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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-21 CC REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING – JANUARY 21, 2025 MINUTES The Regular Bi-Monthly Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Barthel, January 21, 2025, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Rick Engelhardt, Scott Schue, and Jonathan Shafto Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Sarah Cotton Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz City Attorney, Scott Baumgartner Others PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RESIDENT FORUM Dan Anderson, a Board Member with the Crooked Lake Area Association, came forward and presented the Council with an annual update on Crooked Lake. He shared the mission of the association and thanked the City for being a partner with the Crooked Lake Area Association. He explained they did a whole lake treatment in November of 2023 and spring of 2024 which was very effective. He said they are continuing to treat the lake and it has been successful. He gave the Council a copy of the Crooked Lake Area Association Newsletter and added that more information th can be found on their Facebook page. He shared they had their 8 Annual Carousel on Crooked Lake, and they were featured on Fox 9 News. He added Fox 9 also posted a video of the carousel on TikTok and it has gone viral with over 5,000,000 views. AGENDA APPROVAL Motion by Schue, Seconded by Shafto, to approve the Agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 7, 2025, Regular Meeting: Correct as amended. Councilmember Schue requested a correction on page two, line 19, to reflect the motion made by Councilmember Schue, and on line 30, to reflect the second of the motion made by Councilmember Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Page 2 Shafto. Motion by Shafto, Seconded by Engelhardt, to approve the January 7, 2025, Regular meeting minutes as amended. Motion carried unanimously. CONSENT ITEMS Item 2 Approve Payment of Claims Item 3 Approve Plans & Specs/Order Advertisement for Bids/23-18, Nightingale St. NW & Crosstown Blvd. NW Roundabout & 23-19, Nightingale St. NW & Veterans Memorial Blvd. NW Roundabout (See Resolution R006-25) Item 4 Accept Grant/24-43/Coon Creek Corridor Trail East of Prairie Road NW Item 5 Approve Used Vehicle Sales License Item 6 Approve and Adopt Safety Manual Item 7 Approve Debt Service Payments Item 8 Approve 2024 Pay Equity Compliance Report Item 9 Receive December 2024 City Investment Reports Item 10 Approve Brad Detmer/Beef O’Brady’s Donation to the Andover Fire Department’s Annual Banquet (See Resolution R007-25) Motion by Schue, Seconded by Engelhardt, to approve of the Consent Agenda as read. Motion carried unanimously. ANOKA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE MONTHLY REPORT Commander Paul Lenzmeier provided a monthly report including 971 calls for service, 19 thefts, one burglary, seven felony arrests, 11 gross misdemeanor arrests, 16 misdemeanor arrests, and 10 DWI arrests. He noted 50% of the DWI arrests were for drivers who blew a 0.20 or greater. He shared there was a 34-year-old female from Andover who was arrested for being at 0.24, a 30- year-old male from Eagan was at 0.21, a 21-year-old male from Andover was at 0.30, and a 57- year-old female from Coon Rapids was at 0.20. He added there was also an accident caused by a th 64-year-old male from Wyoming who was at 0.21. He stated on December 10 at 10:40 p.m. there was a deputy traveling northbound on Hanson Boulevard approaching Bunker Lake Boulevard when they ran the license plate of a vehicle whose registration came back to someone with a revoked driver's license. He explained the deputy initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle fled the scene with speeds around 100 MPH. He stated deputies were able to block in the vehicle and they caught the suspect, who had recently been arrested for possession of meth. He noted this suspect was arrested for driving without a driver’s license, fleeing a traffic stop, and reckless endangerment with his wife and child in the car. He gave an update on the entire year for 2024. He shared they ended the year with 13,270 calls for service, 243 reported thefts, 85 damage to property reports, 83 DWI arrests, 4,291 traffic stops, 32 domestic assault arrests. He explained these statistics were all consistent with previous years, with the exception of damage to property reports doubling from 2023 to 2024, DWIs and traffic stops increasing, and domestic assault arrests decreasing every year since 2019. He said they will be continuing with proactive enforcement and education of Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Page 3 traffic laws in 2025. He explained they are also working with Axon, the body camera company, on a new product called Fusus which is an integrated camera system that they can use to work with public and private camera systems and have automatic camera feeds into the 911 center. He shared they would have information available for people to see if they would like to be a part of this program. He said residents can sign up for this program and if a significant event occurs in their neighborhood, then they can submit video footage to the Sheriff's Office. He added they currently have two deputy openings. Mayor Barthel thanked Commander Lenzmeier and his team for all that they do for the City. HOLD PUBLIC HEARING/ORDER PLANS & SPECIFICATION/25-2A/2025 STREET ST RECONSTRUCTION (XENIA STREET NW/VINTAGE STREET NW/161 AVENUE NW) The City Council is requested to hold a public hearing and order plans and specifications for st Project 25-2A, 2025 Street Reconstruction (Xenia Street NW/Vintage Street NW/161 Avenue NW.) Director of Public Works/City Engineer Berkowitz reviewed the staff report in regard to the 2025 st street reconstruction at Xenia Street NW, Vintage Street NW, and 161 Avenue NW. Councilmember Schue shared he attended the informational meeting for these residents. He asked how the residents participated and responded to this presentation. Mr. Berkowitz said the response from residents was