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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.18.00 Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR January 18, 2000 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Acting Mayor Strachan at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Acting Mayor Strachan led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Cordes, Soderberg, Strachan, Verch Ristow City Administrator Erar, City Attorney Jamnik, City Management Team 4. APPROVE AGENDA MOTION by Soderberg, second by Cordes to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS Mr. Mark Snider, 19509 Ewing Street, stated he has been a resident of Farmington for seven years and currently lives in Charleswood. When he arrived home from work he noticed his wife's van was gone. He called the Police and found out it had been towed due to the winter parking ban. He did not know about the ordinance. Dispatch infonned him it was approved in November, warnings were issued in December, and ticketing and towing began the first of the year. He wanted to know what the reasoning was for this ordinance. Councilmember Strachan stated the Council is committed to keeping taxes low. When vehicles are parked on the street every night and plows have to go around them, the plows have to come back and clean it up. The City will have to buy few plows, hire fewer people, and pay less overtime. Other options were considered, but it was determined to go with a winter parking ban. The Police Department issued 1,000 warnings before the first of the year. Signs are posted at the entrances to the City, it is on the web site, in the City Newsletter and in the newspaper. Mr. Snider then stated they called three friends living in Farmington and they had not heard of the ordinance. He then called another 13 people, of those, 3 people knew of the ordinance. One of those thought it pertained to when it snowed. Mr. Snider stated he was also infonned signs are placed on the main roads coming into town. He stated a car Council Minutes (Regular) January 18, 2000 Page 2 has to pull over to be able to read the sign. He stated he was told there was a notice in the newspaper. Mr. Snider does not receive the paper. Staff stated it was also in the City Newsletter which is mailed to every household in Farmington. Councilmember Strachan stated he knows people do not read the paper, but they should. He asked if fewer words on the sign would help? What else could be done? Mr. Snider stated fewer words on the sign would help. When he picked up his car he was charged $55 for the tow, and $25 administration fee. Who gets the administration fee? Staff replied the towing company receives the administration fee. Mr. Snider stated the warning was fine, but felt just the ticketing would have been enough. Mr. Snider suggested a notice be included in the utility bills. Councilmember Strachan suggested staff review what else could be done as far as notifying residents. Staff stated an individual mailing was sent with the City Newsletter. The notice was on a separate blue flyer in the November/December Newsletter, and there was an article in the January/February Newsletter. There were also notices in the local newspaper. All efforts to publicize the ordinance have been made. 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Verch, second by Soderberg to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes (113/00) (Regular) and (118/00) (Special) b) Approved Change Order - Daisy Knoll Project c) Approved Appointments to Boards and Commissions d) Approved Appointment Recommendation - Parks and Recreation Department e) Approved Appointment Recommendation - Public Works Department f) Adopted RESOLUTION R03-00 Authorizing Traffic Signal Agreement - CSAH 31 and 50 Traffic Signal g) Adopted RESOLUTIONS R04-OO and ROS-OO Ratifying AFSCME Clerical and Maintenance Agreements h) Ratified 1999 Pay Equity Report i) Established Board of ReviewlEqualization Date j) Received Information School and Conference - Police Department k) Received Information School and Conference - Administration Department I) Received Information Capital Outlay - Administration Department m) Approved Bills APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) Consider Approval - 2000 CDBG Application The City is scheduled to receive $54,715 in Community Development Block Grant funds in 2000 from the Dakota County Housing and Redevelopment Council Minutes (Regular) January 18, 2000 Page 3 Authority. Staff is recommending the grant amount be used to fund two activities. This would include a portion of the salary and benefits for the Senior Center coordinator position at a cost totaling $25,000 with the balance of $29,715 dedicated to the cleanup and redevelopment of the Elm Park area north of City Center. The City has received grant funds totaling $496,344 for demolition and cleanup costs associated with the old Elm Park Landfill. It is anticipated that the $29,715 in 2000 CDBG funds along with the previously committed $33,066 in 1999 CDBG funding will fund the portion of the cleanup not funded by the State grant as well as provide a small contingency for unanticipated cleanup costs. MOTION by Verch, second by Soderberg to adopt RESOLUTION R06-00 approving the application of the City of Farmington for fiscal year 2000 Dakota county Community Development Block Grant funding. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. b) 1999 Summary Building Permit Report During the fourth quarter of 1999,83 new single -family home permits were issued. This was 30 more than the same period last year. The city also issued 15 multi-family permits. Year-end numbers included 273 new single-family permits, 28 new townhome permits and 1 multi-family building for a total of 302 new building permits issued. c) Acknowledge Citizen Communication - Mr. Dale Pettet A letter was received from Mr. Dale Pettet, 20155 Dunbar Avenue, regarding the use of snowmobiles on the Pine Knoll pond and surrounding area. Staff stated Council had agreed last year to receive a report at the end of the season, unless Council would like a mid-winter update in terms of the number of complaints received, but Council has made it's intentions clear with continuing with the snowmobile ordinance. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12. NEW BUSINESS 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Council member Strachan: The Joint Planning School Board Task Force finished their work last week and a report will go to the School Board on January 24, 2000. Counc;lmember Soderberg: Confirmed that the signage for the seasonal parking ordinance will be reviewed administratively. Councilmember Verch: At the Chamber meeting, it was discussed April will be Volunteer month. A League day party will be held at the American Legion on February 27,2000. The Chamber wanted to know if the banners could be included in the budget for the streetscape project. City Administrator Erar replied it was his understanding is that the cost of the banners will be part of the entire streetscape budget. A committee has Council Minutes (Regular) January 18, 2000 Page 4 been formed to determine the type of banners. A business owner has also requested to include the Holiday decorations in the streetscape budget. That will be reviewed further in tenns of costs and will be brought back to Council with the award of bids. Councilmember Verch then asked if a clock will be included. Staff replied the wiring will be installed, but the clock will be a separate fund raising issue. City Administrator Erar: A Chamber Awards Banquet will be held Thursday evening. City Engineer Mann: Within the next few weeks a neighborhood meeting will be scheduled for the residents living along Akin Road, to hear any issues and concerns. 14. ADJOURN MOTION by Cordes, second by Soderberg to adjourn at 7:40 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, :;;~4 ?77~ Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant