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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.05.20 Council Minutes CITY OF FARMINGTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2020 1. Call to Order Mayor Larson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Larson led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Roll Call Present-Larson, Bernhjelm, Craig and Hoyt Absent-Donnelly Staff Present-Administrator McKnight, Community Development Director Kienberger, Finance Director Malecha, Police Chief Rutherford, Planning Manager Wippler,Administrative Assistant Muller and Attorney Jamnik. 4. Agenda Motion by Craig, second by Hoyt, to approve the agenda as presented. APIF, motion carried. 5. Announcements/Commendations None 6. Citizen Comments None 7. Consent Agenda Motion by Hoyt, second by Bernhjelm,to approve the consent agenda: a) Approve Minutes of the September 21, 2020 City Council Meeting-Administration b) Approve 2020-2021 Farmington High School Hockey Game Ice Rental Agreement-Parks c) Approve Out of State Training-Fire d) Approve Conveyance of City Property-Police e) Approve Bills-Finance APIF, motion carried. October 5, 2020 Minutes - 1 - 8. Public Hearings None 9. Award of Contract None 10. Petitions, Requests and Communications a) 2020 General Election Judges and 2020 Elections Update Administrative Assistant Muller shared that per state statute, election judges must be appointed at least 25 days before the election. The city council is being ask to approve a resolution appointing judges for precincts one through six for the 2020 General Election. In addition to city staff, we are adding eight residents to serve as judges. Motion by Hoyt, second by Bernhjelm, to adopt Resolution R41-2020 appointing election judges for the 2020 General Election. APIF, motion carried. Muller provided the city council with an updated on voting options and the status of absentee voting. Muller reviewed the voting options that are available to residents this election season and the schedule associated with each option. Councilmember Hoyt thanked city staff for all of their work so far on the voting process. Mayor Larson asked what the reasons for voting early include. Muller stated it is safer and you will not need to wait in line. Administrator McKnight asked about the timeline for when results will be announced. Muller stated that preliminary results would be shared by the county on election night. The results will be updated each day through November 10, 2020, which is the final day to accept absentee ballots received in the mail that are postmarked by Election Day. b) Preliminary/Final Plat and Development Contract-Vermillion Topside Apartments Planning Manager Wippler presented the preliminary and final plats and the development contract for Vermillion Topside Apartments. October 5, 2020 Minutes -2 - Application has been made for preliminary and final plat for the proposed Vermillion Topside Apartments. The applicant is Michial Mularoni of Mularoni and Company and the owner of the property is Anthony Verch of HC Revolutions, Inc. The subject property is addressed as 20725 Cascade Drive and is located directly east of Roundbank, south of County Road 66. The property is legally described as Outlot A, Tamarack Ridge 4th Addition. DISCUSSION The property was platted as an outlot for future development with the Tamarack Ridge 4th Addition in 2005. The proposed Vermillion Topside Apartments preliminary and final plat remove the outlot moniker and make the parcel a buildable lot. The property would remain a single parcel of land and would be legally described as Lot 1, Block 1 Vermillion Topside Apartments. The preliminary and final plats have the required ten (10')foot wide drainage and utility easements along all the property lines. The property is adjacent to County Road 66 and is subject to the County's contiguous plat ordinance. The Dakota County Plat Commission met on June 10, 2020 to review the preliminary and final plat. The plats show the required restricted access to County Road 66 and the necessary right-of-way was dedicated with the Tamarack Ridge plat in 2005. The Plat Commission has approved the preliminary and final plat for Vermillion Topside Apartments and will recommend approval to the County Board of Commissioners. Proposed Use The site is proposed for a 52 unit general occupancy, market rate apartment complex. The mix of units proposed are: 4 - efficiency apartments • 36 - 1 bedroom apartments • 12 - 2 bedroom apartments The property is zoned R-5 (High Density Residential) and multi-family dwellings are a permitted use. The R-5 zone allows for a density of 12 units/acre and up. The subject property is 1 acre in size and would have a density of 52 units per acre. The proposed building would be positioned towards the southwest corner of the lot with access to the site coming from an existing curb opening on Cascade Drive. An above ground parking lot would be on the east side of the proposed building adjacent to the existing storm water pond to the east. Underground parking will also be utilized with this development. A total of 104 parking stalls are shown on the attached plans. This includes 40 stalls above ground and 64 stalls in the underground area. The underground parking will October 5, 2020 Minutes -3- be accessed from the north side of the proposed building. In addition, a stairwell to the underground parking will be provided near the northeast corner of the parking lot. The Planning Commission reviewed the plats, site plan and several variances for this development at a special meeting held on September 22, 2020. The Commission recommended approval of the preliminary and final plats with a vote of 5-0. Additionally at that meeting, the Commission approved the site plan for the development as well as variances for building height and setbacks as well as for off-street parking standards. These were approved with a 5-0 vote. Engineering Review The Engineering Department has reviewed the Vermillion Topside Apartments preliminary and final plats and recommend approval upon satisfaction of all engineering comments related to the construction plans for grading and utilities as well as the applicant entering into a development contract with the city and all security fees and costs paid. Development Contract Staff prepared the standard development contract that has