HomeMy WebLinkAbout03.06.23 Work Session MinutesCity of Farmington
City Council Work Session Minutes
March 6, 2023
1. Call to Order
Mayor Hoyt called the work session to order at 5:00 p.m.
Present: Hoyt, Bernatz, Lien, Porter, Wilson
Also Present: Lynn Gorski, City Administrator; Julie Flaten, Assistant City Administrator/HR
Director; Deanna Kuennen, Community Development Director; John Powell,
Public Works Director; Kellee Omlid, Parks and Recreation Director; Gary
Rutherford, Police Chief; Justin Elvestad, Fire Chief, Ed Rutledge, Natural
Resources Coordinator, Peter Gilbertson, IT Director
2. Approve Agenda
MOTION by Wilson, second by Porter to approve the agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED.
3. Discussion Items
a. ARPA – Farmington Parks Wi-Fi and Cameras
Gilbertson explained the request to use ARPA funds to expand fiber to parks and
well houses. The fiber will be run to city facilities by Hiawatha Broadband as they
build out service to neighborhoods. The largest part of the city expense will be the
necessary electrical work. This work involves installation of the poles, circuits for
lighting, security cameras, and future EV chargers, if desired.
Council discussion on 100 vs 200 amp service, cost for Dakota and Excel services,
ability to remain within quote, process and schedule for build out of parks, how
parks that are not built yet will be handled, priority of parks will align with when
Hiawatha is doing the area, pole locations, why some parks were removed, cameras
facing city facilities vs homes/private property. Strength of 8 megapixel camera and
ability to use video from cameras for Police enforcement.
Gilbertson explained the quotes and types of cameras to be used, video server
upgrades needed, server redundancy created in PD and City Hall, video processing
analytics server, and storage upgrades including the addition of storage drives to
create an offsite backup.
Council discussion on ability to review video on current servers by PD, cost estimates
for upgrading servers shown in quote, length of life of servers and support provided,
existing cameras in city parking lots, potential cameras by Second Street and Depot
Way park were cost prohibitive.
Council asked if item can be moved off of consent agenda during regular council
meeting to call out topic and provide clear explanation to the public. Gilbertson will
address in conjunction with other items on the regular agenda.
b. Emerald Ask Borer Update 2023
Powell introduced Natural Resources Coordinator Ed Rutledge who provided a
presentation on Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Rutledge provided a history of EAB in the
US and how the insect kills an Ash tree. He explained the spread of EAB to 39
Minnesota counties. EAB was confirmed in Farmington in 2019, but the insect was
likely in Farmington prior to 2019. Impacts to Ash trees include the trees becoming
brittle and hazardous when they die. If Ash trees are not treated they will succumb
to EAB. Once infected the amount of debris that is created can be overwhelming for
city staff. Total timeline for total Ash tree loss with no intervention is 15 years for
all trees. Rutledge explained removal vs treatment options. Trunk injections have
been proven to be an effective management tool. This slows the mortality of trees.
Rutledge showed where Farmington is on an infestation level and how canopy
decline happens. In 2016 a survey of all boulevard Ash trees was completed
accounting for approximately 3600 trees. The City has removed 74 trees since
2016. In 2017 an EAB management plan was put in place to begin to treat 28% of
trees. Since 2017 approximately 800 trees have been treated and the disease has
spread. City is currently prioritizing removing dead or declining ash trees, dead or
hazardous trees and clearance issues. Upwards of 100 stumps will be removed in
the summer of 2023. Staff recommends a seven-year cycle where every
neighborhood gets trimmed.
Council discussion on how presentation only shows city owned trees, underscoring
the magnitude of the problem, how EAB spreads to other trees, how diameter of
trees to be treated is determined, effects and safety of chemical used in treatment
on animals, bees, and people, what other communities are doing, and removal of
debris costs and options.
Rutledge discussed options and cost estimates for city owned boulevard trees:
- Continue on same path - $2.6M
- Increase treatments and remove untreatable trees - $1.2M
- Remove all ash trees - $3.8M
Staff recommends budget an additional $240,000/year to treat and remove more
untreatable Ash trees as well as add $70,000 to do an updated tree inventory. Staff
would also do an annual council update on EAB, continuing education, enforcement
of nuisance tree ordinance, and hosting an annual tree sale beginning in 2024.
Council discussion on citizens ability to plant trees in boulevard, conflicts with utility
systems, limited space for residents to plant replacement trees, planting strategy to
diversity tree species, boulevard easement size, how trees are selected to be
treated, how does City absorb this work while contractors become busier, inventory
coordinated with fiber locates in upcoming years, long-term effects and costs of only
treating trees vs removing all boulevard trees, what cities have had good EAB plans
and what have they done, costs and maintenance of planting trees, ability to find
labor/staff to do removal work, other treatments options being studied that show
positive results, resident reactions to full removal of trees, ideal time of year to
inspect trees, time of year trees are treated, current EAB budget and using for
removal vs treatment, using 2023 budget to conduct inventory of park paths and
trails in addition to boulevard Ash trees to obtain full picture of problem to identify
public safety risks, process to notify residents on problem trees, possibility of
providing incentive to residents to remove damaged trees, risk to city of not doing
any treatments of trail trees, treatment of original 800 treated trees vs treating new
trees.
Motion by Wilson, second by Bernatz, to recess at 6:58 pm.
Council came back from recess at 8:22 pm. Council direction to obtain rough
estimate of Ash inventory to include trail corridor and natural areas and apply cost
estimates to entire problem prior to expending funds. Staff to report back to
council.
c. Discuss the desire to revisit 10-6-29; Chicken on Urban Residential Lots
Councilmember Porter shared her desire to have the ordinance revisited to be
possible updated to be less restrictive and possibly remove the public hearing
requirement as well as lower the fee based on current economy and citizen’s desire
to be self-sustaining.
Council discussion on process with the Planning Commission, fees, annual permit
process, quantity of chickens allowed, where revenue is accounted for, and
ordinance was updated in 2014.
Council direction is to send item to Planning Commission to discuss an ordinance
review to include fees.
City Administrator Update
4. Adjourn
MOTION by Wilson, second by Bernatz to adjourn at 8:48 pm APIF, MOTION CARRIED
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Flaten
Assistant City Administrator/Human Resources Director