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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-23-2017 Council Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCII,MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 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, Council Members Richard Crosby,II, Aaron Printup, and Victoria Seals. Representing Staff were City Administrator Jessica Loftus,Finance Director Ron Olson, Community Development Director Jeremy Barnhart,Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards,City Attorney Soren Mattick,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 *1. CONSENT AGENDA Item Nos. 4 and 8 were added to the Consent Agenda. Item No. 13,Appointment of City Prosecutor under City Administrator's Report,was added. Seals moved, Crosby seconded,to approve the Consent Agenda as amended,with the addition of Item No. 13,Appointment of City Prosecutor under City Administrator's Report. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENTS Greg Coward, 1950 Heritage Drive, stated he is here tonight because he read in the local newspaper that the Planning Commission meetings will now be taped. Coward stated in his view videotaping the Planning Commission meetings is a wonderful idea and that he was struck that one of the Planning Commissioners was against that idea. Coward stated he has attended a number of Planning Commission meetings, and at one of those meetings when the Tufta development was being discussed,he asked the Planning Commission why there had been no comment at all about neighborhood preservation. At that point Commissioner Kevin Landgraver asked if that particular property was in the Fox Hills Association. When he was told no,he said,well, then it is not in the neighborhood. Another commissioner said that all the houses across the street would be torn down anyway. Coward stated that indicated a feeling that it was not important to talk about neighborhood preservation. Coward stated the real reason for some of the Commissioners not wanting the Planning Commission meetings to be videotaped is that they would be on record for that type of comment. Coward noted the paper also mentioned that there was a comment about the expense of the videotaping and that Council Member Printup recognized the fact that there was minimal expense. Coward stated there was also a comment about seeing how many people view the Planning Commission meetings. Coward stated in his view that is not the best criteria for determining whether the meetings should be videotaped but that it is more to keep the Planning Commission itself on track and have them accountable for what they do and what they say. Coward stated as a citizen, it would have been very helpful to have been able to go back to the videotape and watch certain portions. Page 1 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS (continued) Catherine Sweet, 3405 and 3407 Crystal Bay Road, stated she owns two pieces of property on Crystal Bay Road. Sweet stated when she purchased the 3407 property, she was aware that she did not own lakefront but that she did not understand exactly what lake rights were at that time. Sweet indicated she recently has decided to downsize and has been working with a real estate agent to se113407. Due to a covenant or an agreement entered into a number of years ago,that property does not have dock rights but it does have beach and bathing rights. Sweet indicated she was unaware of that when she purchased the property. Sweet stated she has had lots of parties that are interested in purchasing the lot but that they would like some assurance that they can put a dock on the property and not have it be taken away at some point in the future. Sweet indicated she has been working with Mr.Barnhart on this matter and that she would like the Council to consider two options that have been outlined in a packet of information she supplied to Staff. The first option is looking and considering a program that other lakefront cities are using. Sweet indicated Mound has set up a program for properties,where there is just beach and bathing rights,the opportunity for the property owner to rent the right to place a dock on their property. The second option is to ask for consideration that the City Council release the easement located between the two properties. Sweet stated when she purchased the 3405 house, she was aware of the fact that there was an easement between the two properties. The previous property owners had placed a driveway over the easement and that she asked permission from the City to continue to use the easement. Sweet stated she would like the City Council to consider releasing the easement and splitting it between the two lots, which would add teri feet to the 34071ot. Mayor Walsh stated the City will take it under advisement. Community Development Director Barnhart noted the information referred to by Ms. Sweet was placed on the Council dais prior to the meeting since it was received after the packet was prepared and delivered to the Council Members. PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER REPORT 3. NORTH WATER TOWER MIXER Public Works Director/City Engineer Edwards stated the City received two quotes for the installation of a water tank mixer for the north water tower. The low bid was received from Quality Flow Systems, Inc., at $12,162. Edwards noted this item was listed on the CPI for$25,000. Council Member Seals stated she would have consented this item but that there was a discrepancy in the numbers on the page she had. Edwards stated Paragraph 4 should have read$12,162. Council Member Crosby asked what will happen with the excess revenue since it was originally budgeted for$25,000. Page 2 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 3. NORTH WATER TOWER MIXER(continued) Edwards indicated it will remain in the Water Enterprise Fund for other future needs. Seals moved,Crosby seconded,to accept the quote in the amount of$12,162.00 from Quality Flow Systems,Inc.,for the installation of a water mixer in the north water tower. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. *4. APPROVE REHABILITATION OF LIFT STATION#6(2478 CASCO POINT ROAD) AND LIFT STATION#7(2552 SHADYWOOD ROAD) Seals moved,Crosby seconded,to accept the quote in the amount of$87,560 from Quality Flow Systems,Inc.,for the upgrade of Lift Stallon 6 and Lift Station 7. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. 5. WELLHEAD PROTECTION ORDINANCE Edwards stated Staff is looking for some direction from the City Council on whether to amend or repeal the ordinance. Edwards noted in 2013,the City adopted the Wellhead Protection Plan. One of the items in the plan was to create an ordinance restricting the drilling of private wells in the wellhead protection areas. In 2015, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 135. Edwards stated there was an interest expressed by the Council to amend the ordinance to allow new private wells within the drinking supply area. Staff would recommend that if the Council would like to amend the ordinance in that manner, it should be repealed since restricting the drilling of private wells in the wellhead protection area was the intent of the ordinance. Walsh noted this goes back to a discussion the City Council had two years ago and basically regards property rights. Walsh stated the state is the one who issues licenses to drill and is the one who oversees and regulates wells. Walsh stated keeping that under their purview would be plenty from a protection standpoint and that he would be in favor of repealing it. Seals and Crosby stated that makes sense. Seals moved,Crosby seconded,to retain ORDINANCE NO. 135,an Ordinance Protecting the City's Wellheads by Prohibiting New Private Wells Where Public Water Supply is Available. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER REPORT,CONTINUED: Edwards reported on the following activities by the Public Works Department: • Some tree removal on City property and right-of-ways was performed throughout the City of Orono • Annual equipment maintenance was completed • Snow removal was performed fairly often within the past 30 days • The City's holiday lights were removed Page 3 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER REPORT (continued) • Well No. 4 site development is currently underway • Lift station 2 backup generator installation started and will be completed this spring • SADA upgrade is underway • Installed MH risers at Fagerness • The Baldur Park Lake Access was repaired • The Lurton Park information sign was installed,with increased usage being noted. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT 6. JAKE BARKLEY,430 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD,DETERMINATION OF USE Barnhart stated in every zoning district different uses are listed as permitted conditional use permits. Construction of a new building within a zoning district typically requires a site plan review as well as approval by the City Council. Conditional use permit applications also require a public hearing. Conditional uses are uses that are allowed but certain conditions should be placed regarding that particular use to prevent unwanted elements or uses from occurring. The industrial zoning district allows for manufacturing of a broad range of products. Manufacturing is permitted provided there is no exterior noise, glare, fumes, obnoxious products,by products or wastes,or creates other objectionable impact on the environment. Barnhart noted this includes vibration or dust, which is virtually impossible. Barnhart stated the purpose tonight of this item is for Council to review the proposed use and to make sure that Staff understands what the Council means by no noise, etc. Barnhart stated exterior noise is prevalent in the use of all property and that Staff understands the criteria to mean"no manufacturing activity outdoors that produce noise observable beyond the property." Onside handling of byproducts will be resolved as part of the site plan approval process. Jake Barkley is considering purchase of 430 Old Crystal Bay Road to construct an industrial building that would house his business that takes in large limestone blocks or slabs and cuts them using large saws. The finished stone is used in landscaping and building architecture. Onsite activities include the loading and unloading of the large stone blocks using end loaders and trucks. While the activity occurs primarily inside the building, occasionally the door will be open to accept new material and ship out the finished product. Barnhart noted there will be some limited noise for every industrial use. Barnhart illustrated the proposed site on the overhead. The property is located on Old Crystal Bay Road. Mr. Barkley is proposing to construct a new building on the site to house his business and there will be some exterior storage associated with the business. Orono Preserve, a new residential development,will be constructed across the street commencing this spring. Staff believes the proposed use is appropriate in the industrial zoning district. Site plan approval for a new building requires a public hearing and review by the Planning Commission and City Council. Barnhart indicated Staff did investigate a similar business in St. Cloud over the holiday break. Barnhart noted the various sound readings are outlined in his memo. Page 4 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 6. JAKE BARKLEY,430 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD,DETERMINATION OF USE (continued) Barnhart indicated they measured the noise outside the building at various distances. The noise at the closed door measured at 68 decibels and 30 feet from the