City Council Agenda & Minutes

CITY OF NORTH OAKS Regular City Council Meeting Thursday, April 10, 2025 7:00 PM, Community Meeting Room, 100 Village Center Drive MEETING AGENDA Remote Access - City Council members will participate in person in Council Chambers (Community Room, 100 Village Center Drive, Suite 150, North Oak s, MN), and the following remote locations (Grover Sayre, 7 Bull Dogger Road, Big Sk y, Montana, 59716) during the meeting. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Any person wishing to monitor the meeting electronically from a remote location may do so by calling the following Zoom meeting videoconference number: 1-312-626-6799, Webinar ID: 827 1183 3237 or by joining the meeting via the following link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82711833237. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Citizen Comments - Members of the public are invited to mak e comments to the Council during the public comments section. Up to four minutes shall be allowed for each speak er. No action will be tak en by the Council on items raised during the public comment period unless the item appears as an agenda item for action. 5. Approval of Agenda 6. Consent Agenda - These are items that are considered routine and can be acted upon with one vote. 6a. Licenses for Approval: Arborist: Balsam Tree Care; Peach Tree Care; Primo Tree Experts LLC; Mechanical: Beyond Heating and Air LLC; BWS Plumbing Heating & Air; The Fireplace Professionals LLC; Hagen Remodeling & Construction LLC dba Hagen Fireplace Solutions; Kirt's Mechanical; Master Mechanical, Inc.; Metro Fireplace & Patio; Metro Gas Installers; Professional Mechanical Services; Swift Heating & Air Conditioning LLC; 6b. Resolution adopting Ramsey County Hazard Mitigation Plan 2019-03-14 - North Oaks Signed MHMP.pdf 6c. Minutes from City Council meeting of 3/4/2025 and Special City/NOHOA staff meeting 3/11/2025 1  City Council April 10, 2025 3.4.2025 Council minutes Draft.pdf Joint City - NOHOA Staff Consultants Meeting re Utilities 3.11.25.pdf 6d. Resolution accepting donation of speed cart from NOHOA Res Accepting Speed Cart Donation.pdf NOHOA Speed Cart Letter to City .pdf 6e. Approval of City Financials 6f.Approve waiver for Taft to review bonding options for municipal utilities Memo re Conflict Waiver.pdf 6g.Accept 2024 Audited financials 6h.Resolution approving conditional use permit for grading in excess of 100 cubic yards at a property located at 48 Raven Road 2025-04-10 CC Staff PACKET_48 Raven Rd Berm.pdf 7. Petitions, Requests & Communications - Deputy Craig Lydon Report 7a. Deputy Lydon Monthly Report March 2025 Report.pdf 7b. Nine North Presentation City Fact Sheet North Oaks 25.pdf 7c. NOHOA Board Update 8. Unfinished Business 8a. Discussion and possible action on 2025 Fee Schedule - Public hearing regarding updates to cannabis and water/sewer rates 8b.Discussion and possible action on contracting for services with Dr. Dave Webb 9. New Business 9a. Discussion and possible action on proposals from Ehlers for financial management plan, water/sewer rate study, and financing options 9b. Discussion and possible action on public works related equipment, staffing, and financing 10. Council Member Reports 11. City Administrator Reports 12. City Attorney Reports 13. Miscellaneous 2 2  City Council April 10, 2025 13a. City Forester Monthly Report February in Review.pdf March in Review.pdf 14. Adjournment - The next meeting of the City Council is Thursday, May 8th, 2025. 3 3 4 5  North Oaks City Council Meeting Minutes North Oaks City Council Chambers March 4, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER Councilor Wolter called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Krista Wolter, Councilors Sara Shah, Andrew Gaspard, Grover Sayre, Mark Azman Staff Present: Administrator Kevin Kress, Public Works Director Corey Triemart, City Planner Kendral Lindahl, Engineer Mike Nielson Others Present: NineNorth Videographer Sam A quorum was declared present. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Wolter led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. CITIZEN COMMENTS There were no citizen comments. 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Shah, to approve agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously. 6. CONSENT AGENDA 6. Consent Agenda - These are items that are considered routine and can be acted upon with one vote. 6a. Approval of City Licenses: Mechanical: Breeze Heating and Cooling; Glowing Hearth & Home; WestAir, Inc. Arborist: Allstate Tree Service; Forest Stump Tree Service; Renstrom Tree Service 6b. Approval of City Council Meeting minutes of February 13, 2025. 6c. Approval of Special City Council/NOHOA Joint Meeting Minutes of February 20th, 2025. 6d. Approval of LJFD Fire Station Related Resolutions, JPA Amendment, and Cooperative Construction Agreement Kress asked that 6d be removed from the Agenda until City Attorney is available to speak to it. 6 Minutes of the City Council Meeting March 4, 2025 Councilor Shah asked City Staff to tweak 6c. City Council meeting minutes to more clearly reflect that there was consensus from both City Council and NOHOA Board to look to hire an external consultant to pull together priorities from both groups. MOTION by Shah, seconded by Azman, to approve the Consent agenda with the removal of 6d, and 6c with clarification of consensus to hire an external consultant to work with both NOHOA and City to identify shared priorities/vision/action plan. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote. 7. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & COMMUNICATIONS 7a. Deputy Craig Lydon Report • Deputy Lydon was not in attendance. 