8.g Administrators report� c
CANDIA
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: January 16, 2018
To: City Council
From: Neil Soltis, Administrator
Re: Administrator's report
Building permit activity — The building permit totals for the year were 741 permits issued with
a total value of $28,844,670. Within those numbers were permits for 22 new single family
homes with a combined value of $7,448,000. Charts showing the building permit activity from
2010 — 2017 are included following this report.
State Aids — In December the City received a small cities grant of $19,858, Agricultural
Homestead Market Value Credit of $6,579.99, and PERA Aid of $361.50. These amounts exceed
the $10,000 budgeted for state aids in the General Fund.
Hillcrest Animal Hospital agreement — The City received notice from Hillcrest Animal Hospital
that they are giving the City 60 -day notice that they will no longer be offering animal impound
services after February 28, 2018. The nearest location is the Northwoods Humane Society in
Wyoming. I have initiated contact with them regarding a contract for animal services.
R -O -W ordinance — Eckberg Lammers has prepared a draft of the ordinance that would regulate
the use of City rights-of-way. The issue that is of primary concern is regulating the installation
of small cell wireless; however, the ordinance is intended to regulate all uses in the rights-of-
way including utilities. A discussion of the draft will be on the February work session agenda.
Fire Contract with May Township —The Fire Department has provided information on the fire
calls for Scandia and May Township. I've contacted Stillwater Finance and Fire to obtain
information on the source of the data used in the allocation formula. To date there has been
no response.
Volunteer opportunities — The listing of volunteer opportunities in now on the City's website.
Liability and Property Insurance renewal —The League Insurance Trust has provided the 2018
property and liability insurance renewal information. The total premium for the City will
decrease by 4%. This is largely due to a change in the LMCIT underwriting policy for vehicles
which allocates a higher premium value to police vehicles and lowered the premium values for
fire vehicles. A total of $34,400 was budgeted for these coverages in the 2018 budget.
Tii Gavo — The developer has called and we are setting up a meeting to discuss the next steps
for proceeding with Phase 2 of the development.
Solar projects - Blattner / Next Era Energy (97) —The final inspection of construction scheduled
for Thursday, January 11.
Gateway Trail — John Herman drafted a bill to submit to that would appropriate funds for the
pre -development costs and would add a provision that would allow for the agricultural
preserve designation to automatically be removed from lands acquired by fee simple or
easement for state trails. The bill reviewed and modified by Revisor. A copy of the bill follows
this report. Mayor Maefsky, John Herman and I met with Commissioner Miron and County
Public Works staff regarding support for the bill. John Herman seeking funding for lobbying for
the bill. I will be scheduling a meeting with DNR staff to assess how the funding would work
with the DNR's processes and standards, particularly as it relates to 2/3 of the funding being
directed to the City.
Overlook at 95/97 Intersection — At the meeting with the County the proposal for an overlook
on the east side of the intersection was discussed. This proposal was previously discussed in
August with MnDOT Commissioner Zelle and staff. Commissioner Miron advised that the City
would need to present the concept to the County Board in order to garner support. I've
scheduled a meeting with June Mathiowetz, the Administrator for the County's Land and Water
Legacy Program, to discuss next steps and potential funding for the project.
GreenStep Cities program — Mary Hooley of the local GreenStep Committee has invited Philipp
Muessig, (MPCA) of GreenStep to meet the Committee, Mayor Maefsky, and me on Wednesday
Jan. 17. The Committee is seeking direction on the best practices that must be implemented
for the City to achieve a Step Three designation. The Council Resolution that was passed to join
the Green Step program specified that the City take actions to claim credit for having
implemented best practices and to work at its own pace toward implementing any GreenStep
best practices that will result in energy use reduction, economic savings, quality of life
improvement, reduction in the City's greenhouse gas footprint, and recognition by the League
of Minnesota Cities as a Step Two GreenStep City.
