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4.1 DRAFT MINUTES (3 SETS) 09-07-2021 Special Meeting of the Elk River City Council Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, August 9, 2021 Members Present: Mayor John Dietz, Councilmembers Garrett Christianson, Mike Beyer, Matt Westgaard, and Jennifer Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Police Chief Ron Nierenhausen, Police Captain Joe Gacke, Police Captain Darren McKernan, Fire Chief Mark Dickinson, Assistant Fire Chief Mark Wandersee, Environmental Coordinator Amanda Erickson, Building Maintenance Supervisor Gary Lore, Public Safety Director Justin Femrite, Public Safety Superintendent Tim Sevcik, Librarian Robbie Schake, Engineering Project Manager Brandon Wisner, Multipurpose Facility Superintendent Tim Dalton, Waste Water Treatment System Chief Operator Matt Stevens, and Parks and Recreation Director Michael Hecker 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 4:02 p.m. by Mayor Dietz. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Contract for Deed Mr. Portner presented the staff report. Consensus of Council for staff to prepare conveyance for 413 Proctor Avenue by Contract for Deed. 4. 2022 Budget Various staff presented their departmental budgets. Items to note include the following: Library Ms. Schaake introduced her new supervisor, Ryan McCormick. There was discussion about Covid and its effect of reducing programming. City Council Minutes Page 2 August 9, 2021 ----------------------------- Mayor Dietz questioned if the city could continue to get the three extra hours of programming at no charge after 2022. Mr. McCormick stated it needs to be approved by the Great River Regional Library Board, but it seems a fair request. Police Chief Nierenhausen discussed the crime prevention specialist position. He stated he would like to see it become a sworn position to lend credibility to the program and save costs by not also having to provide a police officer to attend the many program events. He further noted he consistently hears from officers they would like the ability to branch out and do different things, so he suggested a four-year rotation for the position. Fire Chief Dickinson discussed self-contained breathing apparatus and turnout gear, noting the equipment is expired per National Fire Protection Association standards. He stated he applied for a $300,000 grant to hopefully offset some of the costs. Mayor Dietz stated these costs are high and he would like to split the expenses up. Assistant Chief Wandersee discussed the need for a rotational replacement program to help even out the yearly expenses. Garbage Ms. Erickson noted garbage contracts expire in 2022 and Randy’s has commented they would like to extend their contract. She further stated billing could be outsourced to the hauler and if bids are sought, it could be an alternative bid option. Councilmember Wagner felt the cost for the organics bag was high and questioned if they could be left near the dumpsters so when someone drops a bag off, they can pick up another one. Ms. Erickson stated the bags are shipped direct from the company to the person and can’t be stored outside due to weather exposure affecting the composition. Wastewater Treatment System There was discussion about disposable wipes still being a significant issue and evaluating a redesign of equipment to handle them as the product manufacturer’s most likely won’t redesign the wipes. Building Maintenance There was discussion about the amount of work orders the department handles but can’t complete. Mr. Lore discussed the need for an additional employee due to the amount of new equipment requiring maintenance and the work order load. City Council Minutes Page 3 August 9, 2021 ----------------------------- Mr. Femrite stated they completed an industry service level benchmark, which is difficult to compare because of factors such as number of buildings and their age, but the city would still be below industry standard with the new hire. Council recessed for 15 minutes. Equipment Services Mr. Sevcik discussed his request for a mechanics position. He noted trails would be added to the crack fill program to preserve them longer. Park Maintenance Mr. Sevcik discussed his request for a park maintenance position because of new amenities, such as the splash pad, new picnic shelters, nature play area at Woodlands, additional trails, and pickle ball courts. There was discussion about an increase in equipment maintenance lately due to a surge in theft/damage from park users. Mr. Portner stated they are working on policy changes to address the issues. Furniture and Things Community Event Center Council stated they would like the open house moved to September. Councilmember Westgaard stated the city should have seen savings in personal