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 9. NEW BUSINESS 9a. City Council Strategy session regarding pending and future city matters; including budget and funding sources, utility related matters such as future utility connections and extension, roads and safety, environmental matters including; water, sewer, security/policing, technology and communication, internet, cable, electrical, solar. City Council priority setting, discussion of related City matters. • Administrator Kress mentioned prudent to look at office options for 2027. Would be good for a committee to establish a working group to look at this topic. Councilors Azman and Sayre, Planning Commissioners Cremons and Kingston, and Kress to look at options. • Sublease ends May 2027 with existing building. Council supports a working group to review all our options. MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Shah, to form a working group to investigate options for locations of City Hall. Motion carried unanimously. • Kress suggested to Council consideration of approving USDA to come in to do a management program for Goose management. In the spring, best option may be to do egg painting to stunt the reproduction. Last fall, we did netting of geese at Golf Course and a large property adjacent to Pleasant Lake. • Anticipate $15-20,000 cost for all of the goose management. There is significant budget allocated for Natural Resources commission. Would report back to Council if pass approved dollar threshold. • NOHOA is supportive of the efforts. • USDA will produce a report back to City Staff / Council. • Kress noted $25,000 should suffice for all Pleasant Lake, Gilfillan, and others. • The bill from the USDA for the 23 deer taken will likely come in the fall. • Council suggested look to see where volunteers can supplement to help minimize costs. Page |2 7 Minutes of the City Council Meeting March 4, 2025 MOTION by Azman, seconded by Sayre, authorizing Kress to enter contract with USDA for goose removal up to $20,000, along with trying to get community support as volunteers. Motion carried by vote of 4-1. Councilor Gaspard voted no. • Sayre mentioned he would also like to see some action taken to deal with aggressive coyotes. Kress to come back to Council with information on this. • On topic of 3rd party consultant, Kress suggests work with Dave Webb at the League of Minnesota Cities. Would like to have someone secured to help coordinate the efforts of City Council prior to the next joint NOHOA session. • Azman noted Mr. Webb is former administrator and works with groups on problem solving, innovation, and conflict management. Has experience working with City governments and uses an “IROD” framework (information, react, options, decisions) to help organizations move forward. He feels Webb has a good demeanor for this project. Azman has spoken with the Shoreview City Administrator and they are happy with Webb’s results. • Kress noted that Webb might meet individually with each Councilmember to get individual priority for synergies, then meet with NOHOA to do the same. He has worked with Shoreview for the past 2 years. • Will need to investigate fees, but anticipates could be $20,000. April would be a good timeframe to work with our Council / staff. • Shah wondered if two bids would be prudent. Kress thought Richard Fursman with Hue Life firm might be more expensive. • Wolter comfortable authorizing up to a certain threshold. • Shah supported getting estimates and to be sure that NOHOA aware of the plan, and that City would take on the brunt of cost. • Sayre suggested have a few councilmembers Azman and Gaspard to work on getting bids. Good up to $20,000. Kress noted that we are in a healthy balance even after the fire station. MOTION by Shah, seconded by Azman, to authorize Kress, Azman and Gaspard to identify and engage a 3rd party consultant to bring together City and NOHOA priorities with budget up to $20,000. Motion carried unanimously. • Kress noted that roads and utilities Committee of Triemert, Kress, Nielsen, Mason, Elfering has met to discuss road plan. City would like to be engaged on what roads are being done to ensure utility plan is identified to see if residents are interested in public utilities. It may be possible to lower pipes and eliminate lift stations to minimize ongoing expenses. NOHOA has the road plan, and City will work together with residents in those areas to determine if there is need for utility adjustments. • Shah inquired how NOHOA develops their road plan, as the road plan would trigger the City to look at utilities. Going forward City would need to be involved much sooner if bonding is required. • Kress mentioned research needed to determine if City can help NOHOA with financing some of these and find ability to bond 20-30 years, while still maintaining privacy. Maintaining privacy is key foundation. Page |3 8 Minutes of the City Council Meeting March 4, 2025 • NOHOA board member Long mentioned that NOHOA has a goal of completing a mile ½ of road every year. He also noted some of the easements are along side the road, instead of underneath it. There is a roads committee meeting on 3/5/2025. • Kress noted there is very little collaboration between surrounding communities for Public Works. Now that we have to own and manage our 14 lift stations, the City will focus to reduce ongoing costs where possible. City would like NOHOA to hold off on Wildflower Place overlay to allow time to investigate utilities in that area since they are so close to Shoreview public utilities. • Shah noted two key areas: Roads committee plan, and is it possible to financially bond long term. • Bill Long noted the new road committee has just been formed. In past it’s been only looking at condition of the roads, but now will look into the other areas as well. • Kress stated at same time, City will be looking at what infrastructure we own. • Shah and Kress mentioned the need for the sub-groups to put together a memo with recommendations for direction up to City / NOHOA. MOTION by Azman, seconded by Gaspard, to request NOHOA Board to hold off on Wildflower Way resurfacing to allow the City time to look at utility improvements in that area. A letter will be sent to NOHOA. Motion carried unanimously. • Bill Long mentioned it might be helpful to have a standing agenda item on the City Council meeting for a NOHOA update. • Kress suggested it would be helpful for NOHOA subcommittee reports to get to City Staff to keep them in the loop. It was suggested that every sub-committee on both sides to provide a brief update at the quarterly joint City Council / NOHOA meetings. JPA Amendment and Resolution: • Kress stated after discussion with City Attorney, we are going to take the Joint powers agreement off the table for approval tonight. Parties from all three cities involved are making sure the fire board is in right position to receive the state funding. The agreement needed to be revised per State requirements and ensure the 3 Cities are fully aligned. The property needs to be conveyed to the Fire Department board instead of solely Lake Johanna Fire Department. MOTION by Sayre, seconded by Azman, to allow City Attorney and City Administrator to revise the Lake Johanna Fire Department Station Joint powers agreement and resolution as necessary. Motion carried unanimously. • Kress mentioned that we may need to have another strategy session in April. • Kress provided a Sewer / Water Public Works update: o For infrastructure issues, the first call goes to Corey, 2nd call goes to other Cities as backup. o They are investigating the metering system radio frequency and what scata system to use. o Discussions will take place with North Oaks Company and White bear re: infrastructure. Page |4 9 Minutes of the City Council Meeting March 4, 2025 o Taking inventory of lift stations and status. o Discussion on service vehicles to support maintenance of systems. o Secondary staff member support. Looking into cost sharing for backup. o Water quality testing throughout community. o Discussed metering pits. o Public Works smart sheets has been developed to track priorities and action items o Will come back to Council in April with ideas and updates on utilities. 10. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS • Gaspard mentioned the training session was a great two days of introduction by the league of Minnesota Cities and noted they are a great resource of information. • Sayre nothing to report. • Wolter is thrilled to be working with NOHOA re: joint meetings making progress on behalf of the community. Wolter thanked Gaspard for taking the lead on crafting letter back to the two Chippewa Middle school students who wrote in regarding lack of street lights in North Oaks. It will be sent back to them on behalf of council after any final comments received by council. • Shah nothing to report. • Azman noted that at the League of Minnesota Conference there was a good training session discussing Council composition and the generational differences in how they approach things. 11. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS • Administrator Kress asked Councilors to come to the next April 10th regular council meeting with date options for later in April for another strategy session. 12. CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS • Attorney Nason not in attendance – no report. 13. MISCELLANEOUS 15. ADJOURNMENT The next regular meeting of the City Council will be Thursday, April 10, 2025. MOTION by Azman, seconded by Shah, to adjourn the meeting at 8:38 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. ____________________________ _____________________________ Kevin Kress, City Administrator Krista Wolter, Mayor Date approved___________ Page |5 10  North Oaks Joint City / NOHOA Staff & Consultant Meeting Meeting Minutes March 11, 2025 – 2:00 p.m. Members Present: NOHOA Engineer Kristie Elfering, NOHOA Board Member Damien Lepoutre, NOHOA Administrative Assistant Stacy Sweeney, City Administrator Kevin Kress, City Engineer Mike Nielsen, Public Works Director Corey Triemert, Mayor Krista Wolter, Planning Commission Chair Dave Cremons, City Administrative Assistant Lauren Kavan Summary: City and NOHOA Staff and elected representatives met to discuss infrastructure planning, particularly as it relates to road improvement, water and sewer. NOHOA is currently planning on re-doing Wildflower, Long Marsh, the lake estates area south of Long Marsh, Island Road, Nord Circle and potentially Buffalo. These would be reclamations. City Staff are interested in doing some utility work in the Wildflower/Long Marsh area to see if water and sewer can be extended to these properties and are encouraging NOHOA to hold off on roadwork in that area until these determinations can be made. The City is interested in eliminating the three lift stations that currently serve the area and replacing them with one. These lift stations need updating, and condensing them into one would minimize replacement costs for the future as well as minimize ongoing electrical and maintenance time and costs. The City estimates that spring of 2026 would be the soonest timeframe for the work. They are looking at issuing a bond to replace the utilities and asking NOHOA to pay the debt service for the street portion of the project. NOHOA expressed concern that this would delay their planned improvements. They felt that they had not heard any updates about the City’s plan for infrastructure improvements and their locations until recently, which makes it difficult for their planning. The City recommended that NOHOA focus on more interior neighborhood road improvements and to stay off of the main thoroughfares since that would be where utilities would be extended. NOHOA and City representatives agreed it would be beneficial to collaborate more closely on planning infrastructure projects in order to maximize efficiency and community impact and to minimize costs. For this year, the group decided to look at putting in the water main and stubbing in sanitary sewer. Then NOHOA could move forward with their planned road work. The City will discuss this at the Council level. Mike and Kristie will work to define what is needed for the project and incorporate that into the call for proposals. Mike will investigate soil conditions and determine if the new lift station can be installed this year. He will connect with Kristie for soil borings. Mike will send lift station location information to Damien for the next NOHOA board meeting. Kevin will explore funding options for the City’s portion of the utility work on Wildflower Way. 11  RESOLUTION NO. ______ CITY OF NORTH OAKS RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND ACCEPTING DONATION OF SPEED CART WHEREAS, the City of North Oaks (City) is generally authorized to accept donations of real and personal property pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 465.03 for the benefit of its citizens, and is specifically authorized to accept gifts; and WHEREAS, the North Oaks Homeowners Association (NOHOA) would like to donate a speed cart to the City, which is to be used for enhancing traffic safety and promoting responsible driving within the City; and WHEREAS, such donation has been contributed to the City for the benefit of its citizens, as allowed by law; and WHEREAS, the City is appreciative of the donation and finds that it is appropriate to accept the donation. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the City Council of the City of North Oaks does hereby accept the donation of the speed cart described above from the North Oaks Homeowners Assocation. Approved by the City Council of the City of North Oaks, Minnesota this 10th day of April, 2025. CITY OF NORTH OAKS Krista Wolter, Mayor ATTEST: Kevin Kress, City Administrator/City Clerk 12  Memorandum From: NOHOA To: City of North Oaks, Kevin Kress, City Administrator Date: April 2, 2025 Re: Speed Cart Dear Kevin, On behalf of the North Oaks Home Owners' Association (NOHOA), I am pleased to inform you that we will be donating a speed cart to the City of North Oaks. This equipment is being provided with the intention of enhancing traffic safety and promoting responsible driving throughout our community. We understand that the City of North Oaks will coordinate with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office (RSCO) or internal City staff to manage the mobility of the speed cart around the city. We trust that this arrangement will ensure the effective use of the equipment for the benefit of all residents. Please let us know if there are any additional details or requirements we need to address to facilitate this donation and the transportation of the cart. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to maintain and improve the safety of our community. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Andrew Hawkins 13  Bridget M. Nason Fifth Street Towers 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 700 Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 337-9245 telephone (612) 337-9310 fax email: bnason@kennedy-graven.com MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Members of the North Oaks City Council FROM: Bridget Nason, City Attorney DATE: April 4, 2025 RE: Approval to Engage Bond Counsel from the Taft Firm to Assist with Potential Bond Issuance ______________________________________________________________________________ Background The City has identified a need to explore potential bonding options for future city public infrastructure projects, and staff have connected with attorneys at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP (“Taft”) who have expertise in this area. In order for Taft to represent the City with respect to potential bond issuance matters, the City must agree to waive the conflict of interest that exists based on the representation by other non-bond attorneys at Taft of Damien Lepoutre and The Lepoutre Family Revocable Trust (tighter, “Lepoutre”) in a current dispute with the City of North Oaks involving the City, namely Damien Lepoutre and the Lepoutre Family Revocable Trust v. City of North Oaks, District Court File No. 62-CV-22-5473 and Appeal No. A25-0483 (the “Lepoutre Matter”). Any confidential information Taft obtains while representing the City will not be communicated to Taft lawyers involved in representing Lepoutre, nor will similar information obtained while representing Lepoutre be communicated to Taft lawyers involved in representing the City. Taft believes that (1) there is no material risk that its commitment and dedication to the City’s interests will be adversely affected by its representation of Lepoutre in the Lepoutre Matter; and (2) Taft can competently and diligently represent the City in the Bond Matter and do the same for Lepoutre in the Lepoutre Matter. The City has options regarding bond counsel; however, staff would like to work with the identified Taft bond counsel. Requested Council Action The Council is asked to consider acknowledging and waiving any conflict of interest related to Taft’s representation of Lepoutre in the Lepoutre Matter and authorizing the City Administrator to move forward with working with bond counsel from the Taft firm. 14 PLANNING REPORT TO: North Oaks City Council FROM: Kendra Lindahl, City Planner Kevin Kress, City Administrator Bridget McCauley Nason, City Attorney DATE: April 4, 2025 RE: Conditional Use Permit for grading in excess of 100 cubic yards of material for a property located at 48 Raven Road. Date Application Submitted January 27, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Date (continued): February 27, 2025 Date Application Determined Complete: March 13, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting Date: March 27, 2025 City Council Meeting Date: April 10, 2025 60-day Review Date: May 12, 2025 REQUEST Sanjay and Sonia Kohli have requested approval of a conditional use permit to allow grading in excess of 100 cubic yards of material to enlarge an existing berm on their property. The plans show new fill of approximately 230 cubic yards in total to raise the berm 4 feet to make it 6 feet tall. PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW The Planning Commission opened the public hearing at the February 27th and tabled the item to the March meeting to allow the applicant time to prepare additional information. At the March 27th meeting, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the CUP, subject to the conditions in the staff report. Other than the applicant, there was no one present to speak on this item. 15 BACKGROUND The application was deemed incomplete on January 31, 2025 and it was expected that the applicants would get the missing material to staff by February 18, 2025 to be placed on the February Planning Commission agenda and a public hearing notice was sent out. The missing information was not received and the Planning Commission opened Figure 1 - Subject Parcel the public hearing on February 27th and continued it to March 27th. The site is currently developed with a single-family home and a small berm. Zoning and Land Use The property is guided Low Density residential and is zoned Residential Single Family – Medium Density (RSM). Excess grading of 100 cubic yards or more are subject to the conditional use permit (CUP) standards and process in Section 151.050(D.7) (conditional uses), Section 151.076 (CUP review criteria) and Section 151.079 (CUP procedure) of the Zoning Code. The 2.03-acre property is located along Highway 96 but has no access to the road. The existing berm separates the home from the highway. PLANNING ANALYSIS The applicant is required to follow the Land Reclamation standards found in Section 151.027 of the City Code. Section 151.027 requires a conditional use permit if 100 cubic yards (c.y.) or more of soil is being moved. The ordinance states that “A further purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the moving, removal, and depositing of soil from its natural location to another location in such a manner that it will not be detrimental to the general health, safety, and welfare.” The applicant is proposing new fill of around 230 c.y. of soil to raise the existing berm. Section 151.027 provides no specific standards for a land reclamation CUP. The City must review the conditional use permit request against the standards in Section 151.076 of the City Code. Staff has reviewed the request against those standards and finds the following: 16 1. Relationship of the proposed conditional use to the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed use is consistent with the uses anticipated in the Comprehensive Plan and the permitted uses in the single-family zoning district. 