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4.1. DRAFT MINUTES (1 SET) 10-17-2016 Meeting of the Elk River City Council Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, October 3, 2016 Members Present: Mayor Dietz, Councilmembers Olsen, Burandt, Westgaard, and Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Recreation Manager Steve Benoit, Park Superintendent Tim Sevcik, Economic Development Specialist Colleen Eddy, Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt, Finance Director Lori Ziemer, and Executive Secretary/Deputy City Clerk Jessica Miller 1. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River City Council was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Mayor Dietz. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Consider 10/03/2016 Agenda Rivers Edge electrical upgrade was added as item 10.3. Mayor Dietz removed item 4.4. from the consent agenda for discussion. Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to approve the October 3, 2016, agenda as amended. Motion carried 5-0. 4. Consider Consent Agenda Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to approve the following consent agenda as amended: 4.1 September 19, 2016, minutes. 4.2 Check register, check numbers 9867-9870 and 98532-98677 as outlined in the staff report. 4.3 Labor Agreement Between the City of Elk River and IUOE Local #49 as outlined in the staff report. 4.5 Rivers Edge Park change order 4.6 Central Pension Fund Participating Agreement 4.7 Resolution 16-64 acknowledging contributions to the Police Department. Motion carried 5-0. City Council Minutes Page 2 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- 4.4 Approve Proposal for Audit Services with CliftonLarsonAllen. Mayor Dietz asked of any issues with the city and ERMU having different auditors. Mr. Portner stated he doesn’t anticipate any issues because the audit process is a consistent process. Moved by Councilmember Olsen and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard to approve the agreement for audit services with CliftonLarsonAllen for the fiscal years ending December 31, 2016 – December 31, 2020. Motion carried 5-0. 5. Open Forum Stacy Hollenbeck, 16714 County Road 43, Big Lake – stated she owns a tax business downtown Elk River and recently purchased the Blue Egg Cake building. She expressed an interest in putting a smoke shop in the location; however, city code prohibits tobacco shops within 500-feet of school or park property. She explained she has a tobacco shop in Big Lake and believes having one downtown Elk River would bring additional people to the downtown businesses. She asked the Council to consider amending the 500-foot requirement. Mayor Dietz questioned the best way to move forward with this. Mr. Portner indicated the Council should discuss in work session and if interested the Council can direct staff to prepare an ordinance amendment. th Paul Tentis, 10270 – 175 Ave NW – had concerns with the amount of truck traffic on his road. He would like to find a way to move the trucks through the industrial area instead of the neighborhood streets. He distributed a handout outlining the issues and examples. Mayor Dietz stated he would like this item discussed when the city engineer is in attendance. Councilmember Wagner noted she spoke to Chief Nierenhausen about this and the Police Department is also collecting data for the discussion. Dawn Hickman, 20562 Victoria Dr NW – expressed concern over the lack of downtown parking. She explained she has been a server at Daddy-O’s Café for 13 years and witnesses daily struggles with parking. She suggested spacing the farmer’s market and the concerts out during the week instead of all on Thursdays. Councilmember Wagner indicated she is part of the downtown business group and the group has been discussing parking. She invited Ms. Hickman to attend a meeting to discuss parking. She noted there is more parking downtown than people realize but everyone wants to park on the road in front of the businesses. 6.1 Manufacturing Week Video Presentation Ms. Eddy presented the staff report. She indicated the intent was to present a video but due to technical difficulties the video won’t be aired tonight. She encouraged people to go to the website or social media pages to view the video. Mayor Dietz asked if the video could be viewed at a future meeting. City Council Minutes Page 3 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- 6.2 Proclamation: Public Power Week Mayor Dietz read the proclamation. Moved by Councilmember Olsen and seconded by Councilmember Burandt to proclaim October 2, 2016, through October 8, 2016, as Public Power Week. Motion carried 5-0. 7.1. Public Hearings There were no public hearings. 8.1. Library Branch Agreement Karen Pundsack, Great River Regional Library (GRRL) Executive Director – thanked Elk River for being a great library partner. Ms. Pundsack indicated the new agreement is a revision of past agreements being presented to all cities. The Council had questions regarding the following: Page 2, 1(G) - Councilmember Wagner asked for clarification on base-level services. Ms. Pundsack indicated for example GRRL will provide basic phone service but if the city wanted to provide a higher level they would be responsible for all maintenance costs, or if the city wanted more hours they would be responsible for funding. Councilmember Olsen indicated he donated a monitor to Elk River Library Branch Manager Will Hollerich that was in good shape. He indicated he was later informed by Mr. Hollerich the information technology division of GRRL