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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.21.14 Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR April 21, 2014 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Larson at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Larson and Boy Scouts led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Larson, Bartholomay, Bonar, Donnelly, Fogarty Members Absent: None Also Present: Andrea Poehler, City Attorney; David McKnight, City Administrator; Robin Hanson, Finance Director; Randy Distad, Parks and Recreation Director; Kevin Schorzman, City Engineer; Brenda Wendlandt, Human Resources Director; Tony Wippler, Planning Manager; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Audience: Jerry Rich 4. APPROVEAGENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by Donnelly to approve the Agenda. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS a) Hometown Heroes Proposal—Chelsey Nieland Ms. Chelsey Nieland, a Farmington resident, stated the Hometown Heroes project is very important to her as she comes from a military family. Her family started this project in Pennsylvania along with other states. She was not requesting any funding from the city, only permission to place banners on the light poles. The banners would contain pictures of service members,their name,branch,war served in and the banner sponsor. Council appreciated her efforts on this project. The project has been going for five years in various states. The banners will be made out of vinyl mesh to withstand the weather and last longer. Council granted permission to place the banners on the designated light poles and thanked Ms.Nieland for bringing the project to Farmington. 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by Donnelly to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes (4/7/14 Regular)(4/14/14 Workshop) 4 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 2 b) Adopted RESOLUTION R26-14 Approving Gambling Event Permit Knights of Columbus - Administration c) Received First Quarter 2014 and Year-End New Construction Report—Building Inspections d) Adopted RESOLUTION R27-14 Accepting Donations—Parks and Recreation e) Accepted Resignation Rambling River Center Advisory Board-Administration f) Adopted RESOLUTION R28-14 Ratifying LELS Police Officer Unit Collective Bargaining Agreement—Human Resources g) Adopted RESOLUTION R29-14 Not Waiving Tort Liability Limits- Administration h) Approved Salary Adjustment Civil Engineer—Human Resources i) Approved Bills APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS a) Adopt Resolution—Approve Vacation of Drainage and Utility Easements Sunrise Ponds LLC-Planning Mr. Tim Giles,Tru-Value Homes LLC, is proposing to re-plat the former Sunrise Ponds subdivision. It would consist of 59 single family lots,with lot sizes increasing from the proposal in 2006. Lots would range from 4,164 square feet to 5,360 square feet. Because of the enlargement of the lots, some of the existing easements are no longer necessary and should be vacated. New easements will be dedicated with the revised plat. The resolution is contingent upon approval of the preliminary and final plat which is the next item. City Attorney Poehler stated this item will not take effect until the plat is approved. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to close the public hearing. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to adopt RESOLUTION R30-14 vacating certain drainage and utility easements in New Sunrise Addition. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10. PETITIONS,REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) Adopt Resolution—Approve Preliminary and Final Plat and PUD New Sunrise Addition - Planning Mr. Tim Giles, Tru-Value Homes LLC, is proposing to re-plat 10.3 acres of the Sunrise Ponds subdivision. It will consist of 59 single family lots. There are currently nine homes in the development and they are not included in the application. There are two outlots on the proposed plat. Outlot A is in the southwest corner and will be parkland. Outlot B is in the northeast corner and will be a trail access. The road and alley layout and increased lot sizes are the main changes in the re-plat. In the original plat,the streets were to be private with the homeowner's association being responsible for maintenance. With the re-plat 5 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 3 the streets will be public. The right-of-way will vary from 32 feet wide to 50 feet wide. The existing homes have a 32 foot right-of-way. In the re-plat,211th Street will continue east and then south to connect to 212th Street. The stub of 209th Street is to be removed. Currently the alley comes from 212th Street and goes west. With the new proposal,the alley will extend to 211th Street and stop beyond the third existing house to provide access to their garage. The remainder of the alley will be removed to make those lots deeper. No sidewalks are proposed in the development. There is a trail linkage between lots 12 and 13 of block 2. With the second addition, or when 210th Street or Cambodia is constructed a trail will be extended north along the border and a concrete sidewalk on the north end. Eventually it will be surrounded by a trail system. Lot sizes range from 3,622 square feet to 8,980 square feet. The developer has asked that the parkland be a public park. The Parks and Recreation Commission has agreed to accept it as a public park. Amenities have not been determined yet. The Planned Unit Development(PUD)Agreement was originally approved in 2006. Changes in the PUD address lot size and width and the right-of-way as we are taking less right-of-way than would typically be required. Any new fencing adjacent to the alley will have to be set back 10 feet to provide additional room for snow storage. The change to the design standards is the requirement of a minimum of 10 floor plans which has been removed. