City Council

ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING JUNE 28, 2022 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Sheri Bukkila, June 28, 2022 at 6:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Valerie Holthus, Jamie Barthel, Ted Butler, and Randy Nelson Councilmembers absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Public Works Director/City Engineer, David Berkowitz Andover Utilities Manager, Steve Weinhold Members of the Park and Recreation Commission Others JOINT MEETING WITH THE PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION A. Discuss the 2023-2027 CIP for Playground Equipment Replacement for Parks Chairperson Lindahl presented the 2023-2027 CIP for playground replacement. He stated costs are going up and the City is falling behind on playground replacements. Mayor Bukkila asked if the City was consistent in the quality of product in each park. Chairperson Lindahl explained the process to the Council. He stated the City surveys the neighborhood to see what they want in their parks. Mayor Bukkila asked to see the past few years of playground improvements so they can identify an appropriate amount of money to budget. Councilmember Butler requested a community build be a part of the neighborhood survey and see if there was someone to take a lead on it. Mr. Berkowitz stated community build information is on the neighborhood survey. Mayor Bukkila stated she doesn’t want to see a disparity between neighborhoods in the quality of parks. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 2 Mr. Dickinson stated it would take additional levy to do more than three playgrounds a year. He stated $150,000 is a good number. Mayor Bukkila recommended monitoring the budget and see how it plays out. Councilmember Butler stated the goal is to get on a consistent replacement schedule. B. Discuss the 2023-2027 CIP for New Trail Segment Improvements Chairperson Lindahl presented the 2023-2027 new trail segments proposal. He stated they recommended 4 segments of trails to be constructed. Mr. Berkowitz reviewed Segment 1 and stated it is estimated to cost $1.35 million. He stated the Trail Fund will be in the negative. Mr. Dickinson stated the American Recovery Fund (ARPA) can cover some of the costs of a trail if water mains are involved. Councilmember Barthel asked how much the City would save if they didn’t construct the trail along Prairie Road if there wasn’t need for a water main. Mr. Berkowitz stated the City is adding a water main along Prairie Road to complete a water loop and create redundancy in the water system. Mayor Bukkila asked why Segment 3 wouldn’t connect up to the school. Councilmember Holthus stated Segment 3 hooks up to a street which connects to the trail that goes to the park and then a street that goes to the school. Chairperson Lindahl stated the intention is to get residents to a street where they can walk. Councilmember Holthus stated there is another trail that takes you almost all the way to Hawk Ridge Park. Councilmember Barthel stated he is not a fan of Segment 3 due to the cost and the limited number of homes that benefit. He stated no one feels safe biking on 161st Avenue. Councilmember Holthus stated 161st Avenue has a shoulder and Verdin Street does not. She stated it is not safe on Verdin Street. Councilmember Butler stated he can support it due to Segment 3 connecting to a school. Mayor Bukkila stated Andover is a community surrounded by County roads and the roads went in without a trail or wide shoulder. Councilmember Barthel stated he is bothered by the cost of $700,000 and the trail doesn’t benefit many residents. He stated Segment 4, which is longer and serves more residents, is only $340,000. Mayor Bukkila stated wetland impacts and boardwalks are expensive. She stated Segment 3 has been in the plan for 8-10 years and has been pushed back 3 times. Mayor Bukkila stated Segment 2 probably has less traffic than Segment 3. Councilmember Holthus stated she will advocate for Segment 3 because she is on it every day, sees kids riding their bikes to the high school and it is not safe. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 3 Mayor Bukkila explained the order of trail priorities is based on the dollars associated with them and the budget. Mr. Dickinson stated the City will need to find funding. Councilmember Holthus asked if there are grants available. Mr. Berkowitz stated when the City gets closer to building the trail, they will look for grants. He stated the City received grants for the Dahlske Woodlands boardwalk and the Kelsey Round Lake Park boardwalk replacement. Mayor Bukkila stated she is comfortable with the order of the trail segments and evaluating them on an annual basis to see if funds are available. Councilmember Butler stated he receives emails from the Catchers Creek neighborhood and feels it is important to construct Segment 4. He asked if the homes along the creek had trail easements. Mr. Berkowitz stated easements were acquired when the homes were built. He stated a lot of the work has been done for Segment 4 and therefore, it costs less. Mr. Berkowitz has reached out to a property where there isn’t an easement and hasn’t heard anything back. He stated they will increase efforts to connect with the property owner when the City gets closer to constructing the trail. Mayor Bukkila asked about the timing of the trails. Mr. Berkowitz stated the City begins planning 18 months prior to the project being constructed. He stated the City will design the project in year one and construct it in year two. Mr. Berkowitz explained the City will move forward once Council authorizes the project. Mayor Bukkila stated the Council has not discussed the access points to Segment 4. Councilmember Barthel asked if there was a trail at the end of the cul-de-sac in Catchers Creek and is it constructed to where Segment 4 will be constructed. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is a trail which was built with the development. The Council reached consensus to approve the trail segment order and to place Segment 4 on a Council Workshop to discuss access points. Councilmember Holthus asked if the City can apply for a grant at any time and then construct the trail if they get the grant. Mr. Berkowitz stated grants have construction years and the funds have to be spent within that time frame. He cautioned against applying for a grant prior to having a trail design. Mr. Dickinson stated staff will need authorization from the Council prior to seeking trail easements from property owners. Mayor Bukkila stated she would authorize staff to start the conversation. The Council reached consensus to authorize staff to acquire an easement, then search for grants for Segment 4. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 4 Mayor Bukkila invited residents from the neighborhood surrounding Segment 4 to speak. Karen Murphy, 100 144th Avenue NW, came forward and stated the neighborhood was interested in building a bridge across the creek. She feels the trail will be more successful on the other side. Her goal is to have a safe way to walk out of the neighborhood other than Andover Boulevard. Ed Murphy, 100 144th Avenue NW, came forward and stated there are safety issues and a bridge would solve 80% of their need. He would prefer to have a safe way out of the neighborhood, and they are land locked. He stated there are 60 kids in the neighborhood. Mayor Bukkila asked if a bridge was part of the plan for Segment 4. Mr. Berkowitz stated a bridge is part of the project. He stated having a crossing across the creek will help get grants. Ms. Murphy asked when Segment 4 would be constructed. Mayor Bukkila stated Segment 4 has a placeholder in 2026. She stated when residents come in and ask for something, it usually doesn’t get on the CIP. This project was placed on the CIP and explained the neighborhood is getting this trail sooner than others have gotten their project. C. Discuss the 2023-2027 CIP for Trail Reconstruction Improvements in Parks Chairperson Lindahl presented the Trail Reconstruction Replacement Plan. He stated Kesley Round Lake Park boardwalk is planned for reconstruction in 2023. Mr. Berkowitz stated trail replacement comes out of the general fund. He stated if it is built, it needs to be maintained and replaced. Mayor Bukkila stated due to grants, she is concerned the standard of design is higher than the City can afford when replacement is needed. She stated if the standard is set, can the City replace the item at the same level. Mr. Berkowitz stated it is important to design and construct items right the first time. He explained if the Kelsey boardwalk is engineered correctly, the replacement will only require boards and not the base structure. D. Discuss the 2023-2027 CIP for Parks Chairperson Lindahl presented the Capital Improvement Plan for parks. He stated the Park and Recreation Commission is recommending a remodel and expansion of the Prairie Knoll warming house and the Andover Football Association has expressed interest in providing funds for the project. He explained Boreal Football Club is interested in providing funds for a multi-purpose building and shelter at Pine Hills North Park. Commissioner Stenzel stated Andover lacks picnic shelters for residents to use. Mr. Berkowitz stated size and quality matter to residents looking to rent a shelter. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 5 Mayor Bukkila stated the City has never had enough money to complete the master plans for the larger parks and have built in phases. She stated the Council supports building picnic shelters. Mayor Bukkila stated the discussion is what the product looks like, how much does it cost, is it maintainable, and can the City afford to replace it in 20 years. Chairperson Lindahl stated the life span is longer for a steel structure and is more expensive. Mayor Bukkila stated she would like to see the details on the buildings and picnic shelter. Mr. Berkowitz stated the project will come before the Park Commission to look at options and bring a recommendation to the Council for their approval. Councilmember Barthel stated each park doesn’t need the same size shelter and it should be based on the size and use of a park. Councilmember Nelson asked to staff to include the cost of maintenance. Councilmember Butler stated he appreciates the Park Commission is looking at completing the master plans for the parks. He is confident the Park Commission will choose an appropriate product that is within budget. Mayor Bukkila asked if there needed to be more discussion about the Prairie Knoll Park building renovation. Chairperson Lindahl stated the Park Commission is waiting for a commitment