would not allow him to use the monitor. Councilmember Olsen asked for reasoning. Ms. Pundsack explained it is a GRRL policy to ensure uniformity among the branches which assists in efficiency. Page 1, 1 (Services) - Mayor Dietz indicated it states GRRL agrees to provide communication among parties. Mayor Dietz explained he does not feel communication between the city and GRRL is very good. He stated the local branch manager does not attend city meetings and interacts very little with city staff. Mayor Dietz noted it was not always this way and stated he doesn’t feel like Mr. Hollerich is allowed to be part of the team. Mayor Dietz acknowledged Mr. Hollerich works for GRRL but since the library is part of the city functions, he believes Mr. Hollerich should be allowed more time to communicate with city staff. Page 1, 1(A) – Mayor Dietz asked for clarification on this item. Ms. Pundsack explained if the community identifies a desire such as a book club or change in hours, GRRL would explore options. Page 2, 1(G) – Mayor Dietz stated this item states anything not associated with the library building is the responsibility of GRRL and questioned programming. Ms. Pundsack City Council Minutes Page 4 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- indicated she understands the city puts in money for programming and outlined the policy for determining GRRL programming funding. Mayor Dietz indicated he would like GRRL to provide a list of each city’s contribution towards programming. Ms. Pundsack noted Elk River provides the highest programming contribution. Mayor Dietz added he is not proposing to cut the city’s programming contribution; however, he did encourage the Council not to increase that amount. Page 2, 3 (Library Facility) – Mayor Dietz didn’t like the wording in this section because the city owns the library building and the agreement shouldn’t have to state the city is allowed access. Page 2, 2 (Equipment and Furnishings) – Mayor Dietz stated the agreement states all equipment and furnishings need to be approved by GRRL. Ms. Pundsack explained this is not an issue in Elk River but in some lower funded communities the equipment and furnishings are very old and not appropriate for the library setting. Mayor Dietz indicated he is hesitant to approve the agreement as he believes it is weighed heavily in GRRL’s favor. He explained his understanding is Big Lake also has some concerns and their administrator attended a GRRL Board meeting. Ms. Pundsack stated the direction of the GRRL Board is for cities to come together to let GRRL know the requested changes. She noted GRRL has received signed agreements back from three or four cities. Mayor Dietz indicated he would send Ms. Pundsack his list of concerns. Ms. Pundsack stated that would be helpful and noted it might be easier to hold a meeting with the cities involved to get all the changes. Mayor Dietz stated he would be happy to attend a GRRL Board meeting to discuss. He asked the Council to postpone this item until the agreement has been rewritten at which time the Council can review. 8.2 Skate Park Design Mr. Benoit presented the staff report. Councilmember Westgaard questioned how the estimated cost compares to the budget. Mr. Benoit explained the skate park is included in the referendum as part of the $2 million park improvements. Mr. Benoit noted the current estimate is slightly higher than the $350,000 dedicated in the park priorities; however, costs can be reduced by performing some of the work in house and also by seeking in-kind donations. He added removing colored concrete from the project would also save money. Mayor Dietz indicated he works in the concrete industry and colored concrete can cost up to 50% more than regular so he’s confident removing it would reduce the cost. He added he may be able to speak with his employer about potential donations. It was noted nominal grants may also be available but if the referendum does not pass the Parks and Recreation Commission would need to discuss how to move forward with funding this project. City Council Minutes Page 5 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to approve the Orono Park Skate Park design as presented. Motion carried 5-0. 8.3 Discuss Work Session Items The following items were added for future work sessions: th  175Avenue truck traffic (from open forum this evening).  Tobacco ordinance relating to distance requirements (from open forum) Councilmember Wagner expressed an interest in discussing the dissemination of information through social media. She explained there are many posts that do not contain factual information and she doesn’t believe it’s fair to the public and media to continually see false information. Her opinion is the city could do a better job at getting the facts out there. Mayor Dietz concurred. 