very respectful and good questions were raised. Mayor Barthel noted at the end of Vintage Street is a hammerhead cul-de-sac. He asked if this will remain after the reconstruction or if they will be able to round out the cul-de-sac for easier plowing. Mr. Berkowitz said they will make it into a true cul-de-sac so they are better able to maneuver in this area. He added it will be considered a temporary cul-de-sac due to the potential development to the south in the future. Councilmember Shafto asked how the 4.5% interest rate gets set for the assessments. City Administrator Cotton shared she does not have a copy of the City’s policy in front of her; however, this is usually set based on one and a half basis points above what the City’s cost of borrowing is. She said she can follow up with the Council once she has read the actual policy. Mr. Berkowitz added it is consistent with the investment return rate. Mayor Barthel said the interest rate has been set at 4.5% for as long as he can remember. Motion by Engelhardt, Seconded by Schue, to open the public hearing at 7:35 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Breanna Hoffman, 15911 Xenia Street NW, came forward and shared her concerns with the large Northern Natural Gas pipeline that is going through the property in two places where the road construction will happen. She asked if there are any extra safety measures in place or if they are Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Page 4 working with Northern Natural Gas to ensure the construction is safe. Diane Weber, 16260 Xenia Street NW, came forward and asked if those who own their home will be paying the assessment twice a year when they pay their taxes. Rodney O’Della, 15962 Vintage Street NW, came forward and asked if they were planning on making Vintage Street narrower by three feet. Motion by Schue, Seconded by Engelhardt, to close the public hearing at 7:39 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Berkowitz shared they will be working very closely with Northern Natural Gas and all utility companies in the area. He added the utility companies will be attending the pre-construction meetings and will be a part of the design review process. He stated he is fairly certain that the assessments will be paid twice a year with the taxes, but he will confirm and reach out to Ms. Weber with the answer. He noted the plan is still too narrow Vintage Street as it is currently wider than their standard road sections. He said they will be looking very closely at these designs as Vintage Street has an area with steep grade and then flattens out. He shared they are looking at a small concrete apron at the end of the driveways on Vintage Street to ensure that the water does not flow off of the road down these drivers. Councilmember Shafto shared he is a resident in this area and will be abstaining from the vote. Motion by Schue, Seconded by Engelhardt, to adopt Resolution No. R008-25, ordering the improvement Project No. 25-2A, 2025 Street Reconstruction (Xenia Street NW/Vintage Street st NW/161 Avenue NW) and directing preparation of final plans and specifications. Motion carried, 3 ayes, 1 present (Shafto). HOLD PUBLIC HEARING/ORDER PLANS & SPECIFICATION/25-2B/2025 STREET THTH RECONSTRUCTION (INDIAN MEADOWS 4 & 5 ADDITIONS) The City Council is requested to hold a public hearing and order plans and specifications for thth Project 25-2B, 2025 Street Reconstruction (Indian Meadows 4 and 5 Additions.) Mr. Berkowitz reviewed the staff report concerning the 2025 street reconstruction at Indian thth Meadows 4 and 5 Additions. Councilmember Engelhardt noted there was a lot of feedback and concerns received from residents in the packet. He asked what they have done to address these concerns. Mr. Berkowitz shared they try to protect the residents' driveways and what they currently have in place. He explained their inspectors will be working closely with the property owners and all of the property owners will have the inspectors cell phone number. He said they will do their best to work with all of the residents. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Page 5 Motion by Shafto, Seconded by Schue, to open the public hearing at 7:52 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. th Josh Iskierka, 3855 155 Avenue, came forward and asked how they came up with the budget for the project since they have not received bids. He also asked if the concrete curb will have concrete at the bottom of the driveways or if it will be asphalt like the roads. He asked what they do about irrigation systems. Rich Godeen, 15910 Vintage Street, came forward and asked what will happen with the mailboxes if the road is narrowed. Motion by Engelhardt, Seconded by Shafto, to close the public hearing at 7:54 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Berkowitz shared staff works on the cost estimate through a feasibility report. He added they also have a lot of contact with contractors to see how the market is looking. He explained the concrete curb goes right through the end of the driveways and they will match in the driveways as best they can to make a nice transition between the curb and the driveway. He said the designers do a great job of making sure the driveways fit nicely. He asked anyone with an irrigation system to provide him with the information on the system so they can build this into the plan. He added they will be sending a letter out before construction begins and in this letter they will ask that the irrigation systems be marked. He stated the contractors are responsible for putting the irrigation systems back the way they are. He explained they will be salvaging the existing mailboxes and put it back in after the construction is complete. He said they will put a temporary mailbox in a barrel during construction and the original mailbox will be reinstalled after construction is complete. Motion by Schue, Seconded by Shafto, to adopt Resolution No. R009-25, ordering the thth improvement Project No. 25-2B, 2025 Street Reconstruction (Indian Meadows 4 and 5 Additions) and directing preparation of final plans and specifications. Motion carried unanimously. SELECT 2025 LOCAL BOARD OF APPEAL & EQUALIZATION DATES The City Council is requested to select two potential dates for holding the 2025 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization. Ms. Cotton reviewed the staff report in regard to scheduling the 2025 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization. Mayor Barthel asked if the whole Council needs to be present at this meeting. Ms. Cotton said no; however, they would need one Councilmember who is trained and certified to lead this meeting. thth Mayor Barthel suggested Tuesday, April 29 as the primary option and Monday, April 28 as the second option at 7:00 p.m.. The Council was in agreement with these dates. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Page 6 Motion by Schue, Seconded by Engelhardt, to set the 2025 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting for Tuesday, April 29, 2025 with the backup date as Monday, April 28, 2025. Motion carried unanimously. ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT City Staff updated the Council on the administration and city department activities, legislative updates, updates on development/CIP projects, and meeting reminders/community events. (Administrative Staff Report) Ms. Cotton reviewed the administrative staff report. She shared they have issued eight single-family home construction permits for the year. She noted the building department is continuing to experience a high volume of activity for both commercial and residential constructions. She announced they are launching a new organics recycling area at the Andover Recycling Center and will be located at the rear of the center near the scrap metal collection area. She said this will be used for recycling of food scraps. She added they will be continuing interviews for the advisory boards tomorrow evening. (Public Works/Engineering Department Report) Mr. Berkowitz reviewed the Public Works and Engineering Department report. He shared the ice rinks got a tremendous amount of use this year. He encouraged residents to check the City’s website to see if the rinks are open or not before arriving. He said they have been doing a lot of tree removal for upcoming road projects. He added the roundabouts at Crosstown Boulevard and Nightingale Street and Crosstown Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Boulevard will be bid soon and they hope to start the projects in late May and continue through the summer. He thanked the County for allowing for the road closures that are needed to complete these roundabouts. He shared they are continuing to work on designs for the 2025 street reconstruction projects. He added the Pine Hills North building is up and they are working on getting the wells drilled and the septic system put in. MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT None. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Schue, Seconded by Shafto, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:11 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ava Major, Recording Secretary REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES – JANUARY 21, 2025 TABLE OF CONTENTS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ..................................................................................................1 RESIDENT FORUM ..............................................................................................................1 AGENDA APPROVAL ..........................................................................................................1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES ...................................................................................................1 CONSENT ITEMS .................................................................................................................2 Item 2 Approve Payment of Claims ....................................................................................2 Item 3 Approve Plans & Specs/Order Advertisement for Bids/23-18, Nightingale St. NW & Crosstown Blvd. NW Roundabout & 23-19, Nightingale St. NW & Veterans Memorial Blvd. NW Roundabout (R006-25) ....................................................................................................2 Item 4 Accept Grant/24-43/Coon Creek Corridor Trail East of Prairie Road NW ................2 Item 5 Approve Used Vehicle Sales License .......................................................................2 Item 6 Approve and Adopt Safety Manual ..........................................................................2 Item 7 Approve Debt Service Payments ..............................................................................2 Item 8 Approve 2024 Pay Equity Compliance Report .........................................................2 Item 9 Receive December 2024 City Investment Reports ....................................................2 Item 10 Approve Brad Detmer/Beef O’Brady’s Donation to the Andover Fire Department’s Annual Banquet (R007-25) .....................................................................................................2 ANOKA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE MONTHLY REPORT ...........................................2 HOLD PUBLIC HEARING/ORDER PLANS & SPECIFICATION/25-2A/2025 STREET ST RECONSTRUCTION (XENIA STREET NW/VINTAGE STREET NW/161 AVENUE NW) (R008-25) ...............................................................................................................3 HOLD PUBLIC HEARING/ORDER PLANS & SPECIFICATION/25-2B/2025 STREET THTH RECONSTRUCTION (INDIAN MEADOWS 4 & 5 ADDITIONS) (R009-25) ........4 SELECT 2025 LOCAL BOARD OF APPEAL & EQUALIZATION DATES ........................5 ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT .............................................................................................6 MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT ...................................................................................................6 ADJOURNMENT ...................................................................................................................6