Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-07-25 CC MINgrater iNE �IETNI LA LE Bf YIMM EEEf� CITY COUNCIL MINUTES July 25, 2011 REGULAR MEETING 4:30 P.M. Vice Mayor Roush called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, and Roush Absent: Councilmember Polehna, and Mayor Harycki Staff present: City Administrator Hansen City Attorney Magnuson Finance Director Harrison Fire Chief Glaser Public Works Director Sanders City Planner Pogge Admin Secretary Manos OTHER BUSINESS Youth Service Bureau Mary Planton- Krell, Executive Director, gave an overview of how successful their diversion programs for Stillwater youth are keeping them from being repeat offenders. YSB is alternative to adult court, community service, letters of apology, public safety, refocus family counseling, On questions from Councilmember Cook, Ms. Planton -Krell responded that about 45% of their programming is related to working with r eferrals from law enforcement; and that approximately 85% of youth referred to their programs will not reoffend based upon prior experience. She also explained that a Fee for Service contract is a document they have negotiated and are successfully working with Maplewood and Woodbury communities, that is a way of making clear what services are provided, how much those services are going to cost, and being able to monitor and document what is being provided under that contract, rather than just a grant or a gift. She added that the core services are the same, but they are not a cookie cutter sort of approach; each community has different opportunities. Councilmember Menikheim mentioned that the City had not contributed funds last year, and City Administrator Hansen explained that the City did allocate some funds through the Police Department and filled the gap with forfeited property, but the contribution was not nearly as much as past years. Councilmember Menikheim asked where the money would come from and City Administrator Hansen responded that he will make note to try and add it to the budget. City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 Councilmember Menikheim suggested matching funds with the Library and Water Boards, and acknowledged that they have their own independent authorities. Vice Mayor Roush indicated that everyone agrees that it is a valuable service and that the Council will do what they can to find some money. Community Thread Valerie Jones, expressed their appreciation and reviewed the mission, vision and values of this program, specifically the senior center and senior needs. On a question from Vice Mayor Roush, Ms. Jones explained that they are a staff of three full time and eight part time employees and one of the State's eight volunteer center. She added that volunteers are not free, and their main job is to teach a community how to engage volunteers effectively. Councilmember Menikheim reiterated that this could be another opportunity to match funds with the other independent City entities as the Water Board and Library. Pedestrian Walkway pdate City Planner Pogge reviewed the plans for the new walkway, highlighting timeline, benches, fencing, brick columns with historical markers, landscaping, crosswalks, and flood proofing. Councilmember Cook expressed how panoramic the landscaping plans appeared and she did not want to lose that appeal. She suggested precautions for loitering and vandalism, such as the benches in Orleans Park where there is a bar in the middle, to avoid someone laying down. On a question from Councilmember Menikheim, Mr. Pogge informed the Council that at the July 12th Open House, nine citizens came and gave positive, and technical comments. Councilmember Cook wanted to know if this project was available to the public on the website, and Mr. Pogge responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Menikheim inquired about website and written comments from the public, and Mr. Pogge stated that he has not received any other comments. Councilmember Cook asked questions about seeing plans for the interior of the bathroom, and Mr. Pogge indicated that they would be available at the time the bids are received, noting glazed ceramic wall tiles, non -skid flooring, and that we should hear back from FEMA within 30 to 60 days. Vice Mayor Roush expressed concern for damage from skateboarders and Mr. Pogge indicated that surfaces will be ribbed, grooved, and low limestone features will be used to deter them. On another question from Vice Mayor Roush, Mr. Pogge answered that these current plans are what we are planning to go ahead with on the project, and we are pretty much locked in. He added that if the Council had any changes, now would be a good time to address them. Members of the Council expressed their approval of the project plans and thought they looked very appealing. Page 