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06-18-2019 Meeting June 18, 2019 A regular meeting of the Scandia City Council was held on the above date. Mayor Christine Maefsky called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call was taken. The following members were present: Council members Jerry Cusick, Chris Ness, Patti Ray, and Mayor Christine Maefsky. Absent: Council member Steve Kronmiller. Staff present: City Engineer Ryan Goodman, City Attorney Eric Sherburne, Police Deputy David Peters, Fire Chief Mike Hinz, and Deputy Clerk Brenda Eklund. PUBLIC FORUM Janie O’Connor and Len Martinez, members of Cycling Scandia, reported on the organization’s successful biking event held on June 1st. A video of “Scandia Rocks and Rolls” was viewed. A similar event is being planned for the fall. Dean West, 23167 Lofton Avenue, asked about a city owned property along Lofton Court that connects to Bone Lake, and questioned how he can find out the purpose for this and what is allowed on it. The access, an unopened street known as Lake Lane, was platted at the time of the development. Mayor Maefsky recommended Mr. West submit a written request for information which the new city administrator can address when the position is filled later this summer. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Council member Ness asked that Consent Agenda Item 5.d) Accept revised quote from EMI Audio be moved to the regular agenda for discussion. Mayor Maefsky added Agenda Item 8.h) Mayor’s report. Deputy Clerk Eklund announced late agenda item 5.f) Approve Meister’s temporary off-premise liquor sales for the Men’s Fastpitch Tournament June 28-30. Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve the agenda as amended. The motion carried 4-0. CONSENT AGENDA The following Consent Agenda was presented: a) Minutes 1) May 21, 2019 Regular Council Meeting 2) June 5, 2019 Work Session b) Treasurer’s Report Beginning Balance 5/1/2019 $4,026,129.37 Receipts $80,577.62 Expenditures $311,777.94 Payroll $27,092.74 $(338,870.68) Adjustments: Correct Midco receipt 5/10/19 $0.20 Ending Balance 5/31/2019 $3,767,836.51 c) Payment of Vouchers d) Accept revised quote for EMI Audio installation moved to Agenda Item 9.j e) Firefighter pay increases f) Authorize Meister’s to sell beer at the Wayne Erickson Ballfield on June 28-30, 2019 Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried 4-0. June 18, 2019 Scandia City Council Page 2 of 6 PARK AND RECREATION COMMITTEE Resolution No. 06-18-19-01 Accepting Donation by Kelli Carlson Council member Ray, liaison to the PRC, presented a resolution to accept a generous $500 donation from Kelli Carlson as the matching SHIP grant amount for installation of bike amenities near the Warming House. Ness, seconded by Cusick, moved to adopt Resolution No. 06-18-19-01, Accepting Donation for Bike Station. The motion carried 4-0. Ray reported on PRC happenings: the new yoga program has 17 participants; volunteers are spreading wood chips on the Bone Lake Park trail this Saturday; explained the concept for the Lilleskogen Story Park planned for installation later this summer. Elementary school students will create the story pages for 6 display stands along the walking trail. The stories will be changed out every 2 weeks to encourage frequent visits to Lilleskogen Park. The PRC is teaming up with the Lions Club for Vinterfest 2020 planning, being led by PRC member Greg Zauner. PLANNING COMMISSION Deputy Clerk Eklund announced that no recommendations were made at the June 4th Planning Commission meeting for Council action. There will be no July 2nd Commission meeting; a public hearing on amendments to the accessory structure ordinance is scheduled for August 6th. BUILDING OFFICIAL Building Official Chuck Preisler’s report on building activity was received. In May, 31 permits were issued at a valuation of $1,847,133. To date, five new construction permits have been issued. POLICE DEPARTMENT Police Deputy David Peters began his appointment as Scandia’s deputy under the Washington County contract on June 3rd. Peters said he is learning the neighborhoods and working with staff on investigations. FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire Chief Mike Hinz reported that the department responded to 5 fire calls and 12 medical calls in May. Department members assisted with the Forest Lake Safety Camp for youth with demonstrations on kitchen safety. CITY ENGINEER City Engineer Ryan Goodman explained that the Met Council is meeting with staff on June 19th to discuss the sewer extension element of the 2040 Comp Plan. The Bliss stormwater study is ongoing, with a final report planned for later this year. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR Public Works Director Adam Hawkinson’s activity report from May was received. June 18, 2019 Scandia City Council Page 3 of 6 MAYOR’S REPORT • The City Council will conduct interviews with City Administrator candidate finalists on June 27th and July 1st. • Maefsky has met with a representative of the group “Coalition against bigger trucks” who is requesting the city adopt a resolution in support of their cause. Council members Cusick and Ray asked for more information before proceeding, for further discussion at the next meeting. • The American Swedish Institute is gifting a large dala horse to the Gammelgarden Museum for display on the museum grounds. The museum has asked if the structure can be stored indoors over the winter months in the city’s cold storage. Ray, seconded by Ness, moved to approve the storage of the large dala horse structure in the city’s building over the winter months. The motion carried 4-0. • The Scandia Heritage Alliance has applied for legacy grant funding for signage around the city’s historic sites, with plans to publish an organized driving tour of the sites. Maefsky said there is good potential for the grant, and she will continue to update the Council on this project. COMMUNITY CENTER KITCHEN RENTAL AGREEMENT WITH CYNTHIA WALD, ATOMIC MEALS In 2013, the City adopted a policy for the rental of the Community Center kitchen on an hourly basis. Cynthia Wald’s proposal to rent the kitchen for approximately 4 hours a week was presented to the Council by Deputy Clerk Eklund. Ms. Wald was present to explain her business, Atomic Meals, a food preparation company that delivers healthy meals to area customers. Staff recommended approval conditioned on the renter providing a Certificate of Insurance naming the City as an additional insured. Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve the Community Center Rental Agreement with Cynthia Wald conditioned on proof of insurance. The motion carried 4-0. DEVELOPER’S AGREEMENT WITH USS SOLAR SOURCES LLC, THE DEVELOPER OF THE DISTRIBUTION SCALE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM ON KEYSTONE AVENUE NORTH -- RESOLUTION NO. 06-18-19-02 Last month, the Council approved a Conditional Use Permit to develop a Distribution Scale Solar Energy System (Distribution SES) located on Parcel Number 30.032.20.23.0001, with access from Keystone Avenue North. Attorney Sherburne and Planner Clapp-Smith prepared the Developer’s Agreement that includes financial guarantees acceptable to the City to assure compliance with the Decommissioning Plan and the Landscaping Plan. Engineer Goodman questioned an access road shown on the site plan which connects to Manning Trail on the west end of the property, and asked if the County had approved an access permit. It was confirmed that language in the Developer’s Agreement states that “access shall be from Keystone Avenue North; developer shall obtain all required Washington County permits.” The agreement does not contemplate any other access. Attorney Sherburne explained the escrows for landscaping, groundcover and decommissioning will be collected and in place before a building permit is issued. It was confirmed that the June 18, 2019 Scandia City Council Page 4 of 6 ground cover area is defined as that lying within the project area of the solar installation, not the entire property. The $31,250 decommissioning escrow can be revisited every ten years for adjustment by either party. No changes were identified in the developer’s agreement presented at the meeting. Ray, seconded by Ness, moved to approve Resolution No. 06-18-19-02, Approving Developer’s Agreement with USS Solar Sources, LLC as presented. The motion carried 4- 0. DISCUSSION ON TOBACCO ORDINANCE – PRESENTATION BY MN CHAPTER OF AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION Council member Ray introduced Elizabeth Heimer and Alex Dusek from the MN Chapter of the American Lung Association to present information on an initiative to raise the tobacco age to 21, which 36 cities and counties in Minnesota have already done. Statistics show that raising the minimum sales age results in a 25% decrease in tobacco initiation rates. The goal is to get this age raised at the state level, and having local support can provide a push to make this happen. Dusek explained that removal of purchase, use and possession (PUP) penalties is recommended in policy language; raising the tobacco age should not be about punishing youth and has become the standard in communities across Minnesota. Mayor Maefsky thanked them for the valuable information, and stated that amending the city’s tobacco ordinance will continue to move forward with the new city administrator. DISCUSSION TO RE-ENGAGE WITH NEIL SOLTIS FOR 2020 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND BUDGET PLANNING AND TRANSITION TO NEW ADMINISTRATOR Upon his retirement on May 6th, former City Administrator Neil Soltis indicated his willingness to assist with preparations of the Capital Improvement Plan, 2020 budget, and orientation with the new administrator. Legal staff prepared an employment agreement outlining the proposal to prepare for and attend meetings, estimated up to 8 hours