services when the Serrano Bros. sponsorship was approved and questioned where this is shown referring to a spreadsheet distributed last year accounting for every position at the Center. He felt the part-time pay line item should have been reduced. Councilmember Beyer stated there is $10,000 for the Concession Management Fee line item but the city is expected to get additional revenue based on sales. He questioned where this revenue will go. Councilmember Wagner noted the $10,000 is the fee Serrano Bros. will pay in 2022 for their café naming rights and she further questioned where the other two line items are for the additional 12% for the concessions and the 7% for rented room/catered events. She stated these revenue line items should be added. Ms. Ziemer stated these numbers are currently unknown but will be added once actuals are received. Councilmember Wagner felt these numbers should be added to the budget and staff should ask Serrano Bros. what they feel these numbers would be. Councilmember Wagner questioned why the Naming Rights/Sponsorships line item is in the Revenue budget. Ms. Ziemer stated it was in this section last year because it paid for the consulting fees. She stated the consultant fees will be put in expenditures. City Council Minutes Page 4 August 9, 2021 ----------------------------- Mayor Dietz questioned if the Multipurpose Advisory Commission would be responsible to designate the sponsorship revenues and designating it as a sinking fund. Councilmember Westgaard stated yes, it would be part of the fund balance to support this facility. Mr. Portner stated the commission should create a policy recommendation to Council regarding the allocation. Councilmember Wagner noted the goal with naming rights was to create the sinking fund to have the Center operate independently. She stated naming rights funds should not be used for operating costs and should be separated into different line items. Councilmember Westgaard further stated revenue from scoreboard advertising could be used for upgrades/replacement of the scoreboard in the future and should be broken down into separate line items for tracking purposes. Councilmember Westgaard further suggested a line item for the lease space. ------------------------ Councilmember Westgaard noted there are a lot of requests for new positions because of new equipment and amenities and suggested Council may want to have a philosophical discussion evaluating fees and covering costs for added staff to maintain and clean facilities or are they costs to the taxpayer. Councilmember Wagner stated we should see efficiencies with combining from three buildings down to one. There was discussion about the fund balance policy and whether to draw down the fund to help offset some costs. 5. Adjournment There being no further business, Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 8:13 p.m. ___________________ John J. Dietz, Mayor ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk Meeting of the Elk River City Council Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, August 16, 2021 Members Present: Acting Mayor Garrett Christianson, Mike Beyer, Matt Westgaard, and Jennifer Wagner Members Absent: Mayor Dietz (At Elk River Municipal Utilities Conference) Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Fire Chief Mark Dickinson, Planning Manager Zack Carlton, and City Clerk Tina Allard 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 6:35 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Consider Agenda Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Beyer to approve the agenda. Motion carried 4-0. 4. Consent Agenda Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard to approve: 4.1 July 21, 2021, July 26, 2021, and August 2, 2021, Minutes 4.2 Check register as outlined in the staff report. 4.3 Pay estimates as outlined in the staff report. 4.4 Public improvements constructed with the plat of Hillside Estates 12th Addition. 4.5 Quote with Helix Solutions for fiber relocation for the 169 Redefine project as outlined in the staff report. 4.6 Hire Jennifer Morrissette-Hesse to the position of Communications Coordinator effective September 7, 2021, as outlined in the staff report. 4.7 Hire Jason Michaud to the position of Police Officer effective August 29, 2021, as outlined in the staff report. Motion carried 4-0. City Council Minutes Page 2 August 16, 2021 ----------------------------- 5. Open Forum No one appeared for Open Forum. 6.1 City of Elk River Volunteer of the Month Acting Mayor Christianson presented the February Volunteer of the Month award to Carol Heath. He highlighted the following:  Works 25 to 30 hours each year for the annual community Christmas dinner, including precooking and taking leftovers to Community Aid Elk River.  