from the Andover Football Association. Mr. Berkowitz stated the City is taking the initiative on the project and there is a need to renovate the building. He stated the City will take the lead and Andover Football will contribute funds. Mr. Dickinson stated the Park Commission places projects on the CIP and waits until they are able to fully fund it to begin the construction. He explained staff appreciates this method. Commissioner Stenzel stated finishing parks is important to the Park Commission. He explained the Park Commission is attempting to spread the projects to different zones to make it equitable. Commissioner Stenzel stated the Park Commission increased the Miscellaneous Project budget from $15,000 to $25,000 with the potential to increase it to $50,000. He asked the Council to consider raising the amount to $50,000 with the caveat that any project would have to come to the Park Commission for approval. Mayor Bukkila stated the Park Commission can always ask, however, the City typically doesn’t budget for wish list items. Commissioner Stenzel explained the projects would be identified in the parks facilities plan and help finish parks. He stated the Park Commission would pay off the Community Center debt and then increase the Miscellaneous Projects budget in 2025. Mayor Bukkila stated the decision to increase the Miscellaneous Projects budget can be made to the Council at the time. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 6 Councilmember Barthel asked if unused funds in the Miscellaneous Projects budget would rollover to the following year. Mr. Berkowitz stated the funds would remain in the Park Dedication Fund. Councilmember Barthel stated he would support that. Councilmember Holthus agreed. Councilmember Butler stated the projects coming out of the Miscellaneous Project budget would have to come to Council for approval. He stated he is open to the increase a few years down the road, but not right now. E. Other Business Mayor Bukkila stated the Park and Recreation Commission is valuable to the City Council because they can’t do it all themselves. Commissioner Stenzel stated staff are doing a great job. Mr. Dickinson stated the Park Commission will also have Jake Griffiths as a liaison. Councilmember Holthus thanked the Commissioners for their time, work, and efforts. RECESS & RECONVENE Mayor Bukkila recessed the meeting at 7:21 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 7:37 p.m. DISCUSS WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND BIOLOGICAL WATER TREATMENT STUDY The City Council is requested to discuss the Radon issues within the Water Treatment Plant and the potential study to evaluate if biological treatment is the right fit for the City' s water treatment. Mr. Weinhold stated in January, staff were made aware that other Cities have been experiencing exceedance levels of Radon gas within their water treatment plants. Staff conducted monitoring within the plant and determined that is also the case in Andover. Once it was determined that the levels exceeded the Federal standards a process was put in place to reduce access to the building and move full time offices out of the space of concern. Mr. Weinhold described the process of how Radon enters the water system and how to treat it. He stated they consulted SRF to create a plan. Mr. Weinhold stated staff can do some work. Mr. Weinhold attended a pilot plant study in Plymouth and is considering it for Andover. The Radon is creating an air quality issue inside the plant, the treated water leaving the plant is fine. Mayor Bukkila stated it is positive that Mr. Weinhold is exploring options to resolve the issue. She asked that his results be returned back to the industry. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 7 Councilmember Nelson stated the Radon problem can be resolved by the introduction of air exchange in the offices. Mr. Weinhold stated it is a hypothesis and benefits to the biological treatment study. He stated there is a chance it can solve part of the problem. Mr. Weinhold stated the purpose of the biological study is to determine if the City can stop using chemicals to treat the water. Greg Johnson, with WSB, came forward to explain the biological treatment method. He presented the history of biological filtration and stated Minneapolis and St. Paul use the treatment. Ursinio Puga, with WSB, came forward to present the basics of biological filtration. He explained the water already has micro-organisms that treat water, however, when chlorine is added, it kills the micro-organisms, and they can’t do their job. Mr. Puga stated the water needs to have balanced conditions for this to work, which involves oxygen concentration and nutrients. He stated the Department of Health requires a pilot study to move forward with biological treatment. He stated the City can expect some cost savings with biological filtration. Mayor Bukkila asked for the timeline for the pilot study. Mr. Berkowitz stated as soon as WSB is done with their current study, Andover will begin the study. Mayor Bukkila asked for the negative aspects or risks of the study. Mr. Johnson stated there aren’t any disadvantages and listed several advantages such as not having to backwash the filters. Mr. Berkowitz stated the pilot study will not impact production. Mr. Dickinson asked if the water would taste or smell