closed door the noise measured 58 decibels. On the south side where there is no exterior door the noise measured 65 decibels at 15 feet away from the building and 59 decibels 30 feet away. Barnhart noted background noise and street noise is about 60 decibels. Barnhart stated the door configuration is important to consider since the applicant has indicated that as part of his process his goal is to have the saw running 24 hours a day,which is fine if noise is not detected off the property. Barnhart stated there will be times when the exterior door is open to allow for loading and unloading of product and that some noise will be discernable but that the noise level drops off fairly quickly 30 feet away. Eighty feet away with the door open the noise level is at 63 decibels,which is close to street noise. Barnhart stated currently the property is vacant and is situated higher than Highway 12. Barnhart stated in his view it is an appropriate use from a noise standpoint. Barnhart displayed a picture of the saw to be used by the applicant. Following a review by Staff of the proposed use and what is allowed in this district, it is Staffls feeling that the use is consistent with the purpose and intent of the industrial zoning district. Barnhart noted the applicant will undertake a significant investment in the development of building design and site review and that he would like to know whether the City Council would be amenable to this type of business prior to incurring that expense. Staff anticipates conditions will be imposed as part of the site plan approval and would include screening of exterior storage and a requirement for exterior doors to be closed when stone cutting activities are occurring except when loading and unloading. Walsh asked if there are any houses on the south side that fall within 350 feet. Barnhart indicated there are a couple of properties,with one of the lots being vacant at this time and owned by MnDOT. Walsh noted there is also the new development located across the street. Seals asked whether houses will be located in the circled area depicted on the map. Barnhart indicated there will be and that constructed is expected to start sometime this spring, early summer. Walsh stated his only concern is the 24 hour a day delivery, especially with houses being right across the street. Walsh commented someone cannot perform house construction in the middle of the night or have home deliveries and that there will probably will be 15 homes in that circle once the development is completed. Page 5 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 6. JAKE BARKLEY,430 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD,DETERMINATION OF USE (continued) Barnhart stated the challenge Staff has is that this is an industrial zone and that another use would also likely have trucks backing up into this space. Barnhart stated there is always some give and take a little bit with industrial and that in his view the bigger issue is not the noise generated from truck engines but rather from the backup alarms. Jake Barkley, 3640 Bayside Road, stated his current business is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and that they presently run a day shift from 6 a.m.to 4 p.m.,which is also when shipping and receiving occurs. Barkley stated one block of granite takes about 36 hours to saw and that there will not be 20 trucks coming a day. Barkley indicated limestone saws can cut three to four stones a day, and to be economically feasible,the plant needs to run 24/7. Walsh stated his main concern is the deliveries and the lights given the residential development that will be located across the street. Walsh stated while Mr. Barkley can say deliveries are rare,that does not mean there are not ten loads coming in the following week at night. Barkley stated they would not be unloading blocks at night and that they currently only have deliveries during the day. Barkley noted there are trucks going up and down Highway 12 around the clock,which is different from Old Crystal Bay Road,but that there is traffic on that road throughout the night. Barkley stated any amount of shipping would be minimal in the grand scheme of things. City Attorney Mattick stated under a site plan approval, limiting site hours is more difficult,but that Staff can take a look at that. Barnhart noted he spoke earlier about screening and door orientation, which is something that will be looked at during the site plan process. Barnhart stated it would be appropriate, as part of the site plan review, to look at where the exterior doors are located. Barnhart stated any industrial property will have noise issues and responsible site design can mitigate those issues to some degree. Seals asked whether it is possible to position the doors and deliveries towards the back or sides that are not facing residential areas. Seals stated her big concern is Orono Preserve and that she would like to mitigate some of those issues. Barkley stated they intend to have an office and a more presentable street front. Barkley stated he is assuming they will want to put that on the west side and face the street but that they have not begun designing the building at this point. Barkley indicated his current building is approximately 65,000 square feet but their flow is not good. This site can handle roughly 60,000 square feet of building. If the building layout is efficient,they will be able to grow into that for the next 10-20 years. Barkley stated the idea with manufacturing is to put the raw goods at one end, with the end product coming out the other end. Barkley indicated they perhaps could run it from east to west but that they will want to store a lot of finished goods on the north or south side. Council Member Printup asked if berming could be required along Old Crystal Bay Road. Page 6 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 