Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021.10.18 CC Minutes Call to Order Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. COUNCIL PRESENT: Klein, Miron, Petryk, Strub, Weidt OTHERS PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, City Engineer Mark Erichson, Community Development Director Rachel Juba, Interim Finance Director Anna Wobse, City Clerk Michele Lindau Approval of Minutes for the October 2, 2021 Fire Hall Open House Klein made motion, Petryk seconded, to approve the minutes for the Fire Hall Open House held on October 2, 2021, as presented. All Ayes. Motion carried. Approval of Minutes for the October 4, 2021 City Council Meeting Klein made motion, Strub seconded, to approve the minutes for the City Council meeting on October 4, 2021, as presented. All Ayes. Motion carried. Approval of Minutes for the October 9, 2021 Bus Tour Klein made motion, Miron seconded, to approve the minutes for the Citywide Bus Tour held on October 9, 2021, as presented. All Ayes. Motion carried. Approval of Agenda Weidt made motion, Klein seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. All Ayes. Motion carried. Approval of Consent Agenda Weidt made motion, Petryk seconded, to approve the following Consent Agenda: 1. Approve Claims Roster 2. Approve Annual Performance Review for Finance Coordinator Anna Wobse 3. Approve Advertisement for Accounting Clerk 4. Approve Authorization to Update Shooting Regulations Ordinance 5. Approve Authorization to Update Tobacco Ordinance Minutes HUGO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HUGO CITY HALL MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2021 – 7 P.M. Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for October 18, 2021 Page 2 of 5 6. Approve the Withdrawal of Jodie Guareschi’s Retirement from the Fire Department All Ayes. Motion carried. Approve Claims Roster Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the Claims Roster as presented. Approve Annual Performance Review for Finance Coordinator Anna Wobse Anna Wobse was hired as the City’s Accounting Clerk on October 27, 2008, and worked in accounts payable and payroll functions. At its March 19, 2018, meeting, Council approved Anna as the new Finance Coordinator and most recently as the Interim Finance Director. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the annual performance review for Finance Coordinator Anna Wobse. Approve Advertisement for Accounting Clerk With the promotion of Anna Wobse as Finance Director, a vacancy occured in the Finance Department. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the advertisement for an Accounting Clerk to fulfill those duties. Approve Authorization to Update Shooting Regulations Ordinance At its meeting on May 17, 2010, the Council approved amendments to the Shooting Regulations in the Hugo City Code. The amendments included adoption of a Controlled Shooting Area Map that identified an area that is subject to certain restrictions. These restrictions prohibited discharging a firearm or controlled weapon within 500 feet of a building occupied by human or livestock or a stockade or corral containing livestock. It also prohibited discharge of a firearm or controlled weapon within 500 feet of any public road. Areas of the City not in the Controlled Shooting Area may discharge a firearm on their own property or on private property with the consent of the owner or legal occupant, as regulated by the DNR. Staff recommended the Controlled Shooting Area be expanded to include land which had since been developed with neighborhood homes and parks. Adoption of the Consent Agenda authorized staff to draft an amendment to the Controlled Shooting Area Map for Council approval. Approve Authorization to Update Tobacco Ordinance In May of 2020, the Governor signed into law revisions to State Statute 609.685 “Sale of Tobacco to Children” to “Sale of Tobacco to Persons Under Age 21”. State Statute made it a penalty to sell or furnish tobacco or tobacco-related devices or electronic delivery devices to a person under the age of 21 years. In addition, the law increased the minimum penalties for a licensee or employee of a licensee who is in violation of this law. The City’s current Tobacco Ordinance made it a penalty to sell or furnish tobacco to a minor, and defined a minor as a person under the age 18. Penalties for violation were adopted with the City’s fee schedule. Adoption of the Consent Agenda authorized staff to draft an amendment to update the Tobacco Ordinance for Council approval. Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for October 18, 2021 Page 3 of 5 Approve the Withdrawal of Jodie Guareschi’s Retirement from the Fire Department At its September 7, 2021, meeting, Council approved the retirement of Jodie Guareschi from the Fire Department. Since then, Jodie had stated her desire to remain on the Department. Adoption of the Consent Agenda approved the withdrawal of the retirement of Jodie Guareschi from the Fire Department. Approve Hiring of Anna Wobse as Finance Director On May 19, 2021, Council appointed Finance Coordinator Anna Wobse as the Interim Finance Director after the passing of Finance Director Ron Otkin on May 5, 2021. On June 7, 2021, the Council directed staff to negotiate a contract with Baker Tilly to provide executive recruitment services for a new finance director. Over the next four month, the recruitment process took place concluding with interviews of five candidates held on October 4 and 5, 2021. The interview team consisting of City Administrator Bryan Bear, Community Development Director Rachel Juba, Public Works Director Scott Anderson, Council Member Mike Miron, and former Council Member Chuck Haas selected current Interim Finance Director Anna Wobse to be the best fit for the position. Mayor Weidt removed this item from the Consent Agenda to thank everyone involved in the interview process and thank Anna keeping the City on track as the Interim Finance Director. The Council took turns congratulating her for her hard work and dedication to the City. They were pleased with application process, and a comment was make that you have to look outside to figure out what you have on the inside. Weidt made motion, Miron seconded, to approve the hiring of Anna Wobse as the new Finance Director. All Ayes. Motion carried. Update on Annual Bus Tour The City held its annual bus tour on Saturday, October 9, 2021. City Administrator Bryan Bear provided a recap of the tour. Eighteen sites were visited and there was discussion afterwards. Some of the things talked about were affordable housing, infrastructure and development, needs along the Highway 61 corridor, stormwater reuse projects, park developments and trail connections, and fire protection in rural Hugo. The Hugo Fire Department served as hosts this year with the tour beginning and ending at the Fire Hall. Bear brought up the topic of how to get more participation from commissioners in the future. There was a suggestion to talk about it during the commissions’ goal setting sessions to see if a different day or time would work better. Update on North Monument Sign Community Development Director Rachel Juba explained that in 2020, staff had provided the City Council with a new northern entry monument sign design for Highway 61 that was a smaller replicate of the existing monument sign on CSAH 8. At the time the cost estimate provided by WSB was $109,000 with a 20% contingency. The City Council had directed staff to Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for October 18, 2021 Page 4 of 5 have construction plans drafted for the new northern entry monument sign design and get quotes from construction companies. Staff had worked with WSB to develop the construction plan for the sign and construction estimate. The cost estimate provided by WSB was $89,707 with a 20% contingency. Juba showed a rendering of the sign and explained it would be 16.5 feet wide and 7.5 feet tall, about half the size of the sign on CSAH 8. She explained the location would be the west side of TH61 near 180th Street. She noted there was no specific landscape plan, but a number of trees were included in the estimate. Staff sent the construction plans to four contractors and received two quotes. Blackstone Contractors, LLC, provided a quote for $156,437.99 and Schifsky Companies provided a quote for $90,403.25, both include landscaping. The 2021 budget included a line item for the monument sign in the amount of $75,000. Klein made motion, Petryk authorize staff to execute a contract with Schifsky Companies to construct the monument sign for a total cost of $90,403.25 All Ayes. Motion carried. Presentation of Census Results and Redistricting Process The data for the 2020 Census had been released, and Community Development Director Rachel Juba presented the results. The census data showed the City’s population at 15,766 people. There were 5,939 households, 201 vacant housing units, and 2.64 people per household, which was down from 2.67 in 2010. She talked about the Metropolitan forecast that predicted Hugo’s population to be 16,500 in 2020, and they forecasted the 2040 population to be 29,000. Juba reviewed census data that showed Hugo’s race was 86.8% white but becoming more diverse, is educated, has high homeownership and income, and young but aging with the median age at 35.7 years compared to the median age ten years ago at 33.1. She explained the transportation data from the census was out of date due to COVID-19 since more people were working from home. Commuter lines were not being used and parking ramps were at a 15% capacity. City Clerk Michele Lindau provided information on the upcoming redistricting process. Congressional and legislative districts were to be redrawn by February 15, 2022. The City would then need to redraw or confirm ward boundaries by March 29, 2022. The wards were currently pretty even with the highest population difference being 245 people. She recommended the Council hold a workshop in March 2022 followed by a public hearing at the March 6 or 20, 2022, meeting. By July 15, 2022, voters would be notified of their precinct and voting location. Schedule Annual Holiday Party for Thursday, December 9, 2021 Annually, the City holds a holiday party in appreciation of commissioners, board members, and City staff. City Administrator Bryan Bear recommended Council schedule the 2021 Holiday Party for Thursday, December 9, 2021, at the Hugo American Legion beginning with social hour at 5:30 followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for October 18, 2021 Page 5 of 5 Klein made motion, Miron seconded, to schedule the Holiday Party for Thursday, December 9, 2021. All Ayes. Motion carried. Adjournment Klein made motion, Strub seconded, to adjourn at 7:47 p.m. All Ayes. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted Michele Lindau City Clerk