9.1 Council Liaison Updates The Council provided updates on the various boards/commissions. The Council recessed at 7:50 p.m. for Work Session. The meeting reconvened at 7:58 p.m. 10.1 Chamber of Commerce Building Mr. Portner presented the staff report. Chamber Executive Director Debbi Rydberg explained the current Chamber of Commerce building has served the Chamber well for the last 20 years but they have outgrown the building. She stated they hold hundreds of meetings annually and struggle to find free meeting space. She explained they love their current location and would prefer to expand or reconfigure their current building. She stated the Chamber received some preliminary estimates for various reconfiguration and expansion options. It was noted the Chamber currently leases the building from the city for $1/year plus property taxes and is responsible for all ongoing maintenance. The Council and Chamber representatives discussed various options including a new multi- tenant facility, the former school district building, the new school district building, the potential community center site, etc. Consensus was the best option would be for the Chamber to expand in their current location. Mayor Dietz questioned if the expansion would qualify for low interest loans or other EDA or HRA programs. Mr. Portner stated he will check with Ms. Othoudt. David Monroy, Chamber Chair Elect explained the Chamber was looking at conducting a capital campaign to help defray costs. Mr. Portner recommended conducting the campaign prior to construction so the remainder of the funding can be secured. City Council Minutes Page 6 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- It was noted it might be a good idea to have the city building official walk through the property and review its condition. The Council asked how the Chamber would like to move forward. Ms. Rydberg stated based on the positive feedback from the Council, she would like to ask the Chamber Board to take the next step and have preliminary concept drawings prepared. 10.2 Pinewood Mr. Portner presented the staff report. Councilmember Wagner stated she believes it will be a goodwill gesture to open the course free of charge for the next 4-6 weeks. Councilmember Westgaard expressed concerns with potential damage to the course with not having the course staffed. She stated she would recommend putting up a sign notifying golfers to clean up and repair any damage when they are finished golfing. Councilmember Wagner stated she doesn’t believe opening now would affect the RFP process because she doesn’t believe that many people would utilize the course in October. Councilmember Olsen indicated he is not in favor of opening at this time because he is concerned about damage to the greens since they haven’t been treated since 2014. Councilmember Westgaard questioned staff’s position. Mr. Sevcik explained he spoke to professionals from three area golf courses and they agreed the city could open the course and play marginal golf for a couple weeks but the city may be better served by taking the time and effort to get the course in to playable condition for early spring. Councilmember Wagner indicated her understanding is there is no budget for grounds maintenance this year so that isn’t an option. Mr. Portner indicated the Council has not discussed performing grounds maintenance this year and staff does not plan to move forward with anything until after the RFPs come back. Councilmember Olsen noted he believes if the course is opened now residents will get the wrong impression the city plans to reopen the course for good. Councilmember Burandt stated she agrees with Councilmember Wagner the course should be opened. She explained people are upset with the city for closing the course and opening it for the fall would show residents the city cares about their concerns. Mayor Dietz indicated he understands both sides of the conversation. He noted he believes if the city opens it there would be an expectation for the course to be in perfect, playable condition which may upset some golfers. He agreed residents could get a sense of false optimism if the city opens the course now. City Council Minutes Page 7 October 3, 2016 ----------------------------- Councilmember Westgaard feels the risk for opening the course for a couple hundred people is too high. He explained the city already committed to the course being closed and believes it should stay that way until the RFP process is completed and a future plan is in place. He would rather see the time spent preparing the course to be ready in the spring. Mr. Sevcik stated it would cost about $3,000 to begin preparing the course for spring. He stated the greens are in good condition but the layers beneath need aeration and other work before a full season. Mr. Portner asked the Council if they want staff to put the time and money into the course so it’s ready as soon as weather allows in the spring. Councilmember Wagner indicated she is not in favor of spending $3,000 at this time as the RFPs stated the course was as is. Consensus was to wait and have a discussion on fall green maintenance until after the RFPs come back. Mr. Sevcik noted the fall maintenance takes about four weeks and depends highly on the weather. Mayor Dietz explained Grantsburg Wisconsin has a 9-hole municipal course that is leased, run, and maintained by an LLC. He stated there may be a local group willing to do the same at Pinewood. He asked that staff visit with city officials prior to making any final decisions on the course. 10.3 Rivers Edge Electrical Upgrade Mr. Sevcik presented the staff report and noted normally Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) would donate their time and the city would provide the materials. He stated ERMU has indicated they cannot complete the work in the timeframe indicated so staff is recommending hiring a contractor. Mayor Dietz questioned the cost if Elk River Municipal Utilities performed the work. Mr. Sevcik estimated the labor cost at $2,000. Consensus to move forward and bring this item on a future consent agenda for approval. 11. Adjournment There being no further business, Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 9:17 p.m. Minutes prepared by Jessica Miller. ___________________ John J. Dietz, Mayor ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk