Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-24-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula Councilmembers Connie Buesgens Rachel James Justice Spriggs Laurel Deneen City Manager Aaron Chirpich City Hall—Council Chambers, 3989 Central Ave NE Monday, March 24, 2025 6:00 PM MINUTES The following are the minutes for the Meeting of the City Council held at 6:00 pm on Monday, March 24, 2025, in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 3989 Central Avenue NE, Columbia Heights, Minnesota WELCOME/CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Mayor Márquez Simula called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Present: Mayor Márquez Simula; Councilmember Buesgens; Councilmember Deneen; Councilmember Spriggs; Councilmember James Also Present: Andrew Boucher, City Planner; Mitchell Forney, Community Development Director; Kevin Hansen, Public Works Director; Jesse Hauf, IT Director; Sara Ion, City Clerk; Scott Lepak, City Attorney; Norma Alverado, City resident; DiAnn Meyer, City resident; Dewayne Morrell, City resident; Christopher Polley, Library Board Member MISSION STATEMENT Columbia Heights is a vibrant, healthy and connected City. We are here to actively support the community, deliver equitable services, build and strengthen connections, improve upon our past, and uphold our successes. We strive to be better and ensure Columbia Heights is a great place for everyone, today and in the future. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Councilmember James, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to approve the Agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITION, ANNOUNCEMENTS, GUESTS A. National Library Week Proclamation. Receiving Proclamation: City of Columbia Heights Library Board Member Christopher Polley. Mayor Márquez Simula proclaimed April 5-12, 2025, as National Library Week, and Councilmember Deneen read the City’s proclamation. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 2 Columbia Heights Library Board Member Christorpher Polley received the proclamation and mentioned that people do not need a library card to come to the library and encouraged community members to come to the library. Library Board meetings are open to the public. Mayor Márquez Simula mentioned that she asked the Councilmembers to bring a book they are reading to show how much they engage with the library. Councilmember Spriggs showed the book “The Death Gap”, Councilmember Deneen showed the book “The Chronicles of Narnia”, Councilmember James showed the book “The House on Mango Street”, Councilmember Buesgens showed the book “The Covenant of Water,” and Mayor Márquez Simula showed the book “Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement”. Mayor Márquez Simula thanked Mr. Polley for his work on the Library Board. B. Fair Housing Month Proclamation. Mayor Márquez Simula proclaimed April 2025 as Fair Housing Month, and Councilmember James read the City’s proclamation. C. Transgender Day of Visibility Proclamation. Mayor Márquez Simula proclaimed March 31, 2025, as Transgender Day of Visibility and read the City’s proclamation. Asa Bowers received the proclamation and thanked the Council for acknowledging and honoring all LGBTQ+ people and for being such an inclusive community. Mayor Márquez Simula recessed the regular meeting at 6:14 pm. The regular meeting reconvened at 6:16 pm. COMMUNITY FORUM DiAnn Meyer, City resident, stated that there have been people throwing trash and items in the alleys, including a mattress. She noted that she had spoken with City staff, and nothing has changed. She added that the issue needs to stop because the alleys are getting more cluttered with trash and items. She mentioned she has a list of the addresses that are causing issues. She noted there has been speeding on 2nd Street. Dewayne Morrell, City resident, stated he believed that the mayor deserves the recognition of having an office in the City Hall building. Mayor Márquez Simula mentioned that since she last spoke with Mr. Morrell, there is now a mayor and council office at City Hall. Mr. Morrell mentioned he is trying to track down the 5,000-6,000 missing brass water meters. He noted that he found out from one installer that they were instructed to drop the brass meters off near the Public Works building. However, the meters are open to theft there. He feels the meters are valued at $7-$10 for scrap. He mentioned that the City should not be giving away that kind of scrap money. He feels that residents are charged twice for the meter and it is made of plastic. He added he does not want plastic on his copper lines because it is loosely bonded and can easily break and cause City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 3 microplastic conditions. He wondered if there could be a different sending unit so that all of the meters did not have to be replaced. Mr. Morrell noted that he was told the City was given liquidated damages due to Waste Management serving the community so poorly. He mentioned that he did not see any credit on his bill and would appreciate knowing what happened to the money, how much it was, and what it is going to be used for to correct the situation. CONSENT AGENDA Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember Deneen, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. 1. Approve March 10, 2025, City Council Meeting Minutes. MOTION: Move to approve the March 10, 2025, City Council meeting minutes. 2. Approve March 13 and 14, 2025, Special City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes. MOTION: Move to approve the March 13 and 14, 2025, Special City Council Work Session meeting minutes. 3. Accept January 22, 2025, Park & Recreation Commission Minutes. MOTION: Move to accept the January 22, 2025, Park & Recreation Commission minutes. 4. Approval of 2025 Strategic Planning Consultant Contract – Phil Kern MOTION: Move to waive the reading of Resolution 2025-21, there being ample copies available to the public. MOTION: Move to approve Resolution 2025-21, a resolution approving professional services agreement with Phil Kern for consulting services related to the 2025 strategic planning workshop. 5. Adopt Resolution 2025-32, Appointing Board and Commission Members. MOTION: Move to waive the reading of Resolution 2025-32, there being ample copies available to the public. MOTION: Move to adopt Resolution 2025-32, appointing City of Columbia Heights Board and Commission Members. 6. Approval of 2025 Capital Equipment Replacement: Caterpillar 906 14 Compact Wheel Loader. MOTION: Move to purchase a 2025 CAT 906 14A from Ziegler Caterpillar, located at 901 W 94th St, Minneapolis, MN 55420, in the amount $119,032 off of State of Minnesota Contract #239130, funded from Fund 431.3121.45180 7. Approval of Capital Equipment Replacement: 2025 Ford F350 4x4 Pickup Truck. MOTION: Move to approve the acquisition of a 2025 Ford F-350 XLT 4x4 pickup truck from Midway Ford in the amount of $58,335.58, from the State of Minnesota Purchasing Contract (Contract Number 259180). City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 4 8. Approval of Purchase Order for 2025 Hylander Center Gym Maintenance. MOTION: Move to approve the purchase order to the Columbia Heights School District for the total amount of $72,000 for Hylander Center Gym maintenance for 2025. 9. Rental Occupancy Licenses for Approval. MOTION: Move to approve the items listed for rental housing license applications for March 24, 2025, in that they have met the requirements of the Property Maintenance Code. 10. Review of Bills. MOTION: Move that in accordance with Minnesota Statute 412.271, subd. 8 the City Council has reviewed the enclosed list to claims paid by check and by electronic funds transfer in the amount of $1,217,385.86. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION Ordinances and Resolutions 11. Consideration of Approval of NineNorth Contract and Resolution 2025-33 to Amend the 225 Budget for Cable Equipment. IT Director Hauf stated in 2020, the City of Columbia Heights partnered with Granicus (formerly Swagit) to produce Council and Planning Commission meetings. This partnership includes video production, Video On Demand (VOD) hosting, and Closed Captioning (CC) services. A key benefit of working with Granicus is their fully remote production staff, eliminating the need to hire and train multiple part-time employees to produce meetings held one to two times per week. Initially, under Swagit, production quality was on par with or exceeded what the City could produce internally. However, during the transition to the new City Hall building, Swagit was acquired by Granicus. Since the acquisition, production quality has steadily declined. On several occasions, meetings appear to lack active production staff once they have started. Despite multiple attempts by City Communications staff to address these concerns with Granicus, production quality has not improved. IT Director Hauf explained that in response to the decline in production quality, staff investigated two alternative service providers: North Metro TV (based in Blaine) and NineNorth (based in Roseville). North Metro TV was unable to provide clear pricing or a comprehensive plan sufficient for consideration. In contrast, NineNorth offered transparent, upfront pricing and a detailed plan to establish a partnership. NineNorth has been a trusted provider since the 1980s, originally formed through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between 9 North metropolitan cities to manage their cable channels. In recent years, NineNorth has expanded its services beyond the original 9 cities to include others in the metro area. Cities like Vadnais Heights, North St. Paul, Shoreview, and Maplewood currently use NineNorth's services. Notably, Shoreview and Maplewood utilize NineNorth for engineering services and meeting production, aligning closely with Columbia Heights' needs. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 5 IT Director Hauf noted additionally, NineNorth will provide onsite production staff for meetings, which will reduce the workload on City staff and ensure thorough preparation and oversight of production during meetings. NineNorth and Cablecast will require additional equipment and software for implementation. Staff collaborated with NineNorth to develop a list of necessary equipment to upgrade the AV room, ensuring it can accommodate a human operator. After obtaining quotes for the required components, staff recommends AVI, a Minnesota-based company, for sourcing the equipment. AVI provided the most competitive pricing along with excellent pre-sales support. IT Director Hauf stated staff recommends authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract with NineNorth and amending the 2025 Cable Budget, as outlined in the attached resolution, to approve the purchase of specified equipment and professional services. Councilmember James asked what the multilingual aspect of the services would look like. IT Director Hauf replied that the multilingual element is provided through the cablecast services. He explained that a TV would be able to support two languages, which would likely be English and Spanish, while the online version would be able to support multiple languages in the closed captions. Councilmember Deneen expressed her understanding of how difficult the work can be and expressed her appreciation for the IT Department for doing the work to make the quality better and save money for tax payers. Mayor Márquez Simula added her appreciation. Motion by Councilmember Deneen, seconded by Councilmember James, to approve the City Manager entering into a contract with NineNorth for a 3-year term for cable production services. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Deneen, seconded by Councilmember James, to waive the reading of Resolution 2025-33, there being ample copies available to the public. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Deneen, seconded by Councilmember Buesgens, to adopt Resolution No. 2025-33 being a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Columbia Heights amending the Fund 225 budget to authorize the purchase of equipment and professional services from specified vendors. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. 12. Consideration of Resolution 2024-34 Approving a Rental License Exemption for 3800 3rd Street NE. City Planner Boucher stated on March 13, 2025, the owner of 3800 3rd Street NE, reached out to the Community Development Department in writing to request an exemption from the single-family rental density cap. The week prior, the property was posted Unlawful to Occupy after the Fire Department determined the property was an illegal rental, which is when the owner started the conversation about licensing. The owner has a brother that is renting the property, and they were unaware this required a license. The property is located on Block 6 with two (2) single-family rentals out of 9 total single-family units and an allotment of one (1) single-family rentals. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 6 City Planner Boucher mentioned if approved, Resolution 2025-034 would grant a temporary rental license exemption to the homeowner with a few additional requirements. The homeowner is required to complete the license application process within 3 months from the passage of the resolution. This puts a limit on how long they can take to bring the house into rental compliance if needed. The temporary rental license will be valid for one year from the date that the license is approved. This provides the homeowner and tenant the ability to rent the home for a full one-year lease. After the term of the temporary license, the persons requesting a temporary license must make an annual application to the City. No property owner shall hold a temporary rental license for the same property for more than two consecutive years. Mayor Márquez Simula mentioned that the Council saw the note from the homeowners and added her appreciation that the homeowners came to the meeting. She asked staff if the homeowners were asking for the exemption before they moved into compliance for the rental. Community Development Director Forney replied that the homeowners are requesting the exemption before inspections. It would allow the homeowners time to figure out what to do with the rental property. Councilmember Deneen asked the homeowners if there was a plan after a year. Homeowner Norma Alvarado replied that she was unaware of the density cap and is hoping to have some time to figure out what to do. It is likely that the property will be sold. She added that she desires to follow all of the rules and guidance from the City. Motion by Councilmember Spriggs, seconded by Councilmember James, to waive the reading of Resolution 2025-034, there being ample copies available to the public. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Spriggs, seconded by Councilmember James, to approve Resolution 2025-034, being a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Columbia Heights approving the single-family rental exemption request for the rental application at 3800 3rd Street NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. CITY COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS Report of the City Council Councilmember James mentioned that she attended the Sustainability Commission meeting, board and commission interviews, a meeting with non-profits with Mayor Márquez Simula and Councilmember Spriggs, and a webinar with the League of Minnesota Cities. She noted that she attended a study that was hosted by the New Brighton Area league of Women Voters. She added that she watched several webinars on housing research. Councilmember Buesgens stated she attended the MWMO board meeting. She added that she met the members of the Library Foundation group. She mentioned she attended the funerals for Dolores Strand and Gary Peterson. She noted she attended the board and commission interviews and thanked City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 7 all who applied. She explained that she cleaned 17 storm drains and encouraged community members to clean storm drains. She stated she went to the Columbia Heights Academy spring musical. She added that she attended the HeightsNext planning meeting, and the Blooming Sunshine Garden meeting. She watched the Partners in Energy webinar and attended the League of Minnesota workshop on social media. Councilmember Deneen noted she took part in conducting the board and commission interviews. She added that she volunteered with Every Meal at Valley View Elementary School and attended the fundraising event Hops for Hunger for SACA. She mentioned that she would be cleaning out the storm drain she adopted and encouraged others to adopt a storm drain at adoptadrain.org. Councilmember Spriggs stated he attended the board and commission interviews. He added he attended a meeting with non-profits and Mayor Márquez Simula and Councilmember James to discuss concerns they are having. He noted he attended a meeting with Mayor Márquez Simula and a community member who works for the Salvation Army to discuss how the City can be proactive. He mentioned he attended the Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee meeting and explained that the meeting is open to the public and occurs every other month on the third Thursday of the month. Mayor Márquez Simula reflected on Dolores Strand and Gary Peterson, who had passed away. She explained that Ms. Strand and Mr. Peterson gave much of themselves to the City. Mr. Peterson was a previous mayor of the City. Ms. Strand was the recipient of the humanitarian of the year for the City and was a founding member of the Sister City for Poland. She explained that she met with Councilmember Spriggs and an employee of the Salvation Army to discuss unhoused individuals in the City. She noted she hosted a meeting with nonprofit leaders and elected officials to listen to how people are faring with budget cuts from federal and State funds. The State Representatives were unable to attend but they are committed to supporting nonprofits as best as they can. There will be continued conversations since local government cannot provide all of the services that are needed without the work of nonprofits. She stated she attended the Hops for Hunger event for SACA, and volunteered with Every Meal at Valley View Elementary School. She mentioned she attended the board and commission interviews and thanked those who applied. She mentioned Street Cleanup would be on Saturday, April 26th at 9:00 am at the Library. Cheers for Beers will be on Friday, May 16th, from 6:00-9:00 pm at Murzyn Hall. Report of the City Manager Public Works Director Hansen stated the yard waste pickup will begin the first full week of April. The annual flushing program will begin on April 7th and help identify if there are any repairs that are needed in the water main system. The map to see where the flushing will occur is on the City’s website. There is a tree sale for residents, however, there are only a few trees that are available to purchase. Residents can purchase the last remaining trees on the City website or by calling the Public Works Department. He mentioned that there is a monthly newsletter, and residents can sign up through the City website to receive the newsletter. He noted that the business of the year and outstanding citizen of the year awards are coming up. Community members can submit nominations at City Hall or on the City’s website. The nominations close on Monday, March 31st. Mayor Márquez Simula encouraged the community to submit nominations. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES March 24, 2025 City Council Meeting Page 8 Public Works Director Hansen mentioned that he had worked with Mr. Peterson and Ms. Strand for a number of years. He recalled a memory of Mr. Peterson ending Council meetings by saying, “do a random act of kindness.” Mayor Márquez Simula added that Mr. Peterson would also say, “don’t take yourself too seriously.” ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to adjourn. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm. Respectfully Submitted, ______________________________________ Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary