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06.a2 Draft minutes 01-04-2023 Work Session January 4, 2023 A work session meeting of the Scandia City Council was held on the above date with modifications. The meeting was conducted in-person at the Scandia Community Center and over an electronic platform. All participants who joined the meeting remotely could hear each other and contribute to discussions. Mayor Christine Maefsky called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. The following were present: Council members Heather Benson, Jerry Cusick, Steve Kronmiller, Mike Lubke, and Mayor Christine Maefsky. Staff present: Interim City Administrator Anne Hurlburt, Treasurer Colleen Firkus, Public Works Director Charles Fischer and City Planner T.J. Hofer. Joining remotely were Fire Chief Mike Hinz, City Attorneys Chris Nelson and Kevin Sandstrom, City Engineer Seth Peterson, and Max Dalton, an advisor with Washington County. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Councilmember Benson, second by Councilmember Kronmiller, moved to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 5-0. DISCUSS TRASH & RECYCLING SERVICES Interim City Administrator Hurlburt presented the history and issues regarding the city’s trash and recycling services. The City Ordinances require residents to have a licensed trash hauler. Options for the Council to consider are Organized Collection, Open Collection or a Hybrid system with one contract for recycling and another for trash for different haulers. Pros and cons were outlined. There have been a lot of citizen concerns conveyed to city staff and on social media. New haulers are hesitant to sign up new customers until they understand what approach the city will be taking. Staff needs direction as to what is the Council’s preferred approach of Organized or Open Collection, what level of communication for citizen and business involvement, and does the city want to allow other haulers that are licensed in Washington County to serve residents while the city ordinance is updated and licensing requirements are developed. In response to a question from the Mayor, Dalton indicated that the two biggest haulers in the area are Republic and Waste Management (WM). Councilmember Benson asked if WM will continue recycling for $10/mo. Administrator Hurlburt was told by a Waste Management representative that they would continue while the city works out their process. Mayor Maefsky asked if other haulers are interested in coming in now during the interim with the risk of maybe not being allowed to continue service. Attorney Nelson indicated residents would be required to use whatever hauler the city licenses. Councilmember Kronmiller said WM will continue until Aug. 2024 which will preserve service in the city in the interim while the city develops an ordinance and licensure for trash and recycling. Councilmember Lubke prefers Organized due to cost and impact on the roads. Councilmember Kronmiller prefers Open collection to prevent a monopoly, but Organized for the efficiencies and less impact on roads. Councilmember Benson likes Organized Collection but not the billing portion as the city has limited staff. Councilmember Cusick said both had merits, but with Open you would have competition. Scandia City Council Work Session January 4, 2023 Page 2 of 4 Comments from online viewers. Would the city have penalties or fines for the hauler if service was lacking? Attorney Nelson indicated that if the city has a contract there would not be fines only remedies under state contract law. Councilmember Kronmiller suggested the city could incentivize the hauler with extra pay for good service. Attorney Nelson has never seen anything like that but there are things that could be offered; having an organized contract in itself is an incentive. Councilmember Kronmiller asked if the city can bring in a hauler for occasional community cleanup days. Dalton said this should be discussed during the RFP process and could include services for an annual large city event as well. Attorney Nelson indicated that if the city is proceeding to Organized collection that there is a pretty defined process. A committee will be needed to answer a lot of questions and to report to the Council. Councilmember Kronmiller, seconded by Councilmember Benson, made a motion to direct staff to proceed with the process for an Organized collection approach. Motion carried 5-0. Administrator Hurlburt noted that the city’s businesses should be involved as they will be affected by whatever the city does. She will bring it up at the next EDA meeting. BIG MARINE SEWER UTILITY, BLISS SYSTEM: AUTHORIZE COMPLETION OF FACILITY PLAN AND NPDES PERMIT MODIFICATION Engineer Peterson reviewed his memo recapping the nitrate issue with the Bliss System as required to be in compliance as part of the MPCA permit. A facility plan, estimated to cost $20,000, is a formal engineering report submitted to the MPCA with formal requirements outlining how the city