been reviewed by the developer. The development contract spells out the requirements for development of this lot including timelines to complete platting process, defining development charges, and addressing construction of public infrastructure to serve the development together with the associated sureties. BUDGET IMPACT The following funds will receive contributions based on the 2020 area charges associated with the development: Surface Water Quality Management Fee: $108 Surface Water Management Fee: $20,754 Watermain Trunk Area Charge: $4,611 Sanitary Sewer Trunk Area Charge: $2,470 Park Development Fee: $6,337 Councilmember Hoyt if our new ladder truck turn radios was taken into account with the site plan. Wippler stated that it has been reviewed by the fire department. October 5, 2020 Minutes -4- Councilmember Craig asked about the timeline for the project. Anthony Verch stated that their plan is to develop the site as fast as possible. Councilmember Bernhjelm stated she is very happy with the development and the variety that this brings to our housing options. Mayor Larson shared that this project is long overdue for the community. Motion by Bernhjelm, second by Craig, to adopt Resolution R42-2020 approving the preliminary and final plat for Vermillion Topside Apartments, subject to the following contingencies- 1. The satisfaction of all engineering comments related to the construction plans for grading and utilities. 2. A development contract between the applicant and the City of Farmington shall be executed and security, fees and costs shall be required. 3. The vacation of the existing drainage and utility easements on the site that were dedicated as part of the Tamarack Ridge 4th Addition. APIF, motion carried. Motion by Bernhjelm, second by Hoyt,to approve the development contract and authorize the necessary signatures be affixed to the contract. APIF, motion carried. 11. Unfinished Business None 12. New Business a) CARES Act Grant Funding and Reimbursement Finance Director Malecha presented an update on CARES Act funding for the city council. The city has received financial assistance under the CARES Act for COVID-19 related expenses. Guidelines and frequently asked questions on the use of these funds has been developed by the United States Treasury Department and continues to be updated. Staff has been working on evaluating expenditures that are reimbursable under the CARES Act. DISCUSSION The city received an allocation of$1,723,785 from the CARES Act. The allocation provides for expense reimbursement, but not revenue replacement for lost revenues. City staff have October 5, 2020 Minutes -5 - been evaluating expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement. The CARES Act funding can only be used to cover costs that: • are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19. • were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27,2020. • were incurred during the covered period of March 1, 2020 through November 15, 2020. Those dates are for cities only. The guidance provided by the United States Treasury is broad and staff continues to utilize the information as it is updated. The expenses that are eligible include: • Medical • Public Heath • Payroll • Public Health Measures • Economic Support At the August 3rd city council meeting the council approved the following expenditures: Item Cost Cleaning Supplies $4,345.60 Thermometers 407.45 Personal Protective Equipment 7,666.94 Building Materials 2,343.23 IT Equipment 237,376.15 Wages 416,687.86 Local Business Grants 500,000.00 The cleaning supplies include hand sanitizer, hand soap, disinfectant, bleach, etc.The city has purchased PPE for staff including safety glasses, N95 masks, gloves, face shields, and isolation gowns. The RRC, liquor stores, city hall, and the police department have had plexiglass installed along with other safety measures. IT equipment was necessary for staff to telework and continue to maintain city operations including laptops & peripherals, conference room equipment, and server and switch upgrades. The guidelines for payroll expenses limit what can be reimbursed. Per the Treasury guidance, payroll expenses for public safety, public health, health care, human services, and similar employees are included if they are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to COVID-19.The government entity may presume payroll costs for public safety employees are payments for services substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to COVID-19. Therefore, potentially allowing the entire payroll cost to be covered. Payroll and benefit costs associated with public employees who could have been furloughed or otherwise laid off but were repurposed instead are also covered. Hazard pay October 5, 2020 Minutes -6- for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship due to COVID-19 is eligible. The wages included for reimbursement include employees in the following departments: Administration, Communications, City Hall, Finance, Building Inspections, Planning, Police, Fire, Engineering, Streets, Parks, RRC, Liquor, Solid Waste, and IT. Dakota County and the Dakota County CDA have created the Small Business Relief Grant Program to allow temporary financial support to small businesses affected by COVID-19. The city will be distributing $500,000 to local businesses as a part of that program. The city council also approved proceeding with the purchase of additional items using CARES Act funding.These are included in the resolution this evening. Item Cost Cleaning Supplies $1,353.83 Personal Protective Equipment 596.87 Equipment 111,634.33 Building Materials 91,293.37 IT Equipment 4,749.06 Grant Program Administration 17,200.00 Additional cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment have been purchased. Included in equipment are restroom cleaning systems and electrostatic sprayers for cleaning and decontamination, equipment decontamination washers for both fire stations, and a fingerprint reader for transmission reduction at the police department. Building materials includes touchless soap dispensers, touchless paper towel dispensers, and foot-activated door openers that have been installed throughout the city. Staff is finalizing plans for cube modification to meet social distancing guidelines and a sink installation at the police department. A contract with Labrash Plumbing and Heating was approved at the last city council meeting for installation of touchless faucets and water bottle filling stations. Wold Architects and Engineers is finalizing the design plans for enclosing the front desk to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. As a part of the grant program, the city is responsible for administration costs of roughly 3.44 percent of the money we distribute. In addition to the items listed,the city is also able to reimburse additional items for staff safety, COVID-19 mitigation, and telework. Those items include: • Additional laptops for police, fire, and city hall staff. • Migration to Office 365 , which provides a cloud infrastructure to more easily facilitate telework and team collaboration. • Additional cameras at the police department that assist with reducing contact with the public. October 5, 2020 Minutes -7- • Enclosing the front reception desk at the police department. • Adding locks to the vestibule doors at city hall. It reduces staff contact with the public by allowing items to be dropped off without contact. • Fire gear bags and portable radios to minimize contamination of equipment by limiting the exchange between personnel. The cost of those items is $246,536 and covered under the current CARES Act reimbursement guidelines. City staff anticipates that this is the second of three rounds of expenditures that the city council will be asked to consider and approve. The last round of expenditures will be discussed at the October 12th city council work session. Those will be any final city reimbursements and the potential consideration of funding to other entities that have contacted the city in regards to potential use of our CARES Act dollars. Finally, a thank you to city staff members Peter Gilbertson, Jim Constantineau,Jennifer Gabbard,Justin Elvestad, Adam Kienberger and David McKnight for their work on this committee. Councilmember Craig appreciated all of the staff work on this project. Councilmember Bernhjelm asked how much funding remained. Malecha stated that there is approximately$81,000 remaining that the city council will discuss at the work session next week. Administrator McKnight asked if we are confident that the expenditures proposed are meeting the guidelines set by the Treasury Department. Malecha stated that we are confident. Motion by Hoyt, second by Craig, to adopt Resolution R43-2020 approving the reimbursement of city expenditures due to COVID-19. APIF, motion carried. b) Small Business Relief Grant Program-Joint Powers Agreement and Subrecipient Agreement Community Development Director Kienberger updated the city council on the small business relief grant program that is part of the city CARES Act funding. City council approved providing $500,000 of Farmington's CARES Act allocation to the local small business community at the meeting on August 3, 2020. These dollars are to provide relief grants of up to $10,000 to eligible Farmington businesses. The city of Farmington has collaborated with the Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) to administer October 5, 2020 Minutes -8- these grants within guidelines established for a countywide small business relief grant program. DISCUSSION Over 100 Farmington businesses applied to the small business relief grant program via an online application system developed by the CDA and its third party contract administrator, NextStage. These applications have been reviewed, had documentation verified to be in compliance with the CARES Act, and are currently being processed for payment. In order forthe city of Farmington to issue grant payments to the local businesses community and share in the administrative costs of having NextStage provide contract administration, staff recommends entering into a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and related Subrecipient Agreement. These agreements outline the terms and responsibilities of their respective agencies in administering federal CARES Act dollars for this small business assistance. With the funding provided by the city of Farmington in partnership with Dakota County's committed funding, all qualified applications to the program are scheduled to be fully funded. Thank you to city council for appropriating these funds to support the Farmington small business community, thank you to the Dakota County CDA for your partnership in administering a critical program for the region, and thank you to all staff who have devoted time and resources to getting these funds into the hands of our local businesses. Councilmember Bernhjelm shared she was surprised the number was over 100 businesses that applied. Councilmember Craig shared that she was happy to see so many businesses receive this assistance. Councilmember Hoyt was grateful to get the businesses the help they need. He asked how long it will take to get the funding into business owners hands. Kienberger stated we are working as fast as possible and expect the first bundle of approvals from the Dakota County CDA any day. Mayor Larson was appreciative of work done by city and county staff to make this happen. Motion by Bernhjelm, second by Hoyt, to approve the joint powers agreement and related subrecipient agreement with the Dakota County Community Development Agency for the administration of the small business relief grant program funding with CARES Act funds. APIF, motion carried. October 5, 2020 Minutes -9- 13. City Council Roundtable Craig-Thanked Chief Rutherford for meeting with the FBA recently on the issue of civil unrest. Hoyt-Thanked Chief Rutherford for reaching out to the FBA. He was very happy to get the CARES dollars spent and liked the new developments that are occurring. Kienberger-Provided a development update including progress as the Fairhill and Sapphire Lake developments and the progress being made on the EZ Auto, Impact Auto and Holiday projects. Rutherford-Shared about his reasoning for meeting with the FBA. Thanked Titos Vodka for donating two pallets of hand sanitizer the city that will be donated to businesses and civic groups. Reminded the community of the current pink patch project underway. Larson-Encouraged residents to shop local. 14. Adjourn Motion by Bernhjelm, second by Hoyt,to adjourn the meeting at 7:46 p.m. APIF, motion carried. Respectfully Submitted Dora Y. "ariwiJ/ David McKnight, City Administrator October 5, 2020 Minutes _ 10-