City Council Meetings

Agenda Item 3B Pg. 1 MINUTES OF THE Mayor Steve Washburn WATERTOWN CITY COUNCIL Deborah Everson Regular Meeting Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Lindsay Guetzkow Adam Pawelk Michael Walters 1. Call to Order and Roll Call Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting of the Watertown City Council was called to order at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the Council Chambers of City Hall by Mayor Steve Washburn. Council Members present: Washburn, Mike Walters, Deborah Everson, Lindsay Guetzkow, and Adam Pawelk. City Staff present: City Administrator Shane Fineran, City Engineer Andrew Budde, City Planner Mark Kaltsas, Utilities Superintendent Doug Kammerer, and Clerk/Treasurer Lynn Tschudi. Those who signed in: Cynthia Jagodzinski, Jim Sandquist, Scott Koehnen, Dean Hecksel, Alan Hecksel, Mark Hecksel, Elissa Stoeckman, Liz & Linus Truniger, David Drew, Lori Hules, James & Megan Sterne, Eric Tschudi, Betty Carlson, Stanley Mason, Roland Owczarek. 2. Adopt Agenda PAWELK MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 3. Consent Agenda Discussion and Approval All items listed under the consent agenda are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion on an affirmative vote by roll call of a majority of the members present. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council member or citizen so requests, in which event, the item(s) will be removed and discussed prior to the adoption of the consent agenda. EVERSON MOVED, WALTERS SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. A. Adopt a motion to approve City Council Special Meeting Minutes from February 25, 2020 B. Consider Resolution #2020-29, Approving Utility Billing Adjustment to Remove Late Fees C. Adopt Ordinance #420, Amending Chapter 62, Article X - Floodplain Management D. Consider Resolution #2020-29, Authorizing Recruitment for Seasonal Maintenance Assistant E. Consider Resolution #2020-34, Authorizing Solicitation of Quotes and Grant Application for Hose Reel F. Consider Resolution #2020-36, Authorizing Solicitation of Quotes for Water Plant Brick Seal G. Consider Resolution #2020-40, Authorizing Solicitation of Quotes for 2020 Pavement Maintenance Projects H. Consider Resolution #2020-41, Authorizing Waiver of Cancellation and Refund Clause for Community Center Rental Agreements 4. Open Forum 5. New/Old Business Page 1 of 7 Agenda Item 3B Pg. 2 A. Photography Contest Winners City Administrator Fineran said that earlier in 2019 the city promoted a photo contest hoping residents would submit photos to use on the new website. There was a $50 prize offered to winners of each category. After submitting on Facebook for residents to vote on, the winners were chosen: • People/Pets/Family – Christine Boerner “corn on the cob” • Community Gatherings – Cynthia Jagodzinski “tractors in Watertown” • City Landmarks – Christine Boerner “Mario’s” • Outdoor life and landscapes – Lynn Tschudi “A touch of fall” • Youth Category – Genevieve Tschudi “be unique” Mayor Washburn awarded the $50 checks to the recipients. EVERSON MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2020- 30, AWARDING PRIZE MONEY FOR PHOTO CONTEST. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. B. 608 Carter Street NE - Hecksel Machine Site Plan City Planner Mark Kaltsas said the request for site plan review at 608 Carter Street NE was originally discussed at the planning commission meeting in February. Hecksel Machine is looking to add a 3,500 square foot addition located at the southeast corner of the existing building. The addition would allow the applicant to increase their fabrication and allow for a taller crane. The property is zoned I-1 light industrial so the use of the property for fabrication, storage and office is permitted. Kaltsas reviewed the site conditions as per the city ordinance. Kaltsas said there are materials and equipment stored outside without a screen from adjacent property. He reviewed fencing materials that currently exist on the property and what type would be recommended for the site plan. Kaltsas said the applicant is proposing a height of 32 feet on the new addition and the city allows a 35 foot building. Parking is adequate for the site, with no additional sites needed to be constructed. Kaltsas said one comment was received prior to the public hearing stating they would like to see consistent screening if outdoor storage were to remain on the property. Planning commission recommended site plan approval with condition that nothing was stored along the property line, unless a new fence was installed to match the most recent fence installed in 2013. Council member Pawelk asked if all storage would need to be moved and replace the entire stretch of fence. City Planner Kaltsas said yes, they need to remove the non-matching sections of fence. Everson asked if the applicant had any response to the requests. Kaltsas said they are intending on complying. WALTERS MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020- 31, GRANTING SITE PLAN APPROVAL TO ALLOW A BUILDING EXPANSION ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 609 CARTER STREET NE. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. C. 716 Industrial Blvd - Stonwerk Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit Kaltsas said the planning commission considered a site plan and conditional use permit for Stonwerk. They are proposing to build a 2,000 square foot office and a 10,000 square foot shop at 716 Industrial Boulevard. Kaltsas commented that the applicant submitted a very complete set of plans for the site plan. Kaltsas detailed the site plan layout, storm water/utility plan, and landscaping plan for council. The planning commission made a recommendation to plant additional evergreen trees on the berm rather than ornamental grasses. Page 2 of 7 Agenda Item 3B Pg. 3 The applicant is proposing an outdoor storage area enclosed by a wooden fence. The planning commission recommended the maximum height of items stored outside could be 10 feet, which would be two feet above the height of the fence. The outdoor storage would be accessed from inside the building only. The planning commission found that the application met the criteria for site plan review and conditional use permit with the mentioned recommendations. They made a recommendation for council to approve the site plan and conditional use permit. Pawelk asked about the more frequent use of the outdoor storage from the outside. Kaltsas said he added language so that if that becomes a problem, the applicant would become non-compliant. Pawelk asked if the entrance location is appropriately spaced from County Road 122 for the types of vehicles they will have delivering their products. City Engineer Budde said he has not seen any turning drawings. Council member Guetzkow asked about the applicant’s response to the planning commission’s suggestion to their landscaping plan. Kaltsas said they are willing to comply. Washburn asked if the outdoor storage surface is concrete. Kaltsas said yes, it is 50 feet deep. Washburn asked about fire department review. Kaltsas said the fire department was comfortable with the site. Pawelk is concerned about the screening proposed by the applicant. He would like to see the original landscape plan followed. Guetzkow and Walters would like to see additional evergreen trees added to the berm. EVERSON MOVED, PAWELK SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020-32, GRANTING SITE PLAN APPROVAL TO ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BUILDING AND A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW OUTDOOR STORAGE ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 716 INDUSTRIAL BLVD. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. D. Newton Ave Parking Request Fineran said the city completed the Mill and Overlay on Newton Avenue during 2019. During this project, the street was widened to keep consistent street widths throughout the corridor and keep an eight-foot shoulder to allow for safe pedestrian traffic. This decision was made as an interim approach since complete road reconstruction is not in the near future of the city’s street maintenance plan. The city has received a request from the M & M Townhome owners on the west side of Newton Avenue requesting changes to the roadway: remove the no parking restrictions or adding parking for visitors, and remove the striping of the road. Fineran noted the addition of parking spaces would require construction costs near $120,000. Pawelk asked if there were any comments received when the initial work was done in 2019. Budde said he does not recall any exact comments regarding parking. Guetzkow said that when the decision was made to stripe the roads, speed was a concern. She asked if there was any pre and post construction speeds available. Everson asked if the city would have chosen the sidewalk option if parking would have been eliminated. Budde said that option was not discussed because there was too Page 3 of 7 Agenda Item 3B Pg. 4 much right of way acquisition and retaining walls required. Walters explained to the audience why council decided on the option that was taken. Everson asked if the city is required to provide parking to anyone on the street. Fineran said no. The following residents approached council for comment: James Sterne - 492 Newton Ave SE – expressed his concern for needing additional parking for a commuter car and snowmobile. He also has guests who would like to park on the street. Betty Carlson - 490 Newton Ave SE – concerned about having family over with no parking available for them. She feels that Newton is a raceway. Liz & Linus Truniger - 511 Newton Ave SE – Liz said that Newton was very poor planning since the beginning. She finds the no parking very difficult. Linus said he attended the earlier planning meetings when they were originally planning a trail. He is concerned about what the future of Newton is. Stanley Mason - 503 Newton Ave SE – is concerned with how fast the cars are coming down Newton. He is also concerned with the rain water that collects on the street when it rains so he would like to see additional drainage work completed. He is also concerned about backing into the pedestrian lane when he backs out of his driveway. Scott Koehnen - 600 Madison St SE - he is concerned with how close the traffic is to his yard now that the striping has been installed. He does not feel safe when he is mowing. 506 Newton Ave SE – He feels that they were not notified that the parking was going to be eliminated and if they were, they would have spoke up earlier. Roland Owczarek - 508 Newton Ave – is concerned with the speed of the traffic on Newton and does not feel safe. Fineran shared a written note from resident Jennifer O’Connell – parking on one side is important. The safe harbor does not feel safe. Mayor Washburn closed the floor. Fineran said the average speed after the mill and overlay in August of 2019 at the southbound speed sign was 24 mph. At the northbound sign it was 25 mph. Pawelk is not in favor of removing the striping. He would like to see enforcement of speed increased at key times. Guetzkow agrees that Newton Avenue should have never been a collector street but unfortunately it is. She said council has been trying to address the speed and safety issues on this section for some time. Guetzkow is not in favor of removing the striping. Walters said the striping option was the best option the council could do with the funds that were available. The eight foot area for pedestrians provides a safer alternative than a four foot area. Everson asked what future changes will possibly be made so that Newton will be a true collector road. Fineran said curb and gutter, 12-foot driveways, parking not accommodated on the road, sidewalks on both sides. He said there will be conflicts due to the original way the community was platted. Everson asked when the full reconstruction is slated for. Fineran said ten years. Washburn explained that council felt the mill and overlay was the best fiscal decision at the time the decision was made. Washburn is not in support of adding parking spaces. Washburn asked Engineer Page 4 of 7 Agenda Item 3B Pg. 5 Budde how the crown of the road would be if it was re-striped with four feet on both sides. Budde said the crown of the road would drive funny. He said leaving four feet on each side was one of the options considered by council in the original consideration. Everson asked if the four feet on both sides would create parking. Budde said no. Everson asked about possible temporary parking permits. Washburn would like to explore the temporary parking permit but not tonight. E. Luce Line Trail Connection Alternate Design Budde said the city has discussed a number of options for the Luce Line Trail connection. Council decided to approve the plans and specs knowing that certain items would be discussed at a later date. Budde said the ornamental fence cost $125 per lineal foot. There are cheaper options ranging from chain link and vinyl coated chain link. Pawelk is in favor of the galvanized chain link fence option. Guetzkow is in favor of option 2 as is Walters and Everson. Pawelk said the black vinyl bakes in the sun and starts to look like an eye sore in the long run. Council agrees on the galvanized chain link fence for now. Budde reviewed the layout for the trail connection that eliminates the hairpin turn. Budde highlighted pros and cons of the hairpin turn design as well as the straight shot design. Council discussed the two options provided. Budde outlined the timeline for the Luce Line Trail Connection project. F. Public Hearing - Ordinance 419 - Tobacco Fineran said in December 2019 the federal government prohibited retailers from selling tobacco to those under 21 years of age. In order to be compliant, the city is adopting Ordinance 419. The city did mail notice to all tobacco retailers in Watertown. EVERSON MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. GUETZKOW MOVED, EVERSON SECONDED A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. EVERSON MOVED, WALTERS SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE 419, AMENDING WATERTOWN CITY CODE CHAPTER 34, SECTION 34-4, REGARDING THE REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND NICOTINE OR LOBELIA DELIVERY DEVICES. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. G. Utility Operator 1 Recruitment Utilities Superintendent Doug Kammerer said he would like to go out for recruitment for a Utility Operator I. He would like to post the job internally first and then post it externally. The job description was revised prior to recruitment. The recruitment is needed for safety and for efficiency within the department. PAWELK MOVED, EVERSON SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020-35, APPROVING JOB DESCRIPTION AND AUTHORIZING RECRUITMENT FOR UTILITY OPERATOR I. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. Page 5 of 7 Agenda Item 3B Pg. 6 H. City Facility Storm Damage Repair Bids Fineran said after the hailstorm on August 5, 2019 there was significant damage at all facilities across the cities. After consulting with the city’s insurance company, LMCIT, they referred us to Wilkus Architects to help construct plans for getting bids. There were three interested contractors who bid on the storm damage. The low bidder was Project One at $590,214. All bid documents were reviewed by Wilkus and they are comfortable awarding the bid to Project One. Fineran stated the total insurance deductible is $500. Guetzkow wants to make sure the scope and quality of the work is the same across the bids. Fineran said the bids from RAM and Project One are close but the third from Intelligent Design Corp was way off at over a million dollars. GUETZKOW MOVED, PAWELK SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020-33, APPROVING THE CITY FACILITY STORM DAMAGE PROJECT CONTRACT. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. I. Capital Project #CI100 - Community Center Ceiling Tile & Blinds Fineran said the community center ceiling tiles and blinds were identified as a capital project in the 2020 Capital Investment Plan. Fineran reviewed the quotes received for both the ceiling tiles and the window blinds. Janning’s Acoustics submitted the low quote of $6,130 for the ceiling tiles. For the blinds, the city is recommending a cordless roller shade. The low bidder for this option was Yetzer’s Furniture of Waconia at $5,952 for blinds in all of the meeting rooms. Pawelk asked if the shades can be cleaned. Tschudi answered yes. Guetzkow asked about the opacity of the blinds. Fineran said there will be enough to keep the light out yet to see a little into the rooms. GUETZKOW MOVED, WALTERS SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020- 28, APPROVING LOW QUOTES FOR CEILING TILE AND WINDOW BLIND REPLACEMENTS. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. J. Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund Application Administrator Fineran said this application is one of many steps in the wastewater treatment facility expansion. The clean water revolving loan fund application is required to become qualified on the certification list. Fineran said the city is hoping for legislation for support on the PSIG funding. Fineran said the city will ask for the full amount of funds knowing that they can then ask for less. The city has used the PFA loan in the past. Fineran said the city would know the results of the application by the fall. Fineran noted the city is not executing any loan documents at this time. EVERSON MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2020- 38, AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF WATERTOWN TO SUBMIT A CLEAN WATER REVOLVING FUND LOAN APPLICATION TO THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY (PFA) AND TO AUTHORIZE CITY OFFICIALS TO EXECUTE A LOAN AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF WATERTOWN FOR THE WASTEWATER Page 6 of 7  Agenda Item 3B Pg. 7 IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 6. Other Reports Engineer Budde reported the water controls are being installed at The Wetlands of Watertown. They should be done with heavy construction in a couple weeks. Restoration could take a couple months. Fineran updated the second meeting in March will be on March 31 rather than March 24. There is an open house on April 16 related to the Highway 25 improvements. There will be meeting locations at Mayer and Watertown. The Watertown meeting will be held April 16 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Pawelk updated on the park board meeting from February regarding Sugarbush playground build out. Washburn said the city and county are monitoring everything with the Coronavirus. Fineran added that the city will refer people to Carver County Health as a source of information. He urges people to use common sense with washing hands and covering your cough. The city plans to operate as usual. 7. Claims EVERSON MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE 2020 CLAIMS AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 8. Adjournment Members of the City Council and City staff may convene directly following the adjournment of the meeting at the Luce Line Lodge in a purely social event. Members of the public are welcome to attend. PAWELK MOVED, WALTERS SECONDED A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 9:53 PM. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. ______________________________ Steve Washburn, Mayor ATTEST:___________________________ Lynn Tschudi, Clerk/Treasurer Page 7 of 7