will remedy the situation. This will allow the city access to funding through low interest loans and grants of which up to 80% of eligible costs could be covered if the state legislature funds the PSIG program. Key dates were outlined to move forward with the first deadline to submit to MPCS by March 3rd. Approved plans and specs are needed in March as part of the waiting list requirements. Permit modification process also required if adding further treatments system. Long process and MPCA encourages city to start that process. Grant funds would most likely be bumped from the 2023 cycle and be moved to 2024. Peterson explained it is a very competitive program and depends on how much money gets put in there by the state. There are already other cities’ projects on the waiting list, some that have been bumped to the next funding year. Peterson said the timing works for the compliance schedule in the permitting process if funding is received in 2023 or 2024. Councilmember Benson, seconded by Councilmember Kronmiller, moved to authorize completion of the Facility Plan for the Bliss system for the expected fee of $20,000, and to start the NPDES permit modification process with the expected fee to be $7,500. The motion carried 5-0. Scandia City Council Work Session January 4, 2023 Page 3 of 4 PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION FOR SOLAR FARM MORATORIUM AND STUDY Administrator Hurlburt said the city’s moratorium will expire in April and it can be extended 9 months. The Planning Commission, with assistance from TKDA, studied this issue and provided a report to the Council. There is currently no capacity in Xcel’s local substations for new connections, so the city is not expecting any new solar farm applications. Councilmember Lubke said the intention was that an ordinance should not be made based on current lack of capacity as capacity may open up later. Mayor Maefsky indicated there did not appear to be specific recommendations in the report for the Council to consider. Councilmember Lubke said general screening requirements were recommended to improve current screening and new solar installations would require immediate screening to protect the scenic canvas, as well requirements on equipment boxes and poles, and to protect scenic views of certain minor arterials by creating overlay zones like city of Wyoming. The Council directed staff to bring forward recommended ordinance amendments. Planner Hofer said staff could map out overlay districts, standards for screening, equipment placement in a draft for discussion. Ordinance amendments would need a public hearing at the Planning Commission level. Hofer indicated he would also like to review solar potential in the city’s Unified Development Code. APPROVE AMENDMENT TO CONSTRUCTION COST SHARING AGREEMENT WITH MIDCONTINENT COMMUNICATIONS (MIDCO) The cost sharing agreement with Midco expired 12/31/2022. This amendment is to change the completion date to 7/01/2023 as recommended by IAC. Kronmiller, seconded by Benson, moved to approve amending the completion date from 12/31/2022 to 07/01/2023 for the city’s cost sharing agreement with Midcontinent Communications. Motion approved 5-0. ADOPT ORDINANCE 2023-01: 2023 FEES, RATES AND CHARGES; AND RESOLUTION NO. 2023-01 FOR SUMMARY PUBLICATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 2023-01 Benson, seconded by Cusick, moved to adopt Ordinance 2023-01: 2023 Fees, Rates and Charges Schedule, and approve Resolution No. 2023-01 for summary publication of Ordinance 2023-01. Motion approved 5-0. APPROVE 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE Benson, seconded by Councilmember Lubke, moved to approve the 2023 City Council Meeting Schedule. Motion carried 5 – 0. Councilmember Cusick asked if a policy could be written that no Council meeting to go beyond 10:00 p.m. to review at the next meeting. INTERVIEW APPLICANTS FOR CITY COMMITTEES Council will interview the one applicant for the Planning Commission on January 17th at 6:30 p.m. Council asked to extend the deadline on all 3 committees. Administrator Hurlburt said they could extend the deadline for all committees to January 16, the day before the council meeting, and post it on the city’s website. Scandia City Council Work Session January 4, 2023 Page 4 of 4 APPOINT COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES TO CITY COMMITTEES Councilmember Benson is happy to take Park & Rec Committee. Councilmember Lubke will be the representative to the EDA. Councilmember Kronmiller will continue on the Capital Investment and IAC committees, and be the council representative on the Planning Commission. Councilmember Cusick will be the liaison for the Wastewater Committee. Mayor Maefsky will continue with the Sister City & Tourism Committees, and the Scandia Heritage Alliance. The city will need a new EDA member to replace Councilmember Lubke. ADJOURNMENT Benson, seconded by Cusick, moved to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Colleen Firkus Treasurer