HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK - August 24, 2010
C I T Y o F
0 NDOVE
1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304. (763) 755-5100
FAX (763) 755-8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US
City Council Workshop
Tuesday, August 24,2010
Conference Rooms A & B
1. Call to Order - 6:00 p.m.
2. Presentation by Coon Creek Watershed District - Engineering
3. 2011-2015 Capital Improvement Plan Discussion/Municipal Water System - Engineering
4. Discuss Illicit Discharge Ordinance - Engineering
5. . Discuss Hazardous Tree Removal Policy-Engineering
0 6. Discuss City Code 8-4 Parks and Recreation Areas - Planning
7. Discuss 2011-2015 Capital Improvement Plan - Administration
8. 2010 Budget Implementation Progress Report - Administration
9. 2011 Budget Development Discussion - Administration
10. Preview 2011 Preliminary Tax Levy Presentation - Administration
11. Other Topics
12. Adjournment
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0 ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING -AUGUST 24,2010
MINUTES
The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Mike
Gamache, August 24,2010,6:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard
NW, Andover, Minnesota.
Councilmembers present: Sheri Bukkila (arrived at 6:12 p.m.), Don Jacobson, Mike Knight,
Julie Trude
Councilmembers absent: None
Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson
City Planner, Courtney Bednarz
Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz
PRESENTATION BY COON CREEK WATERSHED DISTRICT
Mr. Tim Kelly, Coon Creek Watershed District, made a presentation to the Council on Water
Resource Assessment and Issues.
Councilmember Bukkila arrived at 6:12 p.m.
0 Councilmember Knight asked if all drainage was handled locally now. Mr. Kelly stated
ultimately everything is local.
Mr. Berkowitz stated in the case of infiltration, when they designed the outdoor hockey rink area
it is sized for infiltration. They wanted a minimum of 1.5 inches and actually got 4 inches with
the basin. With infiltration they should see smaller drainage ponds.
The Council thanked Mr. Kelly for the presentation.
2011-2015 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN DISCUSSIONIMUNICIPAL WATER
SYSTEM
Mr. Berkowitz stated this is a continuation from the last workshop meeting. Doing a rehab to
tower number one will push out any new clear well at least ten years into the future.
Mr. Greg Johnson, Bolton and Menk, Inc., reviewed the present water system improvement
recommendation with the Council.
Councilmember Jacobson asked if the only solution was to install a line along South Coon Creek
Boulevard.. Mr. Johnson stated that would be the only solution based on the plan Andover
constructed. He stated if they bring in another line they will reduce the pressure on the one line
to the south.
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Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes-August 24,2010
Page 2
0 Councilmember Trude stated she did not see any justification for the addition of the second line.
Mr. Berkowitz stated they need to reconstruct South Coon Creek Drive because of the state the
street is in and if they wait to make the improvements to the water system as not part of the street
reconstruction it will cost twice as much to install than if it was done now.
Councilmember Trude stated her concern would be if they improve this area the pressure in other
neighborhoods will drop and there is more growth in other areas of the City than where the
improvement would be made. Mr. Johnson stated that would not be the case, and this would
improve water quality throughout the southwest area of Andover.
Chief Winkel stated they could suck the line dry if tllere was a major fire and may have to shut
their trucks down in some instances if they keep the system the way it is currently. He stated
when ISO was here they were shocked at the low flow rate out ofthe hydrants in that area. He
would support the improvement to the area.
Mr. Dickinson stated to have the major utility improvements be cost effective, they had to think
that the Rural Reserve would drive the improvement and he did not think that area would
develop in the next ten years, more like fifteen to twenty so he thought they should push out the
biggest ticket items and make some incremental improvements to the southern area of the City.
He noted they may have fifteen more years before they would likely need another treatment
plant.
0 Mr. Johnson stated in order to maintain the current water tower they would need to keep two
different pressure zones, one on each line. Mr. Dickinson stated they will need to increase water
rates to users 5 to 8 percent per year even if the improvement is not done because they will be
looking at repairing the current system down the line.
Councilmember Jacobson asked Mr. Johnson if this was the only way to solve the problem. Mr.
Johnson stated it was not the only way but the most feasible way to solve the problem.
Councilmember Trude asked if it would help them to get more hook ups. Mr. Dickinson stated
from a utility perspective he did not see the Rural Reserve developing within ten to fifteen years
because of the topography, growth will likely occur in the east side ofthe City. Mr. Dickinson
did indicate that more hook ups would certainly help pay for the debt of the utility plant.
