Loading...
4.1. DRAFT MINUTES (2 SETS) 07-16-2018 VA City of Elk Meeting of the Elk River City Council River Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, June 18, 2018 Members Present: Mayor Dietz, Councilmembers Olsen, Ovall,Westgaard, and Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, City Attorney Peter Beck, Finance Director Lori Ziemer, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Hecker, Senior Planner Chris Leeseberg,Arena Manager Rich Czech, Recreation Manager Steve Benoit, Recreation Coordinator Tim Dalton, and Executive Secretary/Deputy City Clerk Jessica Miller I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River City Council was called to order at 6:01 p.m. by Mayor Dietz. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. .; 3. Consider June 18, 2018, Agenda Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and sec Moved by Councilmember Olsen to approve the June 18, 2018, agenda. Motion carried 5-0. 4. Consider,Consent Agend Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to approve the following consent agenda: 4.1 Minutes ■ May 30, 2018, Special ■ June 4, 2018, Regular 4.2 Check register, check numbers 106491-106656 as outlined in the staff report. 4.3 Temporary On-Sale Liquor License to the City of Elk River for Elk RiverFest,July 7, 2018, with the condition alcohol must be confined to an area enclosed by a fence with secured, controlled access and limited to the beer garden and grandstand. Wrist band control is required for patrons 21 and over. 4.4 Annual Liquor License renewals submitted late as outlined in the staff report. 4.5 2018 Mineral Excavation Licenses as outlined in the staff report. City Council Minutes Page 2 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- 4.6 Quit Claim Deed to RP3 LLC conveying remaining interest in the park dedicated with the plat of Miske Meadows. 4.7 Resolution 18-36 authorizing the transfer from the Municipal Liquor Fund to the Park Improvement Fund. 4.8 Appoint Deputy Chief of Operations Aaron Surratt to acting fire chief with a temporary pay adjustment effective June 13, 2018. 4.9 Resolution 18-37 acknowledging a contribution from First National Bank of Elk River. 4.10A Resolution 18-38 acknowledging contribution from State Farm Insurance Agent Kevin Gleitz. 4.10B Resolution 18-39 acknowledging contribution from HealthPartners RiverWay Elk River. 4.10C Resolution 18-40 acknowledging contribution from Elk River Senior Living. 4.11 Hire Megan Knopik as full-time liquor store clerk effective June 27, 2018. 4.12 Professional Services Agreement 2018-05 for transcription services with Danielle Faulhaber. Motion carried 5-0. S. Open Forum Senator Mary Kiffineyer provided an update on the Legislative session and projects. She thanked city staff for participating in meetings and for assisting in the Corridors of Commerce funding. The Council thanked Senator Kiffineyer for her hard work. 6.1 Volunteer of the Month Mayor Dietz presented the June Volunteer of the Month Award to Amanda Stoltman. Mayor Dietz highlighted some of Ms. Stoltman's accomplishments including: ■ Reads and visits with hospice patients at Guardian Angels Care Center. ■ Travels to the homes of hospice patients to spend time with them. ■ Serves as a commissioner for Elk River Youth Baseball. ■ Works on fundraiser, concessions, and team registration for Elk River Youth Baseball. ■ Team manager for youth football, basketball, and baseball teams. ■ Classroom volunteer and carnival committee member at Parker Elementary School. ■ Part of a mission team that will deliver aid to Haiti. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 3 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- 7.1 Conditional Use Permit: Spectrum Athletic Complex Updates and Expansions Mr. Leeseberg presented his staff report. Mayor Dietz opened the public hearing. There being no one to speak to this issue, Mayor Dietz closed the public hearing. Mayor Dietz expressed concerns with the five-year limitation on the Interim Use Permit. He stated he would hate to see Spectrum spend money on fields if the Interim Use Permit expires in five years. Mr. Leeseberg explained staff hopes an ordinance amendment allowing these uses under Conditional Use Permits will be in place by the end of the year. He noted once the amendment is made, Spectrum can apply for a Conditional Use Permit which would allow the use to continue until the authorized use ceases for more than six months. Mayor Dietz asked if the Interim Use Permit can be renewed if the ordinance amendment allowing this use as a Conditional Use Permit isn't approved. Mr. Leeseberg stated Spectrum can apply for an extension when the current Interim Use Permit expires. Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to approve an Interim Use Permit to Spectrum for athletic complex updates and expansions with the condition it shall expire on June 30, 2023. Motion carried 5-0. 7.2A ERX Motorpark: Ordinance Amendment Allowing Conditional Uses to the XCR Zoning District Mr. Leeseberg presented his staff report. Mayor Dietz opened the public hearing. There being no one to speak to this issue, Mayor Dietz closed the public hearing. Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to adopt Ordinance 18-09 amending Section 30-1 and Section 30-1027, XCR Extreme Commercial Recreation. Motion carried 5-0. 7.213 ERX Motorpark: Conditional Use Permit: Allow Off-Road Racing, Active Recreation and Physical Endurance, Live Entertainment, Festivals, Research & Development, Conference & Event Center, and Swap Meets Mayor Dietz opened the public hearing. There being no one to speak to this issue, Mayor Dietz continued the public hearing to July 16, 2018. p a W I R I a 0 Y NATUREI City Council Minutes Page 4 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard to continue the public hearing to July 16, 2018. Motion carried 5-0. 7.3 Simple Plat: Katnis Elveru Addition Mr. Leeseberg presented the staff report. Mayor Dietz opened the public hearing. Mary Katnis Elveru,property owner—stated she disagrees with staff s requirement of a 50-foot right-of-way as she believes it will affect her quality of living by coming only six inches from her house. She noted she is simply trying to split the land to give her daughter and son-in-law a lot to build on. There being no one else to speak,Mayor Dietz closed the public hearing. Mr. Leeseberg indicated he spoke with the city engineer and staff is requesting the 50-foot right-of-way for future infrastructure needs.Attorney Beck added the 50- foot right-of-way is consistent with the city's Transportation Plan and with other approved plats. Councilmember Westgaard stated he understands the applicant's concerns but is hesitant about reducing the right-of-way. He explained how 165"'Avenue is identified in the Transportation Plan as an east-west corridor and obtaining the appropriate right-of-way later could be a challenge. Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Olsen to adopt Resolution 18-41 approving final plat of Katnis Elveru Addition with the following conditions: 1. Surface Water Management Fee shall be paid for one (1) lot at the rate applicable at the time the final plat is released for recording. 2. Park Dedication shall be paid for one (1) dwelling unit at the rate applicable when the subdivision is released for recording. 3. Staff approval of updated plat after comments regarding wetland delineation have been incorporated. 4. Any item or condition found indicating the site is likely to yield information important to pre-history or history shall immediately be reported to the city. Further, the city reserves the right to stop work authorized in its approval until the site is appropriately investigated and work is authorized. Motion carried 5-0. 8.1 Athletic Facilities Master Plans Mr. Hecker presented his staff report. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 5 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- Mayor Dietz stated he spoke to the school district superintendent about the city possibly purchasing Hales Field. He stated the school may be interested in partnering with the city but is not interested in selling the field. Councilmember Ovall indicated parking is an issue at the Oak Knoll Athletic Complex. Mr. Portner noted the school district is in the process of master planning and they may be looking at adding parking to the area as well. Mayor Dietz questioned if franchise fee funding can be used for parking lot improvements. Mr. Portner stated he will have to review the ordinance language. He noted the Council has discretion to change the ordinance as they see fit. Mr. Hecker stated these master plans would be added to the Parks Master Plan as addendums. Moved by Councilmember Olsen and seconded by Councilmember Wagner to approve the Athletic Facilities Master Plans for Dave Anderson Athletic Complex (DAAC), Oak Knoll Athletic Complex (OKAC), and the Youth Athletic Complex (YAC). Motion carried 5-0. The Council recessed at 6:54 p.m. in order to go in to work session. The meeting reconvened at 7:02 p.m. 9.1 2019 Budget Ms. Ziemer presented the staff report. The Council discussed the 2019 budget process. Ms. Ziemer indicated she would like to schedule two budget dedicated work sessions rather than discussing after regular Council meetings. Tentative dates were discussed. The Council scheduled special budget work sessions for Monday,July 23 and Monday,August 13 at 4 p.m. 9.2 Ballard*King Financial Analysis Mr. Czech presented the staff report. The Council reviewed the Ballard*King Financial Analysis Report. Mr. Portner explained the figures included in the report are conservative and revenue that cannot be counted on or things we don't have a good handle on were not included. Councilmember Ovall indicated he didn't believe we are comparing apples to apples without including operational expenses for the Senior Activity Center and Lions Park in the multipurpose and arena proposals. POWERED 0Y UREI City Council Minutes Page 6 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- Mr. Portner stated staff can pull the budget figures for the Senior Activity Center and Lions Park and add to the arena proposal and add the activity center revenues to the multipurpose proposal. He noted the goal will be to reduce expenses and increase revenue no matter which option is selected. Councilmember Wagner questioned if the Arena Commission and staff are comfortable with this report. Mr. Portner indicated the report has been reviewed by staff and the commission and after a few minor questions,they agree with the report. 9.3 Parks and Recreation Commission Park and Trail Project Priorities Mr. Hecker presented the staff report. The Council discussed the priority list as presented by the Parks and Recreation Commission. Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Anderson was present to answer questions. Mayor Dietz questioned if the franchise fee can be used for the parking lot. Councilmember Wagner indicated she believes upgrading Orono Park will have a huge impact on the community as a whole because it has the potential to serve the entire community with several amenities. Mayor Dietz agreed some parks can be done in phases but Orono would be better finished all at once since the park appeals to all ages. Councilmember Olsen noted the parking lot and trails at Orono should be a top priority. Mr. Hecker indicated costs will be defined and brought back for Council to decide which projects they wish to include. Mayor Dietz indicated lights at the Youth Athletic Complex (YAC) are a top priority for him. He is also interested in working with the school district to make Hales Field a signature ballfield as he believes it is an excellent location for a field and compliments Oak Knoll field. Councilmember Olsen liked the idea of partnering more with the school district. Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Dave Anderson noted the commission would like to see the Orono Park Master Plan fully completed whereas only top priorities were selected from other parks. Mayor Dietz asked the Council to prioritize the list with the understanding items will be completed as funding allows. It was noted the list may be bigger than funding allows so further prioritization may be required. Council consensus was for the following priority list: 1. Complete Orono Park Master Plan. 2. Restrooms at the existing YAC. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 7 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- 3. Lighting at Hales Field to make signature ballfield. 4. Multipurpose field expansion (3 fields) at YAC in lieu of lights. 5. Additional field lighting. 6. Paved parking. 7. Playground at YAC. Councilmember Westgaard believes current fields should be updated before adding playgrounds and believes paving should be included. Mr. Portner stated staff will work paving plans in to existing plans. Councilmember Ovall is not sure how he feels about using franchise fee money for parking lot improvements as he does not want to deplete the funding. Mr. Portner stated staff will review the plans and see if it can work. He added there may be other funding options. Council consensus was to include the four trails as listed in the priority list. The Council asked for the trails to be left on the list without expense estimates until actual costs are estimated. It was noted this item will come back at the July 2 meeting once estimated costs are available. Mayor Dietz asked how the Council feels about including$1 million for Lake Orono dredging. The Council was ok with considering the funding. 9.4 Recreation Facilities Discussion Mr. Portner presented the staff report. Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Anderson stated the Parks and Recreation Commission voted 6-1 to recommend option 2. He explained the commission discussed this at length in an interest to make the project as inclusive as possible for all demographics balancing sports, seniors, splash pad, etc. Mayor Dietz distributed a handout outlining his options. He stated he believes the only real difference between option 1 and 2 is the field house and he is having a difficult time with the $10 million price tag for adding a field house. Councilmember Westgaard indicated he would like to stay below$35 million and he feels option 2,including the trails,will be within that number. He noted he feels like the Council has one chance to do this project correctly and he would like to see a multipurpose facility constructed. Councilmember Wagner understands being cognizant to the taxpayers but feels we will regret not going in to it with the bigger picture. She stated she's heard from many residents in the last few months that they would like to see the Council plan POWERED 9r UREJ City Council Minutes Page 8 June 18,2018 ----------------------------- bigger and not just do the smallest, cheapest project. She keeps hearing residents are willing to invest in a project as long as they know exactly what they are investing in. Councilmember Ovall indicated the project has morphed since 2016 and he has wrestled with the amount but it appears support for using the sales tax increase to fund the project is overwhelming. He explained the economic impact won't be the same for everyone so a number between$27 and $35 million may not turn people off to the project. He added there will be economic impacts with bringing in additional revenue. He stated he has also heard from residents they would like the Council to focus on long-term needs rather than just maintaining what we have. Councilmember Olsen explained he believes change is tough for some people but towns that don't change are dying out and he would like to see Elk River compete with neighboring communities who are building facilities. He added he would like to see some money spent on updating Lions Park. Mayor Dietz stated he reached out to other mayor's regarding field houses and bubbles and was told having a joint agreement with the school district is the only way it works. Mr. Portner indicated he can obtain figures from the City of Plymouth. Councilmember Wagner questioned what happens if the sales tax option fails. She stated her plan B would be the $17 million option to fix the arena. Councilmember Ovall stated he sees the city having to spend closer to $20 million if the sales tax option fails as the activity center and Lions Park will still need to be maintained. The Council stated this discussion will be resumed at the July 2 meeting when estimated costs are available. Councilmember Ovall noted he would like the revenue/expenses/operating costs for the activity center that were not included in the Ballard*King Study. 