2. The nature of the land and adjacent land or building where the use is to be located. The use is consistent with the surrounding land uses. 3. Whether the use will in any way depreciate the area in which it is proposed. The proposed raised berm should not negatively impact adjacent property values. 4. The effect upon traffic into and from the land and on adjoining roads, streets, and highways. The proposed use will not create a permanent traffic impact. 5. Whether the use would disrupt the reasonable use and enjoyment of other land in the neighborhood. The proposed raised berm use will not cause a negative impact to the use and enjoyment of other land in the neighborhood. 6. Whether adequate utilities, roads, streets, and other facilities exist or will be available in the near future. There are adequate utilities, roads, streets, and other facilities available to the property. The applicant’s plan does show two compliance septic sites, and the secondary site will need to be protected during construction of the berm. 7. Whether the proposed conditional use conforms to all of the provisions of this chapter. The proposed request is compliant with the City’s zoning code. 8. The effect up natural drainage patterns onto and from the site. Finished grading will work with existing drainage patterns. 17  9. Whether the proposed use will be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort, convenience or general welfare of the neighborhood or the city. The use as proposed will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort, convenience or general welfare of the neighborhood or the City. 10. Whether the proposed use would create additional requirements at public cost for public facilities and services and whether or not the use will be detrimental to the economic welfare of the neighborhood or city. As proposed, the use will not create additional requirements at public cost for public facilities and services and will not be detrimental to the economic welfare of the neighborhood or city. 11. Whether the proposed use is environmentally sound and will not involve uses, activities, processes, materials, equipment, and conditions of operation that will be detrimental to any persons, land, or the general welfare because of excessive production of traffic, noise, smoke, fumes, wastes, toxins, glare, or orders. Beyond initial construction activity, and based on erosion control requirements, the proposed residential use and grading activity will not be detrimental to the environment or surrounding area Attached for reference: Exhibit A: Location Map Exhibit B: Applicant Narrative Exhibit C: Existing Conditions Survey February 12, 2025. Exhibit D: Erosion Control Plan dated March 12, 2025. Exhibit E: Landscape Plan dated March 12, 2025. Exhibit F: Grading Plan dated March 12, 2025. Exhibit G: NOHOA Approval Letter dated December 31, 2024. Exhibit H: Public Comments 18  Exhibit I: Resolution Approving CUP ACTION Move to approve the resolution approving the conditional use permit at 48 Raven Road, as recommended by the Planning Commission. 19 20  7087 20th Avenue South Centerville, MN 55038 (651) 415-1000 Homeowner: Sanjay & Sonia Kohli Address: 48 Raven Road March 12, 2025 The scope of the project is to raise the existing berm approximately 4’ by bringing in 100 cu yards of fill. Then the top of the berm will be planted as per design with 6’ Evergreen trees that will each have a 4’ diameter area of mulch around the trunk. The remaining area of the berm will be seeded with no-mow fescue and covered with erosion control straw blanket. Existing Oak trees that are in the area will be protected from fill by a half- circle boulder tree well as shown on the landscape plan. The following statement is from the homeowners, Sanjay & Sonia Kohli, explaining why they want to raise the existing berm: “We are asking for a CUP to increase the height of the existing berm at 48 Raven Road. The current berm has settled significantly over our 25 years of residence. The road noise from Hwy 96 has increased year after year and the sound from the cars has impacted our use and enjoyment of the property. Having a taller berm will help with reducing some road noise. When we built our home 25 years ago, there was a frontage road and then Hwy 96 which also at that time was not as many lanes nor as much traffic as we have today. With cars going 50-60 miles an hour, more screening is needed to reduce the car noise.” The berm/grading project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 when road restrictions are removed and the soil has dried out from the spring melt. The estimated project is 2 weeks until completion. According to the Ramsey county GIS soil mapping the existing soil type is loamy fine sand. Raised berm area will have approximately 85 cu. yards of clay fill soil and 15 yards of black topsoil to be deposited and graded. 21  7087 20th Avenue South Centerville, MN 55038 (651) 415-1000 Erosion control measures are indicated on the Erosion control plan. There will be silt fence installed on the property boundary as indicated. Bio logs will be used at the road to prevent tracking onto the street, and by the berm as indicated on the plan to slow the flow of water until vegetation is established. The area will be seeded with no-mow fescue and covered with erosion control straw blanked stapled in place. The construction entrance is indicated on the Erosion control plan. Ten dump truck loads are to be delivered. A skid steer with tracks will be used to place soil and grade the berm. DreamScapes crew will maintain all erosion control measures during the installation of the project and the homeowner will monitor the erosion control measures after construction until the vegetation is established. When the vegetation is established, DreamScapes will remove silt fence and bio logs. The project does not affect the adjacent land because it does not change the route of the existing drainage or the capacity of the existing drainage area. There are no adjacent lakes or streams to the property. Sincerely, Clarissa