City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council Regular Meeting Mayor Steve Washburn Lindsay Guetzkow Adam Pawelk Michael Walters Dan Schuette 8/10/2021 - Minutes 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 in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 6:33 p.m. Tuesday, August 10, 2021, by Mayor Steve Washburn. Council Members present: Washburn, Mike Walters, Adam Pawelk, and Lindsay Guetzkow. City Staff present: Interim City Administrator Jeff O’Neill, Administrative Services Director Lynn Tschudi, Fire Chief Ryan Schroeder 2. Adopt Agenda GUETZKOW MOVED, PAWELK SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval WALTERS MOVED, PAWELK SECONDED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 3.A. Adopt A Motion To Approve Workshop Meeting Minutes From 07/27/21 3.B. Adopt A Motion To Approve Regular Meeting Minutes From 07/27/2021 3.C. Adopt A Motion To Approve Payment Application No. 5 For 2020 Mill & Overlay Project 3.D. Adopt A Motion To Approve Temporary Intoxicating Liquor Licenses And One 3.2 Temp License 3.E. Adopt A Motion To Approve Temporary 3.2 Liquor License For Operation Thank An Officer 3.F. Consider Resolution #2021-93, Approving Utility Billing Adjustment On Multiple Accounts To Remove Late Fees 3.G. Consider Resolution #2021-95, Approving Letter Of Credit Reduction For Forest Hills 9th Addition  3.E. Adopt A Motion To Approve Temporary 3.2 Liquor License For Operation Thank An Officer 3.F. Consider Resolution #2021-93, Approving Utility Billing Adjustment On Multiple Accounts To Remove Late Fees 3.G. Consider Resolution #2021-95, Approving Letter Of Credit Reduction For Forest Hills 9th Addition 4. Open Forum 5. New/Old Business 5.A. Approval Of 2022 Pay Grid From Market Study Interim City Administrator Jeff O’Neill said Tessia Melvin with David Drown and Associates presented the market study during the work session prior to the meeting. O’Neill briefly summarized the three options provided by Melvin. Option 2 presented would move each employee to 100% of the market with a 2% cost of living adjustment and allowing each employee to earn their step increase on their anniversary. Council was in favor of this option during the work session. Pawelk would like to see the change in the values if the maximums were changed to 100%. Guetzkow said she would like to see all supervisory positions’ mins and max values at 100%. Washburn said what is presented is bringing every employee to average and if they are going to move one employee to 100% max, then the other employees should be moved to 100%. Pawelk expressed that he feels if council is struggling with making a decision on bringing the pay to 100% then the motion should be tabled. Walters would not be in favor of any pay cut. Council directed staff to have David Drown Associates re-calculate Option 2 moving everyone’s min and max to 100%. 5.B. Fire Department Pension Increase Chief Ryan Schroeder presented to council the request to increase the benefit level for firefighters from $3,100 to either $4,800 or $6,000. Schroeder explained that the Watertown Fire Department currently uses the Statewide volunteer Firefighter Retirement Plan (SVF) through PERA. Schroeder explained that the City of Watertown is currently overfunded at 158%. Schroeder said the fire department has been hesitant to request increases in the past. PERA recommends having a cost analysis completed on an annual basis to stay close to 100% funded each year. Council Member Guetzkow asked if the market decreased and the benefit level was decreased in the next year if that would be difficult for the fire department members. Schroeder said he discussed that concern with PERA staff and they did say the decision is up to the council however it can be adjusted annually. Guetzkow asked if the increase would be retroactive to the beginning of each fire fighter’s term. Schroeder said yes. Mayor Washburn is not in favor of increasing the pension funds. He stated he is not in favor of government retirement funds. Guetzkow would like to wait to do any increases because of the unknown economy. Walters is in favor of some sort of increase because the money is the fire fighter’s pension funds and they should be compensated fairly. Walters pointed out that the Fire State Aid is automatically being deposited annually. Guetzkow said she is not opposed to an increase, but she would like direction from the auditors or Northland Securities. She would like the operational issues at the fire station addressed before any benefit increase is made. She said there would be a mass exit of close to retirement fire fighters. Pawelk agreed with Guetzkow. He is not in favor of doubling the amount. No motion was made.  