Minutes - Special meeting

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City Council meeting of March 22, 1999 Page 2 for greenway along Clearwater Creek would lead to restrictions on the City's future maintenance of the drainage patterns in the area. Mr. Hubmer replied that he has been in contact with the DNR and the terms of the grant are negotiable, and if they turned out unacceptable to the City, the grant could be refused. Wetland planning issues were then discussed. Mr. Hubmer stated that a process has been created by the legislature to allow cities to do area -wide wetland management plans in cooperation and consultation with the local watershed district, the DNR, and Corps of Engineers. The Council expressed interest in preparing such a plan for the urbanizing area of the community, but generally felt that it was better to finalize the City's comprehensive stormwater management plan first. The City Administrator informed the Council that he would bring this matter back to the Council for consideration after the City's plan is approved by the RCWD. The Council next discussed establishment of stormwater utility for the community. Mr. Hubmer explained that a trunk -fee system generally levies a fee upon developing property to help fund area stormwater improvements, while a utility fee is generally made on a recurring basis against property to help maintain a stormwater system. He presented the Council with a scope of work to prepare a trunk -fee charge for the community. Councilman Haas stated that he believed that the cost of the study should be refunded to the general fund from the stormwater utility fund when such a fund is created. Haas made motion, Leroux seconded, directing WSB and Associates to prepare a stormwater trunk -fee justification report, on a cost reimbursable basis, with a fee not to exceed $10,000. All aye. Motion Carried. Petryk made motion, requesting the City Attorney to prepare an opinion on the legality of the Council holding off approval of additional subdivision applications until after the stormwater trunk fee had been adopted by the Council. Motion died for lack of second. The City Administrator expressed his concerns to the Council that the report provided to the Council at their March 15, 1999 meeting by the UM's engineering class indicated that the Brown's Creek Management District's plan to improve the upper reaches of Brown's Creek through an infiltration basin would have little or no benefit to property located in the City of Hugo. Without a defined drainage plan for the area, it would be difficult for the City to manage land development in the area. He also expressed concerns regarding City residents helping pay for an improvement that has provided them no benefit.