a week at $60/hour. Cusick, seconded by Ness, moved to approve an Employment Agreement with Neil Soltis for assistance with CIP and budget preparations and through an orientation with the new administrator. The motion carried 4-0. Council discussed a meeting schedule for budget preparations. It was agreed to cancel the July 3rd Work Session and schedule a budget meeting on July 17th at 4:30 p.m. The August 7th Work Session will focus on the 2020 budget. TRAINING FOR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Based on a Council recommendation made at the May 14th Special Meeting for training within the public works department, Local 49 union representative Cory Bergerson provided a proposal for funding one-half of the cost for an in-house training session. Led by a U of MN instructor, the 3-hour session focuses on a respectful workplace and would be offered to all staff, lead members of the fire department, council and planning commissioners at the city’s cost of $300. June 18, 2019 Scandia City Council Page 5 of 6 Mayor Maefsky stated that this is a first step in dealing with department issues and will set things off on the right foot with a new administrator in place. The training covers standards of a respectful workplace, relevant labor and employment laws, and basic conflict resolution practices. Ray, seconded by Ness, moved to approve the training program offered by Local 49. The motion carried 4-0. DISCUSSION ON COMMUNITY CENTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT Mayor Maefsky reported that the Community Center Task Force has met once and is gathering cost estimates from planning firms on a needs assessment study that would outline potential updates to the Community Center to meet future needs. A report will be prepared for the Capital Improvement Committee. DISCUSSION ON EDA RECOMMENDATION TO FORM A TOURISM COMMITTEE At its June 10th meeting, the EDA recommended the formation of a Tourism Committee to lead tourism efforts for the community. The EDA would like it to be comprised of 5-7 members representing the business community, existing tourism venues, and community volunteer groups that would build support and a vision for tourism development and establish priorities for meeting the strategies of the Tourism Assessment report recently completed by the University of MN Tourism Center. Ray, seconded by Ness, moved to approve the formation of a Tourism Committee as recommended by the EDA. The motion carried 4-0. REPLACEMENT OF FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTRICATION TOOLS (RESOLUTION NO. 06-18-19-03) Fire Chief Hinz described the department’s study to replace the failing hydraulic extraction tools on Engine 2 as included in this year’s capital improvement plan at a budget of $30,000. After testing several products, the department concluded the Holmatro jaws of life tools perform best. Jefferson Fire and Safety is the only authorized dealer in the area and provided a quote of $32,197.45. Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve the purchase of fire department extrication tools from Jefferson Fire & Safety at a cost of $32,17.45. The motion carried 4-0. A resolution to amend the 2019 equipment replacement fund by $2,198 over the budgeted amount was presented. Ness, seconded by Cusick, moved to adopt Resolution No. 06-18-19-03, Amending the 2019 Budget for Capital Improvements. The motion carried 4-0. DISCUSSION ON SCANDIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY EXPIRING TERM Mark Porubcansky’s term on the EDA Board expires on July 31, 2019. A schedule of advertising and appointment of a member by the EDA’s August 12th meeting was discussed. June 18, 2019 Scandia City Council Page 6 of 6 Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve posting a vacancy on the EDA Board. The motion carried 4-0. The notice will be posted on the city’s website with a July 12th deadline so that applications can be reviewed at the July 16th Council meeting. ACCEPT REVISED QUOTE FOR EMI AUDIO INSTALLATION Council member Ness questioned why the cost of a wireless microphone was not included in the original quote from EMI Audio to install audio equipment in the Council chambers, which was accepted at the April 16th Council meeting. Treasurer Firkus provided a revised quote for the additional $1,055 cost and explained that during equipment installation, it was determined that a microphone was necessary for speakers at the podium to use. The equipment is purchased through collection of cable franchise and PEG fees, with sufficient funds in the Cable Television Fund for the added expenditure. Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to approve the revised quote of $11,669.49 from EMI Audio for Council Chambers Audio Equipment. The motion carried 4-0. ADJOURNMENT Ness, seconded by Ray, moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 4-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Brenda Eklund Deputy Clerk