10. Adjournment There being no further business,Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 8:56 p.m. Minutes prepared by Jessica Miller. John J. Dietz,Mayor Tina Allard, City Clerk UREJ VA City of Elk Meeting of the Elk River City Council River Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, July 2, 2018 Members Present: Mayor Dietz, Councilmembers Olsen, Ovall,Westgaard, and Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Planning Manager Zack Carlton, and City Clerk Tina Allard I. Call Meeting to Order 4&1 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 July 2, 2018, Agent. Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Ovall to approve the July 2, 2018, agenda. Motion carried 5-0. 4. Consider Consent Agenda Ae ... Moved by Councilmember Ovall and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard o approve the following consent agenda: 4.1 Check register, check numbers 9941-9943 and 106657-106828 as outlined in the staff report. 4.2 Temporary On-Sale Liquor License to Church of St. Andrew for September 16, 2018 with condition alcohol must be confined to an area enclosed by a fence with secured, controlled access and age verification is required. 4.3 Set Canvassing Board meetings for primary election for Friday, August 17, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. and general election for Friday, November 9, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. 4.4 Resolution 18-42 appointing election judges for the 2018 elections. Motion carried 5-0. S. Open Forum No one appeared for Open Forum. City Council Minutes Page 2 July 2,2018 ----------------------------- 6. Presentations, Awards, and Recognition There were no items. 7. Public Hearings There were no items. 8.1 Discuss Work Session Items Mr. Portner presented the staff report. 9.1 Council Liaison Updates Council provided updated on the activities of the various boards and commissions. Library Board ■ Budget to be discussed at next meeting. Heritage Preservation Commission ■ No update. Parks and Recreation ■ Councilmember Olsen commended the work of the commission. Planning Commission ■ Six items will be coming forward to Council at a future meeting. Elk River Municipal Utilities ■ Grace period included on billing. ■ Electric/water sales up. ■ Minnesota Municipal Power Agency update. Energy City ■ Germany trip update. ■ Recommend sharing Energy City updates regularly. Chamber Government Relations Committee working on a business development survey. A Cyber security and Region 7W update were also provided. ------------------------------ Council recessed at 6:42 p.m. in order to go into work session. Council reconvened at 6:46 p.m. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 3 July 2,2018 ----------------------------- 10.1 Zoning to Reduce Lot Sizes Mr. Leeseberg presented the staff report. He reviewed the developable land outside the Urban Service Area,potential lot numbers when manipulating lot sizes, the Comprehensive Plan,population estimates,and transportation. He discussed lot sizes and the need for land for a primary and secondary septic system. Councilmember Ovall questioned if there is anything allowed with a 2.5 acre lot that couldn't be done on a 1.5 acre lot. Mr. Leeseberg noted yes and cited some examples such as smaller accessory structures and the disallowance of chickens. Mayor Dietz expressed concerns with changing everything located north of County Road 33 to allow 1.5 acre lots and questioned if Mr. Christianson's request could be the only allowance. He suggested looking at the whole 2.5 acre area and evaluate if there are certain sections that lend itself as a better fit to be 1.5 acre lots versus the 2.5 acres. He stated he is not in favor of changing everything north of County Road 33 from 2.5 to 1.5 acres. He felt Mr. Christian's request was unique. He stated he prefers the 1.5 acre lot size, not the 1 acre option requested. He stated staff would like to avoid utilizing the Planned Unit Development process for this type of development. Councilmember Wagner stated she doesn't feel the city needs to change the entire area north of County Road 33 to the 1.5 acres. She stated wetlands can hinder development on some property. She suggested looking at certain wetland areas and rezone them to allow for the smaller lot sizes, noting it would take some work to figure out. Mayor Dietz questioned if Council could review this on a case by case basis as each development comes forward. Mr. Portner stated Council would be creating spot zoning and possibly other issues but there may be alternative solutions based on other zoning criteria. Mr. Leeseberg stated Council would need to be careful with the spot zoning and would need criteria developed in order to say no to other future developments. Mayor Dietz questioned if it would take some work for staff to review the whole area to determine what would be best for 1.5 acres versus 2.5 acres. Mr. Leeseberg stated it would be a significant amount of work and tine to perform the level of detail requested. Councilmember Ovall asked if there is any guidance or other community examples regarding cluster developments and community septic systems. POWERED 9r UREI City Council Minutes Page 4 July 2,2018 ----------------------------- Bill Christianson stated he was involved with a project that allowed one acre lots with some restrictions and they were required to maintain primary and secondary septic locations. He stated he understands the idea of a 1.5 acre lot versus a 1 acre lot due to septic concerns. He discussed the market noting 