any different to the residents. Mr. Johnson stated biological filtration has improved the taste and odor of the water in Minneapolis. Councilmember Holthus asked if there would be interruption in service if the City converted to biological filtration. Mr. Johnson stated there would not be any interruption of service. Councilmember Nelson asked if the biological filter is more expensive than the conventional filter. Mr. Puga explained with conventional filtration, chemicals are added before the filter and with biological filtration, no chemicals are added before the filter. Councilmember Holthus asked how long it takes to grow the micro-organisms. Mr. Puga stated it takes around 2-3 months. Councilmember Holthus asked if less chlorine would be used with biological filtration. Mr. Puga stated there would be less chlorine needed. Mayor Bukkila stated there are more positive outcomes than negative with biological filtration to go forward with the pilot study and have staff update Council throughout the study. Councilmember Butler asked if the current filter medium would need to be replaced to address the radium issue. Mr. Johnson stated the pilot study will indicate if the medium needs to be changed. Councilmember Butler asked if the results will be enough to know about structural Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 8 changes for air exchange purposes. He stated the safety of staff is critical. Mayor Bukkila stated this is a path to a solution. Mr. Weinhold stated the dehumidifier in the plant will need to be upgraded to improve air exchange for staff safety. The Council reached consensus to move forward with the pilot study. DISCUSS PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS/ROUND LAKE BOULEVARD NW/(149TH AVENUE TO 157TH AVENUE NW)/22-37 The City Council is requested to review and discuss the proposed improvements to Round Lake Boulevard NW between 149th Avenue NW and 157th Avenue NW. Mr. Berkowitz stated the County is planning on improving Round Lake Boulevard and the trail will be the City’s cost. Mr. Berkowitz reviewed the project and the access points. Mayor Bukkila asked if the turn lanes were the same design as the ones by Walmart which created conflict. Mr. Berkowitz stated they are wider and provide better sight lines than the ones by Walmart. Mayor Bukkila stated there is only a trail on one side of the road and asked where the crossing points are. Mr. Berkowitz noted the crossing points at the intersections of 157th Avenue and 145th Avenue. Mayor Bukkila noted that residents on the westside didn’t have access to the trail. Mr. Berkowitz stated a trail could be built on the westside, but the City would pay 100% of the cost. Councilmember Butler asked where a trail was located on the westside of Round Lake Boulevard. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is a sidewalk north of CVS to 150th Avenue. Mayor Bukkila asked if the medians were surmountable by firetrucks, so they don’t have to do U-turns at intersections. Mr. Berkowitz stated the curbs are 4 inches and it depends on if the Fire Chief would allow it. Councilmember Barthel doesn’t support a trail on the westside but agrees there should be more pedestrian crossings. Mayor Bukkila requested staff to bring options to Council for additional crossings. 2023-2025 CIP DEVELOPMENT UPDATE Mr. Dickinson reviewed updated CIP information as written in the staff report. He noted the City-Wide Facility Space Study at $120,000, including City Hall, Fire Stations, and Public Works. Mr. Dickinson identified $1.34 million for Radon mitigation. He also identified $7 million for the Red Oaks Manor water main improvements. Mayor Bukkila asked when the improvements to the Red Oaks water main would begin. Mr. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – June 28, 2022 Page 9 Dickinson stated the MPCA wants to make the improvements, but the funds have not been allocated. He believes there will be a Special Session after the primary to approve the Bonding Bill. Mr. Dickinson highlighted the Park Improvement Fund. He stated the Park Improvement Fund will have the Community Center contribution paid off in 2025. He noted the contributions do not include Andover Crossings and expects revenue of $700,000. Mr. Dickinson presented allocations into the budget from ARPA funds. Mr. Dickinson briefly reviewed funds and fund balances. 2023-2025 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT UPDATE Mr. Dickinson reviewed changes to the budget since the last workshop as presented in the staff report. He stated City staff are using a 15% increase in the taxable market value to develop the budget. He stated the City is overbudget with utility costs in 2022. He indicated staff are currently proposing a 4% increase in the tax levy. Mr. Dickinson highlighted the proposed impacts and changes to personnel. He briefly reviewed the changes to the contractual departments. Mr. Dickinson stated there is a proposed fund balance that could be used for trail development. The majority of the Council supports using the fund balance and ARPA for trails. OTHER ITEMS None. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Butler, Seconded by Nelson, to adjourn the meeting at 9:01 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Shari Kunza, Recording Secretary TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.