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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-2019 Council Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. ROLL CALL The Orono City Council met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Mayor Dennis Walsh, City Council Members Richard Crosby,III,Matt Johnson,Aaron Printup, and Victoria Seals. Representing Staff were City Administrator Dustin Rief, Community Development Director Jeremy Barnhart,Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards, and Recorder Jackie Young. Mayor Walsh called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF AGENDA CONSENT AGENDA 1. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 11,2019 2. CLAIMS/BILLS 3. APPROVAL OF RENTAL LICENSES 4. APPROVAL TO DISPOSE OF BICYCLES 5. APPOINTMENT OF 2019 SEASONAL EMPLOYEES 6. 2019 SEWER REHABILITATION ENGINEERING 7. RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR OUTGOING PARK COMMISSIONERS, RESOLUTION NO. 6948& RESOLUTION 6949 9. LOCAL TRAILS CONNECTION GRANT APPLICATION,RESOLUTION NO. 6951 10. LA18-000091 AJ HELGERSON,2870 GOLDENROD WAY,VARIANCE— RESOLUTION NO. 6952 11. LA18-000103 ISAAC LINDSTROM,ALL ENERGY SOLAR ON BEHALF OF WILLIAM AND ELEANOR FERRIL,240 WAKEFIELD ROAD—RESOLUTION NO. 6953 12. 2019 PAY EQUITY REPORT 13. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING UBS CORPORATE RESOLUTIONS, RESOLUTION NO. 6953 Crosby moved, Seals seconded,to approve the Consent Agenda as amended,with Item No. 8 being removed from the Consent Agenda.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. Page 1 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS Richie Anderson,North Marina, stated a lot of City Councils would not enter into private/government relationships,and that he appreciates the opportunity to be able to contribute to the Community Service Dog program. Anderson stated last year at this time he agreed to sponsor Orono's community dog and that he will be donating a check to cover the expenses for it again this year. Walsh thanked Mr.Anderson for his generous donation. Printup moved, Seals seconded,to accept the donation from Richie Anderson and North Shore Marina for the Community Service Dog Program. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. PRESENTATIONS 14. RECOGNIZE COMMUNITY SERVICE DOG PROGRAM Officer Kyle Kirschner, Orono Police Department,was present. Kirschner stated Xerxes has completed his training through Can-Do-Canines. The police department has held over 20-plus events at the various schools,which involved hundreds of hours of community involvement. Events were held at places like the Spring Park Nursing Home,the various schools,and meeting with the residents in Minnetonka Beach. The City of Mound has also been very proactive in getting to know officers. Kirschner stated his goal at work is to attempt to have between three to five contacts per day with Xerxes and the citizens and that the overall goal was to create positive police contact. Goals for this year include fostering a relationship with Corner House,who conducts interviews with children who have experienced trauma or violent incidents. While Corner House is located a little outside of Orono, it goes to show how far this program can reach. Walsh commented he appreciates the work the Orono Police Department has done with this program and that Can-Do-Canines has provided essentially$425,000 worth of training and other services. Walsh stated that was in addition to the money donated by Richie Anderson and his family to pay for the yearly expenses to have the dog here. Walsh stated this program helps illustrate how a private/government partnership can be effective. 15. SWEARING IN OF POLICE OFFICERS Mayor Walsh administered the oath of office to Police Officers Zach Wyatt,Aleah Lang,and Troy Carlson. PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER REPORT 16. PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE Edwards reported Orono has had thirteen 1-inch plus events this winter,with a number of those being Page 2 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. 6-plus inches. The Public Works Department has spent 1,161 hours this winter plowing snow,which works out to 2.5 weeks of constant effort for each of Orono's crew members, and includes 213 overtime hours. As far as de-icing materials go,the City has used 3,875 gallons of brine on the roads, 182 tons of treated salt, and 137 tons of untreated salt. The treated salt is for the colder temperatures and works down to 15 degrees. Seals asked how the City is doing on its supplies. Edwards indicated they are getting low on salt and that the neighboring cities are in the same boat. The City has to place its order back in March with the state,which requires the City to take anywhere between 80 to 120 percent of the order. Orono is getting close to its 120 percent limit for the year. As a proactive measure,the City has hauled in some extra salt from Hennepin County. Seals asked how they are doing budget-wise with the overtime. Edwards stated they do not separate plowing overtime from winter activities and that the overtime budget accounts for lift station failures, etc. The 213 hours is about double what Orono had last year. Crosby commended the Orono Staff for doing such a terrific job with the roads. Edwards stated have received some calls about mail boxes being hit but they have also received a lot of positive calls thanking Staff for the work they have done. The graph at the bottom shows the normal snowfall in a season from 1981 to 2010,and the typical amount of snow between October to April is 54 inches. In February of this year Orono has received 32.1 inches when in a normal year it receives 7.8 inches. Crosby requested Staff check the fire hydrants to make sure they are clear of snow. Edwards stated snow storage is becoming a challenge. Seals stated she has received a number of compliments about the snow removal activities of the Public Works Department. Edwards noted one reason for the large quantity of salt used this year was due to the rainfalls that occurred either prior to or during snow events as well as the wind. Edwards reported on the following activities performed by the Public Works Department: • Routine checks on water plants • Repaired three water mains • Performed normal meter readings • Conducted one service inspection • Performed 257 weekly checks and services • Weekly checks and services on the sewer, one service inspection, Lift Station No. 32 startup and 21 facility inspections completed Page 3 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. • Emergency roof repairs at the water plant in Navarre • 38 pieces of equipment maintained or repaired • 262 sign inspections • 19 sign replacements • Right-of-way tree trimming • Light pole decorations • Culvert clearing for stormwater • Spent 125 manhours maintaining the ice rinks • 35 Christmas trees removals and chipping • Cleared trails of snow and ice • Parks parking lot snow removal • Equipment annual services • Golf clubhouse basement mold remediation project Seals stated she has received some complaints about Asplundh Tree Trimming because they were leaving the debris behind. Edwards stated they work for Xcel. Seals stated she has also received a lot of good compliments about the efforts the City is making on the local parks. 8. OUTDOOR RECREATION GRANT APPLICATION,RESOLUTION FOR BIG ISLAND PARK,RESOLUTION NO. 6950 Edwards stated the DNR offers an Outdoor Recreation grant and that the City Council packet should include that grant proposal. Most of the grants require a resolution from the City Council saying they are willing to support their part of the grant. Seals noted this grant is in line with the master plan for Big Island and that it gives the City an avenue to pay for trails or bathrooms,etc.,on Big Island. Any improvements that are done will require City Council approval. Edwards stated the primary location for a bathroom was by the visitor center and the second site was the overlook point. Seals reported there have been some snowmobiles out on Big Island where they are not supposed to be. In addition, some of the residents have a concern about how the City will maintain these items long-term. Walsh stated the master plan was well thought through and that they are waiting to see what type of grants the City is able to obtain. Printup commented he likes the grant seeking, which has only happened in the past couple of years. Printup stated he always thought it would be appropriate for there to be a monument of some type or a flag honoring the veterans. Because Big Island has seen a lot of damage and there are maintenance Page 4 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. issues,he will not be supporting this. Printup expressed concern that this will become a black hole and will be never-ending. Crosby commented there are some good possibilities for improving Big Island and that security cameras may help to deter some of the vandalism. Walsh noted a 501(3)(c)has been formed to help raise some funds and that the City has been trying to leverage everything they can with the public/private partnerships. Crosby commented he likes the idea of a flag pole. Seals stated the challenge with Big Island is that no matter what the City does,there will be a portion of the population that is unhappy with it. It is an island in the middle of the lake and it is a logistical nightmare. In reality it should have always been owned by Three Rivers,but that Orono has made a promise to its residents and to the veterans. Currently the trails are not wheelchair accessible,and if the City can make some trails that are more handicap friendly,that is a win. The City does need to be cognizant as the Council debates the details to consider what makes the most sense and how it will be maintained. Seals moved, Crosby seconded,to adopt RESOLUTION NO.6950 ,a Resolution Requesting a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Grant for Big Island Park. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1,Printup Opposed. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Seals reported this past weekend the Orono-Westonka Winter Melt event was held at the Orono Activity Center. In attendance were over 700 kids and about 800 parents over two days and is the first tournament the club has done. Seals stated she would like to thank the volunteers and the residents for helping with this event and that it is a great activity center. Johnson stated his nephew,Noah Johnson,represented the State of Minnesota on one of the top 12-13 pee-wee teams in the world for a two-week long tournament in Canada. Minnesota made it to the final four,which was the furthest it has ever made it, and played a variety of different countries like Japan and Czechoslovakia. Johnson stated the Public Works Staff has been doing a great job on the roads. Crosby thanked Staff for doing a fantastic job with the roads as well as the private contractors. Crosby thanked Richie Anderson for his donation to the Community Service Dog Program and that it is nice to know Orono is a community that likes to embrace the positive. Crosby stated in light of some issues where women are being stalked or followed,he would encourage women to be aware of their surroundings, especially when in parking lots,malls or gyms. If they feel uncomfortable with going out there alone,they should tell someone. Everyone should be vigilant and know their surroundings and leave with a friend whenever possible. Crosby stated the more people talk about it and keep it in the forefront,the more likely people will have a plan of action. Page 5 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. Walsh reported he attended the Orono Dance Team end-of-the-year banquet,which was a great time, and that Mound-Westonka and Orono both went to state. This is the first year Orono qualified for the state tournament and they placed fourth and fifth. Walsh stated he would also like to acknowledge John Freefalt, who was awarded an honorary consulate position with the U.S. Department of State. Walsh noted he had provided him a letter of recommendation and that he will be working with the country of Latvia. Walsh thanked the Public Works Department for their work keeping the roads plowed and Richie Anderson for his donation to the Community Service Dog Program. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT 17. APPOINTMENT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS—RESOLUTION NO. 6946 Rief noted the City Council interviewed Park Commission applicants at the work session and that tonight they will be appointing two new commissioners. Printup moved, Seals seconded,to adopt RESOLUTION NO.6946,a Resolution Reappointing Rick Meyers as Chair,Janice Berg as Commissioner,to appoint Casey Hudson and Rick Carter as Regular Commissioners,and Jennifer Klaahsen as alternate to the Orono Park Commission. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. 18. APPOINTMENT OF PLANNING COMMISSIONEERS—RESOLUTION NO. 6947 Printup moved, Crosby seconded,to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 6947,a Resolution Appointing Mark McCutcheon,Matthew Gellman,Christopher Bollis to a three-year term on the Orono Planning Commission,and to appoint Mark Deopke as alternate to the Orono Planning Commission. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. Johnson recommended someone from the Planning Commission be appointed to the Code Review Committee. Walsh thanked Chair John Thiesse for his work as the chair of the Planning Commission this past year. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT None Page 6 of 7 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 25,2019 7:00 o'clock p.m. ADJOURNMENT Crosby moved,Printup seconded,to adjourn the Orono City Council meeting at 7:48 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. ATTEST: \-1313:1J-1 Anna Carlson,City Clerk Dennis Walsh,Mayor Page 7 of 7