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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.15.23 Council MinutesCity of Farmington Regular Council Meeting Minutes Monday, May 15,2023 The Farmington City Council met in regular session on Monday, May 15, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 430 3"d Street, Farmington, Minnesota. 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hoyt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p,] 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Mayor Joshua Hoyt Councilmembers Holly Bernatz, Nick Lien, and Steve Wilson Members Absent: Councilmember Katie Porter Also Present: Lynn Gorski, City Administrator Leah Koch, City Attorney Julie Flaten, Asst City AdministratorlHR Director Chris Regis, Finance Director Justin Elvestad, Fire Chief Kellee Omlid, Parks & Recreation Director Tony Wippler, Planning Manager John Powell, Public Works Director Gary Rutherford, Police Chief Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk 4. APPROVE AGENDA Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 4 ayes 10 nays. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMENDATIONS 51 Proclaim May 15, 2023, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and May 14-20, 2023, as Police Week The proclamation was presented by Police Chief Gary Rutherford and read by Mayor Hoyt and Councilmembers Bernatz, Lien and Wilson. Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 2 of 9 5.2 National Public Works Week Proclamation, May 21-27, 2023 The proclamation was presented by Public Works Director John Powell and read by Mayor Hoyt and Councilmembers Bernatz, Lien and Wilson. 6. CITIZENS COMMENTS I RESPONSES TO COMMENTS No one appeared before Council to speak. 7. CONSENT AGENDA 7,1 City Council Meeting Minutes of May 1, 2023 7.2 City Council Work Session Minutes of May 1, 2023 7.3 Gambling Event Permit for July 15, 2023 — Farmington Firefighters Relief Association; Resolution No. R33-23 Concurring with the Issuance of a Minnesota Lawful Gambling Exemption Permit to Conduct Gambling by the Farmington Firefighters Relief Association, July 15, 2023 7.4 Gambling Event Permit for November 11, 2023 — Farmington Firefighters Relief Association; Resolution No. R34-23 Concurring with the Issuance of a Minnesota Lawful Gambling Exemption Permit to Conduct Gambling by the Farmington Firefighters Relief Association, November 11, 2023 7.5 Temporary On Sale Liquor License — Farmington Lions Club, September 7, 2023 7.6 Tobacco License for Farmington Tobacco & Vape LLC 7.7 Dakota County Community Development Agency Redevelopment Incentive Grant Application; Resolution No. R36-23 Authorizing the Application to the Dakota County Community Development Agency for a Redevelopment Incentive Grant 7.8 Accounts Payable List 7.9 Use Agreement with Dakota Count Agricultural Society 7.10 Resolution No. R32-23 Declaring Items as Surplus and Authorizing Disposal; Fire Department 7.11 Staff Changes and Recommendations 7.12 Memorandum of Understanding with LELS Police Officers Union 7.13 Donation from Marlene Swantek to Rambling River Center; Resolution No. R31- 23 Accepting Donation of $1,000 from Marlene Swantek to the Rambling River Center 7.14 Waive Fees for 2023 Dew Days Celebration 7.15 Contract with Schwickert's Tecta America LLC for Modine Make Up Air Unit 7.16 Contract with Schwickert's Tecta America LLC for Roof Repairs 7.17 Dakota County Electronic Crimes Task Force Joint Powers Agreement 7.18 Upgrade of Outdoor Warning Sirens 7.19 Resolution No. R37-23 Declaring Items as Surplus and Authorizing Disposal, Public Works 7.20 Contract for Tree and Stump Removal Services with Northwoods Tree Service Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 3 of 9 Motion was made by Councilmember Lien and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 4 ayes / 0 nays. 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT None. 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 10.1 Final Plat —Vermillion Commons 2nd Addition Planning Manager Wippler presented. U.S. Home, LC has submitted the 2nd Addition final plat for the Vermillion Commons development. The final plat contains a total of 58 townhome lots over 56,1653 acres. Vermillion Commons is located at the northwest intersection of 220th Street West and Denmark Avenue. The developer is proposing 58 townhome units in the second phase of the Vermillion Commons development, Vermillion Commons is a private townhome development that will be maintained by a homeowner's association. The approved preliminary plat for Vermillion Commons proposes 276 townhome units over a total of 75.78 acres yielding 6.7 units per acre (this calculation excludes the area of the development that is guided as Park/Open Space within the City's comprehensive plan). The property is zoned R-3 (Medium Density Residential) and guided as medium density residential in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This land guidance allows for 6-12 dwelling units per acre. Vermillion Commons is being developed as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The PUD agreement for the development was approved with the initial phase in 2022. The PUD allows the use of private streets and reduces the side yard setback on a corner lot from 25 feet to 15 feet. In addition to the 58 townhome lots, the 2nd Addition final plat consists of 15 outlots. Outlot A is 31.6764 acres and consists of future development and easements for four (4) natural gas pipelines. Outlot B is 17,5508 acres and consists of wetland and floodplain and will be deeded to the City. Note that the remaining outlots within the plat will have to be relabeled C-0 prior to recording of the plat at the County, as the plat currently shows two Outlot Bs. The outlots currently labeled as D, K, and N consist of private roads and storm water facility, respectively. The remaining outlots consist of common areas around the townhome lots. Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 4 of 9 Access to this site will come from 218th Street West, via the extension of Denton Avenue to the north. Denton Avenue consists of a 60-foot right-of-way with a 32-foot-wide roadway. The private streets which are to be constructed in the outlots currently labeled D and K are measured 27 feet in width with curb and g utte r. An eight (8) foot wide bituminous trail will be constructed along Denmark Avenue to the extents of the 2nd Addition within a 25-foot-wide trail, drainage and utility easement, Additionally, a five (5') foot wide sidewalk will be installed on the west side of Denton Avenue. The developer is proposing 31 off-street parking spaces within the 2nd Addition. Additionally, the proposed townhomes will provide two -car garages and space for two (2) cars parked in the driveway of each unit. Engineering Review The Engineering Department has reviewed the Vermillion Commons 2nd Addition final plat and recommends 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. Planning Commission Review The Planning Commission reviewed the final plat at its May 9, 2023 regular meeting and voted 3-0 to recommend approval of the final plat. Councilmember Wilson asked if the trail would meet county standards. Planning Manager Wippler said this is correct; it will be a county trail, and they have drawn up an easement, which will meet county standards. Councilmember Wilson asked if there is a financial partnership between the developer and the county? Planning Manager Wippler said the responsibility for construction for that trail is solely on the developer. The trail, essentially, goes to the southern end by the Fire Station and goes west, continuing in a loop through the development. Mayor Hoyt asked if 218th Street is the east -west arterial and splits the development? Planning Manager Wippler said this is correct. Mayor Hoyt asked how much of 220th is getting paved and in which phase is the entrance from 220th to the development going to be done? Planning Manager Wippler said they extended the entrance down with the initial phase and that we will have to work with the developer for the future phase for pavement. Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 5 of 9 Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Lien to adopt Resolution No. R35-23 Approving and Authorizing Signing of Final Plat, Vermillion Commons 2nd Addition. Motion carried: 4 ayes / 0 nays. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. 12. NEW BUSINESS None. WNW Kqliiill ; Councilmember Wilson Kudos to Public Works Director Powell and his team for doing such a good job. A really nice job efficiently flushing the hydrants and getting the streets cleaned. They're in great shape for almost mid- to late spring. Also, as the Chief pointed out earlier, there's an Open House this Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm at the Police Station. It should be a great family event. Councilmember Bernatz Two things that were part of the Consent Agenda: 1) Upgrade to Farmington's warning sirens — it's a reminder for everyone to pay attention to these things. They exist for a reason and it's better to be safe than sorry. When you hear the sirens, do your due diligence and get inside for safety. 2) Dew Days — as a volunteer of the Committee, I want to say thank you to the City of Farmington and City Staff for their support. This is our annual festival, so come and hang out with us. It's 38 days from now. There is a ton of information on www,FarmingtonDewDays.com, and I want to see everyone out there the fourth weekend in June. Attorney Koch The legislative session is coming to an end and there are new laws; the League of Minnesota Cities is a great resource for learning about those new laws and they offer a lot of great guidance. City Administrator Gorski Thank you to Open Door for joining us today at the Rambling River Center to discuss an opportunity to have a pop-up pantry once a month at Rambling River Center. We are going to be able to join in together, and it will start in June. We did make sure they knew about Dew Days. We are really excited about this Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 6 of 9 opportunity and this joint venture with Open Door, They feed 14,000 Dakota County residents per month and this will add to it. We are really excited to work with them. More information to come, City Clerk Buecksler Excited to meet with Shannon Williams from Inver Hills Community College tomorrow. She is the coordinator of their student voter education, registration, and outreach efforts. Since Farmington is one of their top five (5) cities where their students reside, she is looking for ways in which we can partner and educate their students in local Farmington elections, If anyone is interested in joining our elections team, reach out to me. Public Works Director Powell Sweeping is done; hydrant flushing is done except for an area by the high school that will be done once school is out; we are moving on to patching, so you'll see more activity related to spray patching, pothole patching, and large patches. Parks & Recreation Director Omlid Friday night is the Spring Food Truck Festival at Empire at the Stelzel ballfields. The Park and Recreation Commissions of Farmington and Empire put that on together. Right now, we have eight (8) food trucks from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Also, Saturday night is the VFW Steak Fry, benefiting the Rambling River Center, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Currently, you can buy tickets at the Rambling River Center; otherwise, at the door on Saturday. It includes a Von Hansen steak, baked potato, salad and some lemon bars for Blanch. Also, thank you to Marlene Swantek for donating $1,000 to the Rambling River Center. She has donated significant dollars over the past few years, so we want to thank her for her support and her donation. Finance Director Regis Compiling the Capital Improvement Plan requests. We are also into phase 2 of the budget process. Fire Chief Elvestad We are exactly two months away from the 150th Celebration of the Fire Service, so find a Firefighter to purchase your raffle ticket. Police Chief Rutherford The Police Department Open House is this Saturday 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The advance weather forecast looks spectacular, so bring a few dollars and buy some Bourbon Butcher stuff and some Kona Ice and hop in the bounce house. Check out all the stuff we have to offer. Also, on the Consent Agenda, Council approved the final appointment of our two new Police Officers. Those are the two additional positions that Council approved last year for hiring mid -year this Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 7 of 9 year, We will have some good relief once we get them on board and trained, so thank you for that. Planning Manager Wipple We have started the engagement process for the comprehensive plan and vision update. I believe all of you received a flyer that we have been distributing around town. We want to get the word out about this. We have the social pinpoint up and working on the website so please, everybody, jump on the website and do the survey. If there are any questions, feel free to contact me directly, and I'll be happy to talk about it. Mayor Hoyt For those that don't know, our 2040 comprehensive plan is a road map, it is a guide. It is not a black and white clear cut, never going to change document. It is a moving document. If you look at, in 2023, what the property land use is — we currently have almost 30% of that land that does not have a dedicated future use. Currently, some of it is agricultural, and one of the main drivers coming out of community development is... how do we want to be seen going forward? Now do we want to be seen, not only across the area, but the county and the state? What is Farmington? We like to say, and we hear it often, that Farmington is a bedroom community. It's in our name that we have a strong history of agriculture and farming but, over time, that will change. We are asking residents, business owners, and community contributors, anyone, to contribute to what that looks like. The decisions that this Council and future Councils will make, with Staff recommendations, will be on that proposed future land use. Naturally, the urban crawl is going to get into our community. And it's going to look a lot different than it did today. So, this is an initiative to seek our residents' input. We really listen, and we really want to know what you think. This is one of our Council priorities, a goal of ours, to continue our transparency, continue telling our story, and involving our residents in doing so. Director Powell, to you and your team, I talked at my State of the City, and I used the term touchpoints. The Police Department, the Fire Department, and front office staff have touchpoints. When residents come in, they make contact. For our entire Public Works Department, their touchpoints are anything they touch in our community. Our residents don't always see that with a person. You and your team have done one heck of a job continuing to increase that standard. I walk our trails often, as many of our residents do, and we see improvements. We as Council and Staff know what's coming over the next few years and we just ask our residents to be patient. A lot of this takes a little bit more analysis to figure out which streets we start with and prioritize. I applaud your team's effort and you, specifically, for digging deep and doing the work we've asked you to do to help prioritize that as we go forward. Thank you. Regular City Council Minutes May 15, 2023 Page 8 of 9 Chief Rutherford, to you and your team, words are never enough ... the men and women of our Police Department are second to none. We have the strongest team anywhere. Unity, collaboration, and outreach in the community, it's stuff communities dream for. There are other cities that are spending tens of thousands of dollars to figure out the magic that we have, and you've got it. It doesn't take a week out of the year for us to recognize that. We proclaim it, and you all know it, but we will continue to drive that home every day that you all keep us safe. We're not without our problems, but our men and women step up every day and do the job that not many people want to do right now. A sincere thank you, City Administrator Gorski, the Open Door, that stems right into the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. First, congratulations to Jon Althoff on his appointment as President and Chief Mission Officer of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Jon Althoff, his team, along with Laura Roehl, Vice President of Partnerships and Growth, have been at our networking events and have been in town three or four times in the last two weeks. The Regional Chamber has a huge presence in this community. Even more so now than they have in months past. We were sitting right here, and the Director for Open Door made a connection with a member of the Regional Chamber, which turned into a site visit for you and 1, a great tour, that turned into their visit today and now we're going to start having events. Again, that just drives home the power of networking and how we continue to go out and ask others to be a part of Farmington, and this is a huge one for us. Councilmember Bernatz, you hit on it with Dew Days, but whether it's Relay for Life, Toys for Town, Dew Days, the Community Expo, what used to be Ramble Jam, there are so many events in this community, and there is never a doubt that our residents, our business owners, or organizers, our groups, step up over and over and over again. Hundreds of thousands of dollars a year gets donated back, and whether it's through fundraisers or whatever it may be, this community does it better than anyone. We just have that magic that so many communities try to figure out. We got it. Look past the stuff that's not happening, what you don't see, and see what happens on the streets every single day, Your fellow residents, business owners, and community organizers, youth groups and non -profits continue to step up over and over and over again to be sure every need that gets asked... gets answered. I couldn't be more proud than ever to see what I've seen in the last six months. All financial indicators tell you that donations should be down, and people are conserving a little bit more, but we are blowing away records. A sincere heartfelt thank you on behalf of myself, the entire Council, and the entire team at the City of Farmington for everything that our residents, our business owners, our non -profits, our community organizers, and everyone throughout Farmington, continues to ensure that all these events go on and are as successful as they can be. Thank you. Regular City Council Minutes May 1.5, 2023 Page 9 of 9 Motion was made by Councilmember Bernatz and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to adjourn the meeting at 7.29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, �c s Shirley i'er