Councilmember Trude suggested they plan a meeting with residents along South Coon Creek
Drive to determine ifthey are still opposed to subdividing or developing their lots before this
new watermain is built.
Mayor Gamache asked if South Coon Creek Drive was a State Aid Road. Mr. Berkowitz stated
it is and they would be using some State Aid funds for the improvements along with assessing
the residents along the road like they did on 15ih Avenue.
0 Councilmember Jacobson asked if they would be assessing the water line to the residents also.
Mr. Berkowitz stated they would need to discuss this with the Council and see what they would
Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes-August 24,2010
Page 3
0 want to do and maybe give them an option to hook up.
The Council felt that if this would be reconstructed in 2012 they need to start working through
the process and meetings with the residents.
DISCUSS ILLICIT DISCHARGE ORDINANCE
Mr. Kameron Kytonen, Natural Resource Technician stated under the requirements of the
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, the City is required to have
an ordinance in place that prohibits non-storm water discharges and to implement a program for
detection and enforcement of illicit discharges.
Councilmember Jacobson understood there was a law to enforce this but thought it needed to be
fine tuned for their community.
Councilmember Trude thought-they should pick a term and stick with it otherwise the
community gets confused.
Mayor Gamache stated they need to have some strength in the ordinance in order to enforce it..
Councilmember Jacobson stated the most egregious thing in the draft is in Section nine, the right
0 of entry into a residence. Mr. Kytonen stated Section nine applies to businesses and not to
residences.
Councilmember Trude stated she was ok with the enforcement but would like it written so it is
less intrusive.
The Council gave Mr. Kytonen their notes to draft in the ordinance for review at a future
meeting.
DISCUSS HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL POLICY
Mr. Kytonen stated they have diseased trees and ordinances in place to deal with them but they
also have other hazardous trees that should be removed and he wanted the Council's input on
what to do.
Councilmember Knight thought if they had a lot of trees down in the woods not affecting
anything they would not need to remove them. Mr. Kytonen stated those trees would not count
as hazardous trees. Other Councilmembers were concerned this proposal involved very
subjective decisions that could prove costly for residents.
Councilmember Bukkila stated if it is a safety hazard then she would be in favor of removing the
0 trees.
Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes-August 24,2010
Page 4
0 Mr. Berkowitz thought if the Council did not want to make an ordinance they would need to
handle these on case by case incidences and make decisions at that time.
Mayor Gamache thought if a tree was hanging over onto the street the City should be responsible
to remove it.
Mr. Kytonen stated they would make sure those trees would be removed but the ones out in the
middle of a field would not be a danger.
Council felt this should be left alone and ifthere is a complaint they bring it to the Council to
review and make a decision.
DISCUSS CITY CODE 8-4 PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS
Mr. Bednarz stated the Council received a recommendation from the Open Space Advisory
Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission to apply the existing park regulations to
open space areas and held a public hearing at the August 4, 2010 meeting. At the meeting, the
Council identified a number of items that warranted further discussion and tabled the item to this
work session.
0 Councilmember Jacobson stated on page four, operation of motor vehicles, subsection three,
second line states"... and other self propelled vehicles" and he wondered if this applied to
bicycles. Councilmember Knight did not think it meant bikes. Mr. Bednarz agreed.
Councilmember Jacobson stated on page five, under L, it talks about play areas and he wanted to
add at the end ofthe paragraph "no play areas are authorized in any open space areas".
Councilmember Trude thought that was too broad. Councilmember Jacobson stated he meant
play structures. Councilmember Knight asked if they will be putting in picnic tables and
benches. Mr. Bednarz thought they could potentially do that. Councilmember Knight thought
that would be a play area in a sense.
Councilmember Knight stated he perceived open space to be an area where people can walk
around and enjoy it and did not think firearms should be allowed, no matter what the State law
states. He thought that would be a contradiction. Mayor Gamache thought that would only be if
they used State money in the open space area. Mr. Bednarz stated that would be something they
would need to address at some point. Mayor Gamache asked if they could look into another
community that has open space and obtained State funding and see how they handled it. Mr.
Bednarz stated they could do that.
Councilmember Trude stated State funding currently does not apply so there would not be any
hunting allowed.
0 Councilmember Trude asked if they could remove a reference to the City Park Complex because
it is no longer there and she also wondered ifthey could remove the restriction of prohibiting
Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - August 24, 2010
Page 5
0 dogs from Sunshine Park, and add the following: "no domestic animals should be allowed on
playfields or play structures."
Mayor Gamache thought the reason why dogs were prohibited in the two parks was because they
had some dog bites in the past. Councilmember Knight thought the intent was to keep dog
excrement offthe play field.
Councilmember Trude thought they needed to remove the prohibiting of skate boards and roller
blades in Sunshine Park and renumber.
Councilmember Knight thought they should have some really explicit signs for the parks.
Mr. Dickinson reviewed the wording the Council would want for prohibited animals in parks.
Mayor Gamache suggested in the prohibited animals section they should talce number three out
but leave horses in so horses are not allowed.
Councilmember Knight stated he did not see any reason for leashing a dog in the open space. He
thought with brush and trees it would be hard to keep a dog leashed. Councilmember Jacobson
thought that would be fine until someone complains then they could look at it further.
Councilmember Trude suggested the following wording: "All domestic animals must be leashed
0 and under owners control unless specifically designated." This should take care of the issue
when/if they get a dog park in the City. Mr. Dickinson agreed and thought this could be looked
at further if that happens.
Mayor Gamache asked if they should bring this forward to the Park Commission because they
will probably have some issues with dogs at Sunshine Park. Mr. Dickinson thought the other
ordinance "under control", would cover that.
Councilmember Knight stated the biggest issue they are going to have in the open space is
snowmobiles coming off the river and four wheelers. Mr. Bednarz stated they will need to post
signs indicating it is prohibited but unless someone complains there would be no real way to
enforce it.
The Council agreed to have this item put on the September ih consent agenda and not to go
through the Parks and Recreation Commission.
DISCUSS 2011-2015 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Mr. Dickinson stated the water improvement information discussed earlier will need to be
updated in the plan. He reviewed the information with the Council.
0 Councilmember Jacobson asked if they moved the ladder truck back one year, couldn't they start
the process to get the specs written and done. Chief Winkel stated they would make the
Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes-August 24,2010
Page 6
0 proposed time table without a problem. He stated he would like to start working on it this fall.
Councilmember Trude wondered if they should be buying one of the smaller fire trucks in 2011
so they will not have such a large expenditure in 2013.
Councilmember Bukkila wondered if they could push some ofthe trucks out further than 2013,
over a couple of years. Chief Winkel stated they have already pushed some of the trucks out to
future years from where they were listed prior. Mr. Dickinson stated there is enough flexibility
in the plan to move vehicles around and purchase ones that need replacing first.
Councilmember Trude wondered if they are being prudent this year by pushing everything back
because it is a bad year and will they be able to make up for this in the future. Mr. Dickinson
believed they would be able to make up for it.
2010 BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS REPORT
Mr. Dickinson updated the Council on the 2010 budget implementation progress report.
The Council recessed at 9:10 p.m. The Council reconvened at 9:15 p.m.
0 2011 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION
Mr. Dickinson reviewed the 2011 budget with the Council.
Councilmember Jacobson asked ifthe zero percent gross levy would include any increases for
employees. Mr. Dickinson stated it could, if that increase was Council direction.
Mr. Dickinson stated he is currently proposing that the current salary freeze continue in to 2011
and if increases are considered he suggested reinstating the steps first and the COLA next.
Councilmember Jacobson stated they held staffto no increase for two years and cut back hours
and he felt they deserved something.
Councilmember Knight thought in order to be fair to all employees they should consider giving a
COLA. Councilmember Jacobson thought they should do the steps and then look at the revenue
in order to do the COLA. Mr. Dickinson noted the IPD is around 1.68%.
Mayor Gamache thought if they could give a 1 % COLA and steps he would be fine with it.
Councilmember Knight stated the YMCA wants to partner with the City to do a teen center.
Councilmember Trude thought the money they took out of the schools for child activities would
0 be used towards this instead ofto help balance the budget. Councilmember Bukkila stated she
did not want to commit anything to the YMCA until meeting with them.
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Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - August 24, 2010
Page 7
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PREVIEW 2011 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY PRESENTATION
Mr. Dickinson reviewed the 2011 preliminary tax levy with the Council.
OTHER TOPICS
There was none.
Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Bukkila, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The
meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Osbeck, Recording Secretary
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