2 of 8 City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 Councilmember Cook inquired if the project was contingent on the land swap with the Water Street Inn, and Mr. Pogge explained that the process has begun with vacation of a portion of Water Street. Councilmember Cook also wondered about a public hearing for the land close to the river, and Mr. Pogge pointed out that they decided against the land lose to the river due to concern for flood preparation and high water levels. STAFF REPORTS Fire Chief Glaser reported that there mother nature was the headliner for Lumberjack Days, height of river, high heat and humidity Wednesday and Thursday, broke some on Friday, but Saturday had emergent storms during the morning race and again later in the evening, that effected the last band. He noted that crowds were smaller than usual; and that they had 29 calls over the four days, which was down from 44 from last year; 50% of the calls were medical, including people overcome by heat, people over imbibed; and they clocked about 300 hours of staff time, not including upfront planning. Vice Mayor Roush inquired about an email he received from a concerned resident about an ambulance waiting at the bridge due to heavy traffic, and Chief Glaser indicated that they decided to handle all downtown calls as red lights and sirens, because traffic, pedestrians and parking are usually such an issue. He expressed that having the National Guard there was a great assistance; they were able to respond quickly to a call of a vendor having a leaking propane tank. On a question from Councilmember Cook, City Administrator Hansen responded that a briefing on Lumberjack Days would be forthcoming. City Administrator Hansen reiterated that Lumberjack Days was calmer than usual, lots of other events going on in the Twin Cities area, the weather probably played a big role. Councilmember Menikheim suggested that perhaps this year was a reflection of all the effort and work that has been done over the years to get to this point, and offered a pat on the back to all the staff that have done this event for so many years, and considers it a sign of progress The meeting was recessed at 5:12 p.m. RECESSED MEETING Vice Mayor Roush called the recessed meeting to order at 7 p.m. Present: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, and Vice Mayor Roush Staff present: City Administrator Hansen City Attorney Magnuson Finance Director Harrison Fire Chief Glaser Public Works Director Sanders Admin Secretary Manos 7:00 PM Page 3 of 8 City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Vice Mayor Roush led the Council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes from the July 19, 2011 regular meeting will be available for approval on August 16, 2011. PETITIONS, INDIVIDUALS, DELEGATIONS & COMMENDATIONS Council Service Award — First Presbyterian Church Councilmember Menikheim presented a Council Service Award to Rev. Zachery Wilson, First Presbyterian Church, for opening an emergency shelter for 57 residents, who were displaced as a result of the fire at the Birchwood Apartments, July 13, 2011, where 8 units were destroyed and others damaged. St. Croix Valley Red Cross set up a service center in the Church to meet the immediate needs for food, clothing and personal care. The Church also served as an overnight shelter for families awaiting alternate housing, or cleaning and inspection before being allowed to return. He noted that he arrived at the church at 5:45 a.m., and church members had been there since 4:30 a.m., taking care of people and holding hands. He also recognized Jeanine Kopel from the American Red Cross, and commended the Church and Red Cross together; they were an awesome team, given the tragedy of the day. Vice Mayor Roush spoke of the quality of residents, organizations and citizens in the community and thanked everyone for pulling together to help those in need, at the time they most needed it. Rev. Wilson thanked the council and Valley Outreach who worked hard to get emergency housing set up. Fire Chief Glaser spoke of the appreciation of the Fire Department and Police Department for the speed of their response to get assistance and somewhere to go to those who needed it during a devastating time. OPEN FORUM There were no public comments. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Resolution 2011 -107, directing payment of bills. Motion by Councilmember Cook, seconded by Councilmember Polehna to approve the consent agenda. Ayes: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, and Vice Mayor Roush Nays: None Page 4 of 8 City Council Meeting PUBLIC HEARINGS July 25, 2011 Case No. 2011 -04a. This is the date and time for a public to consider a request from City of Stillwater for future land map amendments related to the Comprehensive Plan rezoning and any variances related thereto. Notices were mailed to affected property owners and published in the Stillwater Gazette on Julv 15. 