Volunteer at the American Legion fish fry and the auxiliary bake sales.  Works at Veteran’s Lake for their annual luncheon and fishing outing.  Volunteer for her church daycare. 6.2 Recognition 20 Years of Service: Firefighter Mike DeMarre Chief Dickinson presented the staff report. Acting Mayor Christianson read and presented the plaque. Council thanked Mike for his service. 7.1 Tall Pines 2, LLC, 18049 Line Avenue a) Zone Change: Business Park to Planned Unit Development b) Conditional Use Permit: Establish a Residential Planned Unit Development c) Preliminary Plat: Tall Pines Planned Unit Development Third Addition Mr. Carlton presented the staff report. Acting Mayor Christianson opened the public hearing. There being no one to speak to this issue, Acting Mayor Christianson closed the public hearing. Councilmember Wagner expressed concerns with having enough parking if only allowed on one side of the street. Mr. Carlton explained the differences with townhome development parking and said this project provides more parking than other townhome development of similar design. Roger Derrick, applicant, stated these homes have double garages and two parking spaces in the driveway. He further noted it is a senior housing project and shouldn’t have a lot of vehicles. City Council Minutes Page 3 August 16, 2021 ----------------------------- Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Wagner to adopt Ordinance 21-10 amending the Zoning Map of the City of Elk River, Minnesota, to rezone certain property from Business Park to Planned Unit Development. Motion carried 4-0. --------------------- Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Beyer to approve Conditional Use Permit, Case No. CU 21-13, establishing a residential Planned Unit Development with the following conditions: 1. A PUD Agreement shall be developed and signed by both parties prior to issuance of a building permit. 2. Streets and access must comply with the Minnesota State Fire Code Chapter 5 and Appendix D. 3. Provide detail connections to sewer and water systems and ensure the watermain is looped. 4. Staff approval of all site, utility, engineering, and landscaping plans. 5. Hydrants must be spaced to ensure all portions of a residence are within 250 feet of a hydrant. 6. DNR approval of all wetland permits related to the proposed wetland fill. 7. A homeowner’s association must be established, subject to review and approval of the city attorney, and shall be responsible for all, landscaping, snow clearing, and regular maintenance of private drives and driveways. 8. Approval of an updated landscape plan 9. Adjacent homes shall not be the same color. 10. Provide a trail connection from the end of the private cul-de-sac to the trail along the west side of Twin Lakes Road or to the development to the north. 11. No more than two of the same façade design/details shall be adjacent to one another. 12. Mailboxes shall be clustered and located on the private street. 13. Construct a sidewalk from the south side of the entrance to Tall Pines PUD second addition to the south side of this project area. Motion carried 4-0. -------------- Moved by Councilmember Beyer and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard to approve Preliminary Plat 21-08 of Tall Pines Third Addition Planned Unit Development with Council approval of the related Zone Change (ZC21-03) and Conditional Use Permit (CU21-08). Motion carried 4-0. 8. General Business There was no General Business. City Council Minutes Page 4 August 16, 2021 ----------------------------- 9. Work Session There was no Work Session. 10. Adjournment Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Beyer to adjourn the meeting at 6:52 p.m. Motion carried 4-0. ___________________ John J. Dietz, Mayor ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk Special Meeting of the Elk River City Council Held at the Elk River City Hall Monday, August 23, 2021 Members Present: Mayor John Dietz, Councilmembers Garrett Christianson, Mike Beyer, Matt Westgaard, and Jennifer Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner and City Clerk Tina Allard 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 5:00 p.m. by Mayor Dietz. Mayor Dietz asked if there were any changes to the agenda. Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Christianson to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. 413 Proctor Avenue Conveyance Mr. Portner presented the staff report. Moved by Councilmember Christianson and seconded by Councilmember Beyer to adopt Resolution 21-56 approving a conveyance of certain property to Egan Properties, LLC. Motion carried 5-0. 4. Adjournment There being no further business, Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 5:05 p.m. ___________________ John J. Dietz, Mayor ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk