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2021-10-12 CC Meeting MinutesMOUND CITY COUNCIL MINUTES October 12, 2021 The City Council of the City of Mound, Hennepin County, Minnesota, met in regular session on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers in the Centennial Building. Members present: Mayor Ray Salazar; Council members Phil Velsor, Paula Larson, and Jason Holt. Members absent: Sherrie Pugh Others present: City Manager Eric Hoversten, City Clerk Kevin Kelly, City Engineer Brian Simmons, Administrative Services Director Catherine Pausche, Merrick Morlan. Consent agenda: All items listed under the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine in nature by the Council. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a Councilmember or citizen so requests, in which event it will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in normal sequence. 1. Open meeting Mayor Salazar called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2 Pledge of Allegiance 3. Approve agenda MOTION by Larson, seconded by Velsor, to approve the agenda. All voted in favor. Motion 4. Consent agenda MOTION by Velsor, seconded by Larson, to approve the consent agenda. Upon roll call vote, all voted in favor. Motion carried. A. Approve payment of claims in the amount of $1,603,319.95. B. Approve minutes: 9-28-21 regular meeting C. Approve Pay Request #1 in the amount of $114,444.24 to R & R Excavating for the 2021 Liftstation Improvement Project PVV 21-03 5. Comments and suggestions from citizens present on any item not on the agenda None were offered. 6. Orono Police Sergeant Tim Sonnek presenting the September Activity Report Sonnek reported on the Orono Police Department activity in September which included 361 total incidents compared to 284 in 2020. Sonnek listed six crashes, eight alarms, eighteen animal complaints, two assaults, 59 medical calls, three fire assists, three burglaries, two car thefts, 21 disturbances, three DUI's, 11 domestic calls, three mental health issues, 11 thefts, 17 parking complaints, 20 welfare checks and 36 traffic stops. Sonnek said he wanted to recognize the OPD reserve officers for doing 145 house checks in which the officers stop by at properties when residents requested it because they are out of Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 town. Sonnek said the local PD collaboration SWAT team went to a four -day conference at Camp Ripley that included training exercises with other SWAT teams. Velsor asked about a single incident on page 13 of the report which listed multiple offenses and asked if all of the items happened at this one incident. Sonnek said the data base tracks categories of issues and displays them separately within each incident/stop. Sonnek said the stop was related to a DUI which included other issues. Hoversten thanked the OPD for their support and traffic control at the Fire Department Open House and at the Fire Relief Association Dance. Velsor asked about the OPD Reserves house check program and wondered if residents can call and request officers or reserves to check on their house when they are away. Sonnek said that residents do request this service through an application process and should just call the non - emergency number. Hoversten said another OPD crime prevention efforts include physical security audits of properties to determine the theft risk of the property and make recommendations on ways to mitigate. Sonnek said the OPD Crime Investigator handles the security assessment activity. 7. Public Hearings Pausche presented the assessment information requiring three separate public hearings for unpaid utility, miscellaneous abatement, and one property abatement bills. Pausche said the City assesses unpaid utility bills to the owner's property taxes and the public hearing is required by statute. Pausche said there are 500 utility accounts in this group and noted the total outstanding in 2020 and 2021 is lower than 2018 and 2019. Pausche said the public hearing is an opportunity for the public to dispute the assessment and have it recorded in the public record, which is required to move on to dispute it in district court. Pausche said the municipal level does not provide financial assistance and instead relies on the county, state and federal government as well as non-profit organizations to meet those needs. Pausche said this keeps the City out of the credit and collections business which streamlines operations and allows the water to remain on which ensures public safety. Pausche said assessment letters sent to property owners and their renters, if applicable, included information about the Minnesota water assistance program, which Staff continues to encourage residents who call in to apply for. Pausche said the City Council passed a policy a few years ago to make rental property owners the primary on utility bills so to emphasize that landlords are responsible for any delinquencies and encourage them to maintain their properties. Pausche noted the official notice of assessments published in the September 25`h Laker newspaper meets the legal requirement and saying you did not get the notice does not prevent the City from assessing. Salazar opened the public hearing at 7:16 pm. Merrick Morlan, 4842 Dale Road, said he is trying to make payments but had a water heater malfunction that resulted in a $1500 bill. Morlan asked to set up a payment schedule instead of an assessment on the taxes which may jeopardize his Contract for Deed. Morlan said the property would then become solely a rental and he would like to find a way to make payments. Morlan said he is concerned the November 15`h deadline does not provide enough time to hear back from the financial assistance program. Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 Salazar closed the public hearing at 7:20 pm. MOTION by Velsor, seconded by Larson, to approve the following resolution. All voted in favor. Motion carried. A. APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 21-102: RESOLUTION ADOPTING ASSESSMENT FOR DELINQUENT MUNICIPAL UTILITY BILLS AND CERTIFYING TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR AT 5% INTEREST — LEVY # 21078 Salazar opened the public hearing at 7:21 pm and upon receiving no comment, closed the public hearing at 7:21 pm. MOTION by Larson, seconded by Velsor, to approve the following resolution. All voted in favor. Motion carried. B. APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 21-103: RESOLUTION ADOPTING ASSESSMENT FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES AND CERTIFYING TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR AT 5% INTEREST — LEVY # 21079 Salazar opened the public hearing at 7:22 pm and upon receiving no comment, closed the public hearing at 7:22 pm. MOTION by Velsor, seconded by Larson, to approve the following resolution. All voted in favor. Motion carried. C. APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 21-104: RESOLUTION ADOPTING ASSESSMENT FOR HARZARDOUS BUILDING ABATEMENT — LEVY # 21081 8. City Engineer Brian Simmons providing information and requesting discussion on downtown sidewalks repair options Simmons said discussion on the condition of the downtown paver sidewalks is a continuation of a discussion on projects within the City which could have been funded through the CARES act. Simmons stated the City is in maintenance mode for larger infrastructure projects and now needs to address smaller scale projects. Simmons provided background of the paver sidewalks which were constructed in 2003 as part of the Shoreline Drive/County Road 15 realignment and showed a slide of the deterioration of the downtown pavers which Simmons said are dry cast and are susceptible to damage from salt treatments. Simmons said a survey of the downtown sidewalks has found areas which are trip hazards and other areas which aren't safety issues but are still in need of replacement, particularly in the Shoreline/Lynwood/Commerce Boulevard intersection area. Simmons listed a series of options regarding replacement, including: • Pavers • Stamped concrete • Colored concrete mixed before concrete pour • Stained concrete stain on wet concrete • Decorative finishes • Combinations Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 Standard concrete (gray) Simmons presented three options for responding to the deterioration of the sidewalks, including Option 1 which would be to replace deteriorated pavers with new pavers estimated at $1 Million. Simmons noted it is not clear which entity is responsible for the plaza area in front of Carbone's Hoversten said this area probably needs to be investigated more deeply to look at where the property line affects rehabilitation and which entity bears the financial responsibility for rehab, noting it could be the City's responsibility if the City wants something specific done. Simmons said that the plaza area would is estimated to be 5 to 7% range of the total cost. Simmons said staff can talk with the property owner about a cost share. Hoversten said costs are dependent on what the city wants to do with the space. Hoversten said some parts of the sidewalk needs to be addressed right away, but noted that the plaza/patio is in decent condition and the City could work around the patio with some blended concrete work. Salazar asked staff to investigate which entity is responsible for the plaza and what kind of deal was made when this area was built. Hoversten said if the City wants a change in the area the City should be prepared to pay for the improvement. Salazar said he would think the property owner would like to see an improvement. Velsor said the City could do 50/50 split with the property owner. Velsor asked how the sidewalks have been maintained during winter. Hoversten said recent snow removal has used a plastic blade and brush equipment, but at some point in the past a metal carbide blade was used which damaged the pavers. Simmons said Option 2 is a mix of colored and stamped concrete or colored concrete with no stamp in which three different main colors could be used. Simmons said Option 3 is an attempt to maintain the current look and feel of the sidewalks and is a mix of products which would be an attempt to maintain the present look and feel but move away from pavers. Simmons said this option is more economical and attractive as colored and stamped concrete could be used in the main intersection and main pedestrian paths, including the plaza area. Simmons noted the City owns the sidewalk and not the County but the County is responsible for pedestrian ramps maintaining the curb. Simmons said the City could use gray concrete in the less pedestrian heavy areas away from the main intersection and main walkways. Simmons said pavers are the most expensive option with a 20-year life expectancy. Simmons said the least expensive option listed is 100% replacement with standard gray concrete at $514K. Simmons said the sidewalk at the Hardware Store side of the intersection is in poor condition and Hoversten said the sidewalk at the plaza isn't that bad but noted the paver sidewalk from Carbone's to Scotty B's needs to be ripped out and reset. Hoversten said the area in front of the parking ramp has disintegrated. Hoversten said the condition of the sidewalks range from almost like new to complete failure. Hoversten added the plaza would be part of a phase 2 that would address the sidewalk going toward the animal hospital. Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 Simmons presented slides which showed the southeast corner of the intersection with the most deterioration and another of the area near the parking area which is getting heavy bus traffic that contributes to the deterioration. Hoversten said pervious pavers were used near the parking ramp as a storm water remediation measure but this need could be addressed by the unused capacity of the proposed new park area. Simmons said standard concrete has a 50-year life expectancy and can have high detail design integration within the main downtown area and less design farther away. Simmons added that colored concrete with a mix of colors is more expensive than standard but also has a 50-year expectancy, also noting that any chipping will reveal gray concrete beneath the surface. Simmons said stamping can be done to any type of concrete including a herring bone pattern or other common patterns. Simmons showed multiple sides of color options and styles, including mixed types of materials. Holt said the dark grey concrete looks like asphalt and wondered if the sidewalk away from the intersection could be done in asphalt. Simmons said asphalt would cause the need to dig up more sub base and is a soft material which needs on -going maintenance versus hard concrete which has minimal maintenance. Simmons said asphalt has a life expectancy of 40 years with lot of maintenance overtime. The Council and staff discussed a number of color options for paver stone and concrete as well as texture and Hoversten said there are three basic color types for pavers. Simmons said the proposed Project 1 will need design time that can apply to the phases/areas. Velsor asked about the return on the investment. Hoversten said the City could retain a dressed up field which has been in place 20 years though the least expensive option is the $500K option for standard concrete with less design features. Holt asked if the CARES act money could be used and Hoversten and Simmons said that funds were never allocated for this type of project. Holt asked why the City is looking at this work if the CARES money can't be used. Hoversten said the repairs are proposed because the sidewalk is failing and there is a potential for lawsuits. Holt asked if this project is in the 2022 budget. Hoversten said it is held in the long-range capital plan and if the Council approves the budget, there will be funding. Hoversten said the budget will not be as significantly impacted as the project can be completed over a three-year schedule. Hoversten said the project will be done in three phases but not necessarily in three consecutive years. Salazar said the original intent of the sidewalks was to improve the beauty of the City so the Council went with the pavers, but noted this type of modular block material is failing all over the metro. Salazar said the best thing is to fix the safety issues which currently exist. Salazar noted that 20 years ago the City built a new fire house and said the sidewalk work is an investment in the future just as the new fire house was. Going forward Salazar said he doesn't advise using pavers and prefers the use of regular and decorative concrete with an emphasis on the center of the City. Salazar said concrete's 50-year life expectancy is the way to go. Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 Larson said she is concerned about the cost of the project and said Hennepin County plows and salts heavily at the intersection. Larson said she didn't want the design to look too busy and prefers a more sophisticated color palate. Larson said she would prefer to up the options from plain sidewalks and the sooner it gets done the better. Larson requested Simmons bring back more neutral palate options. Velsor agreed that he liked the dark limestone look and not the red terra cotta color, so he too requests Simmons look lower on the cost list for options. Holt said he echoed that the sooner the project got started, the better and noted that he likes the more neutral colors and not the terra cotta red. Simons said the City doesn't have to stick with red. Salazar said the Council would like to see varying shades of color options and mix and pour concrete on the site. MOTION by Holt, seconded by Velsor, to approve the following resolution with Option 3 for the type of materials/styles to be used. All voted in favor. Motion carried. A. APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. 21-105: RESOLUTION RECEIVING REPORT AND AUTHORIZING PREPARATION OF PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND ORDERING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR DOWNTOWN PAVER SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT PHASE 1 PROJECT PW 21-08 9. Information/Miscellaneous A. Comments/reports from Council members/City Manager: Salazar noted a ground- breaking ceremony for Village of Island Park development occurred and the project is moving along. Salazar said this was an underutilized area for 30 years and will be replaced by high quality townhome rental units. Salazar also noted Lifestyle Communities will be leasing space in early November at Commerce Place to be used as a showroom to promote the development. Salazar asked about the status of the Villa Townhome residents' concern about the tattoo business. Hoversten said the plaintiffs dismissed their claim and the studio has been open for business for two to three months now. Salazar highlighted the success of the Fire Department Open House and the Fire Relief Association Dance and thanked the participants. Hoversten stated there will be a special meeting next Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the Capital Improvement Plan and long-term financial plan among other items. Hoversten noted the Centennial parking lot and sidewalk project work will begin next week and will last a week or two. Hoversten said there will be minor changes to the sidewalk in front of building and he reminded the Council and residents to park on Maywood Road and enter through the back entrance of the building facing Maywood during construction. Hoversten said the Gillespie Center's 20th Anniversary Gala will be held this weekend which will include an Open House on Saturday and noted the Tonka Brewfest will be held on November 6th Larson said there are improvements going on at the old State Bank of Mound building. Mound City Council Minutes — October 12, 2021 Holt said the Planning Commission is looking into blight in the City and the issue of recreational vehicle parking in front of residences at the November meeting. B. Reports: Finance Department— August 2021 Liquor — September 2021 C. Minutes: Planning Commission 09-07-2021 D. Correspondence: Mound Press Release: Commission Vacancies Rotary Tonka Brewfest Sponsorship Opportunities 10. Adjourn ACTION by Velsor, seconded by Larson, to adjourn at 8:54 p.m. All voted in favor. Motion carried. Attest: Kevin Kelly, Clerk Mayor Raymond J. Salazar 1151