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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-06-27 Council Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN 1 City Council Meeting Minutes June 27, 2019 - 7:00 pm The Corcoran City Council met on June 27, 2019 at City Hall in Corcoran, Minnesota. Present were Mayor Thomas, Councilor Bottema, Councilor Keefe, and Councilor Schultz. Excused was Councilor Dejewski. Also present were City Administrator Martens, City Planner Lindahl, Administrative Services Director Beise, Public Works Director Mattson, and Director of Public Safety Gottschalk. 1. Call to Order / Roll Call Mayor Thomas called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Thomas invited all in attendance to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Agenda Approval MOTION: made by Bottema, seconded by Schultz to approve the agenda as presented. Voting Aye: Thomas, Bottema, Keefe, and Schultz (Motion carried 4:0) 4. Commission Representatives Mayor Thomas noted Planning Commissioner Meredith Wu and Trails Commission Commissioner John Dugan were in attendance and invited them to speak on items related to Commissions. 5. Open Forum Mayor Thomas invited residents to speak. No residents came forward. 6. Presentations/Recognitions No presentations were heard and no recognitions. 7. Consent Agenda a. Draft Minutes of June 13, 2019 Council Meeting* b. Financial Claims* c. Metering Access Easement Agreement* d. City Initiated Development Rights Program and Open Space and Preservation Ordinance Amendment* e. Request for Metropolitan Agricultural Preserve Initiation of Expiration* f. NE Trunk Sewer Improvements – Approve Pay Request 6* g. Park Bench Installation* Council requested review of Item 7g. MOTION: made by Schultz, seconded by Keefe to approve the consent agenda consisting of Items 7a., 7b., 7c., 7d., 7e., and 7f. Voting Aye: Thomas, Bottema, Keefe, and Schultz (Motion carried 4:0) Council noted the developments rights program has been a continued point of discussion and has been reviewed and worked on by Councilmembers for the last three years, and Item 7d., is the culmination of this work. Regarding Item 7g., Council requested more clarity of the bench and plaque request and questioned why the bench plaque was brought to Council. City Administrator Martens responded the Parks and Trails Commission reviewed the bench and plaque request and staff also made a recommendation, to adopt an approval process for bench naming, or any item 2 that is placed in parks and along trails in Corcoran. Council reviewed the bench plaque request and if a policy is needed, or if approval of this request and future benches and plaque naming should be a case by case basis. Council discussed if the bench plaque could include “In Memory” rather than naming the public geographic area on the plaque where the bench is to be located. City Administrator Martens clarified the difference between the Memorial Garden behind City Hall and memorial plaques appearing on objects throughout the City. City Administrator Martens reflected how the request may impact the Parks and Trails system and future bench and plaque donations. Council requested the background information on the current bench request with the plaque wording of Larson Scenic Overlook. Public Works Director Kevin Mattson explained the bench request was brought to Council for review because the bench/memorial component was a commitment made by the builder to the seller of the purchased property and was never presented to the City. City Administrator Martens further clarified the Parks and Trails discussion regarding the bench request and explained Lennar Corporation decided where a bench should go on a City park trail system on their own, paved a bump out for the bench and made decisions without the City’s knowledge or approval. City Administrator Martens also clarified the Parks and Trails Commission did not decline the request for the donated bench and plaque but rather questioned if there should be a policy for future donations and how plaques are worded. MOTION: made by Bottema, seconded by Keefe to approve trail bench with plaque request with wording Larson Scenic Overlook on the plaque. Council discussed plaque naming. Voting Aye: Thomas, Bottema, Keefe, and Schultz (Motion carried 4:0) 8. Planning Business a. PUD Amendment to Modify the Phasing Plan for E+R Investments, LLC* (City File 19-010) City Planner Lindahl presented the requested change in the phase planning regarding the self- storage buildings located in the industrial portion in the northeast portion of the Bass Lake Crossing South. The construction of the office structure in Phase 1 was a factor considered by the Planning Commission and Council in granting flexibility for architecture to allow for the interior buildings to have metal faces, as the office building in the center of the development would be built first to screen the interior buildings. The applicant would like to amend the phasing plan and now build the western two buildings as Phase 1 to immediately identify the self-storage for residents moving into Bass Lake Crossing South and complete landscaping between Phase 1 area and Bass Lake Crossing South homes. The applicant is requesting to amend the phasing plan to allow for the self- storage facility to be constructed in four phases with a temporary change to building one on the northern side to include a temporary office space. Staff has included a condition to provide details for elevations of that structure, and as a temporary office space the applicant will install a door and windows. Construction of the second access point onto County Road 10 will be delayed until a later phase, and access to the self-storage facility will be from Fir Lane Road on the north only. Phase 1 will also include a fence for the self-storage. The amended phasing plan will provide a more immediate buffer for the Bass Lake Crossing South residents from self-storage buildings and Lions Park. Council asked if there is a timetable for the new phasing plan amendment. City Planner Lindahl indicated applicant has approval to build over the next 4 years through 2022. Greg Hayes, Ebert Construction, spoke on behalf of E+R Investments. Council asked applicant if there is a phasing plan timetable available and if phasing plan is switched, how will this affect the project progress. Mr. Hayes, outlined the modification of phasing plan, noting Phase 1 will begin this year to advance the construction of a complete buffer edge along the residential side. Mr. Hayes outlined the additional architecture on the temporary office noting the end of the building looks nicer as well and reiterated the original phasing plan only allowed for buffering on County Road 10. Mr. Hayes 3 also addressed the water that was puddling on the site that isn’t developed right away and explained there is a grading plan in place with Rachel Developments to make the water flow to an existing stormwater pond. Council asked about housing market demand and applicant indicated market demand is increasing which is why applicant has requested the phasing plan amendments discussed. Council asked about amending the current PUD with landscaping changes requested today. City Planner Lindahl indicated yes, a PUD amendment could be completed, and that this phasing request qualifies as a minor change, and only needs to be approved by Council. MOTION: made by Schultz, seconded by Keefe to adopt Resolution 2019-49 approving PUD amendment to modify the phasing plan for E+R Investments, LLC, for Corcoran self-storage. Voting Aye: Thomas, Bottema, Keefe, and Schultz (Motion carried 4:0) 9. Unfinished Business No unfinished business was presented. 10. New Business a. 2020 Budget Assumptions and Timeline City Administrator Martens reviewed the 2020 general budget assumptions and timelines. City Administrator Martens discussed a full-time City Planner position. Council discussion began with a proposed City Planner position encompassing general planning duties. City Administrator Martens indicated this position would be an entry level planner position and would reduce billable hours for contract planning within the General Fund, complete billable hours for development review, and increase customer service. Council discussed and would like to understand what the City Planner hours would encompass and how a City Planner position would be a savings and benefit to the City. Council provided direction for staff move toward or away from the current budget assumptions and timelines for 2020. City Administrator Martens discussed the restructuring of the Code Compliance position. City Administrator Martens explained the position would no longer support any planning tasks, would transition to a Public Works support function and position would continue to oversee the building permit process. Council discussed the recent initiative by Council regarding code violations, and how this position restructuring would tie into that initiative. City Administrator Martens indicated contracted part-time code compliance would remain in place for the 2020 budget. City Administrator Martens discussed transitioning the part-time Recreation Coordinator position into a full-time position. Currently the position is 28 hours per week. City Administrator Martens explained with the increased recreation programming duties, special event duties, additional assistance for Parks and Trails Commission and park planning assistance, policy and procedure development with Parks and Trails, the position needs additional hours to complete the position tasks. Council inquired about soccer and baseball moving back into club or an athletic association, if the City would still need a full-time position. City Administrator Martens answered the City would no longer have any funds to support the Recreation Coordinator position and would not advocate for the City to move in that direction. City Administrator Martens continued with review of the 2020 budget assumptions and a part-time 20-hour a-week Community Service Officer. Director of Public Safety Matt Gottschalk explained the difference between Community Service Officers and Reserve Officers and the tasks the position would complete. Council asked if this position is a union position and Director of Public Safety Matt Gottschalk answered it is not a union position. Council also inquired about the cost of the positions and how it implicates future tax base revenue. Council referenced keeping our numbers below the tax base but coinciding new positions with how the City grows. Council referenced needing to be well educated with fact-based statistics on the subject so Council can explain the need to the community. City Administrator Martens reviewed the increasing part-time hours for the Police Technician position. Council and staff discussed a question regarding 4 an IT position at the City and when that may be necessary. City Administrator Martens moved into the next section of budget assumptions for the 2020 budget year regarding compensation assumptions including the continuation of contract code enforcement, adjustment to wage schedule at 3%, assume 10% increase to insurance costs with 70% of increase paid by employer. City Administrator Martens outlined additional assumptions including a reduction in contract planning hours due to the proposed City Planner position, maintaining overall 2019 engineering assumptions regarding expenditures, projecting 10% increase in contract fire services, and increases in public works activities due to increased product costs. City Administrator Martens reviewed the assumed increases in streetlight electricity costs due to new development and new stormwater project fund. Police Department assumptions include incremental increases in various line items. Council asked staff to review streetlight costs and how including streetlight costs in water bills would impact the budget. Council discussed eliminating dust control and implications to budget, environment, and community. City Administrator Martens reviewed Parks and Recreation assumptions to continue t- ball/baseball and youth soccer programming and initiating new programs such as adopt-a-spot, bean bag league, and new fee assumptions. City Administrator Martens reviewed City Council and Administration assumptions including incremental changes to specific fees and potential larger changes to water and sewer, building permit revenue assumptions of 75 new home permits, transfers of CIP transfer to increase by $50,000, new transfer to begin paying back water fund for City Hall remodel, and begin a small transfer to a stormwater fund, reviewed other initiatives such as potential for creating a fund to begin paving gravel roads, reduction in billed costs for dust control, and other Council initiatives. City Administrator Martens reviewed the draft 2020 budget timeline. City Administrator Martens reviewed the financial impact regarding the 2020 budget with a goal to continue reduction of overall tax rate. City Administrator Martens asked Council to provide staff direction on proposed adjustments prior to completing the first draft of the 2020 budget. Council discussed moving dust control costs into a fund for paving roads, utilizing MSA funds, and over the course of some years, using funds and bonds to begin paving gravel roads in Corcoran. 11. Staff Reports a. Active Corcoran Planning Applications* Report received and reviewed. 12. 2019 Council Schedule City Administrator Martens reviewed the Council schedule. Council asked City Administrator Martens for a brief update of where the comprehensive plan is at in terms of an approval from the Met Council. City Administrator Martens gave a brief update of the June 5 comprehensive plan meeting with the Met Council. At the meeting, sewer and housing questions were discussed but no resolution was finalized regarding the comprehensive plan. Recently the City received an email to schedule a meeting mid-July to try to finalize the Corcoran 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Council discussed Met Council Land Use Committee and how the state legislation has changed in the last year regarding the approval process for plans. 13. Adjournment MOTION: made by Bottema, seconded by Schultz to adjourn. Voting Aye: Thomas, Bottema, Keefe, and Schultz (Motion carried 4:0) Meeting adjourned at 8:24 pm. ________________________________ Michelle Friedrich – Deputy Clerk