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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999.03.22 CC Minutes - Special meetingMINUTES FOR THE HUGO CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 22.1999 The Mayor convened the special meeting of the Council at 7:08 PM. PRESENT: Barnes, Haas, Leroux, Petryk, Stoltzman City Administrator, Robert Museus City Water Resource Engineer, Todd Hubmer This meeting was called for the purpose of reviewing stormwater management issues in the community. Councilman Haas stated that he had received a phone call from Jeffrey I. Feldstein with Electric Design Company regarding the telephone system proposed for the Fire Hall. Mr. Feldstein informed Councilman Haas that the bid the City received from Action Systems was a good bid based on the Fire Chief s preferences for the phone intercom system in the new building. He recommended that the City accept the bid made by Action Systems in the amount of $4,196.00. Stoltzman made motion, Haas seconded, to enter into a contract with Action Systems for installation of a phone system, computer cabling, intercom system at the new Fire Hall in the amount of $4,196.00. All aye. Motion Carried. Todd Hubmer, an engineer with the City's water resource engineering consultants, WSB, presented the Council a quick overview on projects his firm was performing on behalf of the City. He informed the Council that the final revisions to the City's Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan were being prepared this week, and that WSB will be meeting with the RCWD in the near future to finalize the Plan, which is expected to be approved by the RCWD in April, 1999. He reported that an interagency review of the hydrologic analysis for the southwest Oneka Lake study area has been completed, and confirmed WSB's findings, which will result in a reduction of the designated floodplain for the area. Amendments to the City's floodplain map, which reflect these changes, will occur as a part of the FEMA revisions currently being conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers. WSB will also provide a letter of map revision to FEMA for the area. Mr. Hubmer informed the Council that the Clearwater Creek Improvement Project was substantially complete with only cleanup work to be performed. This project created approximately 39 acre feet of stormwater storage in the Clearwater Creek basin. WSB will monitor establishment of aquatic vegetation in the area to insure that it meets Corps of Engineers' requirements. The Clearwater Creek grant application was submitted to the DNR on March 11, 1999. When a decision will be made on the grant application is not yet clear. Mayor Stoltzman indicated concerns that by accepting a grant from the DNR for the acquisition of property 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. City Council meeting of March 22, 1999 Page 3 Barnes made motion, Stoltzman seconded, directing WSB to review the students' work to determine if their findings on School Section/Goggins lake area are correct, at a cost not to exceed $2,000. All aye. Motion Carried. The Council received notice from Mr. Paul Haik, from Krebsbach and Haik Limited, on a proposed amendment to S.F. No. 83. This bill would have the affect of requiring the City to mitigate any wetlands lost due to the repairing of JD2. Currently, replacement of such wetlands is specifically not required under MS 103G.2241. The City Administrator prepared a letter to state senators and representatives objecting to the bill, and Mr. Haik prepared alternative language for the bill removing wording objectionable to the City. Haas made motion, Leroux seconded, to approve the Mayor sending the letter and proposed language to the author of the bill, Senator Dan Stevens, and other legislators. All aye. Motion Carried. The Council reviewed a letter from the City Administrator regarding legal and engineering fees the City is incurring in administering the petition to the RCWD to have certain obstructions removed from the creek channel. At the request of the City Administrator, Stoltman made motion, Petryk seconded, to table action on this issue until after the RCWD's meeting of April 14, 1999. All aye. Motion Carried. The Council reviewed a request from St. John the Baptist Church to waive the 30 -day waiting period for the issuance of a charitable gambling license to the church may conduct bingo activities on Sunday, March 28, 1999. Stoltzman made motion, Barnes seconded, to approve the charitable gambling license for the St. John the Baptist Church for Sunday March 28, 1999, and to waive the 30 -day waiting period. All aye. Motion Carried. Councilman Leroux informed the Council that the RCWD was having a Board workshop on the evening of April 5, 1999 to discuss JD2, and that he would be attending this meeting in lieu of the regularly -scheduled Council meeting. Council member Barnes also informed the Council that she would be out of town on April 5th. City Council meeting of March 22, 1999 City Council meeting of March 22, 1999 Page 4 Barnes made motion, Haas seconded, to recess at 9:25 PM until 7:00 PM, March 29, 1999, at which time the Council will discuss the City's proposed comprehensive land -use regulations. All aye. Motion Carried. Robert A. Museus City Administrator