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the preliminary and final plat and PUD Agreement. Approval of the resolution is subject to the following conditions: 1. Preparation and execution of a development contract. 2. Satisfaction of all engineering comments concerning the plat, and construction plans for grading, storm water and utilities. Councilmember Fogarty asked about outlot A being a public park. She asked if park development fees are being waived because of that. Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated the fees are not waived and will be paid at the time permits are issued. When originally platted as Sunrise Ponds, park development fees were taken as cash in lieu rather than as parkland. The park was to be a private park so there was no land acquisition. Councilmember Fogarty stated part of the alley will have to remain because of the existing homes which have back loading garages, so garbage is set out there. She asked if we will have to send out two different size garbage trucks to this area. 6 Council Minutes(Regular) Apri121,2014 Page 4 City Engineer Schorzman stated we will not need to send out two garbage trucks. The owner of the deep lot will take his garbage out to the alley. Councilmember Fogarty stated these are narrow streets which tend to slow traffic down. She encouraged the developer to put trees in to decrease traffic speed as there will be a lot of families in the area. Councilmember Bonar noted there is saw tooth zoning to the middle of the street and asked if this has been permitted recently. Staff stated there are areas where property lines do extend to the centerline of the road where we have easements over that. This is not setting a precedent. These are in the downtown area. Councilmember Bonar stated during the last decade this would be unique. He appreciated the trail around the subdivision, but was disappointed there are no sidewalks within the development. There will be school buses coming and going each day and Councilmember Bonar asked if there will be parking restrictions. Staff stated there is no parking on one side of the road. Public Works has developed a plan for snow removal for this subdivision. Councilmember Bonar stated this property began in 2006 and was a private development. It was impacted by the downturn in the economy and changed ownership. He asked what is the public benefit to take this on as a public right- of-way versus remaining private? Planning Manager Wippler stated the existing nine property owners would benefit. The original homeowner's association was never formed, so the property owners were left to do snow plowing themselves. As far as the general public, there would not be a benefit. Councilmember Bonar stated we represent 8,000 households. Councilmember Bonar asked about maintenance costs for the right-of-way in the future. City Engineer Schorzman stated the maintenance cost will be approximately$4,500 per year of which$1,200 is snow removal. Councilmember Bonar asked about the original zoning. Staff noted it was R-2 PUD in 2006. Councilmember Bonar stated we have migrated away from the traditional R-2, and therefore it is a PUD. Councilmember Bartholomay asked when the 130 square feet of the alley bubble is removed, will our plows be able to turn in that area? City Engineer Schorzman stated this is similar to other hammer areas in town. Snow plowing was discussed in depth by staff. Councilmember Bartholomay asked what will happen to the portion of the alley that is removed. Staff stated it will be grass and become part of the lots. There is a storm sewer line through that area. Mayor Larson saw this as a development that will be for younger families that have nowhere to move around other than the streets within the development. That 7 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 5 is a big concern. He asked what will happen to the fences that are currently up to the curb. Planning Manager Wippler stated they are grandfathered in and are not part of the PUD. Mayor Larson stated if a standard car is parked on one side of the street,how much width is remaining? Staff stated the streets are 32 feet wide, which leaves about 25 feet. City Engineer Schorzman stated it would be identical to East Farmington. Mayor Larson asked if the fire trucks can maneuver through the development. Staff stated the fire department did review the plat and there is room. Mayor Larson understood if the area is left as is, it will never be developed. With this type of development that doesn't meet our standard profile,what special needs will we have to consider as a city in taking over this development? City Engineer Schorzman stated there is nothing as far as public works that would be unique. The homes do still have easements along the front lawn and nothing will affect our ability to store snow. There may be some homes in the existing lots that have very short driveways, so a large vehicle could be very close to the curb. Plow drivers will have to pay more attention when plowing. Mr. Tim Giles stated it would help to have no parking signs on the south side of the street where the existing homes are. So any on-street parking will be on the north side. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Donnelly to adopt RESOLUTION R31-14 approving New Sunrise Addition preliminary and final plat as well as authorizing the signing of the PUD Agreement for New Sunrise Addition. Voting for: Larson, Fogarty, Donnelly. Voting against: Bonar, Bartholomay. MOTION CARRIED. b) Financial Review March 2014 Financials -Finance Finance Director Hanson presented the 2014 first quarter financial report. We should be at 25%of budgeted revenues and expenses at this time. General fund revenues come from property taxes which will not be received until July. We are at 4%of budgeted revenues through the first quarter which represents$376,000. Permit revenue is ahead of expectations and$20,000 ahead of 2013. The number of permits issued this year is slightly more than 2013. The majority of the permit revenue is due to the library remodeling project. City Hall expenditures are ahead of budget due to natural gas. This is also the case with the Rambling River Center. Snow removal is already over budget and the March material and fuel invoices from the county have not yet been received. 