3.1. DRAFT MINUTES 01-11-2010MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER CITY COUNCIL
HELD AT THE CITY OF ELK RIVER (UPPER TOWN CONFERENCE ROONl~
M AY, j IJARY I I, 20 10
Members Present. Mayor I~linzing, Councilmembers V~Iestgaard, Gumphrey, Motin, and
Zerwas
Members Absent; None
Staff Present: City Adminis~raCor Lori ~ohnson Fin D' T'' S'
~.
2.
3.
ance erector stn :Imon, Director o~
Economic Development Catherine Mehelich, Bu.~. Official Bob
Ruprecht, and Recording Secretary ~essica Mille
Call Meeting Ta Order
Pursuant to due call and notice the~~eof, the meeting... ~' the Elk River C~~~ council was called
to order at b.25 p.m, by Mayor I~inzing,
~: ~y.
Consider Council„A.~enda
Councilmember Gumphrey added discussion regarding FDA Commissioner Ron Tauchette
under other business.
MOVED ~Y coUNCYLMEMB~~. GMT .~ ANA ~coNDED ~Y
CoUNCILMEMI~ER MoTIN Tf 'PR~~E T~~ AGENDA. M®TION
CARRIED 5p0.
Consider Conse~. ~. ~d~
M®VED ~Y C CI~~EME ERAS AND SECONDED FY
CoUNCILMEM~ G IHR~~ ~ ,APPROVE THE FoLLO~INC
CoNENT ~~:GENIA~
~~~ JANUA~ , Zoe ~{NUTEs
~d. NIECHAN~~CA,L AMUSEMENT LICENSE -- MENDOTA. VALLEY
AMUSEMENT, INC. BUFFALO 'MILD ~ING~S}
~g RESOLUT~N I.O~D4 DESIGNATING THE CITY'S ~1EBSITE AS AN
ALTER~~~.IVE METHOD of DISSEMINATING ADVERTISEMENTS
~~ F AND REQUESTS FoR PROPOSALS
MOTION RRIED 5d0.
4. o en Mike
No one appeared for open mike,
City Council Mnutes Page 2
~anuazy ~ 1, 2010
5.1. Sewer Service Availabili Char e -Follow-u on Calculation Method
Ms. Johnson presented the staff report.
Mr. Ruprecht reviewed the information that was gathered from surrounding cities regarding
SAC fees and the method each city uses to calculate the Fees. He explained that some use
Met Council to dictate their fees while others negotiate their fees.
Ms. Johnson explained that it can be difficult for staff to be subjective in negotiating with
new businesses.
Ms. Mehelich stated that rarely new businesses question SAC fe~~ `order to compare with
other cities, She added that in the rare instance that economic ~opment staff receives a
complaint about Elk River's SAC/WAC Fees, the business ~ ~o~~~d with a comparison o~
costs. She added that sometimes the up front gates of ocr cities are ~.~re.r but the user fees
are higher so it typically equals out.
Council consensus was for no change to the Sc~~~ r~vailabili~~:.,Charge rate cic~lation at this
time.
Ms. Mehelich indicated that staff will bring this item f~~~~d if they hear additional
complaints. Councilmember Moon ~~.~ted that infor~~~~~~~ on user fees of surrounding
cities be included if this item is bro~~ ~~~~d aa.in.
5.2. 2010 Council Goals Discussion
Ms. Johnson reviev~jd ~~ 2009 Council ~i.~~r~ing Workshop Recap list as included in her
staff report.
The Council disc.: the ~~~~.~ p,ro~ect~`nitiatives outlined in 2049;
~,~.
,,.
Camp~p~ ~~~~~~~~~ Sur~~~~r`
Co2~ ~~ould i~~ phis left ~ the goal list, Staff will obtain copy of survey recently
~~pleted by the ~~ of Coop ~~apids.
~~ointAdmini~tratia~~ .~earin~ ~aard
~~d has been app~~ed.
Cample~~y ~~~r~~~~~~ ~~devela~ment .Plan
To begin ~ ~ 15~ Avenue Focused Area Study is complete.
.Follor~-up an 171 sr avenue .Facused Area Study
Adoption of botla phases anticipated by Council in 2010.
Continue Gravel.Mini~t~ .Area Study
Work on study is ongoing at the staff level.
Joint Meeting r~ith Park, and .Kecreatian Commif~ion far Update an .Master Park Plan
A joint meeting was held May 2409. Council would like to schedule another joint meeting
.for May 2010.
City Council Mnutes
January ~.1, 2010
anticipate Landfill ~a pan~ion application
This item has been removed From the list,
Page 3
Strengthen ~ner~y City Facus/Commitment
The Energy City Commission is scheduled to sunset December 31, 2010, Council would like
to discuss Energy City Commission ordinance to consider extending Energy City
Commission.
Ident~ Commercial and Industrial Land for Development
Ongoing through long-range planning studies and economic development strategic planning.
The Council also identified the following new projects/initiatives fog 10;
.~.evie~ Commercial deserve Transition
Mr. Barnhart is to report back to the Council.
Revie~ Sta~Structure 7vith Input fram ~]epartment .Head r
Gather data from city administrator and staff on 1~~~1 well the current st~~e is working,
Aevie~v Comprehensive Flan
Begin review after 171St Avenue, gravel training, are ~~~~~~t~~vn redevelopment plans are
finished.
~'ransportation
Continue to work on securing finance.
SF: Y
Cade ~nfarcement Update
Planning staff to prow ode update to Cou~~~~F discuss staffing level.
Schedule a .~ln~D~~` "our
Staff to contact ~~~T
Cansir~~~° _ ~d~~ts (at ~~ ~ and ~'~in La-~es; CA40 and CK,40)
St ~ re~ricw ~~~~~. Sherb~ County.
~~ ~i~hborhood Stabili~,~~~i Update
~~date Council on q~lifcanons, incentives, etc.
5,3.
Councilt~e~~ Iestgaard questioned who owns the medians on 193r~ Avenue . Ms.
Johnson inc.ted that the city is listed as owner on Sherburne County's website but she will
continue to research ownersl~ip, It was noted that the city is not interested in having
ownership of parcels with structures due to the liability and maintenance required.
Councilmember Motin added that there are parcels in the Park Pointe development that
should have been deeded to a homeowner's association but were not. He stated these
properties are now tax forfeit and the city is ending up purchasing them,
Ms. Johnson explained that typically a homeowner's association is setup to deal with these
properties but tl~ere are some issues with some developer's agreements not including
language regarding a homeowner's association,
City Counc~. M:~.utes
January 11, 2014
Page 4
Councilmember westgaard questioned the process for verifying a homeowner's association
as setup to deal with these properties. Ms, Johnson indicated that the issue should be
reviewed immediately in the platting process, then in the developer's agreement, and finally
in the resolution the City Council approves with stipulations.
Ms, Johnson indicated she will check into the ~ 93rd Avenue medians and report back to the
Council,
G. Other Business
Councilmember Gumphrey indicated that earlier this evening he di~~~uted a letter to the
Economic Development Authority VEDA} asking that EDA Cc~~~sioner Ron Touchette
be removed from the EDA. He explained that he is asking fay ~~~~ ,Touchette to be removed
because of his treatment of ERMU staff, city staff, and le~l o~~~ during a recent dispute
over a past due utility ball.
M~VEI~ ~Y C®iJ~CYLNIEM~ER C~JMPH ~ T®~EM~VE
T~UCHETTE FI~~M THE EC®N~M~~ DVEL~P ENT AUT`ITY,
Motion failed for lack of a second.
Mr. Touchette denied Councilmember Gumphrey's al.ons.
Consensus of the Council was for st~1f ~ ~gl counsel to pare supporting facts and
documentation and report back to tl~e ounclla ~~~i~e~n~er Gumphrey indicated he will
discuss the issue at tomorrow evening~~ ~tilitt~ ~o~~,~~~~fneeting.
Councilmember ~~~~h~~~ estioned i~ ~ city as liable if someone falls on one of our
walling or bikini l.s. He fed that staff gas done a good job of plowing the trails but
given the recent ~~~~~~~er s~~.~.~ ~~me of ~~~ trails are not an the best condition,
Ms. Jol~~~~~ ~~dicate~ dt ~e city as generally not responsible as long as the city is not
neg~~~t. She ~d that ~. ms are submitted to the city's insurance company to make a
~.~minataon of`la~ty,
~uncilmember Ze~~ stated he would like staff to review the condition of the trails and
~~ly close portio of them of deemed unsafe.
Mayor l~~in ~ Bated she would like Street Superintendent Phil Hals and Assistant
Superinte~~~ ark Thompson to discuss the recent snowfall event with the Council.
7. Council Updates
Councilmember westgaard questioned the protocol for performance reviews. Ms. Johnson
indicated she will forward the performance review forms to the Mayor for her distribution.
Councilmember Gumphrey added that Utility Commissioner John Dietz recently created a
performance evaluation form for ERMU employees that worked well. Council asked Ms.
Johnson to obtain a copy and provide it to the Council,
Councilmember Zerwas indicated he would like the performance review forms to be
completed by all supervisors that report directly to Ms. Johnson.
City Council Minutes
January ~ 1, 20~ o
8, Staff Updates
~~
Page 5
Mr, Simon explained there are energy g~•ants available, He stated that staff would like to
apply for grants for the following projects. ice arena lighting, ice arena low emissive ceiling,
and the ice arena boilers.
9. A~, d~ournment
There being no further business, Mayor I~linzing adjourned tl~e meeting of the Elk River
City Council at $;09 p•m.
Minutes prepared by Jessica Miller.
Tina Allard, City Clerk
Stephanie I~I.inzing, Mayor