2014.01.14 CC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for January 14, 2014 Page 8 of 12 such as Skype. For this evenings meeting, staff set up video and sound equipment in the Council Chambers to Skype with Council Member Haas, though he is not part of Council proceedings. City Clerk Michele Lindau explained to Council the State Statute that allows interactive TV for a Council Member to be considered in attendance, which, according to an opinion by the Information Policy Analysis Division at the State of Minnesota Department of Administration, would allow for use of Skype. Michele explained the requirements for a Council Member to attend remotely would include that all parties need to see and hear each other, and proper notice needs to be posted at each location. This was drafted in a policy for Council to consider. Council discussed a trial of the policy and added to the policy a set number of times it could be done in a calendar year. Klein made motion, Bronk seconded, to move forward with the policy for six months and add a statement of attendance. Ayes: Bronk, Petryk, Klein, Weidt. Nays: None Motion carried. Report on DNR Modeling Program At the December 16, 2013 meeting, Council Member Haas talked about a computer modeling system used by the DNR that measures hydrologic change. The model creates a picture how water and pollutants are moving from the land into the water, and this explains how changes in land use could affect the entire watershed. City Engineer Jay Kennedy stated that he spoke with DNR staff members and has found the modeling program is used on six large-scale projects along the Minnesota River Valley to measure runoff. The program is extremely hardware intensive and expensive to operate. Because it is a very intricate program, he does not see an immediate use of it in Hugo, which could change if the program becomes more user-friendly. The Council thanked him for looking into it. No formal action was taken. Update on January 8, 2014 Meeting with DNR Officials The DNR and the League of Minnesota Cities held a kickoff meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at the Shoreview Community Center to share information on the establishment of the first Ground Water Management Area, which will include the City of Hugo. City Administrator Bryan Bear provided the Council an update on the project that is planned for the north and east metro area. At the meeting, DNR staff shared information on the proposed area with those in attendance, which included state and local elected officials, city staff members, area residents, and the business community. Bryan stated that the DNR's presentations intended to explain the need for this management area. There was talk about the process they would likely go through and who would be involved. The intent is to limit total ground water appropriations, though how it would be accomplished was not clear. Communities were encouraged to work together. They also shared the proposed working boundary of this area, basically, cities above the Prairie du