dclock p.m. 6. JAKE BARKLEY,430 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD,DETERMINATION OF USE (continued) Barnhart stated he would expect there be an office component to the building and that the better way to address these types of concerns is through design and not regulation. Barnhart stated the design of the manufacturing process is built into how that building operates. Printup asked if there are some platted areas for future roads behind JEM. Barnhart stated that road would be the responsibility of the person who develops the lot. Printup asked if there is anything that goes up to Wayzata Boulevard behind JEM. Barnhart indicated there is an east/west road there. Crosby asked if Mr. Barkley's current building is close to residential. Barkley indicated there is a residential neighborhood adjacent to them at the current site. Crosby asked what their noise situation is currently. Barkley indicated there is truck traffic during the day and that is about it. Crosby asked if there is any noise from the saw running. Barkley stated the neighborhood is to the north and a lot of the equipment is located on the south side of the building. Barkley stated you really cannot hear the noise from the saw when the doors are closed. Walsh asked whether he would be willing to limit deliveries of the stones from 9:00 at night unti16:00 in the morning to avoid deliveries during the night. Barkley stated there are specifics and details to that question that he cannot answer. Barkley indicated right now they do not open the doors during those hours but that if they have a truck coming across the country,the truck will park and wait there until the receiving hours are open. Walsh commented there will always be unexpected circumstances,but that he is talking from a general logistics standpoint. Walsh stated if there are five or ten homes that are valued at half a million dollars across the street that they cannot sell due to a perceived issue,that could be a problem and that he is trying to mitigate that. Walsh stated he is not worried about the noise during the day but that it is the middle of the night hours that could cause issues. Barkley stated another way to respond to that is that a lot of their product gets unloaded with mobile equipment and overhead cranes and it is not safe to do that in the dark. Walsh stated he would be comfortable if Mr. Barkley would say there would be no deliveries from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Walsh stated he is trying to mitigate the worst possible situations that could come up. Page 7 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 6. JAKE BARKLEY,430 OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD,DETERMINATION OF USE (continued) Barkley stated he wants to be a good neighbor but that he does not want to curtail his ability to do business on the front end. Walsh stated if Mr. Barkley feels he can mitigate those concerns,the Council can do so as well. Barnhart stated he is hearing that the Council supports the use and that the concern to address is the truck noise due in part to loading and unloading. Barnhart stated the saw noise can be mitigated with the design of the building and that Staff can address that with the site plan review. Barnhart stated he would prefer not to put restrictions on the use if they can be addressed through the site plan review. Barnhart stated based on the discussion, Staff will move forward with the applicant on the next steps. The City Council took no formal action on this item. 7. SENIOR PLANNER RECRUITMENT Barnhart noted Senior Planner Mike Gaffron will be retiring effective May 31,2017. To meet the customer service goals and to manage the planning department workload, it is Staff's recommendation that this or a similar position be filled. Rather than filling the position with another senior planner, Staff recommends hiring a city planner and reducing the pay grade from Step 12 to Step 11. Barnhart stated the community development director and existing current senior planner currently address many of the goals the City has but that they do need somebody to fill in the holes that will be created by Mr. Gaffron retiring, which are mainly land use applications. Barnhart noted he did outline in his memo how the responsibilities would be split up and that he would take over the more complex subdivisions and issues and the two city planners would do the code enforcement and land use cases. Barnhart noted hiring a city planner rather than a senior planner would result in a savings in salary expense. At this time Staff is requesting approval from the Council to shift department resources. Barnhart indicated the start date of May 1 St would provide some overlay to allow for some training of the new planner and that Staff is attempting to bridge that gap as much as they can. Crosby asked how many planners the City currently has. Barnhart indicated there is currently one city planner,one senior planner, and a community development directar. Seals asked how that compares to other cities Orono's size. Barnhart stated Mound has a population of approximately 9,200 and they employ a staff planner, a community development director, and a city planning consultant. Mound had 141and use cases from July to December and Orono had 34. Mound had 9 variances and Orono did 21. Page 8 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 dclock p.m. 7. SENIOR PLANNER RECRUITMENT (continued) Barnhart stated size is somewhat of a factor but that there are other factors that need to be looked at. Medina has a population of 5,200 and they have one planner. In that six-month period they had eight land use cases. Wayzata has one staff planner and they have hired a planning director a little over a year ago. In that transition they used a consultant to help with more complex cases. Wayzata had 161and use cases from July through December. Barnhart noted Orono does not have a December Planning Commission meeting and that Orono's numbers reflect five months rather than six. Barnhart stated Orono does quite a bit more in terms of how they administer the zoning ordinances, which is part of the reason for the extra personnel. Barnhart stated if the City does not fill this spot,he will need to look at what Staff does not address. Seals asked if the customer service issue relates to a lack of people or whether the process or codes are not where they should be. Barnhart stated currently they have enough people to handle customer service needs but that will be hurt if Staff is decreased. Barnhart noted they have talked about online permitting,which will help the intake portion,but that there is also the review of the permit application,which is done by the planners. Barnhart stated the current process is not flawless and that there are opportunities to make some changes. Barnhart stated in his view they need someone to do the work on the back end. Walsh asked if there is the option of not replacing Mike and making the process simpler, such as online permitting and updating the code. Walsh stated if the City needs to,they could employ a consulting firm on a temporary basis to see how it works out as a number of changes are put into place. Barnhart stated that is one option and that the improvements will help eliminate some of the front end pressure. Barnhart stated his bigger concern is that Mike is leaving on May 31St and that June and July are the busiest months. Barnhart stated the goal for his position is to oversee the planners. In addition, the Comprehensive Plan update needs to be started and the City will not be able to avoid hiring a consultant to help with that process. Barnhart stated from his perspective the City will get more benefit from having a staff person rather than a consultant. Walsh commented it is one of those things where you will not know until you try to find out what you can do. Walsh stated people tend to underestimate themselves and that they have the ability to do more. Barnhart stated he understands that but that in the two years he has been here,he has found that the planners are working on the Council or Planning Commission packet Monday through Friday and on Friday they return calls. Barnhart stated that really is not acceptable but that they do not always have time to return the calls. Barnhart noted each application has a comment letter,a letter of completeness, a Planning Commission report, a Planning Commission action report,a staff report, and a draft resolution. Barnhart stated a lot of work is involved in each application because Orono's ordinances require that. Barnhart stated he does know what will happen if they do not fill the position in the near future and that they will need to fill it one way or another. Barnhart stated if they wait until June 15,they will have lost the summer and the residents and Council will start to get frustrated with Staff. Page 9 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 7. SENIOR PLANNER RECRUITMENT (continued) Walsh stated he does not have a problem with hiring a consultant to do the Comprehensive Plan update. Walsh asked whether the City is eligible for any grants through the Metropolitan Council. Barnhart stated Orono is not eligible for those. Crosby asked what the salary would be for the new employee. Barnhart indicated the current salary for a city planner is $60,651 with a top rate of$75,000. Barnhart stated in his view there is an opportunity to look at restructuring of the department but that it likely will be on the front end more so than the planning department. Printup stated his comfort level is not filling the position right now but that he would be interested in looking at restructuring and then revisiting it. Printup stated he is not interested in a replacement at this time. Seals stated she would like to know where Staff feels there are issues so the City can investigate and spend time looking at those. Seals stated what she heard during the code committee meeting is that there are lots of cities that are doing it with less for a multitude of reasons. Seals stated she was wondering if the City were able to put some of those in place,whether that might free up some time for the planning staff. Seals stated she understands it will take some work to get there but that she does not like to hire someone who might have to be let go in six to nine months. Seals stated she would like to simplify and streamline things. Crosby stated if the process can be streamlined,that would be preferable,but that he also does not want to handcuff Staff and make them feel completely overburdened. Barnhart stated he understands the City is a user of public money and that they try to do it as responsibly as possible. Barnhart stated the City has a number of services they have to provide and there are certain resources that are necessary to provide those services. Barnhart indicated he put together a summary sheet for the Planning Commission which shows that in 2016,the City received 103 new applications. In June the City received eight. Barnhart noted Staff stopped doing zoning code amendments in May because Staff did not have time to do those due to the number of applications that came in. There were 14 new applications in May. Barnhart stated it is hard for two people to do a thorough review of that many applications and get it right. Barnhart noted if the position is not filled, he and the planner would each have to take seven applications in that month, which will result in applications being tabled. Barnhart stated three to four applications is the maximum in a month each planner can handle. Barnhart stated the expectation of a single planner doing seven applications in any given month, in addition to the Comprehensive Plan update, is not realistic. Barnhart noted he would still need to help with the Comprehensive Plan update even if the City retains a consultant. Barnhart stated he hopes to improve the process but that currently some of their call backs are two to three days later. Page 10 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 7. SENIOR PLANNER RECRUITMENT (continued) Barnhart stated currently building perxnits take six weeks and that he hopes to get it down to ten days. Barnhart stated if they take away the extra people,even if the process is improved, they will not get it down to ten days. Seals stated other cities are able to do it with less people. Seals noted Wayzata, if you doubled their work load,would have two planners. Barnhart stated they also do not have the work load that Orono has. Barnhart noted their building official does all code enforcement and that they have other people that help with different aspects of the planning department. Barnhart stated Wayzata employs a building official and an outside building inspector and Orono uses a consultant. Barnhart indicated he does understand the cost concerns with filling the position but that he wants to make it clear that it will be very difficult to maintain the level of services that is already considered to be poor. City Administrator Loftus stated what might end up happening is that the Community Development Director will have to use his time up on land applications and that the City will be paying someone 30 percent more than a planner. Loftus stated Jeremy's time is best spent on code changes, figuring out a new process and implementing it, which takes time and Staff encouragement. Loftus stated if he is spending his time processing land use applications the last six months of the year,those code changes and process changes will not get done and that there is some risk in trying it without hiring another planner. Seals stated she is wondering where else in the City offices there are other opportunities to streamline the process,which is a discussion for another time. Seals stated the Community Development Director is an expensive resource and that she wants him to be focused on how to change codes and make the process easier. Seals indicated she works for a corporation and that they are constantly looking at how they can become more efficient and where the resources should be used. Seals stated since it involves citizens' money, she is trying to be responsible and look at the bigger picture. Crosby stated another point to think about is if the process does get easier,the number of applications received might increase and another planner might need to be hired at that point. Crosby stated refming the process to make it easier will be helpful overall. Walsh stated they need to work on response time to the residents and that he would like to get a better perspective on it. Seals stated there perhaps should be a needs assessment of what must to be done as well as what each employee is doing. Walsh stated he would like to discuss this further and review how the process can be made simpler and more efficient. Seals commented she does support Staff but that she is hesitant to put another person in there when they have a person in there currently and they are not getting the responses they would like. Page 11 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 7. SENIOR PLANNER RECRUITMENT (continued) Barnhart stated he appreciates that and that is why he proposed to hire a city planner and not a senior planner. Barnhart noted Mr. Gaffron knows the history of the City and does the complex land use applications and that Melanie does more of the building permit applications. Barnhart stated two city planners can share that role and that he is looking at this somewhat as a reorganization. Barnhart stated there will be some savings to hiring a city planner and not a senior planner and that he is not planning to propose filling the senior planner position in the future. Barnhart indicated he is trying to maintain continuity and that he would be happy to have a discussion with his department and talk things through. Mattick stated the Council does not need to make a formal motion and that the position will not be advertised at this point. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Seals reported last week they had their first code meeting and that in attendance were a number of builders in the area who shared ideas from other cities that work well. Seals indicated the committee will look into those to see whether the ideas shared will improve the process in Orono. Printup and Crosby stated they had nothing to report. Walsh reported he recently attended the western mayors meeting in Loretto and that there were also some representatives from the Metropolitan Council present. A discussion was had on how to deal with the Comprehensive Plan update. Walsh stated he also attended the code review committee meeting and that it was a very constructive meeting. Walsh stated there are a number of items they can look at to address the permitting process,the variance process, and the City's fee schedule. Walsh stated there are a number of follow-up items they will be working on in the coming month. Walsh stated he has attended their first of the year communications meeting with Council Member Seals, City Administrator Jessica Loftus and City Clerk Diane Tiegs. A discussion was had about the City's website,Facebook site, and the newsletter and how those can all be pulled together so there is some kind of connection between everything. Walsh stated they also discussed updating the City's website,which is eight years old. Walsh stated there are lots of opportunity to get more interaction with that, such as having a live Facebook feed,to help bring more awareness to what Staff and the City are doing regardless if it is planning or finance. Walsh stated he and Council Member Seals over the past couple of weeks have looked at a list of interim city managers. Walsh stated he is not sure how many months they will need an interim at this point but that they have narrowed the list down to two candidates. Walsh requested Council Members Printup and Crosby contact those two individuals by phone or in person so it can be an agenda item for the February 13 meeting. Page 12 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT *8. CITY CLERK APPOINTMENT Seals moved,Crosby seconded,to appoint Anna Carlson to the position of City Clerk effective February 6,2017. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. 9. WESTERN COMMUNITIES ACTION NETWORK(WeCAN)REQUEST FOR CDBG SUPPORT Loftus stated before the Council tonight is a request from WeCAN for the City of Orono to support their application for a CDBG grant. WeCAN provides emergency services to the residents in the area. Walsh stated WeCAN does a fabulous job in the community and that he would like to get more community leaders involved. Crosby asked what type of things they fund. Loftus indicated they provide Meals on Wheels, emergency assistance,and family support. Walsh stated the assistance is based on financial need and that they offer a variety of services ranging from financial services to food. Crosby asked what Orono typically supports them with. Lotus stated WeCAN is applying for a CDBG grant and that this is merely a letter in show of support recognizing the services they provide to the community in hopes they are able to obtain the grant. Seals moved, Crosby seconded,to approve sending a letter of support for the CDBG grant applicallon being submitted by the Western Communities Action Network. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. 10. AMEND 2017 OFFICIAL CALENDAR Loftus stated Staff became aware that there may not be a quorum at the March 27 Council meeting due to spring break and vacations. Loftus stated Staff is looking for direction from the Council on whether the meeting date should be changed and whether a date for a work session should be set to interview candidates for the vacant City Council seat. Seals indicated she would prefer Wednesday,March 22, since she will be out of town on the 21 st. Walsh stated they also need to add a work session on February 13 at 5:00 to interview candidates. Walsh asked how many applications have been submitted. Loftus indicated the City has received one application so far but that there is still time to submit those. Seals moved, Crosby seconded,to amend the official calendar approving rescheduling the March 27,2017,meeting to March 22,2017, at 7:00 p.m.,and to schedule a special work session for February 13,2017,to interview candidates for the vacant City Council posiNon. Page 13 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. *11. LICENSES/PERMITS a. Tobacco License Renewals 2017 1. John O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan's Holiday#546 2420 Shadywood Road Navarre, MN 55392 2. John O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan's Holiday#547 3340 Shoreline Drive Navarre,MN 55392 3. Jay Kernan,President—Wayzata Country Club 200 Wayzata Boulevard West 4. Richard J.Wood,Navane Liquors 3421 Shoreline Drive 5. Jeffrey Klingen, Spring Hill Golf Club 725 Sixth Avenue North 6. Navarre Minnoco, Service Station 3360 Shoreline Drive b. Commercial Kennel License 1. The Woofington Lisa and Michael Larson 3596 Shoreline Drive c. Residential Kennel Licenses 1. Bianca and Jon Chance 248 Cygnet Place 2. Britt Gage 2180 Abingdon Way 3. Leslie Hahn 809 Brown Road North 4. Jamie Honor 1725 Bohns Point Road 5. David and LuAnn Runkle 2684 Casco Point Road Seals moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the above listed licenses and permits. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0. Page 14 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,January 23,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. CITY PROSECUTOR Walsh noted at the Council's work session earlier this evening they interviewed or reviewed the information submitted by the top two candidates that had applied for the City Prosecutor position last year. Seals commented she likes the fact that the one law firm has more than one attorney available to work on City business. Seals stated she is not familiar with Ken Potts. Loftus asked whether the Council would like to interview Ken Potts. Walsh noted the City did receive Mr. Potts' written materials and that he is a one-person shop. Walsh stated in his view it is important to have depth to the City's vendors rather than relying on one person. Walsh commented it would be a good choice to bring in fresh blood and make a new appointment. Crosby indicated he is comfortable with the choice. Printup stated he is comfortable with Tallen&Baertschi provided proper notice is given to Mr. Potts per the City's contract with him and as long as the schedules are coardinated with the police department and other impacted parties. Seals moved,Walsh seconded,to appoint the Tallen&Baertschi Law Firm as Orono's City Prosecutor and providing Attorney Ken Potts with 30-day notice. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. CITY ATTORNEY'S REPORT 13. CLOSED SESSION Walsh stated the City Council will go into closed session as permitted by the attorney-client privilege to discuss threatened litigation by Peter Lanpher and Penny Rogers against the City of Orono regarding code enforcement. Walsh moved,Printup seconded,to go into closed session at 8:21 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. ADJOURNMENT Seals Moved,Crosby seconded,to adjourn the Orono City Council meeting at 9:12 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 0. ATTEST: �. — Anna ar�son,City Clerk Dennis Walsh,Mayor Page 15 of 15