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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 12, 2004OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 12, 2004 The following are the minutes for the regular meeting of the City Council held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2004 in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 590 40th Avenue N.E., Columbia Heights, MN. Pastor Bill Hugo, St. Matthews Church gave the Invocation. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Wyckoff, Councilmember Williams, Councilmember Nawrocki, Councilmember Ericson, and Councilmember Kelzenberg PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ADDITIONS/DELETIONS TO MEETING AGENDA - none PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND GUESTS A) Proclamations - none B) Presentations - none C) Introduction of New Employees - none D) Recognition/Guests Mayor 147yckoff introduced resident, Mr. Bob Dilly and his dog, Lucy. Mr. Dilly tom his story of New Years Day when his car was stolen from the Holiday Gas' Station parking lot. His long time companion, Lucy, was in the car at that time. He contacted our Police and his neighbor contacted the local news stations to help look for his dog. The car was found and the person who stole the car was arrested. A homeless man, who kept the dog warm for two days, turned her in. There was a $600 reward from anonymous donors. CONSENT AGENDA City Manager Walt Fehst presented the following items: 1) Approve City Council Meeting Minutes for the December 15, 2003 City Council meeting Motion to approve the minutes of the December 15, 2003 City Council meeting as presented. 2) Accept Boards and Commissions Meeting Minutes a) Motion to accept the December 2, 2003 minutes of the Library Board of Trustees b) Motion to accept the January 6, 2004 minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission c) Motion to accept the December 18, 2003 minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission 3) Establish Work Session meeting date for Tuesday, January 20, 2004 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room 1 Motion to establish a Work Session meeting date for Tuesday, January 20, 2004 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room 1. Fehst fisted items of discussion for the January 20, 2004 work session: Award bid of City Newsletter printing, WAC/SAC fees, SCADA System, Camden Pet Hospital Contract, Review of Proposed Zone 7 Street Rehabilitation area. 4) Establish the Local Board of Review meeting date for Monday, April 19, 2004 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers Motion to set the Local Board of Review meeting date for Monday, April 19, 2004 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers City Council Minutes January 12, 2004 Page 2 of 6 5) Adopt Resolution No. 2004-02, being a Resolution supporting the legislative initiative of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) for the proper and safe disposal of electronics containing cathode ray tubes (CRT' s) Fehst stated this encompasses six counties around the metro area. They review the waste stream of electronic products, such as 7V's and computers. Presently, residents throw these items in the regular trash. This would look at the option of the seller being required to dispose of the used products. Removed for discussion. 6) Approve Business License Applications Motion to approve the items as listed on the business license agenda for January 12, 2004 as presented. 7) Approve Payment of Bills Motion to approve payment of the bills out of the proper funds as listed in the attached check register covering Check Number 106372 through 106683 in the amount of $2,976,504.62. Nawrocki stated this amount is double the normal amount and gives credence to his comments that additional items are purchased at the end of the year (Honey Dipping time). Wyckoff questioned the payment to the City of Minneapofis. Fehst stated this is for the purchase of water. Motion by Williams, second by Nawrocki, to approve the Consent Agenda items, removing Item #5. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion carried. #5 Adopt Resolution No. 2004-02, being a Resolution supporting the legislative initiative of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) for the proper and safe disposal of electronics containing cathode ray tubes (CRT' s) Nawrocki stated there are not specifics on the cost to consumers. There may be merit to this proposal, but it is premature to support it when we don't know what the cost wouM be. Fehst stated that ultimately the cost wouM be passed on to the consumer, but any leadwouM be removedprior to landfill disposal. Wyckoff asked if the County is now paying this cost. Fehst stated that businesses are required to recycle these products. This is an environmental issue that the consortium wouM like to address and they intend to take it to the Legislature. Wyckoff stated this wouM be necessary to require recycling. Motion by Ericson, second by Williams, to waive the reading of Resolution No. 2004-02, there being ample copies available to the public. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion carried. Motion by Ericson, second by Kelzenberg, to adopt Resolution No. 2004-02, being a Resolution supporting the legislative initiative of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) for the proper and safe disposal of electronics containing cathode ray tubes (CRT' s). Nawrocki stated that there is no proof that these items are not being properly disposed of now. He asked Fehst what happens to these products in Columbia Heights. Fehst stated they go in the regular trash. Upon vote: Kelzenberg, aye; Williams, aye; Ericson, aye; Nawrocki, nay; Wyckoff, aye. 4 ayes - 1 nay. Motion carried. RESOLUTION 2004-02 BEING A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS SUPPORTING THE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COORDINATING BOARD (SWMCB) FOR PROPER AND SAFE DISPOSAL OF ELECTRONICS CONTAINING CATHODE RAY TUBES (CRTs) City Council Minutes January 12, 2004 Page 3 of 6 WHEREAS, most televisions and computer monitors contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs) with two to eight pounds of lead; and WHEREAS, these CRTs require special handling for recycling and disposal; and WHEREAS, current disposal and recycling options are both inadequate and expensive; and WHEREAS, CRT's are the primary source of lead contamination in Minnesota trash streams, contaminating our air, water and soil; and WHEREAS, lead is known to be a health and environmental hazard; and WHEREAS, The City of Columbia Heights supports efforts to ensure a long term sustainable system for proper management of discarded CRTs without sole reliance on government; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Columbia Heights supports the legislative initiative of the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB), incorporating policies of manufacturer responsibility, reliable and convenient collection options, responsible recycling of CRTs, orphaned waste items, and advance recycling fees. PUBLIC HEARINGS Public Hearing called for Revocation/Suspension of Rental Housing License at 4622 Tyler Street Mayor Wyckoff closed the public hearing regarding the revocation or suspension of the rental license held by Peter Hwang regarding rental property at 4622 Tyler Street in that the property owner has corrected all deficiencies inside the building and has received a extension to complete the work on the outside of the building. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Other Ordinances and Resolutions Adopt Resolution No. 2004-01, being a Resolution approving a minor subdivision of Parkside Village 2nd Addition, subject to conditions of approval Tim Johnson, City Planner, stated that in 2000 the City Council approved 26 townhome units in the St. Tim's area. Three of these building sites have been sold and the new owner is requesting to reduce the density, allowing for three less units in the development. The change in floor plans require a lot split amendment of the legal descriptions. Johnson referred to the maps in the Council agenda packet. He stated there is no change from the original development, except for the number of units. Wyckoff stated she has been asked why these townhomes have not been built. Johnson stated that two of the original six have been sold. Johnson introduced the new owner and developer of this lot split, John Osborne, Osborne Builders, who was present to answer questions. Wyckoff asked Mr. Osborne if there have been parties interested in these sites. Osborne stated there has been no marketing of the property, but felt they wouM sell rapidly with the floor plan he proposes. Kelzenberg asked the price range. Osborne stated they wouM start at $209,900. Johnson indicated that Mr. Nedegaard owns the other property on this site. Nawrocki questioned agreements, including roadways, with sprit ownership of one development. Osborne stated that such items were covered in the purchase agreement with Mr. Nedegaard. Nawrocki asked if there would be one or two homeowner's associations. Osborne stated that Nedegaard would take care of this and it would ultimately be turned over to the property owners. Jim Hoefi, City Attorney, stated that the issue of who would take care of the roads would be up to the association. Nawrocki questioned condition number three regarding park dedication fees. Johnson stated that park dedication fees are set by the zoning ordinance. Fees have already been collected on this property and would not be refunded unless by Council direction. City Council Minutes January 12, 2004 Page 4 of 6 Osborne stated that site number two would be built first, site number one would be second, and the small area would be developed last. Wyckoff indicated the desirability of this site. Motion by Kelzenberg, second by Williams, to waive the reading of Resolution 2004-01, there being ample copies available to the public. All ayes. Motion carried. Motion by Kelzenberg, second by Williams, to adopt Resolution 2004-01, being a Resolution approving a minor subdivision of Parkside Village 2nd Addition, as the Minor Subdivision meets required findings, and subject to the following conditions of approval that have been found necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Zoning and Development Ordinance. 