K. Cooper Sr. Landscape Designer DreamScapes Landscaping & Design, Inc. Attachments: LS 1.0 Landscape & Drainage Plan LS 2.0 Grading Plan LS 3.0 Erosion Control Plan NOHOA approval letter 22 23 24 25 26  651.792.7765 nohoa@nohoa.org 100 Village Center Drive | Suite 240 North Oaks, MN | 55127 Sanjay Kohli 48 Raven Road North Oaks, MN 55127 December 31, 2024 RE: 48 Raven Road – Landscape Berm Dear Sanjay Kohli, I am pleased to inform you that the submittal dated December 16, 2024 has been approved by the Architectural Supervisory Committee of the North Oaks Home Owners' Association for the following: Landscape Berm • Extend existing berm • Height of the berm will be raised by 4 feet • Black Hills Spruce trees will be planted on top of the berm • Circles of mulch will be placed at base of trees and the area will be seeded with no-mow fescue & covered with erosion control straw blanket until vegetation is established. The approval is contingent on the following condition(s): • Berm shall be constructed within the property and not increase runoff to the adjacent properties. The work must be completed and inspected by NOHOA within 18 months. If the project is not completed in that time frame, it must be resubmitted to the ASC. The work to be completed must be as submitted to the ASC. Any deviation from the submittal and approved scope of work, including materials and colors, will need to be resubmitted to ASC for approval prior to construction. This approval is contingent upon compliance with the requirements of all City codes and ordinances and all related NOHOA guidelines. If a building (or other) permit is required, the application should be made at the City Offices. Questions regarding building and zoning requirements should be directed to the City. Please notify NOHOA at nohoa@nohoa.org or 651-792-7765 when the work is complete and an inspection will be made. All improvements should be limited to the scope of work submitted. The North Oaks Homeowners' Association Bylaws, Article IX, Section 3. Right to a Hearing state"Any Member who disagrees with a decision of the Architectural Supervisory Committee with respect to the denial or approval of any Improvement proposed by the Member shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Architectural Supervisory Committee to the Board." An appeal must be made in writing to the NOHOA Board within thirty days from the date of this letter or your right to a hearing is waived. Nature | Heritage | Community 27 The written notice shall state, in detail, the basis for the Member's appeal. The Board, following receipt of the written notice, shall schedule a hearing within forty-five (45) days from receipt of the written notice and provide the Member with at least ten (10) days prior written notice of the date of the hearing. The Board may appoint a hearing panel, consisting of not fewer than three (3) Members of the Board, to hear the matter. The Member shall be entitled to present such testimony, documentation, or other evidence as is deemed reasonable by the Board or the hearing panel of the Board. A representative of the Architectural Supervisory Committee shall be notified of and requested to attend the hearing. The representative of the Architectural Supervisory Committee shall have the right to present such testimony, documentation or other evidence as is deemed reasonable by the Board or hearing panel of the Board. If the Member fails to attend the hearing, then the appeal shall be denied. The Board or the hearing panel of the Board shall notify the Member and, if the appeal concerns an action taken by the Architectural Supervisory Committee, the Architectural Supervisory Committee of its decision within ten (10) days of the date of the hearing. Sincerely, ASC Committee Nature | Heritage | Community 28 From: Kevin Kress To: Bridget M. Nason; Kevin Shay, AICP; Kendra Lindahl, AICP; Mike Nielson Subject: Fwd: Grading at 48 Raven Rd Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 9:49:40 AM Thanks, Kevin Begin forwarded message: From: Mary Zygmunt Rolfs <maryrolfs@icloud.com> Date: February 19, 2025 at 8:49:56 AM CST To: Kevin Kress <KKress@northoaksmn.gov> Subject: Grading at 48 Raven Rd  You don't often get email from maryrolfs@icloud.com. Learn why this is important Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution. Hi Kevin, My husband and I live at 40 Meadowlark Ln. We are neighbors of the Kohlis’ We are in favor of them adding a berm for noise reduction. Although we do hear traffic from Hwy 96 it has decreased since we moved there in 1995 owing to the increased vegetation along Hwy 96 A berm would be helpful to them as they are much closer to the road, and also might be helpful for some of the other properties in our area A berm is a non-intrusive way to accomplish noise reduction and will not detract from the natural North Oaks environment. Thank you for your consideration Mary Rolfs 29 From: Kevin Kress To: Bridget M. Nason; Kendra Lindahl, AICP; Michael Nielson Subject: Fwd: Kohli berm project Date: Friday, February 21, 2025 7:07:44 PM Thanks, Kevin Begin forwarded message: From: Deb Breen <DBreen@northoaksmn.gov> Date: February 21, 2025 at 11:25:35 AM CST To: "Sacchetti, Nico" <nico.sacchetti@rbc.com> Cc: NOaks <northoaks@northoaksmn.gov> Subject: RE: Kohli berm project  Good morning Nico– Thanks for taking the time to provide your input. Your feedback will be passed along to the Planning Commission and City Council as they consider the request next Thursday evening. Best, Deb Breen 100 Village Center Drive Suite 230 North Oaks, MN 55127 651-792-7750 From: Sacchetti, Nico <nico.sacchetti@rbc.com> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2025 11:19 AM To: NOaks <northoaks@northoaksmn.gov> Subject: Kohli berm project Some people who received this message don't often get email from nico.sacchetti@rbc.com. Learn why this is important Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution. 30 Hello, I am not able to attend the upcoming meeting that will discuss the potential berm project to block noise from highway 96, so I am writing in to offer my support of the project. My name is Nico Sacchetti and I live at 29 Raven Road next door to the Kohli's who are applying for the project, and I think this would benefit all of us in the area to help create a barrier to the highway. The noise and light from the highway is especially pronounced in the winter when the leaves are down and I hope that the proposal gets approved! Thank you, For account access or market insight, visit: http://www.TrueNorthGroupRBC.com Nico Sacchetti, AIF® | Senior Vice President - Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager – Portfolio Focus 520 West Highway 96, Suite 100, Shoreview, MN 55126 work: 651-766-4939 | cell: 612-810-8715 nico.sacchetti@rbc.com True North Investment Group, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC Mike Enright, CFP®, CIMA®, RMA® | Managing Director - Financial Advisor and Branch Director | 651-766-4931 | mike.enright@rbc.com Dan Enright, CFP®, RMA® | First Vice President - Financial Advisor | 651-766-4932 | daniel.enrght@rbc.com Kristi Skowronek | Senior Investment Associate | 651-766-4938 | kristi.skowronek@rbc.com Renee Woodford | Senior Registered Client Associate | 651-766-4949 | renee.woodford@rbc.com Opinions expressed in non-RBC Wealth Management or RBC Capital Markets reports are those of the authors and are not necessarily the same as those of RBC Wealth Management or its research department. RBC Wealth Management did not assist in the preparation of these reports and makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or reliability of the sources. This information should not be construed as a research report, as it is not sufficient enough to be used as the primary basis of investment decisions. Clients should work with their financial advisor to develop investment strategies tailored to their own financial circumstances. RBC Wealth Management does not accept buy, sell, or cancel orders by email, or any instructions by email that would require your signature. Please visit RBC Wealth Management Email Disclosures for material details about our products and accounts, as well as for other important information. Investment and insurance products offered through RBC Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank or any bank affiliate, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Disclosure information regarding potential conflicts of interest on the part of RBC Capital Markets, LLC in connection with companies that are the subject of any third-party research report included in this email message may be found at Third-Party Research Disclosures. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC. 31  CITY OF NORTH OAKS RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA RESOLUTION NO. _____ RESOLUTION APPROVING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR LAND RECLAMATION INVOLVING 100 CUBIC YARDS OR MORE OF SOIL AT 48 RAVEN WOOD WHEREAS, an application for a Conditional Use Permit has been submitted by Sanjay and Sonia Kohli for the real property located at 48 Raven Road, North Oaks, Ramsey, County, Minnesota, and legally described on the attached EXHIBIT A (the “Property”), to allow for land reclamation (fill) activities in excess of 100 cubic yards of soil for the construction of a landscaped berm; and WHEREAS, a Conditional Use Permit is required for land reclamation (fill) activities involving 100 cubic yards or more of soil; and WHEREAS, the request has been reviewed against the relevant requirements of North Oaks Zoning Ordinance Sections 151.027, 151.050 and 151.076, regarding the criteria for issuance of a Conditional Use Permit, and meets the minimum standards, is consistent with the City of North Oaks Comprehensive Plan, is in conformance with the Zoning Ordinance, and does not have a negative impact on public health, safety, or welfare; and WHEREAS, a public hearing concerning the Conditional Use Permit was held before the North Oaks Planning Commission in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.357, subd. 3, on February 27 and March 27, 2025, at which hearing all interested parties had the opportunity to be heard, following which the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Conditional Use Permit, subject to certain conditions. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH OAKS, that a Conditional Use Permit to allow for land reclamation (fill) activities in excess of 100 cubic yards of soil is APPROVED for the Property subject to the following conditions: 1. The berm shall be constructed in accordance with the plans Survey from E.G. Rud & Sons, Inc. dated February 12, 2025, Grading and Erosion Control Plans from DreamScapes dated March 12, 2025, Landscape Plan from DreamScapes dated March 12, 2025, and all plans received by the City on March 13, 2025. 2. Tree disturbance should be strategically completed and remaining trees abutting construction disturbance areas shall have tree protection barriers installed at the dripline. 32  3. Erosion control shall be in place prior to the beginning of construction. a. Erosion control measures such as silt fence must be installed downstream of all proposed grading, in order to ensure proper containment of sedimentation on site. Extra care shall be taken to maintain all existing erosion control measures to ensure sedimentation due to grading activities is not tracked off site. b. The applicant shall ensure that grading and filling work does not result in the deposit of additional stormwater runoff onto adjacent properties. 4. The applicant shall comply with all applicable local, state and watershed district rules and regulations. 5. Both the primary (existing) and secondary septic sites shall be protected by fencing, which must include signage indicating that these are protected primary/secondary septic sites. The fencing and related signage must be approved by the City and installed prior to the issuance of any permit. 6. Details for the boulder retaining wall shall be provided. A building permit will be required for the boulder wall proposed around the existing oak if it exceeds four feet in height at any point. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk, Deputy City Clerk, or City Attorney are hereby authorized and directed to record a certified copy of this Resolution with the Ramsey County Registrar of Titles. Adopted by the City Council of the City of North Oaks this 10th day of April, 2025. By: ________________________________ Krista Wolter Its: Mayor Attested: By: ________________________________ Kevin Kress Its: City Administrator 2 33  EXHIBIT A LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Real property located in Ramsey County, Minnesota legally described as follows: Tract BB, Registered Land Survey No. 454, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Parcel ID: 133023440022 3 34  Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Report: North Oaks March 2025 Deputy Craig Lydon 651-755-8089 craig.lydon@co.ramsey.mn.us Calls for Service: 181 • 54 Medical calls • 12 Fire calls • 10 Traffic Stops – 1 citation o 2 Accidents Notable calls: • DRUNK DRIVER – 03/10 - DEPUTIES WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AREA OF SPRING FARM RD / EAGLE RIDGE RD ON REPORT OF A VEHICLE STRIKING OBJECTS ON THE ROADSIDE BEFORE BECOMING DISABLED. ADULT DRIVER RETURNED TO THE SCENE AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED FOR DUI-CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. • DOMESTIC – 03/08 DEPUTIES WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AREA OF MAYCOMB LN / HODGSON RD ON REPORT OF A DOMESTIC. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE PARTIES INVOLVED AN ARREST OF AN ADULT WAS MADE FOR INTERFERENCE WITH A 911 CALL. • JUVENILE – 03/14 DEPUTIES WERE DISPATCHED TO THE 16TH HOLE OF THE GOLF COURSE ON REPORT OF A VEHICLE DRIVING ON THE GOLF COURSE. DEPUTIES ARRIVED AND SPOKE WITH GOLF COURSE STAFF. AS RESULT OF THE CONVERSATION WITH STAFF THE TWO MINORS HAD THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS EXPLAINED AND THEN WERE TURNED OVER TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PARENTS. • SOLICITOR – 03/20 AND 03/27 DEPUTIES WERE DISPATCHED ON REPORT OF SOLICITORS GOING DOOR TO DOOR. DEPUTIES MADE CONTACT WITH THE PARTIES AND EXPLAINED THEY WERE TRESPASSING AND SOLICITING WITHOUT A PERMIT. SAFETY AND SECURITY • FRAUD AND SCAM CALLS ARE OCCURRING EVERYDAY – NEVER NEVER SHARE YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION, NEVER BUY OR SEND BITCOIN, NEVER MAIL CASH. LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO DO ANY OF THESE THINGS. • IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING • DRIVE SLOW WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT AND BE SAFE 35  Fact Sheet North Oaks City Council Meeting 4/10/2025 General Information North Oaks is part of a 9 City Joint Powers Agreement in the northern suburbs. The 9 cities include Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, and St. Anthony. This JPA operates the North Suburban Communications Commission and the North Suburban Access Corporation. The NSCC handles such matters as Cable Franchise Renewal, Cable Complaints, and Cable Franchise Oversite. The NSCC is funded by a portion of each city’s Cable Franchise Fees. The NSAC handles the production of programs, meetings, videos, and distribution of that content. The NSAC is funded by Cable PEG fees as well as earned income. The NSAC, formally known at CTV, now does business as NineNorth. Both are governed by the same board with an appointed member from each city. Your member is Councilman Andrew Gaspard. Both also have the same Executive Director, Jeff Ongstad. The NineNorth Studios are located in Roseville at 2670 Arthur Street. NineNorth’s website is www.ninenorth.org. NineNorth and Little Canada NineNorth operates 3 HD channels and 4 SD channels in North Oaks on Comcast Cable. They are NineNorth (HD 859, SD 15), NineNorth Sports (HD 799, SD 14), NineNorth Government North Oaks (HD 798, SD 16), and NineNorth Access (SD 19). NineNorth airs over a thousand hours of local programming per year. 36  Of that number, 72 are directly focused on North Oaks. NineNorth provides production of all North Oaks City Meetings. This totaled 20 meetings in 2024. We also cover major North Oaks events such as North Oaks FarmFest. We produce Candidate Forums for Mayor and Council races, along with applicable State House and Senate races. We offer Candidate Speak Outs, where candidates can let their views be known. We also produce “Spotlight” stories on people, places, history, and events in our 9 cities including 10 stories focusing on North Oaks in the last year. Overall, we have had a 500% increase in our production of “Spotlight” stories in the last year. NineNorth also does facility assessments for North Oaks facilities, offering suggestions on equipment upgrades and facility efficiency. 2025 and Beyond As part of NineNorth’s Objectives and Goals for 2025, we are anticipating another 50% increase in our coverage of community and civic events for North Oaks and the other member cities. In addition to expanding our public digital newsletter, we are adding a “City Staff/Officials” newsletter to better inform City Staff and Officials on what we’re doing and how we can help. We’re also expanding our presence at community events over the spring and summer, by not only covering the events, but participating in the event with a booth or table. We’ve recently updated our studios to 4K with a new production switcher and cameras. This will give us increased capabilities to serve our member cities better. We are actively using and testing AI tools to expand our capabilities, and to speed up our production workflow to produce even more content. If you’d like a tour of our facility or you have any questions, call me at 651-792- 7512 or e-mail me at jongstad@ninenorth.org. 37 February Month in Review February 2025 • Provided Arborist Workshop via Zoom for a few companies that were unable to attend the December re-licensing meeting • We responded to homeowner calls with regards to tree concerns and provided tree care advice at 25 Island Rd, 1 Ironwood, and for NOHOA • The second round of oak wilt re-inspections is complete. It’s mostly the tree care companies that are behind schedule. All diseased oaks will be out before the oak wilt season begins at the end of March. • Stopped in the office to sign off on Arborist licensing and discuss proposed brush pick program for May. • Re-inspected on hazard tree removals, compliance is slow, but good. 38 March Month in Review March 2025 • Solicited bids from vendors to participate in the Spring Brush Pick-Up Program set for the end of May. Choose the lowest cost vendor. • Provided Arborist Workshop via Zoom for a few companies that were unable to attend the December re-licensing meeting • We responded to homeowner calls with regards to tree concerns and provided tree care advice at 25 Hill Farm Cir • We are now in the high oak wilt risk season and all diseased oak trees have been removed. • Stopped in the office to sign off on Arborist licensing and discuss proposed brush pick program for May. • Was on site for a forced delinquent hazard/ash tree removal. • Continued re-inspections of diseased ash trees. Working with vendors to make sure that stumps are cut low, logs are not stacked, and edge of street is kept free of debris. 39