City Council

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL April 8, 2025 CALL TO ORDER A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Oakdale was held on April 8, 2025 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kevin Zabel at 7:00 PM. ROLL CALL On a call of roll, the following were present: Mayor Kevin Zabel Council Members: Kari Moore Andy Morcomb Gary Severson Susan Willenbring Staff Present: Christina Volkers, City Administrator Jim Thomson, City Attorney Brian Bachmeier, Consulting City Engineer Andy Gitzlaff, Community Development Director Jake Foster, Assistant City Administrator Lori Pulkrabek, Communications Manager Kyle Stasica, Finance Director Cory Tietz, Public Works Director Kevin Wold, Fire Chief PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLENBRING TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED FOR THE MEETING OF APRIL 8, 2025. 5 AYES APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Workshop, March 25, 2025 Regular Meeting, March 25, 2025 A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MORCOMB, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SEVERSON TO APPROVE THE WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 25, 2025. 5 AYES A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLENBRING, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE TO APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 25, 2025. 5 AYES 1 PUBLIC HEARINGS None OPEN FORUM Mayor Zabel invited comments from the audience. No comments were heard. CONSENSUS MOTIONS a) Per City Policy CC-002: City Council Advisory Boards and Commissions, Section 13.0, it is requested that the City Council approve the final 2025 Work Plans for Tree Board, Planning Commission, Environmental Management Commission, and Parks and Recreation Commission. b) Request that the City Council waive reading and adopt Resolution 2025-30, accepting municipal recycling grant funds in the amount of $52,928 from Washington County to the City of Oakdale; and authorize the Mayor and City Administrator to execute the 2025 Washington County Municipal Recycling Grant agreement. c) Request that the City Council waive reading and adopt Resolution 2025-31, approving the labor agreement and one MOA between the City of Oakdale and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local No. 110 (Public Works Superintendents and Police Office Manager), for the period of January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MORCOMB, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLENBRING TO APPROVE CONSENSUS MOTIONS A-C, AS PRESENTED. 5 AYES ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Economic Development Commission (met on 4/2/25, Council Liaison Severson) Council Member Severson reported that the Economic Development Commission discussed their 2025 Work Plan, reviewed the Business Retention, Expansion, and Attraction (BRE&A) Program, and elected their Chair and Vice-Chair for 2025. Environmental Management Commission (no meeting, Council Liaison Zabel) Planning Commission (met on 4/3/25, Council Liaison Willenbring) Council Member Willenbring reported that the Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit for a secondary garage for a private residence, and approved a variance, preliminary plat, final plat, and site plan for Estoria Oak Marsh – a senior living cooperative. Parks and Recreation Commission (no meeting, Council Liaison Morcomb) Tree Board (no meeting, Council Liaison Moore) AWARD OF BIDS None 2 STAFF REPORTS ENGINEERING a) Approval of Resolution in Support of Municipal State Aid Designations on City’s Local Roadway System Consulting City Engineer Brian Bachmeier explained that the request is to re-designate two local roads – 45th St (from Hwy 120 to Granada Ave) and Granada Ave (from 45th St to 50th St) – as Municipal State Aid (MSA) routes, totaling about one mile. Designating these roads allows the City to maximize its gas tax allocation. Mr. Bachmeier noted that these roads were previously designated as MSA routes, but were removed in 2017 to allocate mileage to Hadley Ave for a highway interchange project. Now, the City wants to reassign the available mileage back to these roads. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER SEVERSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE TO WAIVE READING AND ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025-32, AMENDING CITY OF OAKDALE’S MUNICIPAL STATE AID ROUTE DESIGNATIONS. 5 AYES PUBLIC WORKS a) Nuisance Declared – Emerald Ash Borer Public Works Director Cory Tietz explained that the City has received inquiries about certain trees in Oakdale that may be classified as nuisance trees due to Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation. The City Forester inspected the trees and confirmed they are infected. Mr. Tietz continued, staff is now seeking Council approval to proceed based on the inspection findings. If approved, the property owners will be notified and required to remove (abate) the trees within 20 days per current City Code. Mayor Zabel mentioned that the City Council had an in-depth discussion about proposed updates to Chapter 22, specifically regarding timeline changes for nuisance tree abatement, in the preceding Workshop. Although there was consideration to table this agenda item, one of the properties in question (3915 Granada Way N) has already exceeded the extended deadlines since the complaint was filed in May 2024. Because of this, Mayor Zabel was supportive of moving forward with abatement enforcement for that specific property, while potentially tabling action on the other two properties. In response to Council Member Moore’s question about tabling only a couple of the identified properties, Mayor Zabel stated that the list of identified properties would be amended prior to Council approval. In response to Council Member Severson’s question about the abatement timeline for the other two properties, the Council agreed that the abatement timeline would reset after tonight’s meeting. A MOTION WAS MADE BY MAYOR ZABEL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MORCOMB TO CONFIRM THAT A NUISANCE EXISTS PER CURRENT CITY OF OAKDALE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 22, ARTICLE 6, AT 3915 GRANADA WAY N AND DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE NEXT STEPS GIVEN THE 3 POTENTIAL REVISION TO CITY OF OAKDALE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 22, ARTICLE 6 – DISEASE CONTROL/TREE TRIMMING. 5 AYES Mayor Zabel confirmed that the Council is deferring action on the other two identified properties – 2743 Granada Ave N and 2763 Granada Ave N – until it aligns with Council's guidance on the relevant City Code revisions. CITY ATTORNEY No report. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT No report. COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS Council Member Moore commended the Tree Board for their thoughtful discussion at their last meeting. Mayor Zabel made announcements about the following: • Residents and businesses who have questions about their annual property tax valuation notice can attend an Open Book meeting in April hosted by Washington County, including one at Oakdale City Hall on Wednesday, April 9th from 5 PM to 7 PM. • Hy-Vee in Oakdale will be hosting a “Coffee with a Cop” event on Thursday, April 10th from 9 AM to 11 AM. • Park Clean Up Week runs April 21st through 27th, and volunteers are needed to help in clearing the debris that has accumulated over the winter months in City parks. Garbage bags are provided, and each participant will receive a thank you gift. For more information and to claim a park, visit www.oakdalemn.gov/673. • The City’s first Eco Fair is on Saturday, April 26th from 9 AM to 1 PM at Castle Elementary School located at 6675 50th Street N. This event is free and open to the public. • The City’s annual Pete Graske Arbor Day Tree Giveaway will be held on Saturday, April 26th. CLAIMS A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SEVERSON TO APPROVE CLAIMS FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 26, 2025 TO APRIL 8, 2025 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,385,893.80. 5 AYES ADJOURNMENT A MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MORCOMB, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE TO ADJOURN THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 8, 2025, AT 7:14 PM. 5 AYES Respectfully submitted, Sara Ludwig, City Clerk 4