Lilleskogen Park — Terry Gorham and I are meeting with the Elementary School and a MnDNR
School Forest representative regarding the potential for designating Lilleskogen as a school
forest which would enable the elementary school to utilize the environmental programming
developed by MnDNR in a location that is walkable to the school.
Rasmussen property — The Friends of Scandia Park & Trails have expressed an interest in doing
a pollinator planting on City land located at 205th & Olinda (Rasmussen). I am meeting on
Karen Shick regarding their proposal on January 12.
CITY OF SCANDIA
BUILDING PERMITS
2010-2017
$35,000,000 800
$30,000,000 700
$25,000,000 600
500
$20,000,000
400
$15,000,000
300
$10,000,000
200
$5,000,000 100
$- 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
value permits
CITY OF SCANDIA
NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOME BUILDING PERMITS
2010-2017
25 $8,000,000
$7,000,000
20
$6,000,000
15 $5,000,000
$4,000,000
10
$3,000,000
— $2,000,000
5
$1,000,000
0 $-
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
new s.f. value — —s.f. permits
01/05/18
REVISOR LCB/RC 18-5335
1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to local government; modifying expiration of metropolitan agricultural
1.3 preserves; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds for predesign and design
1.4 of the Gateway Trail; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016,
1.5 section 473H.08, subdivisions 1, 4, by adding a subdivision.
1.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.7 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 473H.08, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.8 Subdivision 1. Till expiration started. Agricultural preserves shall continue until either
1.9 the landowner of, the authority, or a state agency or governmental unit initiates expiration
1.10 as provided in this section.
1.11 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
1.12 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 473H.08, is amended by adding a subdivision to
1.13 read:
1.14 Subd. 3a. Expiration for park and trail purposes. (a) An agricultural preserve expires
1.15 immediately when a state agency or other governmental unit purchases the property or
1.16 obtains an easement over the property for the purpose of creating or expanding a public
1.17 trail or public park. This subdivision applies only to the portion of the agricultural preserve
1.18 acquired for trail or park purposes, and any portion of the property not acquired for trail or
1.19 park purposes shall remain an agricultural preserve.
1.20 (b) The acquiring state agency or governmental unit shall give notice to the authority as
1.21 provided in subdivision 5. The notice must specify the portion of the property being removed
1.22 from the agricultural preserve and the date on which that portion expires.
Sec. 2.
01/05/18 REVISOR LCB/RC 18-5335
2.1 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
2.2 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 473H.08, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.3 Subd. 4. Notice to others. Upon receipt of the notice provided in subdivision 2 or 3a,
2.4 or upon notice served by the authority as provided in subdivision 3, the authority shall
2.5 forward the original notice to the county recorder for recording, or to the registrar of titles
2.6 if the land is registered, and shall notify the county auditor, county assessor, the Metropolitan
2.7 Council, and the county soil and water conservation district of the date of expiration.
2.8 Designation as an agricultural preserve and all benefits and limitations accruing through
2.9 sections 473H.02 to 473H.17 for the preserve shall cease on the date of expiration. The
2.10 restrictive covenant contained in the application shall terminate on the date of expiration.
2.11 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
2.12 Sec. 4. GATEWAY TRAIL PREDESIGN AND DESIGN.
2.13 Subdivision 1. Appropriation. $500,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund
2.14 to the commissioner of natural resources for predesign and design of the Gateway Trail
2.15 from William O'Brien State Park to downtown Scandia. The commissioner must grant at
2.16 least two-thirds of the appropriation to the city of Scandia, and may retain up to one-third
2.17 of the appropriation for use in assisting the city of Scandia with the Gateway Trail predesign
2.18 and design. The predesign and design must include consideration of suitable connections
2.19 between the Gateway Trail and the William O'Brien State Park campground and trail center.
2.20 Subd. 2. Bond sale. To provide the money appropriated in this section from the bond
2.21 proceeds fund, the commissioner of management and budget shall sell and issue bonds of
2.22 the state in an amount up to $500,000 in the manner, upon the terms, and with the effect
2.23 prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the Minnesota
2.24 Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 17.
2.25 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
Sec. 4. 2