1. All required state and local codes, permits, licenses and inspections will be met and in full compliance. 2. The applicant shall provide required utility and drainage easements for all newly created lots and shall be responsible for the cost of filing and recording written easements with the Anoka County Recorder' s Office. 3. The applicant shall pay parkland dedication fees for each lot created beyond the original number of lots existing prior to subdivision, except when such fees have been applied to the property as part of a previous subdivision. 4. The applicant shall be responsible for filing the approved subdivision survey with the Anoka County Recorder's Office. The approved minor subdivision shall become invalid if the subdivision is not filed with the Anoka County Recorder's Office within one (1) year of the date of City Council action. Upon vote: all ayes. Motion carried. RESOLUTION NO. 2004-01 SUBDIVISION REQUEST I, John Osborne, President of Osborne Builders, hereby requests a minor subdivision of property legally described as: Block 1, Lots 1-5; Block 2, Lots 1-7; Block 4, Lots 1-7 and all of Outlot A; Parkside Village; Auditor's Subdivision No. 51, Anoka County, Minnesota. THE DESCRIPTIONS HENCEFORTH TO BE: Block 1, Lots 1-6; Block 2, Lots 1-6; Block 3, Lots 1-4 and all of Outlot A; Parkside Village 2na Addition; Auditor's Subdivision No. 51, Anoka County, Minnesota Any pending or future assessments will be levied according to the new split as approved this day. Any lot split given approval shall become invalid if the resolution, motion or other Council action approving the said lot split is not filed with the County Recorder within one (1) year of the date of the Council action. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS Report of the City Manager - none Wyckoff asked when the EDA meeting wouM be held, with a work session being scheduled for Tuesday, January 20th. Fehst stated that would be set by the EDA, with standard procedure being the following day. Nawrocki stated he has requested a later time, as he has an SRA meeting. Wyckoff stated she also has a prior commitment. Fehst stated that the EDA would discuss this. Report of the City Attorney - none CITIZENS FORUM Ed Aune, 4649 Johnson Street, referred to the efimination and slaughter of deer at the Minneapofis Water Works facility. He stated that the herd needed to be reduced and that the Mayor did take an active role by appointing the citizens forum to submit a recommendation to Water Works' personnel. He showed pictures of his back yard, which established the removal of vegetation from the current construction and described the City Council Minutes January 12, 2004 Page 5 of 6 disruption of nature caused by this. Anne stated that the remaining deer are skittish and are still starving, so residents are feeding the deer. He stated that this is the responsibility of the Water Works and they shouM be more proactive in communicating with our citizens. Wyckoff stated there are approximately 40 deer remaining. She referred to an article she wrote for the Star Tribune on this topic and pointed out the DNR's restriction of several proposed options. Wyckoff indicated she has found that the DNR may not have any authority over this area. She read a letter from the Department of Water Works, which states there is no further action or culling of the deer herd planned. State Representative Barb Goodwin has scheduled a community meeting for 6:30p. m. on January 18, 2004, at Murzyn Hall with DNR and Water Works personnel. Wyckoff stated that Adam Kramer of the Water Works is looking at what feed wouM be appropriate for the remaining deer. Anne stated this community needs a control policy or ordinance for large animals. Wyckoff asked that this be researched. Fehst stated we have copies of ordinances from other communities, but in their communities the deer are wandering the neighborhoods and causing problems. Wyckoff referred to a flyer that was released that she did not agree with. She indicated that one deer was wounded and chased for two hours before it was put down. Anne thanked the Columbia Heights Police Department for their understanding and indicated that they were very tolerant and did a nice job with the situation. Jack Saari, 5206 4th Street, indicated that he was employed at the Water Works in the past and voiced concern about deer defecation or bacteria getting into the water. He stated that there are still too many deer for this area and that any contamination would affect not only Columbia Heights, but also surrounding communities. Wyckoff stated there are always reasons to be concerned such as with geese. Nawrocki felt that the task force was not the best selection for unbiased representatives. He applauded Minneapofis for keeping the neighborhood involved and aware and commended the citizens for their involvement. The Pofice Department did a good job preparing, and there was only one officer on overtime and the rest were regular duty officers, with assistance from the Anoka County Sheriffs Department. People were civil, with the exception at the end of the day where two citizens were ticketed and threatened with jail. Wyckoff indicated she has requested that the charges against these people be dropped. Nawrocki stated it was an overreaction, as there was no physical harm done. Wyckoff stated that the arrest was requested by Minneapofis. He encouraged people to attend the January 28th citizens meeting. COUNCIL CORNER Nawrocki · Green sheet item regarding the fire on Central Avenue did not mention or explain the problem that several fire hydrants did not work. Questioned responsibility and the testing process. · Attended the meeting at Anoka County regarding EDA authority to levy and desire to increase it and the ability to tie into transit projects. Questioned the levy and debt service and is waiting for a response from them. Columbia Heights already has two levies. This would require Columbia Heights to pay taxes supporting economic development for other areas. · Has available a copy of what the League of Minnesota Cities Policy Committee developed and what they will pursue in the legislative session. Fehst also has a copy. · Referred to the Mayor's cable report comment on the Ramsdell Park tree issue and his professionalism. Commented on issues he campaigned on and budget concerns. Concerned that the resident with washout under their garage on Polk Street and residents with sewage backup were not helped and the City did not take responsibility. Concerned with City Manager's accountability for spending and end of the year "honey dipping". Carpeting for Murzyn Hall, Fire Department, Police Department and Parkview Villa should have been bid as one item. Kelzenberg · Hope everyone had a nice new year. City Council Minutes January 12, 2004 Page 6 of 6 · Hopes for everyone to get along, put the past behind us and look to the future · First meeting of the 500 Club will be Friday, February 6th at Murzyn Hall, 6:00 p.m. Ericson · Received good news of grant money received for industrial park clean up. Fehst stated that we received over one million dollars from the Department of DEET, along with $300, O00 from the Met Council. Following cleanup, the Shaffer Richardson property will be ready for development. Representatives will attend the next Council meeting to make these grant presentations. Wonderful that we are being proactive to fund these types of things. · Described available counseling and funding for clean up and remodeling projects. Read statistics about home improvement projects from the Green Sheet. Referred to the Rising to New Heights Housing Fair scheduled for March 27th. Williams · Values First value for January is "Respect". Very concerned about the City budget and does not agree that we are "honey dipping". Listed several payments from the December bill list. The employee dinner was reasonable. Fehst stated the Fire Department carpeting was from the Police Department bid. The Fire Department had $51,000 in the budget for remodeling and only used $10,000. We should respect each other and recommendations of Boards and Commissions. · Disagreed with the comment from the Mayor on October 27th concerning people versus deer. · Referred to a letter from Helen Kirsch regarding trees at Ramsdell Park. Five new trees have been planted to replace the one tree that was removed. · Pray for the peace and prosperity of our City. Wyckoff · First Wednesday meeting with the Mayor was well received. The Community Development Director gave a presentation. Questions centered on future development projects in the City. Listed future presenters: February 4 - Representative Goodwin and possibly Senator Chaudhary, March 3 - Police Chief Johnson, April 7 - Fire Chief Thompson, and May 5 - Community Development Director Streetar. Nawrocki · Questioned status of the Kmart property. Fehst stated he has met with the developer. Demolition will be within the next few months. Current discussions are regarding development around this area. · Questioned if Board of Review date would be in the City newsletter. Fehst stated that was the reason for setting the meeting date at this time. · Referred to his pride in keeping on top of city finances. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Wyckoff adjourned the meeting at 8:43 p.m. Patricia Muscovitz, CMC Deputy City Clerk/Council Secretary