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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.20.98 Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR July 20, 1998 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ristow at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Ristow led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Ristow, Cordes, Fitch, Gamer, Strachan None City Administrator Erar, Attorney Joel Jamnik, City Management Team 4. APPROVE A GENDA MOTION by Gamer, second by Fitch to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS Arts in the Area - Farmington Area Arts Network (FAAN) consists of the Dakota Valley Arts Council, Farmington Friends of the Library, Farmington Chorale, and the Childrens Castle Theatre. They would like to encourage communications of events to foster arts in the community and increase attendance and awareness. Farmington is different from other cities because we have more businesses related to the arts. Benefits of the arts are: The arts bring visitors to the city / Attract home buyers / Serve as a resource for schools / Arts events are held locally. They need ideas on how to inform the public. They are requesting support from the City Council which will be addressed at the next Council meeting. 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS Ms. Dolly Newberg, 5680 W. 193rd Street, had several further questions on the sewer backup situation. 1) What time does the City turn over responsibility for the lift station to TransAlarm? Staff responded that TransAlarm is always connected. If the alarm is not shut off within a certain amount of time, TransAlarm is connected to a pager, so the pager calls TransAlarm. Ms. Newberg stated she was told by three sources the alarm goes off when the electricity goes off. Is this true? Staff will respond. 2) When the high water alarm goes off, how much time is given for the lift station to operate? Staff stated this matter is pending litigation and will respond in writing. 3) Ms. Newberg requested the City post emergency numbers in the phone book. 4) Response to citizen comments was received in the mail on Friday afternoon. Can it be mailed one day earlier? Staff responded that citizen comments can be picked up at City Hall on Thursday afternoon. 5) Is supervisor in charge oflift station certified? Staff responded Tom Hemish is certified. 6) When did Mr. Hoyer from Apple Valley start working for Farmington? 7) Would like a copy of the contract between MPCA and Mr. Hoyer. 8) Would like a copy of the emergency plan and procedures followed. 9) Requested Public Works go through drills. 10) What is the sequence followed when checking lift stations? 11) What inflow area was capped off? Staff requested Ms. Newburg to put her questions in writing and the City will forward to the insurance company. As the insurance company is dealing with her attorney, there will be no more conversations at the Council Meetings. Council Minutes (Regular) July 20, 1998 Page 2 Cheryl Retterath, 19232 Evenston Drive (Troy Hills 2nd Addition), has a problem with erosion at the pond. The developer and engineer (Jerry Auge) have been out there. The comer lot is being saved for a City well. According to Ms. Retterath, it needs to be sodded as erosion is washing into the pond. The developer cleaned out the pond 2-3 months ago, it is already full. When will the City respond before more damage is done? She has a picture showing water flow and depth. Staff will meet with her in the next few days. 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Fitch, second by Gamer to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes 7/6/98 (Regular) and 7/7/98 (Special) b) Adopted RESOLUTION R64-98 accepting donations for the Senior Center c) Approved capital outlay request for Public Works to purchase a replacement pick-up truck d) Approved bills APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None. 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT a) Adopt Resolution - 2nd Street Parking Lot Award It is recommended that the City provide engineering, legal and administrative costs to the project, without reimbursement, in order to lower the costs to the Road and Bridge Fund and the HRA Special Revenue Fund. Project should be completed by end of September. MOTION by Fitch, second by Gamer to adopt RESOLUTION R65-98 accepting the base bid of Bituminous Roadways Inc. in the amount of$214,471. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) Adopt Resolution - Prairie Creek East EA W Declaration The EA W serves primarily to aid in the determination of whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed for a proposed project; and serves as a basis to begin the scoping process for an EIS. The EA W review is triggered because of the 250 or more unattached units within the Prairie Creek East PUD. Three types of decisions could be made concerning the EA W: 1) Make a positive declaration, requiring an EIS for the project; 2) Postpone the decision because of lack of information; 3) Or make a negative declaration, stating that the project does not have a potential significant environmental effect that warrants the preparation of an EIS. The proposer revised the original EA W in June to meet the requests of the reviewing agencies. Additional comments have been received from the reviewing agencies concerning the revised EA W, however, these comments relate to stormwater and floodplain issues and do not involve the EA W Decision of Need. The stormwater and floodplain issues along with other engineering comments will be dealt with at the platting and permitting stages. Based on the EA W, the response to comments and the Findings of Fact, the Record of Decision concludes that an EIS is not required. This does not deal with stormwater - engineering issues need to be worked out. A Certificate of Wetland Replacement and application have been sent out for comment to the DNR. Waiting for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Plan includes areas for wetland replacement. Storm water will have adequate replacement - 2 to 1, including four acres of stormwater ponding. City needs to look at engineering calculations for stormwater ponds. Schematic Plan on hold pending approval. MOTION by Council Minutes (Regular) July 20, 1998 Page 3 Gamer, second by Cordes to adopt RESOLUTION R66-98 to approve the Response to Comments, Findings of Fact and Record of Decision for the Prairie Creek East PUD. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. b) Adopt Resolution - Authorizing Feasibility Report for Glenview Townhome Frontage Road The Mayor stepped down from his seat at the Council table. Staff requested Council authorization to prepare a feasibility report for frontage road improvements along the East side of Trunk Highway 3 between Co. Road 72 and Willow Street. Staff recommended that the plat approval be contingent on the frontage road improvements being constructed in 1999. The improvements to the frontage road will benefit MnDOT and the Trunk Highway as well as the adjacent property owners. The Developer of Glenview Townhomes has agreed to participate in his proportionate share of the costs of the improvements. It was recommended that the project costs not funded by MnDOT be assessed to the remaining benefiting property owners. The decision point for funding is when the project is ordered. By requesting a Feasibility Report, Council is indicating support for funding as presented. Council is not in favor of government use of imminent domain. The Council would like to see the Developer work this out with Staff. The City will not financially participate in this project. Council is not making a decision on assessment at this time. If City funding is not available, it goes back to the Developer. MnDOT has not put the project on the schedule yet. MOTION by Fitch, second by Cordes to adopt RESOLUTION R67-98 ordering a Feasibility Report for State Trunk Highway 3 frontage road improvements. Voting for: Cordes, Gamer, Fitch, Strachan, MOTION CARRIED. c) Prairie Creek Development - Citizen Petition Keith Sperbeck, 18821 Embers Avenue, (Prairie Creek 3rd Addition), petitioned for a storm water feasibility study. According to the residents, there is not adequate water flow through the area. Staff stated Progress Land regraded area last year. Sod work and silt fence were installed, however there is a large slope off the lots. City will look at other options for drainage in feasibility report. The problem is the volume of water and the minimal grade. Water comes to the patio door at one residence. Staff stated silt coming into swale is a punch list item. Changing the storm water pipe is not on the punch list. According to Staff, if there are additional fees in performing a feasibility study within Prairie Creek, the City should not have to pick up the costs, as these projects are still active. The City needs time to review issues, but decision ultimately comes back to Council. City will respond at the August 17 meeting. d) Establish Council Workshop Date - 1999 Proposed Budget MOTION by Cordes, second by Gamer to set a Workshop date for August 19, 1998,6:30 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a-d) Development Issues - Council will set a Workshop date to discuss issues. Council can review documents regarding Progress Land Company Letter of Credit. Staff has done an excellent job in communicating with Progress Land Company. Council asked if pulling a Letter of Credit is heavily publicized. Staff responded they try to minimize issue so as not to embarrass the developer. Council Minutes (Regular) July 20, 1998 Page 4 e) Downtown Streets cape - The downtown area is a unique situation. City should look at a paver type situation to keep with an historical style. Council would like a 4-5 year plan for installing amenities. Cost is a factor and the downtown area needs to participate. Council authorized a feasibility report. If accepted, a meeting needs to be set to discuss and decide whether to order project. Following options were chosen by Council: Base Option, Option E - Concrete with Pavers, Option F - Pavers. 12. NEW BUSINESS a) Water Shut-Off Policy Council approved the Water Board's revised policy of certifying delinquent utilities to the property taxes. This will be effective August 1, 1998, and includes all services. The landlord will be notified for rental properties. b) Ash Street ReconstructionlPrairie Waterway III - Committee Appointment Council representatives will be Councilmembers Cordes and Gamer. Fitch declined to serve. Staff will attend as necessary. Township is requesting that Staff not actively participate. Mr. Wichterman suggests an alternate. Citizen representatives will be Darlene Grabowski, with Mr. Thelen, Mr. Tobias, and Mr. Thurmes as alternates. Staffwill contact. MOTION by Fitch, second by Strachan to appoint Councilmembers Cordes and Gamer as Council representatives, Grabowski, Thurmes, Tobias, or Thelen as resident representatives. Voting for: Ristow, Fitch, Strachan. Abstaining: Cordes and Gamer. MOTION by Fitch, second by Gamer to appoint Strachan as an alternate. Voting for: Ristow, Cordes, Fitch, Gamer. Abstaining: Strachan. MOTION CARRIED. c) Ash Street ReconstructionlPrairie Waterway III - Draft City Principles - Information was received by Council. Council agreed with draft principles as presented. d) Sanitary Sewer System - Alternate Power Plan Recent storms have been causing difficulty with a particular lift station. A generator would not have helped the situation, as response time is still needed. Staff indicated the costs for renting a back-up generator for Fairhills lift station would be $1800/month. Council wants to hold off until cost is received for eliminating the station. Council stated if we have a back-up for one station, we need a back-up for all stations. Table until cost on change order to Middle Creek Sewer Project is prepared. 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE a) St. Paul Train Whistles - City Attorney Jamnik will draft an ordinance regarding blowing train whistles from 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. b) Hickory Street Storm Water Update - A pothole in the street under standing water needs to be repaired. c) Acceptance of Private Development Project This will be discussed after Budget Workshop on August 19, 1998 at approximately 8:00 p.m. For now, carry on as usual. Council Minutes (Regular) July 20, 1998 Page 5 Councilmember Cordes - Received a request for a water spigot at Rambling River Park. Cost to make water available would be $20-30,000. Council rejected the idea. Marilyn Weinhold - Thank you from Chamber for support. Councilmember Fitch - Buy fans on stands for Council Chambers. He and the Mayor attended a Planning Commission meeting last week. Need to set up a series of meetings with Planning Commission and Council to address issues regarding water, etc. Dates will be set at next meeting. Possibly late August, early September. Lee Mann - City typically pumps 800,000 - 1,000,000 gallons of water a day. Six million gallons were pumped the weekend of July 11-12, 1998, and 2.3 million gallons ~e following Monday and Tuesday. Jim Bell - Received preliminary approval of a $50,000 grant for trails. Chamber helped by writing letters of need. 14. ADJOURN MOTION by Fitch, second by Gamer to adjourn at 10:35 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ~7r?~ Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant