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03-20-12 CouncilMarch 20, 2012 A regular meeting of the Scandia City Council was held on the above date. Mayor Simonson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call was taken. The following council members were present: Council members Connie Amos, Chris Ness, Jim Schneider, Sally Swanson and Mayor Randall Simonson. Staff present: City Administrator Anne Hurlburt, City Attorney Tom Miller, City Engineer Ryan Goodman, Police Deputy Chris Majeski, Fire Chief Jim Finnegan, Treasurer Colleen Firkus and Deputy Clerk Brenda Eklund. PUBLIC FORUM There were no public comments. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried 5-0. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA The following Consent Agenda was presented: a) Minutes 1) February 21, 2012 Regular Meeting 2) February 28, 2012 Special Meeting 3) March 13, 2012 Work Session b) Treasurer’s Report Beginning Balance 02/01/2012 $2,580,442.88 Receipts + 16,401.81 Expenditures $396,438.20 Payroll 19,231.16 - 415,669.36 Adjustments: Sales Use Tax recorded - 41.00 Service charges - 24.50 Ending Balance 02/29/2012 $2,181,191.83 c) Payment of Vouchers d) Resolution Reestablishing Precincts and Polling Places (Resolution No. 03-20-12-01) e) Approve Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for Washington County Historical Society (June 23, 2012) f) Approve Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for Scandia Marine Lions (April 21, 2012) Mayor Simonson noted a correction to the March 13, 2012 minutes. Ness, seconded by Swanson, moved to approve the Consent Agenda with a correction to the March 13, 2012 minutes. The motion carried 5-0. PARK AND RECREATION COMMITTEE Council member Swanson reported on the activities of the Park and Recreation Committee. A subcommittee has been formed to organize efforts for improvements to Lilleskogen Park. Committee Chair Bildeaux will volunteer his tree removal services to prepare the parking lot for March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 2 of 7 its completion and will also start on clearing the trails. The subcommittee will seek in-kind donations of labor and material for the remaining work on the parking lot. Swanson reported that the Wayne Erickson Memorial Ballfield sign will be installed this spring, with Council member Schneider volunteering to construct brick sign mounts. An organizational meeting will be held this week with the vendors of the upcoming Community Market. PLANNING COMMISSION Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair for 2012 At their March 6 meeting, the Planning Commission recommended that Christine Maefsky and Tom Krinke continue in their roles as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, for 2012. Ness, seconded by Schneider, moved to confirm the appointment of Christine Maefsky as Chairperson and Tom Krinke as Vice Chairperson for 2012. The motion carried 5-0. Appointment of Representative to Wastewater Advisory Committee Planning Commissioner Steve Philippi was selected to be the representative to the new Wastewater Advisory Committee at their March 6 meeting. Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to confirm the appointment of Commissioner Philippi to the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. Ordinance No. 129, Amending Ordinance No. 122, the City of Scandia Development Code, Chapter 1, Providing for Variances The Planning Commission held a public hearing on March 6 to amend the language in the Development Code as it pertains to variances. The proposed ordinance makes the language consistent with changes made to state law in 2011. Section 1 of the ordinance revises the definition of variance to remove the reference to “undue hardship” and replaces it with “practical difficulties”. Section 2 amends Chapter 1, Section 6.0, Variances, by prohibiting use variances and clarifying review criteria. The Planning Commission recommended approval of proposed Ordinance No. 129. Simonson, seconded by Swanson, moved to adopt Ordinance No. 129, Amending Ordinance No. 122, the Scandia Development Code, Chapter 1 Providing for Variances, as recommended by the Planning Commission. The motion carried 5-0. BUILDING OFFICIAL Council received the Building Inspection Report for the month of February. Building Official Keith Wille reported that one permit was issued and seventeen inspections were completed. POLICE DEPARTMENT Police Deputy Chris Majeski reported on two related car break-ins which occurred at William O’Brien State Park and the Wind in the Pines Park. An informant is being questioned about a theft which occurred at the Bracht gravel pit. Deputy Majeski reported on an increased number of speeding motorcycles. March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 3 of 7 FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire Chief Jim Finnegan reported that the department responded to two fire calls and seven rescue calls in February. It has been determined that two computers will need to be purchased for the trucks in order to run the new CAD/RMS system, at an estimated cost of $11,000. This inter- agency communication system is expected to be ready by August. A final determination of the Lakeview ambulance license reclassification will be made by the MSRB in the next few weeks. School bus extrication classes will be held on March 26 and April 30 at the fire hall. CITY ENGINEER Anderson-Erickson Wastewater System Study (continued from March 13, 2012 Work Session) At the March 13 Council Work Session, Stantec engineers presented the final report on the study of the Anderson-Erickson portion of the 201 Wastewater Treatment System. Council directed that steps be taken immediately to implement the repairs identified by the study. City Engineer Goodman reported that sampling from the groundwater monitoring wells will begin next week. The results of the well testing will be one way to evaluate the performance of the system. Pete Ganzel, Washington County, stated that the run-time meters have been installed and the pumps will be calibrated this week. The drain back valve will be closed so that precise flow readings are collected. Goodman recommended that daily meter readings be taken for the next several months so as to gather reliable information on flow data before a decision on adding any new connections is made. Goodman also recommended that a sump pump inspection program be implemented to ensure that pumps are not discharging water into the system and overtaxing it. Mayor Simonson stated that the system appears to have been in a historical pattern of neglect and questioned who should take responsibility for its current condition. Mr. Ganzel explained the flaws in the system’s design which led to the pump failures and that manually altering the drainfields seemed to be the solution at the time. He agreed it is a frustrating problem which, as operator of the system, he is ultimately responsible for. Council member Swanson stated that the City appears to have dropped the ball by not collecting adequate data or by more strongly overseeing the operation and management of the system. Mayor Simonson acknowledged that the immediate corrections and analysis will first give an idea of the condition of the system, and then steps can be undertaken for long-term solutions. Council member Ness agreed that the problems have been identified and now a solution must be worked out. Ness questioned how long it will take to collect the flow data. Administrator Hurlburt replied that as soon as the pumps are calibrated, Public Works staff will begin taking daily readings. It is recommended that readings be collected through July, which is traditionally the heaviest use of the system. Residents will be asked to cooperate with inspections to ensure that sump pumps are not discharging to the system and inflating the numbers. City Engineer Goodman stated that he will be putting quotes together for the additional repairs of replacing valves at the drainfield. It is estimated that these repairs will go into the fall. March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 4 of 7 Jim Continenza addressed the Council and explained that he is waiting for a decision on whether or not he will be allowed to connect two homes to the system before he can proceed with plans to construct a new home. He is frustrated with how the system has been operating in a negligent state for so long and that prior connections were made without these same questions being addressed back then. Mr. Continenza requested that if approval of his variance is granted at some point, he be given an extended time to in which to begin construction. Administrator Hurlburt replied that an extension could be a condition of the variance if or when it is approved. CITY ATTORNEY City Attorney Tom Miller presented a summary of legal services which have been provided within the past month. Mayor Simonson asked for details on the SRC Recycling Agreement. City Attorney Miller replied that a draft contract with expanded language is being worked on and should be ready for review by the April meeting. CITY ADMINISTRATOR Maintenance Superintendent Position City Administrator Hurlburt reported that twenty new applications were received by the March 9 deadline, and twenty-five candidates from the first round indicated that they would like to remain in consideration. Council set a Special Meeting for March 27, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. to select finalists for the Maintenance Superintendent position. City Administrator Hurlburt recommended that Council members individually review the applications that are on file prior to the meeting. Wastewater Advisory Committee Following a notice that the City was forming a new Wastewater Advisory Committee, five applications from interested residents and business owners were received. Council member Schneider commented that Michael Peterson would bring technical expertise to the committee as related to his experience in the design and installation of septic systems. Schneider, seconded by Swanson, moved to appoint Michael Peterson to serve on the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. Holly Kaufhold submitted an application as the owner of the Scandia Café, serviced by the Uptown Sewer System. Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to appoint Holly Kaufhold to serve on the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. Wayne Schmitt owns the Schmitt Mall and serves on the Elim Church Board. Ness, seconded by Schneider, moved to appoint Wayne Schmitt to serve on the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. Moose Malmquist indicated that he plans to represent the Gammelgarden Museum, a user of the Uptown Sewer System. Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to appoint Moose Malmquist to serve on the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 5 of 7 Daniel Cartier is a seasonal homeowner on the Anderson-Erickson system. Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to appoint Daniel Cartier to serve on the Wastewater Advisory Committee. The motion carried 5-0. City Administrator Hurlburt recommended that a year-round resident of the Bliss system be recruited to represent that portion of users on the Committee. As soon as a full roster is established, meetings dates will be coordinated. PURCHASE OF SKID STEER, TRAILER AND ATTACHMENTS The 2012 Budget and Capital Improvement Plan included the purchase of a skid-steer loader and trailer. The budget estimate was $35,000 for the purchase of this equipment. Maintenance staff obtained quotes from the state cooperative purchasing contract for three models that would meet the city’s needs. Models were also test driven. Bobcat Model S650 $34,325.66 New Holland Model L225 $37,003.33 Case Model SV250 $42,065.12 Maintenance Workers Mike Egelkraut and Jeff Anderson addressed the council with the recommendation for the purchase of the New Holland L225. Mr. Anderson explained the reasons, primarily the safety feature that the bucket arms can be locked from the inside of the cab, making it a one-man job to exit the loader when the arms are up. This feature is lacking in the Bobcat. Compared to the Bobcat, there is better visibility from the cab and more stability with a longer wheelbase and lower center of gravity. The New Holland also has a higher lift and longer reach than the Bobcat. The Case machine was similar to the New Holland, but judged not to be worth the additional cost. Staff estimated the purchase of a trailer to be $2,500 (used) to $4,000 (new). Attachment costs were presented as follows: Pallet forks $550 Snow bucket $850 Grapple $2,155 City Administrator Hurlburt stated that funds are available within the Public Works Department for the purchase of the skid-steer and attachments, estimated to be a total cost of $43,500 to $45,100 depending on the cost of the trailer. The Personal Services budget will be significantly under-spent due to the vacancy of the Maintenance Superintendent position. Mayor Simonson asked why other models, such as John Deere or Caterpillar, were not included. Mr. Anderson replied that the choices were narrowed to these three because of the power needed to do the work and the important locking-arm safety feature. Mr. Egelkraut added that only models from the state purchasing contract were looked at, due to the significant price savings. Neither the John Deere nor Caterpillar was on the contract pricing list. Council member Schneider stated that he is not in favor of purchasing a New Holland and would prefer they look at a John Deere, Gehl or Bobcat. Schneider also stated that an 82-hp engine March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 6 of 7 seems to be more powerful than needed. He would prefer that the new Maintenance Supervisor be hired before authorizing the purchase. Mr. Anderson reiterated that importance of the safety feature found on the New Holland and explained that the engine size offered is the standard for a medium-sized machine these days. City Administrator explained that Mr. Anderson has extensive operator experience with this type of equipment and knows the needs of the department. Any delay in the purchase leads to time lost on projects. Hurlburt urged the council to consider the recommendation so that the department has the necessary tools to get the jobs done. Mayor Simonson agreed that purchasing off the state contract appears to be an important economic decision. It was estimated to save 33% off the listed price. Simonson, seconded by Swanson, moved to approve the purchase of a New Holland Skid- Steer, trailer and attachments at the quoted prices. Council member Ness asked if additional quotes for other models could be obtained within a week. City Administrator Hurlburt explained that if equipment not on the state purchasing agreement is considered, then multiple quotes from various dealers have to be gathered, therefore extending any action. Mayor Simonson called for a roll call vote on the above motion. Ness – yes; Amos – no; Swanson – yes; Schneider – no; Simonson – yes. The motion carried 3-2. City Administrator Hurlburt recommended a budget amendment in an amount to cover the final purchase price. Simonson, seconded by Ness, moved to amend the Public Works Department budget to cover the difference in the final purchase amount. The motion carried 3-2, with Amos and Schneider opposed. The line item Personal Services/Wages and Salaries will be decreased and the Capital Outlay/Heavy Machinery Capital line item increased by the difference between the budgeted amount and the final purchase price. UPTOWN WASTEWATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS - QUOTE FOR ELECTRICAL WORK The first step in the project with Bolton & Menk for work needed for the Uptown Wastewater System Master Plan will be the installation of run time meters and Warming House pump tank controls. Data needs to be collected daily for at least a two-month period before plans can be prepared for the rest of the improvements. March 20, 2012 Scandia City Council Page 7 of 7 Bolton & Menk were only able to obtain one quote for this work. Web Electric is familiar with the Uptown System and has provided a quote in the amount of $4,800, plus $1,500 if the existing conduit between the Warming House panel and Warming House pump tank cannot be reused. Bolton & Menk found the quote to be reasonable. Simonson, seconded by Swanson, moved to accept the quote from Web Electric in the amount of $4,800, plus $1,500 if the existing conduit cannot be reused. The motion carried 5-0. ADJOURNMENT Ness, seconded by Amos, moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Brenda Eklund Deputy Clerk