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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.18.14 Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR February 18, 2014 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Larson at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OFALLEGL4NCE Mayor Larson led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Larson,Bartholomay,Bonar,Donnelly, Fogarty(arrived 7:05 p.m.) Members Absent: None Also Present: Andrea Poehler, City Attorney; David McKnight, City Administrator;Robin Hanson,Finance Director;Kevin Schorzman, City Engineer; Jen Dullum,Natural Resources Specialist; Cynthia Muller,Executive Assistant Audience: Tom Ryan,Mark Lofthus 4. APPROVE AGENDA Councilmember Bonar pulled item 7b) Joint Powers Agreement for Roadway Maintenance Services for discussion. City Administrator McKnight added item 7f) Adopt Resolution—Supporting a Job Creation Fund Application in Connection with Valmont Industries. MOTION by Bartholomay, second by Donnelly to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS Mr. Tom Ryan,208 Walnut Street, asked where we are on a derailment plan for the City and does the Fire Department have a plan or mutual aid. He lives half a block from the railroad tracks. There are three to five oil cars going through here every day. If one miscue happens,his house will go up in smoke and also City Hall. He would like to see something in the paper or something in writing from the fire chief explaining what happens if a car derails and explodes and burns. His second item was that he receives the City News and Recreation Guide which is very nice,but there are some things that bother him. He would like to know how much the surrounding townships donate to the Fire Department or Farmington. He has never seen a figure from the townships where we furnish fire protection. His next item was that he sees other cities appropriating funds for ash tree removal and asked where the dead ash trees go. He would like to know if Council has money in the budget to start taking down ash trees in the spring. Burnsville has budgeted$1 million,Apple Valley$750,000 just for ash trees. Minneapolis has budgeted$7 million. Mr. Ryan stated he has been assessed many times by the City and 23 Council Minutes(Regular) February 18,2014 Page 2 does not want everyone in the City to be assessed for ash tree removal. His concern is where will the tree stumps and limbs go. Will they be hauled to another city or will we have to pay for this? He is very concenei-about the railroad and the oil cars. He is deathly scared that one car will derail and we will have the biggest fire we have seen. Mayor Larson noted staff will look into these items. Mr. Ryan wanted to know if the Fire Department had a plan where they could respond within a couple hours with mutual aid. Mr.Ryan also asked what SEMA donated to the Fire Department,was it equipment or money? Staff will respond to Mr.Ryan. 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes(2/3/14 Regular) (2/10/14 Workshop) b) Adopted RESOLUTION R14-14 Approving Joint Powers Agreement for Roadway Maintenance Services-Engineering c) Approved City Administrative Policies and Procedures—Review, Changes and/or Additions—Human Resources d) Adopted RESOLUTION R15-14 Approving a Gambling Premise Permit—Fire Department e) Approved Bills f) Adopted RESOLUTION R16-14 Supporting a Job Creation Fund Application in Connection with Valmont Industries—Administration(Supplemental) APIF,MOTION CARRIED. b) Adopt Resolution—Approve Joint Powers Agreement for Roadway Maintenance Services-Engineering Councilmember Bonar asked for some background on this joint powers effort. City Engineer Schorzman stated this effort has been going on for 10 to 11 years. It is an excellent opportunity for cities who do similar work to go together to lower the cost to each city. We receive the benefit of the magnitude of the purchase and we also cut down on each city administrating something similar. Burnsville administrates the program and each city does their own inspection. Cities and the county are working on another joint powers agreement related more to public works items. The joint powers agreement for seal coating is growing with the addition of Scott County. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS a) NPDES Phase II Annual Report—Natural Resources Natural Resources Specialist Dullum presented the National Pollutant Discharge System Phase II MS 4 Permit update. Farmington is an MS4 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. The City is required to manage and clean storm water before it goes downstream. Staff has developed a storm water pollution prevention plan as required by the permit. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Donnelly to close the public hearing. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 24 Council Minutes(Regular) February 18,2014 Page 3 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT a) Adopt Resolution—Award Akin Park Estates Rehabilitation Project- Engineering Six bids were received for this project. The bids included two alternates. Alternate A was to replace the road and all curb in the east project area, and do spot repairs in the west area. Alternate B was to do all the roads and curb in the entire area. The low bidder was Valley Paving in the amount of$907,924.90. There is$140,000 difference between the two alternates. Therefore, staff recommended approving Alternate A and using the difference to do improvements on other roads as discussed during the bond issue. Approving Alternate A will leave $450,000 from the bond issue to do the additional projects. MOTION by Bonar, second by Fogarty to adopt RESOLUTION R17-14 accepting the Alternate A bid of Valley Paving in the amount of$907,924.90 and awarding the project. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 10. PETITIONS,REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12. NEW BUSINESS 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Councilmember Donnelly: Thanked the Public Works Department for keeping the streets clean during our snowfalls. He urged residents to be careful when driving. Councilmember Fogarty: The Farmington Royalty is accepting applications as well as entries for the Dew Days button design. Councilmember Bartholomay: Thanked the Public Works Department for plowing the streets and reminded residents to shovel out their fire hydrants. Finance Director Hanson: Several months ago Council approved electronic payment options for utility bills. Staff is in the final stages of testing and this will be available to residents in March. Residents will be able to pay utility bills by electronic check, debit or credit cards. City Engineer Schorzman: Residents have had a few frozen water lines. If anyone has this issue,they should call the Public Works Department. Mayor Larson: He and a few other Councilmembers attended a 360 Communities event to end domestic violence. There were good speakers and several communities attended. Farmington was represented,but not as well as he would have liked. He asked the Police Department to send more officers to these events to equal surrounding communities. He encouraged residents to shop local and keep the fire hydrants shoveled out. 25 Council Minutes(Regular) February 18,2014 Page 4 14. ADJOURN MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to adjourn at 7:34 p.m. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant 26