2.5 acres lots gets to be too much for families as the kids grow up and out. He stated it's not the idea of more lots but of creating a nicer development for the empty nester or retiree. He stated he has done cluster plats on .5 acre lots,but expressed concerns with some common community septic issues such as who will pay costs if a failure. He stated there is a need in the market for some type of balance between the .5 acre size and the 2 acre lot size. Councilmember Westgaard questioned if the cluster development is an option under the R1a zoning district. Mr. Leeseberg stated it is available but today it would be difficult to obtain agreement on the development due to complex, shared septic issues inherent with these types of developments. Council questioned the Planned Unit Development (PUD) option. Mr. Leeseberg stated staff is working on fazing them out mainly because they are not codified and they can be difficult with enforcement/follow-up. Councilmember Westgaard stated he wasn't inclined to change all the R1c zoning north of County Road 33 to 1.5 acres but believes there are certain parcels with hindrances he would be open to allowing some smaller lots and finding the mechanism to be able to do it and felt the PUD was the best solution. Mayor Dietz suggested the applicant apply for a PUD this year because it's going to take staff some time to sort out lot sizes for land north of County Road 33. Mr. Leeseberg asked for more direction on what the determination is for a 1.5 acre lot noting geographical issues. Mayor Dietz suggested working with the city attorney on this determination,noting all Council want to work in the 1.5 acre option but is not sure how to do it. Councilmember Westgard stated the Council wants to maintain some inventory of 2.5 acre lots and how can this be accomplished such as do we keep the more rural areas furthest from urban service area. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 5 July 2,2018 ----------------------------- 10.2 Athletic Complex and Recreation Project Financing 10.3 Direct Staff to Prepare Local Option Sales Tax Referendum Resolution Mayor Dietz stated tonight Council will be discussing what projects will go on the local sales tax referendum. He requested this item then come back to Council on July 16 for a formal vote with ballot language determined at the special meeting scheduled July 23. Councilmember Wagner noted costs reviewed at a previous Council meeting for high priority trail connections only included actual trail construction costs and not right-of-way acquisition costs. She requested this information be spelled our more clearly for future projects. Mr. Sevcik noted it would be a challenge to know or determine right-of-way costs. He noted the trails may not all be completed at once and sometimes can be based on future available opportunities, such as part of a county project. Councilmember Ovall noted he requested an apples to apples breakdown of the options because the Ballard*King analysis was incorrect. Mr. Portner stated an apples to apples comparison can't be done because no other community has a field house that compares to the current one in the architectural plans. He stated the one most similar is with the City of Andover. He discussed the many differences and noted Elk River's project is a 30,000 square foot building while Andover's is 20,000 square foot. He stated Andover's revenue in 2017 was $231,436, which is consistent with what Ballard*King projected for Elk River. He discussed the many differences between Elk River and the City of Plymouth. He stated Plymouth's revenue was $413,400. Councilmember Ovall stated he was talking about the economies of scale and efficiencies you would have if the building was a community center. He questioned if this option was off the table. He stated Council had talked about the community center option and, for him,what wasn't presented in that proposal was an apples to apples comparison of the efficiencies you would gain by having all the staffing and programming done under one roof because there wouldn't be the expense of running separate facilities. Mr. Portner stated the single facility in the Ballard*King analysis did include the percentage of revenue over expense. Mayor Dietz stated the analysis projected a negative number. Councilmember Ovall stated it wasn't an apples to apples comparison because we did not have the expenses for the senior center. UREJ City Council Minutes Page 6 July 2,2018 ----------------------------- Mayor Dietz stated he was under the impression that Council was moving forward with either Option 1 or Option 2 for the facility diagrams and not the community center. Councilmember Olsen concurred. Council discussed their thoughts on the distribution of funds and reached consensus on the following two options to be considered at the July 16 meeting. Option 1 $26 million Recreational Facility (arena building) $1.5 million Senior Center Facility $1 million Lake Orono Dredging $2 million Trails $2.5 million Lake Orono Park $2 million Youth Athletic Complex $35 million TOTAL Option 2 $16 million Recreational Facility (arena building) $1.5 million Senior Center Facility $1 million Lake Orono Dredging $2 million Trails $2.5 million Lake Orono Park $2 million Youth Athletic Complex $25 million TOTAL Council noted a discussion needs to occur about a fallback plan in case the sales tax referendum fails. II. Adjournment There being no further business,Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 8:16 p.m. John J. Dietz,Mayor Tina Allard, City Clerk UREJ