Appointed Committees

NUISANCE WEED AD HOC COMMITTEE February 07, 2017 Page 1 Committee Members Present: Stephan Podrygula, Shaun Sipma, Miranda Schuler, Lauren Tiffany, Sandy Horob Members Absent None Others Present: City Attorney, City Clerk, Lacey McCarten, Public Works Director, Assistant Public Works Director, City Engineer, City Planner, Jill Schramm, City Treasurer, Derrill Fick, Alderman Straight Alderman Podrygula brought the meeting to order at 12:00 pm. Approval of Minutes from January 31, 2017 meeting Alderman Sipma moved the committee approve the minutes from the January 31, 2017 committee meeting. Motion seconded by Alderman Schuler and carried unanimously. Discussion of Goals and Plan of Work Alderman Podrygula started by giving Alderman Schuler and Committee Member Horob an opportunity to share their suggestions since they could not attend the previous meeting. Alderman Schuler brought up the idea for gardens on empty lots, and said, it doesn’t need to be implemented into the ordinance but should be something to look at in the future. She would like to have City Staff look at utilizing the spaces and allow citizens to take an active role in upkeep and utilization on the spaces in the valley. Currently, residents, including Alderman Schuler, are taking care of lots in their neighborhoods including homes that are no longer being maintained or have been abandoned. A few are owned by mortgage companies who only provide maintenance once or twice per summer, which isn’t enough. Alderman Schuler said she listened to a podcast last week about snow removal, and learned there is an app called Plowz and Mowz where a person can request snow removal or mowing to be done on their property. The company said, in order to start service in North Dakota, contractors would need to provide their license and proof of insurance. To use the app, a citizen would upload a photo of their yard and contractors who are interested can pick up the job. It is something the city wouldn’t be involved in but it is a way for citizens to get their needs met. This could be beneficial to residents who get a letter from the City to mow their lawns but are physically unable to do so. Alderman Sipma indicated this would give the City an avenue to direct people for help. Alderman Podrygula thought this would be great to mention on the City’s website if it becomes available. Committee Member Horob mentioned, her concerns related to the timeliness of resolving issues. She said, it appears there are guidelines in place but she is not sure they are being adequately enforced. She also said, it is clear there is a need for resources for the Public Works Department in order to efficiently maintain all of the work. She feels, when it comes time to approve the budget, the City needs to ensure Public Works has adequate funds to do their job. She stated, she understands there has been difficulty in the past finding 1|Page NUISANCE WEED AD HOC COMMITTEE February 07, 2017 Page 2 contractors to alleviate some of the labor, but is glad to see bids will go out this season. Since the cost of a contractor is more expensive than a city employee, Ms. Horob would like to see the residents assessed at the contractor rate instead of leaving it up to the City to cover. The Committee discussed the requirements for undeveloped lots to provide ground cover. The City Engineer described the City’s Storm Water Regulations, by saying, if a contractor piles dirt and does not work that pile over 21 days it has to be seeded and established. The Engineering Department has been looking at the concerns with top soil stockpile areas not stabilized and covered in weeds. The contractors would need to grade those piles out, seed and put some sort of erosion control on them. Upon questioning from Committee member Horob, the City Engineer stated the City will address the concerns of the stockpile areas by sending a letter saying they need to conform to the ordinance and if it is not corrected, staff will figure out what they have to do to make them comply. The Planning Director explained the interim use permit process which doesn’t allow interim use permits in certain zoning districts. The area in northwest Minot which was the focus of conversation, would require an ordinance amendment to allow certain agricultural uses. The language needs to be adjusted regarding minimum sizes of allowable uses and buffer requirements depending on what is grown on undeveloped land. Upon questioning from Alderman Podrygula, the City Planner believes it will take a couple months to finish researching the changes. The Committee discussed the option of having a City Council member on the Ward County Weed Board (WCWB). Mr. Fick, the Weed Control Officer, said, the five WCWB members are selected from five different areas that divide the county, having one member per area. The Harrison Township section covers about 90% of the City of Minot. He explained, the term for that particular area expires in December of this year and will be available for appointment. According to the Century Code, the County Weed board is appointed by the County Commission. There are three options available for having a Council member involved with the Ward County Weed Board. First, to comply with the Century Code, the County Commission could add two more seats to the Weed Board which would require the area map to be divided into seven instead of the current five. Another option would be for the County Commission to appoint a Minot City Council Member to the Board when the new term is available. The last option suggested would be for a City Council Member to attend the Board meetings as a liaison for the City. Mr. Fick stated, the Board meets every other month. Alderman Schuler said, she doesn’t believe it is necessary to replace the Harrison Township representative but believes there should be representation from the City, considering Minot property taxes fund a significant portion of their budget. Alderman Straight has been asked by the Committee to contact the chairman of the Liaison Committee and call a meeting to discuss how to gain representation on the Ward County Weed Board. Alderman Podrygula stated, this will be the route to start a conversation with the County Commission in terms of getting representation from the Council. The final topic discussed by the committee was how to inform the community and specifically, repeat offenders of the ordinance requirements. The Public Works Department publishes notices in the newspaper, twice each month from the beginning of the season until around October. They also discussed sending a notice with water bills that could explain the ordinance and penalties and could include frequently asked questions. The committee also directed the Public Information Officer to keep information available on the website and through the use of news releases. The media was encouraged to publish stories and information. 2|Page NUISANCE WEED AD HOC COMMITTEE February 07, 2017 Page 3 Alderman Podrygula, Ms. Tiffany and Ms. Horob requested the Public Works Director send reminder letters to land owners who, he believes are the top dozen offenders. The City Attorney asked for clarification regarding changes to the ordinances. It was decided to add “piles of dead trees” to the list of nuisances. Adjournment Before final adjournment, Alderman Podrygula said he will prepare a short report with bullet points listing the action the committee is suggesting. The report will be brought before Council for approval. The City Attorney said she will prepare the change to the ordinance and Alderman Schuler asked that the Committee Members Tiffany and Horob attend the next City Council meeting, March 6, 2017 in case there is discussion on the report. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:11 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Lacey McCarten Administrative Clerk 3|Page