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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.07.24 Council MinutesRegular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 1 of 7 City of Farmington Regular Council Meeting Minutes Monday, October 7, 2024 The City Council met in regular session on Monday, October 7, 2024, at Farmington City Hall, 430 Third Street, Farmington, Minnesota. 1.CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hoyt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Hoyt led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3.ROLL CALL Members Present: Mayor Joshua Hoyt Councilmembers Nick Lien and Steve Wilson Members Absent: Councilmembers Katie Bernhjelm and Holly Bernatz (excused absences) Staff Present: Lynn Gorski, City Administrator Leah Koch, City Attorney Deanna Kuennen, Community & Economic Development Director Kim Sommerland, Finance Director Matt Price, Fire Chief Kellee Omlid, Parks & Recreation Director Missie Kohlbeck, Recreation Supervisor Gary Rutherford, Police Chief Jim Constantineau, Deputy Police Chief Nate Siem, Administrative Sergeant John Powell, Public Works Director Shirley Buecksler, City Clerk Also Present: Mary Garletts, Chair, Rambling River Center Advisory Board 4.APPROVE AGENDA Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Lien to approve the agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 3 ayes / 0 nays 5.ANNOUNCEMENTS / COMMENDATIONS Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 2 of 7 6.CITIZENS COMMENTS / RESPONSES TO COMMENTS The following citizens addressed the Council: •Nathan Ryan, 22390 Cambrian Way, Farmington •Denise May, 22265 Berring Avenue, Castle Rock Township •Kathy Johnson, 22280 Berring Avenue, Castle Rock Township •Eszter Varga, 3094 225th Street West, Castle Rock Township 7.CONSENT AGENDA 7.1 Agreement for Legal Services Between the City of Farmington and Campbell Knutson 7.2 Appointment of Additional Election Judges for the 2024 Election Cycle ; Resolution 2024-85 7.3 Gambling Exempt Permit from the Knights of Columbus Council 2400 Farmington, November 23, 2024; Resolution 2024-86 7.4 Gambling Exempt Permit Application from the Knights of Columbus Council 2400 Farmington, February 22, 2025; Resolution 2024-87 7.5 Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for Knights of Columbus Council 2400 Farmington, November 23, 2024 7.6 Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for Knights of Columbus Council 2400 Farmington, February 22, 2025 7.7 Development Contract – Vermillion Commons 4th Addition 7.8 Payment of Claims 7.9 Resolution 2024-80 Declaring Items as Surplus and Authorizing Disposal, Fire Department 7.10 Staff Changes and Recommendations, Including: •Dan Miller, Police Sergeant •Matthew Brown, Deputy Fire Chief •Braeden Bierbrauer, part-time Community Service Officer •Nicole Peaslee, part-time Liquor Store Clerk 7.11 Direct 10Gbps Connection with LOGIS via a Cross-Connection Service at the Minnesota Technology Center 7.12 2024-2025 Farmington High School Hockey Game Facility Use Agreement 7.13 Donation from Gerri Jolley to the Rambling River Center; Resolution 2024-84 7.14 Donation from Marilyn Walton to the Rambling River Center; Resolution 2024 -82 7.15 Resolution 2024-81 Authorizing Solicitation of Contributions to Fund Events that Foster Positive Relationships Between Law Enforcement and the Community 7.16 2024 Mill & Overlay – Change Order No. 1 7.17 Memorandum of Understanding – Existing Easement Vacation and Creation of New Easement 7.18 Receive Quote and Award a Contract for the Fall 2024 Boulevard Stump Removals to Shadywood Tree Experts in the Quoted Amount of $56,475.00 7.19 Resolution 2024-88 Declaring Item as Surplus and Authorizing Disposal, Public Works 7.20 Lawful Gambling Permit Application from Farmington Fire Relief Association, November 1, 2024; Resolution 2024-89 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 3 of 7 Motion was made by Councilmember Lien and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Motion carried: 3 ayes / 0 nays 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 12. NEW BUSINESS 12.1 Resolution 2024-83 Adopting the Final Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) for the Farmington West Industrial Project Director Kuennen presented for Council. Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Lien to adopt Resolution 2024-83 Authorizing the Adoption of the Final Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) for the Farmington West Industrial Project. Motion carried: 3 ayes / 0 nays 12.2 Plans and Specifications and Authorize the Advertisement for Bids for the Rambling River Center Project Director Omlid presented for Council, along with Missie Kohlbeck, Recreation Supervisor, and Mary Garletts, Chair of the Rambling River Center Advisory Board. Motion was made by Councilmember Wilson and seconded by Councilmember Lien to approve plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for the Rambling River Center Project. Motion carried: 3 ayes / 0 nays 13. CITY COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Attorney Koch: Judicial elections are on the same ballot as the other elections, but you may have to turn over the ballot. You can go to the Secretary of State’s website at mnvotes.gov, see a sample of your ballot including the judicial candidates. Those are courts from the Dakota County Courts all the way up to the Supreme Court. Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 4 of 7 Councilmember Wilson: We complain about the winter and occasional severe weather , but if you live or have a family on the East Coast or in Florida, I ask that you think about them and say a prayer for them. And we’re indirectly impacted, if not families impacted, because our food costs go up, transportation may get limited, and there are so many direct impacts of a hurricane that hits a different part of the country. Also, I was one of the first 15 or 20 to get this awesome Farmington Police Department Pink Patch Stanley tumbler. So everyone here and those watching on TV, make sure that you take time to stop up to the Police Station and get one. The Police Department hit it out of the park with these. They always have the pink patches but, all joking aside, many of us have been negatively impacted by the terrible effects of breast cancer. This is an awesome campaign during the month of October, maybe it will extend beyond that depending on demand. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. I really appreciate the Department for coordinating this. Administrator Gorski: We have a guest in the audience tonight. Jim, I just wanted to thank you for your 25 years of service here in Farmington but also your years of service in law enforcement. Law enforcement is a very difficult career and you’ve done it very well. Not only do you have passion for the career of law enforcement and the profession, but you have passion for this community. We will not forget it. We thank you for your service above self, and we will miss seeing you around here all the time. Please don’t be a stranger. Thank you. Clerk Buecksler: Next Wednesday, October 16th, is National Boss’ Day, so I want to give a shout-out to Lynn for creating and maintaining the culture we have here that makes it such a wonderful place to work. Thank you. I appreciate you, Lynn. Director Kuennen: The Emery Apartments Open House will be 10:30 am tomorrow down on the corner. This is a super exciting project, and I think a great example of what progress in this community can look like and what change can look like. They will be opening up their doors with tours of the public spaces, including the upper level look out deck patio areas, and you’ll be able to see some of the units. Public is welcome, and we will be doing a ribbon cutting with the Mayor saying a few words. Thank you for that. Director Powell: Last week, Public Works held their Snow Day. We don’t want to wait until ther e could be snow before we start thinking about it. We have updated all of our plow routes, checked out all the equipment, drove the route s to see if there are any obstacles or iron gate valves, and manholes that need to be adjusted before we actually do get snow. It’s also a great opportunity to have a MS4 discussion about salting and how to smart salt, as well as a few words from the Police Department, Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 5 of 7 and then overall stressing safety when they’re out there and how to interact with the residents and stay safe. We have an Open House tomorrow night for the 2025 Street Improvement Project . This is our second open house and will be in the atrium area from 5 pm to 6:30 pm. The Mill & Overlay Project, which had until October 31st for final completion, is done. This is including the additional 20% or so of work that we added to the contract and was all finished. Hydrant flushing started today and is generally about a two week process. We provide daily updates on the web page because, if something comes up that consumes a lot of our Staff time, we may have to shift. Also, we always finish off on a day when the high school is not active, which is around MEA, so when we’re flushing in that area, we’re not adversely impacting the high school. Director Omlid: Since the Rambling River Center will continue to fundraise, the Silent Auction and Breakfast Fundraiser is Saturday. Breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 am, $12 per person for egg bake, cinnamon rolls, coffee, juice, and milk. The silent auction ends at 11 am. You can buy your tickets at the door. Halloween Havoc Tour starts Monday, with the map of houses on the City’s website and social media. Last year, we had 16 houses on the tour. This year, we have 25 , with several collecting non-perishable food for the food shelf, and one collecting hats and mittens, so be sure to check out the houses on the tour. Congratulations, Jimmy, I’m going to miss you. I think we worked the last 17 years together and it was definitely my pleasure. I’m going to miss seeing you around here. Director Sommerland: Last month, the Finance Department sent out letters to property owners who had delinquent balances for any sort of services provided by the City, such as utility billing, mowing weeds, that sort of thing. In that letter, it stated that those amounts would need to be paid by next Thursday, October 17 th, before 2:30 pm. Chief Price: This week is National Fire Prevention Week. From the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), this year’s official them is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you.” This year’s focus working on smoke alarms comes in response from NFPA data which shows that the majority of home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign reinforces the critical importance of smoke alarms, what needs to install, test, and maintain them properly. Having working smoke alarms in the home reduces the risk of dying in a home fire by 54%. However, roughly three out of five Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 6 of 7 fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, and more than 38% of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms were present. Fire Prevention Week is celebrated throughout North America every October and is the oldest U.S. public health observance on record for more than over 100 years. Fire Prevention Week has worked to educate people on the risk of home fires and ways to minimize them. Check out our website and all of our social media. We will be having things throughout the entire week on how to check your smoke alarms and change your batteries. In the city of Farmington over this entire year, we have seen a huge rise in false alarm calls that we ’ve been going in homes, because their batteries are dead, or the alarm is over ten years old, and it has to get replaced. Chief Rutherford: I have so much to say, but I am going to defer my time on the open mic to Deputy Chief Constantineau and let him address the Council. Deputy Chief Constantineau: Mr. Mayor, Members of Council, Administrator, Department Heads, thank you. Four. Nineteen. Six. Three. Six. Three. Twelve thousand. One. Those numbers might not make much sense to you, but they do to me. In the 25 years I have been in Farmington, there have been four Mayors. There have been 19 different Councilmembers. There have been six different City Administrators. There have been three different HR Directors, six different Finance Directors, and three different Police Chiefs. And I’ve had to train them all in, it’s been exhausting... Twelve thousand signifies the approximate growth of the city during my tenure here, so the population has pretty much doubled. The final one, and the most important to me, refers to my wife, Lori. She has been my rock throughout my time here and without her love and support, I wouldn’t be here tonight. It’s been quite a ride, especially the last four and a half bumpy years, but things have been smooth here. The support from our Council, our administration, and our citizens has been overwhelming at times but in a good way. I’d like to thank Chief Rutherford for seeing something in me that I didn’t even see in myself and making me the first Deputy Chief in Farmington Police history. I’d like to thank my co-workers who are among the best cops in the country. I pray for their safety throughout these tumultuous times. Thank you, and God bless. Everyone stood and applauded. Mayor Hoyt: The last six years – that’s the timeframe that I’ve had the opportunity to really work with you and, time and time again, I have only seen a true professional show up. You’re steadfast, you are reliable in every way, and you are a consummate professional. I love your enthusiasm, and I love your drive. I only get to see snippets, just micro pictures of the things you’ve done in your very distinguished career. In Regular City Council Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2024 Page 7 of 7 the book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell, they talk about the law of the legacy, and it says the highest level of leadership is one that very few ever achieve. And that’s putting their organization in a position to succeed in their absence. There is no doubt that the men and women that you have served with over your tenure are better because of your impact. And I know that from the very little time that I got to spend with you. You will be dearly missed in our Department, you will be dearly missed in our community, but your wife gets you back. For that time, ma’am, we thank you. You have made as many sacrifices as Jimmy has – the nights, the weekends, the holidays, all the things. You both are in this retirement. Go enjoy it, and I’m going to hold you to it – when we break ground on the expansion, you’re coming back. But other than that, enjoy your retirement, Sir. You have earned it. Thank you for everything you ’ve done for us – we appreciate you. 14. ADJOURNMENT Motion was made by Councilmember Lien and seconded by Councilmember Wilson to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 pm. Motion carried: 3 ayes / 0 nays Respectfully submitted, Shirley R Buecksler City Clerk