2011. Tabled until August 16, 2011 Council Meeting. Case No. 2011 -04b. This is the date and time for a public hearing to consider a request from City of Stillwater for special use permits for properties related to the Comprehensive Plan rezoning and any variances related thereto. Notices were mailed to affected property owners and published in the Stillwater Gazette on Julv 15. 2011. Tabled until August 16, 2011 Council Meeting. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Presentation of ESI report on City Hall Air Handler Tony Baxter and Ryan Skoug from ESI introduced their company and reviewed their report regarding the noise and tones that the City Hall building chiller generates. Vice Mayor Roush asked if the complaints were 24/7, or just during night time, and night and day times were discussed. Councilmember Cook inquired if the noise issue was a mute point due to the current conditions it is evident that the chiller was not working, and IT Tech Rich Bornt responded that several days last week, the vendors had been fighting to keep the chiller operating. She also asked about the Fire Department having its own independent system and it does not make any noise at all, and Mr. Bornt stated that it does make noise, and confirmed that it is not contributing to the noise complaints. Vice Mayor Roush asked if the frequency noise was typical to this kind of equipment or if was defective, and Mr. Skoug answered that it could be both; that a compression of this type is known to have this frequency issue and if it was wearing out, it could get louder than what it was designed for. Mr. Skoug explained that he compared the noise frequency to the manufacturer specifications and this compressor was not operating outside what is expected. On a question from Councilmember Cook, Mr. Bornt confirmed that it would costs $25,000 to repair the chiller, compared to replacing the whole system. Councilmember Menikheim expressed that he leans toward getting a new system and asked about the quality of the current system, Mr. Skoug did not have that information, but did know that other systems are quieter. City Administrator Hansen explained that during his 10 years working here, we have sunk a ton of money into the system trying to fixed it, and band aid it, and recommends working with ESI, to come up with specifications that we can go out for bids with numerous companies, making sure it is a system that works reliably, and more quiet than what we have. Page 5 of 8 City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 Councilmember Menikheim added that to get it in here quickly, and City Administrator Hansen agreed, and that correctly was more important than quickness. Councilmember Polehna also agreed, but asked if we could change out the compressor to get us by for awhile; Mr. Bornt explained that basically the compressor is the system and perhaps we could get a larger temporary unit that will hook into our ventilation system, instead of a standalone to allow us time to make the most accurate choice for a new system. Vice Mayor Roush asked City Administrator Hansen if the Minnesota National Guard could help out with a loan of such equipment on a temporary basis, and he replied that we could certainly inquire. Councilmember Menikheim suggested going back to Trane to explain the problem and we would consider purchasing a new unit, asking them if they can do something with the compressor to help us get through this period of time, and Mr. Bornt stated that we could go back to the current vendor to see if they had any temporary solutions. Councilmember Cook expressed that we should be able to get professionals in here to give us an assessment on how to do it right, and City Administrator Hansen indicated that we had ESI right in front of us to help with that. He added that he and Mr. Bornt are not qualified to do that, and asked that he get approval to go continue to work with ESI to develop some specifications to bid it out, and look at temporary fixes to get the building cool. Councilmember Cook asked if that is typically how the process works, that we need specs, and Vice Mayor Roush noted that we want specs to make sure we're doing it right. Mr. Skoug and Mr. Baxter explained that they could help with the noise issues, but they are not that style of engineering firm to do mechanical design for a new system, but they work with those firms. Vice Mayor Roush reiterated that the specs decibel level that would not be an annoyance to the residents. Councilmember Polehna reiterated that it hooks into the building correctly, where it's going to go, the best location, but then you have to run the pipes, and size everything. Mr. Bornt added that we will retain ESI for their guidance and to help us decide on the correct type of system without noise issues. Councilmember Cook asked if Mr. Bornt would be the lead on this, and City Administrator Hansen indicated that he would speak with Mr. Bornt, referring to "other duties as assigned." Councilmember Polehna reflected that the engineering firm might suggest one unit for police, and Mr. Bornt described other options he has been informed of. Vice Mayor Roush asked where the money would come from and tentative timeline, and City Administrator Hansen noted that he could not have a timeline until he spoke with others, but do it as quickly as possible. He suggested that paying for it he could put money in the 2012 capital budget and do an internal borrowing in 2011 based on 2012, so we won't have to wait until January 1, and pay ourselves off. He stated that he had already put $100,000 in, but would increase it to $150,000, and feels we would have to a bond in 2012. Page 6 of 8 City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 Councilmember Menikheim asked if 14 years was old for a unit, and Mr. Baxter indicated that as they age, they take more and more money to keep them running. Motion by Councilmember Cook, seconded by Councilmember Menikheim directing staff to follow through with working with engineering firms to come up with a set of specifications and move forward. All in favor. Possible approval of 2 nd reading of Ordinance 1037 an Ordinance amending Chapter 33 -by adding the Minnesota Electrical Act to Section 33 -1 of the Cily Code City Attorney Magnuson reiterated that this ordinance was needed due to the government shut -down, so that anytime in the future that the State shuts down; we have the authority to hire a contractor to conduct State electrical inspections. Vice Mayor Roush inquired if there were any changes since the last reading, and City Attorney Magnuson explained that paragraph 8 was modified to cover any time in the future. Vice Mayor asked the rest of the Council if should this ordinance pass and a roll call vote was taken. Ayes: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, and Vice Mayor Roush Nays: None Possible approval of 2nd reading of Ordinance 1038 an Ordinance amending the Stillwater City Code Chapter 31 Entitled Zoning Ordinance by adding "Limited Bottling Works" In the Business Park Office Zoning District as a Specially Permit Use City Attorney Magnuson explained that this is a `housekeeping' measure that would allow bottling up to 250,000 bottles, but would not allow fully automated bottling that would be noisy or disruptive to neighborhood. Vice Mayor Roush confirmed that the limiting terminology between this scale, and large scale, is where it reads, "it is limited to manual or semi - automated bottling." Vice Mayor asked the rest of the Council if should this ordinance pass and a roll call vote was taken. Ayes: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, and Vice Mayor Roush Nays: None NEW BUSINESS Possible approval of Code Red Joint Powers Agreement with Washington County City Administrator Hansen described the mass notification system with Washington County. It can be used for emergency or non - emergency information. Mr. Hansen recommended the City participate. Councilmember Menikheim asked how the County would obtain all of the residents' information, and City Administrator Hansen replied that the residents would have to sign up electronically through the website, the County fair, or phoning City Hall or mailing it in, etc. Page 7 of 8 City Council Meeting July 25, 2011 Motion by Councilmember Polehna, seconded by Vice Mayor Roush to adopt Resolution 2011- 108, approving the Joint Powers Agreement between the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the City of Stillwater. Ayes: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, and Vice Mayor Roush Nays: None COUNCIL REQUEST ITEMS Councilmember Polehna wanted to mention that the State budget is now passed; the DNR has purchased the Zephyr Line, and heard it will be developed within a year or so. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Polehna, seconded by Councilmember Menikheim, to adjourn at 8 :53 p.m. All in favor. �i a ouch, Vice Mayor ATTEST: f 4A4 Larry D. Aftlisen, Acting City Clerk Resolution 2011 -107, directing payment of bills Resolution 2011 -108, approving Joint Powers Agreement between the Washington County Sheriff s Office and the City of Stillwater Ordinance 1037, amending Chapter 33 by adding the Minnesota Electrical Act to Section 33 -1 of the City Code Ordinance 1038, amending the Stillwater City Code Chapter 31, Entitled Zoning Ordinance, by adding "Limited Bottling Works" In the Business Park Office Zoning District as a Specially Permit Use Page 8 of 8