8 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 6 The fund balance overall has decreased $1.7 million. The balance is $1.3 million at the end of March. The fund balance has improved over the last two years. We will go negative in May or June and then return to a positive balance once property taxes are received. Ice rental revenue is$7,000 ahead of last year. This increase was due to offering open skating. Expenditures are ahead of last year due to purchasing new skates for open skating and the increase in natural gas bills. Staff is trying to get each fund to have enough cash to pay for its own bills. This year the arena,to date, accomplished that and did not have to do any interfund borrowing. Liquor operations met their gross profit benchmarks of 25%. The annual benchmark for profit is 6.5%. They are at 4.3%for the first quarter which is the slowest quarter. They are ahead of 2013. Sewer fund expenses are less than budgeted, but higher than 2013 due to the increased fees to the Met Council for wastewater expenses. Solid waste revenues are similar to 2013 and expenses are less than budgeted. There is one less employee in this area and we are realizing the benefits of the recycling contract. Water consumption is down from 2013, however,revenues are up based on the new fee structure as of January 1, 2014. Expenses are $13,000 ahead of budget. We pumped 4 million gallons more of water and temperatures were colder compared to 2013. c) Sign Replacement Plan-Engineering The Federal Highway Administration has rules that require local authorities to have a plan in place by June 13,2014,that describes how they will manage sign reflectivity at or above the standards. There were several options to achieve this goal. Staff is recommending a combination of blanket replacement and expected sign life. City Engineer Schorzman has split the city into seven areas to accomplish this project. Area 1 was completed in 2013, and area 2 will be completed in 2014. The cost is approximately$10,000 per year. The budget for signs and striping is $15,000, but also pays for items outside of this program. The signs have an expected life of 10 to 12 years. Staff will be able to get through all areas in a seven-year cycle. As areas grow,they will be split into subsections and would be in a 12-year cycle. Mr. Steve Wilson, 5342 203rd Street W, stated this relates to his street sign in zone seven and was referring to the street name sign. City Engineer Schorzman stated this refers to stop signs and speed limit signs. We took care of warning regulatory signs the first year and if there were funds left over, we looked at street name signs and replaced the ones that looked bad. Mr. Wilson stated if this did include 9 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 7 street name signs a seven-year plan may not be able to identify worn out signs such as his street name sign. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bonar to approve this management method to ensure minimum sign retroreflectivity standards are maintained. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. d) Adopt Resolution—Approve Joint Powers Agreement Trail Crack Sealing- Engineering Trail crack sealing is not included in the joint powers agreement with Burnsville for seal coating. Therefore,Farmington and Lakeville will be working together through a joint powers agreement for trail crack sealing. Farmington will administer the contract(obtain bids,advertise for bids,prepare the contract). Each city will be responsible for their own inspections of the work and paying for the project. Responsibility for the contract administration will alternate each year. Both Councils will have to approve the bids each year. Council was pleased to see staff working with another city. Administrative costs would be staff time to prepare the contract and advertising for the bids. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to adopt RESOLUTION R32-14 authorizing execution of the joint powers agreement with Lakeville for trail crack sealing and authorizing staff to solicit bids for the work. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12. NEW BUSINESS 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Councilmember Bonar: Noted the Veteran's Memorial Committee received a grant for$9,900 for the memorial project. City Administrator McKnight: Residents should have received the City News and Recreation Guide in the mail. It contains information on the Akin Park Estates project, Dew Days, curbside clean-up days, the SeeClickFix application, and how to pay utility bills online. The June 16,2014, Council meeting will not be televised due to equipment upgrades to the broadcasting equipment. City Engineer Schorzman: There is a pond in Dakota Estates where there have been issues with controlling the algae. Staff is trying a new system this year and neighbors have been notified. At least 50% of the people agreed they want this done. A Department of Natural Resources permit will be issued. 10 Council Minutes(Regular) April 21,2014 Page 8 Parks and Recreation Director Distad: Tree planting for Arbor Day will be held on April 25,2014,in Meadowview Park. The public is invited to attend. Farmington Elementary School will be helping to plant trees. Mayor Larson: Dakota County Library will be holding a shred fest this Saturday for residents who have documents to be shredded. Castle Rock Bank is sponsoring the truck. A wine tasting will be held Thursday at Celt's. He encouraged residents to shop local. Money spent here stays here. 14. ADJOURN MOTION by Fogarty, second by Donnelly to adjourn at 8:07 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant 11