Northland Securities. She would like the operational issues at the fire station addressed before any benefit increase is made. She said there would be a mass exit of close to retirement fire fighters. Pawelk agreed with Guetzkow. He is not in favor of doubling the amount. No motion was made. 5.C. Consider Authorizing Steps Toward Revocation Of CUP Interim City Administrator Jeff O’Neill said that Crius Corporation has not upheld their requirements for the conditional use permit (CUP) which expired on July 19, 2021. It has been recommended by the City Planner and City Attorney that the process for revocation of the CUP begins due to the non- compliance of Crius Corporation. As of today, progress has not been made toward compliance. Mark Elliot with Crius Corp addressed council and said the only item left to complete is reduction of the tank size. He explained that the company was shut down during 2020 due to COVID. Elliot has proposed painting the tank the same color as the building, shortening the tank, or possibly bringing the tank inside the building. O’Neill read an update from the City Planner that the fence has not been fully installed, there is unfinished paving and other items are incomplete in accordance with the CUP. Council Member Pawelk said council has always tried to be as accommodating as possible and with one extension already granted, he feels they have been accommodating. Guetzkow agreed with Pawelk. She does not want to create work for staff and the City Attorney, but she is wondering how far out a public hearing would be. O’Neill said he is not sure the timing but can consult with the City Attorney in hopes that Elliot would be in compliance by then. Walters said a precedent is set when there are deadlines and they are not met. Mayor Washburn said he believes the City has gone above and beyond already. The history at this site makes it hard to trust that items will be completed. Washburn would like to see the steps taken toward revocation of CUP. GUETZKOW MOVED, PAWELK SECONDED A MOTION DIRECT STAFF TO HAVE CITY ATTORNEY BEGIN PREPARING STEPS FOR POTENTIAL ACTION AND REVOCATION OF CUP PREVIOUSLY GRANTED TO CRIUS CORPORATION. MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 6. Other Reports Interim City Administrator O’Neill updated on: The City Administrator interview process. The drought conditions – no change. Scott Loomis has agreed to delay sod installation until late August to conserve water. Point source implementation grant funds. Mayor Washburn has been working with the Senate and House committees to hopefully get a visit to our wastewater treatment facility. The teambuilding process for staff – surveys are complete. Carver County Sheriff’s department follow-up. Additional traffic stops on Madison Avenue and speed signs installed on Madison. The State of Minnesota has funds available through the Legacy Grant Program. O’Neill said there is open space along the Crow River that would qualify for purchase. The minimum match is 10% and the value must be through an appraisal. The deadline is September 20. Pawelk updated there is a Wildflower Community Engagement Session on August 18 at 6:30. Council praised the final completion on the Sugarbush park relocation.  space along the Crow River that would qualify for purchase. The minimum match is 10% and the value must be through an appraisal. The deadline is September 20. Pawelk updated there is a Wildflower Community Engagement Session on August 18 at 6:30. Council praised the final completion on the Sugarbush park relocation. Guetzkow updated the community education catalog will be in the mailboxes later this week. Rails to Trails was a great success. Guetzkow thanked the Lions, city staff, volunteers, and the community members. Walters thanked the public works supervisor, Mike Dressel, for his nice work on the repairs at the dog park. He commended Dressel on how beautiful the park is. Walters stated there is a large amount of community members using the dog park from Waconia and Delano. Washburn updated that the commission on aging met on August 4. He stated the commission has a very broad variety of topics. Washburn said data has been pulled from the speed signs in town. Madison shows there is “rush hour” speeding and a graph was shown. Washburn also showed a visual of Newtown Avenue which showed more speeding than Madison. Washburn stressed that community education is important, and the city will continue to educate and encouraged residents to call in complaints and crime. 7. Claims 7.A. Approve Claims Roster For 2021 Budget WALTERS MOVED, GUETZKOW SECONDED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2021 CLAIMS. MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 8. Adjournment GUETZKOW MOVED, WALTERS SECONDED A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:12 PM. MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 ________________________________________________________ Steve Washburn, Mayor ATTEST:__________________________________________________ Lynn Tschudi, Admin. Services Director