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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-04-10 Council Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 1 The City Council met in regular session on April 10, 2003 at City Hall in Corcoran, Minnesota. Present were Councilors Bucher, Gageby, Guenthner, Lymangood and Thomas. Also present were Administrator Vergin, Clerk/Treasurer Tillmann, Attorney Carson, Engineer Vander Top, and City Assessors Anne Risch and Rolff Erickson, and County Assessor Chris Bennet. Mayor Guenthner called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Thomas, and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the following amendments: • Consideration of Items 5.a. and 5.d separate from the consent agenda • Discussion regarding a gambling ordinance – Councilor Lymangood • NW League of Cities Meeting Report – Councilor Gageby • Discussion regarding Crow River News article on septic maintenance program and penalties for non-compliance – Councilor Bucher Open Forum There were no requests from the public to speak during open forum. Consent Agenda MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Bucher, and carried unanimously to approve the consent agenda with the exception of items 5.a. and 5.d. as follows: 5.b. Approve claims #1232 – 1285, in the amount of $97,256.59, as presented. 5.c. Adopt Resolution #2003 – 23, considering the vacation of Santa Fe Trail, and schedule a public hearing for Thursday, April 24, 2003 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter. 5.e. Accept the bids received for the sale of a Public Works 1994 Ford F -350 pickup truck to the highest bidder, Bill Tombers, of Plymouth, in the amount of $14,049.00. Discussion was held regarding item 5.a. of the consent agenda. Councilor Lymangood requested that in the future, if items are approved as amended, the wording of the amendment be included in the meeting mi nutes and a revised copy of the amended item be placed in the subsequent Council packet to confirm the accuracy of any changes. MOTION by Lymangood, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to approve item 5.a. of the consent agenda as follows: 5.a. Approve the regular City Council meeting minutes of March 27, 2003, as amended, under “Unfinished Business - HRUA” changed the following sentence: “Council suggested made additional minor revisions.” to further clarify Council’s action. Discussion was held regarding item 5.d. of the consent agenda – Annexation request. Administrator Vergin advised that the City has received a request from a resident to have their property annexed into the City of Maple Grove. There are seven properties in that development that have already been annexed, but a number of properties are still considered Corcoran. Access into the neighborhood Call to Order Roll Call Pledge of Allegiance Agenda Approval Open Forum Consent Agenda Approval Consent Agenda 5.a. Approval of March 27, 2003 Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 2 Consent Agenda Item 5.d. is from the City of Maple Grove. Engineer Vander Top advised that in 1998, a neighborhood meeting was held and at that time, some of the residents wished to be annexed into Maple Grove. It was questioned why the entire neighborhood was not annexed at that time. Apparently, there were concerns with how much capacity the City of Maple Grove had available. Extensive discussion was held regarding alternatives to deal effectively and efficiently with this area. It was suggested that contact be made with Maple Grove to look at the feasibility of a Joint Powers Agreement to provide services to the neighborhood, or a possible master plan for phasing services to the area. . Discussion also centered on what kind of impact this would have on the resident requesting the annexation. The resident currently has a failing septic system which must be replaced by August of 2003. Engineer Vander Top advised that the resident would be assessed by Maple Grove for street, sewer and water services. Comments were heard from Tom Cossette, 9200 Shannon Lane, regarding if there were any fees associated with the annexation that would be the responsibility of the resident. Attorney Carson advised that most likely the only fee would be to file and record necessary documentation with Hennepin County. MOTION by Gageby, seconded by Thomas, and carried unanimously to table consideration of Resolution #2003 – 24, requesting annexation by Randy and Nancy Cossette, 19200 – 81st Place North, into the City of Maple Grove. Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Hearing Mayor Guenthner opened the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Public Hearing at 7:30 p.m. City Assessors Anne Risch and Rolf Erickson, and Hennepin County Assessor Chris Bennet were present. Assessor Risch advised that market values continue to increase dramatically throughout the area, which can be attributed to many factors. Mayor Guenthner advised that the Board of Equalization Hearing is the first step in the process for homeowners to challenge their market values. The City Council acts as the Board of Review and has the ability to adjust market valuations, or defer action pending further review. Comments were heard from the following: Ken Kluck, 21800 County Road 50, is questioning the increase in valuation of a 10-acre parcel of open land. Market value increased from $60,000 to $92,000 for 2003. Since the year 2000, market value has increased 212%. The property is currently being cropped and has some wetland area with one building right. The property is on green acres. Assessor Risch advised that valuation was determined based on selling prices of similar properties. Larger parcels are selling at between $10,000 - $23,000 per acre. The City Assessor sets the market value based on comparable sales, the State Legislature limits how much the taxable market value can increase per year. For the past three years, this percentage has been increasing. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Gageby to affirm the City Assessor’s valuation of said property, based on comparables provided by the City Assessor. Roll call: Bucher, aye; Gageby, aye; Guenthner, aye; Lymangood, naye; Thomas, aye. Motion carried. Table Reconsideration of Resolution #2003 – 24 Local Board of Appeal and Equalization Hearing Public Comment Received Ken Kluck, 21800 CR 50 CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 3 Confirm Assessor’s Valuation Tim McGee, 6951 County Road 101, was present to challenge the valuation of a 2.9-acre parcel that has been classified as unbuildable. The property has a highline easement and ditch on it, as well as being in two different school districts and a designated flood plain. Council questioned if the easement had been taken into consideration when the valuation was determined. Assessor Risch said it had not. MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to table consideration of this request pending further review by the City Assessor. Slav Kabachenko, 8295 County Road 19 was present to dispute the value of new improvements to his residence. Questioned if value of improvements was based on cost of labor and materials, or value added to the property. Assessor Risch stated that it was value added to the property. The house is 2,763 square feet on 9.6 acres. Construction began several years ago, and is still in process, portions in all areas of the house are still unfinished. MOTION by Lymangood, seconded by Gageby, to table consideration of this request pending further review by the City Assessor and the submission of an objective formula to determine what percentage of the house is finished. Roll call: Bucher, aye; Gageby, aye; Guenthner, aye; Lymangood, aye; Thomas, naye. Motion carried. William Hentges, 21310 Meadow Lane, was present to dispute his valuation based on a current situation with his neighbor. Feels that he could not get market value if he tried to sell his property because a portion of it is unusable due to drainage issues. MOTION by Lymangood, seconded by Gageby and carried unanimously to set the valuation for this property at $172,000 and discuss the drainage issues at the April 24, 2003 City Council meeting. Ken Smith, 23165 Meadowview Drive, is questioning a 13% increase in his market value when other properties in his neighborhood showed as little as a 1% increase. The neighborhood is relatively new and houses are comparable. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Thomas, to table consideration pending further review by the City Assessor. Roll call: Bucher, aye; Gageby, naye; Guenthner, aye; Lymangood, aye; Thomas, aye. Motion carried. Chris Wagner, 6399 County Road 19, was present to dispute the valuation of his commercial property. Valuation increased 76% in 2002 and an additional 9% in 2003. Feels that since he has no frontage on Highway 55, his valuation should be lower. MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Lymangood, to affirm the City Assessor’s valuation of said property, based on comparables provided by the City Assessor. Roll call: Bucher, aye; Gageby, aye; Guenthner, aye; Lymangood, naye; Thomas, aye. Motion carried. Tom Cossette, 9200 Shannon Lane, was not disputing the valuation of his property, but felt that the percentage increase in value seemed low. Value had Tim McGee, 6951 CR 101 Table Consideration of Request Slave Kabachenko, 8295 CR 19 Table Consideration of Request William Hentges, 21310 Meadow Lane CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 4 Change Valuation to $172,000 Ken Smith, 23165 Meadowview Drive Table Consideration of Request Chris Wagner, 6399 CR 19 Confirm Assessor’s Valuation Tom Cossette, 9200 Shannon Lane increased 8.8% over purchase price in the past two years. Would expect it to be higher. No action taken by Council. William Treptau, 20045 County Road 10, was present to dispute the valuation of a 1.8-acre vacant lot. Valuation has increased 210% over the past two years. Feels property is unbuildable due to setback and green space requirements, defined under the current zoning. Assessor Risch advised that the building capability of the property could change if the zoning standards change. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Gageby, to affirm the City Assessor’s valuation of said property. Roll call: Bucher, aye; Gageby, aye; Guenthner, aye; Lymangood, naye; Thomas, aye. Motion carried. Robert Kyarsgaard, 9180 County Road 116, was questioning the valuation of an outlot adjacent to Mama G’s. Property is valued at $79,000, but asking price for sale is $700,000. No action taken. MOTION by Lymangood, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to recess the public hearing at 9:04 p.m. MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Bucher, and carried unanimously to continue the public hearing during the next City Council meeting scheduled for April 24, 2003. Mayor Guenthner called a recess at 9:08 p.m. The meeting reconvened at 9:15 p.m. Unfinished Business Northwest Trails Collaboration Members of the Northwest Trails Association were present to discuss a cooperative agreement between the Association and the City of Corcoran for trail development and maintenance within the City. Bob King, Trail Administrator, provided background information on the Association. They had an agreement with the City of Brooklyn Park for the past 25 years, until Brooklyn Park eliminated the trail system. Grant funding must go through a government agency and there are numerous trails in Corcoran. The Trail Association handles all the paperwork, acquisition of trails, carries liability insurance and is responsible for working with the DNR on any audit issues. There are approximately 75 – 100 members in the Corcoran area. Administrator Vergin advised that the City of Brooklyn Park had been contacted and provided an excellent reference for the Trail Association. Attorney Carson advised that the City works as the Fiscal Agent of the grant money and facilitates receipt of the grant. Councilor Lymangood suggested that the NW Trails Association review a copy of the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan when determining trail locations, consider having one of their members serve on a committee to review wetlands and trails in the area, and look into assisting with the City’s Snowmobile Safety Training. MOTION by Thomas, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution #2003 – 25, authorizing CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 5 application to the State of Minnesota for financial and technical assistance, and contracting with the Northwest Trails William Treptau, 20054 CR 10 Confirm Assessor’s Valuation Robert Kyarsgaard, 9180 CR 116 Recess Hearing Set Continuation Hearing Recess Northwest Trails Collaboration Adopt Resolution #2003 – 25, Authorizing Grant Application Association for acquisition of necessary interests in land and trail maintenance if said assistance is granted by the State. Met Council Loan Application Discussion was held regarding the Local Planning Assistance Loan application. Minor modifications were made to Item #5 as it pertains to rural development, to read “Rural Development – The City will continue to allow rural development in a manner consistent with Regional Blueprint. Development in rural Corcoran will continue to be allowed at the existing density currently allows densities of one unit per 10 acres on a paved road and one unit for 30 acres on a gravel road.” MOTION by Gageby, seconded by Thomas, and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution #2003 – 26, authorizing the City Administrator to submit an application to the Met Council for a planning assistance grant to proceed with the implementation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Met Council Letter Requesting Extension MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to authorize Mayor Guenthner to sign and execute the letter to the Met Council requesting an extension of the time period to implement the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, as presented. CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 6 Mayor Guenthner amended the meeting agenda to move Item 7.e. Sign Ordinance Review until after discussion of Item 8.a. Petition for Improvement. CSAH 19/Highway 55 Area Meeting Engineer Vander Top advised that discussion at the CSAH 19/Highway 55 meeting centered on trying to coordinate with the Met Council to quantify the capacity of the two avenues for sewer services: from the Maple Plain Lift Sta tion and the Highway 55/Medina area. Discussed hosting a public meeting with residents in the SW area to review the desire for sewer services in that area. The meeting was tentatively scheduled for May 19, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. and it was agreed that all commercial and residential property owners in the designated SW district of Corcoran would be invited to attend. New Business Old Settlers/70th Street Petition for Improvement Administrator Vergin advised that the City had received a petition from residen ts on Old Settlers Road/70th Street for improvement to the road. 62% of residents signed the petition. The City received a similar petition approximately four years ago. Engineer Vander Top reported that the improvement to this road would be more significant than the improvements to Hage Drive, and more similar to Rolling Hills Road. Potential Public Works participation in this project could be more extensive. Four years ago, there was no formal feasibility study completed, but costs were estimated at approximately $10,000 per property. Comments were heard from Lee and Lisa Minks, 6925 Old Settlers Road, the residents that started the petition. Feels that if the City has a solid number for cost of assessment to property owners, it may make a difference in whether neighbors would want the project to proceed. Met Council Loan Adopt Resolution #2003 – 26, authorizing Met Council Loan Application Authorize Letter Requesting Extension Amend Agenda CSAH 19/Hwy 55 Area Meeting Old Settlers/70th Street Petition Mayor Guenthner suggested that a neighborhood meeting be held to discuss the improvement and potential assessment to property owners. Engineer Vander Top will coordinate a meeting to meet with the neighborhood. MOTION by Gageby, seconded by Bucher, and carried unanimously to table consideration of the Old Settlers Road/70th Street improvement petition until after a meeting is held with neighbors. Sign Ordinance Review Discussion was held regarding the draft sign ordinance. Administrator Vergin advised that the Planning Commission had reviewed the document at the April 3 meeting and had made CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 7 several changes. A public hearing on the ordinance is tentatively scheduled for the May 1, 2003 Planning Commission meeting. Council feels that the document, although very thorough, is too long and could be overwhelming. However, signage is an issue that can cause many problems. Need to strike a balance between control and allowing personal discretion. Council agreed that comments or changes regarding the sign ordinance should be forwarded to Administrator Vergin and also authorized Attorney Carson to devote 8 – 10 hours to review and revise the draft Sign Ordinance. Comments were heard from a member of the Corcoran Athletic Association, requesting consideration to allow advertising signage to be displayed along the fencing at the baseball fields. Funds would be used to help maintain the fields. Under the ordinance, such signage would not be allowed. Awards Dinner for Commissioners Administrator Vergin discussed the awards dinner for members of the Planning and Wastewater Commissions and their spouses/invited guests. This has been an annual recognition in the past, with the City sponsoring dinner at a local restaurant to acknowledge the volunteer contributions of Commission members. In light of the State Auditor’s Report of the City of Brooklyn Park, staff is seeking direction on the appropriateness of the awards dinner. It was the consensus of the Council that it is fair and appropriate to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers in this manner. Funds are budgeted accordingly and staff may proceed with plans for the dinner. Councilor Lymangood advised that the State Auditor addressed this same issue in the audit of the City of Brooklyn Park and feels that acknowledgement of volunteer contributions before a City Council meeting would be adequate. Reports Administrator Vergin addressed Local Planning Seminars scheduled for April and May, hosted by Government Training Services, requesting that any Councilor interested in attending notify her. Advised that dues for the Elm Creek Watershed will be not be raised as significantly as originally thought. The City’s dues will increase to approximately $10,000 from $8,000 annually. Is also working on scheduling a meeting with elected officials and has only received one positive response. Council requested that a follow up letter signed by the Mayor be sent to those that have not responded. Mayor Guenthner reported on his meeting with the City of Maple Grove to discuss Corcoran’s Comp Plan and services to the Mama G’s area. Council feels that it is appropriate to have Maple Grove’s response to the City’s request for Table Consideration of Petition Sign Ordinance Awards Dinner for Commissioners Administrator’s Report Mayor’s Report services to the Mama G’s corner in writing and directed Engineer Vander Top to draft correspondence to the City of Maple Grove requesting as such. Mayor Guenthner met with Hennepin County Commissioner Penny Steele and Jim Grube of CITY OF CORCORAN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2003 - Need to PDF\04.10.03 Council Minutes Final.doc 8 the Transportation Department to discuss Corcoran’s proposal for the North/South and East/West transportation corridors. Councilor Gageby provided an update on the NW League of Cities meeting. Discussion centered on area bike trails and various Hennepin County Road projects currently in process. The Council agreed to lay the Gambling Ordinance discussion over to the next meeting. Discussion was held regarding a recent article in the Crow River News pertaining to Corcoran’s Septic Maintenance Program and penalties for non-compliance. Councilor Bucher feels that the article does not appropriately convey the City’s intent to secure compliance and not necessarily impose penalties. Councilor Bucher will discuss the article with Wastewater Commission Chair Jim Bullert as to whether a letter to the Editor would be appropriate. Administrator Vergin was requested to look into the dissemination of information to the Crow River News to insure accuracy. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Gageby, and carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 11:09 p.m. _____________________________ Kary Tillmann, City Clerk/Treasurer Adjournment