City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council T Regular Meeting Mayor Michael Walters Kay Thul F Adam Pawelk Fred McGuire Dan Schuette A 1/24/2023 - Minutes 1. Call To Order And Roll Call R 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 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, by Mayor Michael Walters. Councilmembers present: Mike Walters, Fred McGuire, and Adam Pawelk, D Councilmembers absent: Kay Thul and Dan Schuette. City Staff present: City Administrator Jake Foster, Public Works Superintendent Mike Dressel, Deputy Cripps (Carver Count Sheriff’s Office), Tom Hanson Fire Chief, and Administrative Services Director Maggie Reisdorf. Others Present: Lindsay Zumbrunnen. 2. Adopt Agenda COUNCILMEMBER PAWELK MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 3-0. 3. Recognition Of Former Council Member Zumbrunnen And Former Mayor Washburn Walters recognized former councilmember Lindsay Zumbrunnen for her time and dedication on the Watertown City Council over the past nine years. He stated that the community is a better place than it was 10 years ago because of the dedication and commitment to the city. He said that he appreciated her hard work and service to the city. Pawelk thanked Lindsay Zumbrunnen for her dedication and insight that she provided on the City Council. He wished her the best and thanked her for her service. Zumbrunnen thanked the City Council for their words of appreciation and said that she enjoyed her time on the City Council and the wonderful things that the were accomplished during her time serving. She wished everyone well.  He wished her the best and thanked her for her service. Zumbrunnen thanked the City Council for their words of appreciation and said that she enjoyed her time on the City Council and the wonderful things that the were accomplished during her time serving. She wished everyone well. 4. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval COUNCILMEMBER MCGUIRE MOVED TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. PAWELK SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 3-0. 4.A. 3A - November 29, 2022 City Council Meeting Minutes T 4.B. 3B - November 29, 2022 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes 4.C. 3C - January 10, 2023 City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes 4.D. 3D -January 10, 2023 City Council Meeting Minutes F 4.E. 3E - Step Increase For Logan Pysick 4.F. 3F - Full-Time Chief JD And Recruitment A 4.G. 3G - Employee Handbook Revisions 4.H. 3H - PTO For Hourly Snow Removal Workers 5. Open Forum R Walters informed that at the second City Council meeting of each month, the Watertown Fire Chief and Watertown Sheriff’s Deputy would attend the meeting to provide an update to the city and be available to answer any questions from the City Council and/or residents. He said that goal of this being to increase communication and connect with the community. D Sheriff’s Deputy Cripps introduced himself and stated that this is his third year working within the City of Watertown and that he is happy to be dedicated to the City of Watertown. He said that City Council and staff relationships are positive and is working well. He asked residents to come as questions at the City Council meeting if they have any. He said that every year he drafts a “City Work Plan” document and welcomed community input on the document goals. He stated that he would be more than happy to explain department policies and procedures. Cripps explained that he wanted to improve communications and help reduce miscommunication. He concluded by telling residents to call the sheriff’s department if they see something. McGuire asked what issues the City of Watertown is currently dealing with the most. Cripps stated that speeding/driving complaints are the most common. He added that there are some drug concerns and theft as well. He said that drugs range from marijuana to meth. He explained that the Sheriff’s Department is familiar with those responsible and that they continuously monitor. He says they are aware of reoccurring places and work with the drug task force on these cases. As far as speeding/traffic concerns, he said that efforts are in place to get people to slow down coming into town for safety reasons. Pawelk mentioned that he gets similar complaints about speeding. He said that he appreciates the idea of not being able to catch everyone who is speeding. He said that he isn’t as concerned about the highway traffic as much as the residential areas. He expressed appreciation for the use of the unmarked vehicle in the past. Pawelk stated that continuing to create a presence throughout the community is important to building trust. He said that he is looking forward to the opportunity for residents to come in and connect at City Council meetings. He thanks Deputy Cripps for his time. Walters expressed appreciation for Cripps’ hard work and dedication to the community. He thanked him for taking time to attend the City Council meeting. Deputy Cripps agreed that coming to meetings will provide a good opportunity for residents to reach out and  City Council meetings. He thanks Deputy Cripps for his time. Walters expressed appreciation for Cripps’ hard work and dedication to the community. He thanked him for taking time to attend the City Council meeting. Deputy Cripps agreed that coming to meetings will provide a good opportunity for residents to reach out and connect. Fire Chief, Hanson introduced himself. He started with a recap of 2022 as it relates to fire department operations. Hanson provided trend data between the years of 2021 and 2022 as far as calls for service, He said that on average, calls for a year is generally around 450 calls. He said that in 2022, there were 570 calls for service. T He reviewed that most calls are EMS or medical calls and that others include fire calls, car accident calls and hazardous/alarm calls. Hanson explained that there was a substantial increase in calls compared to the average and even so the department handled responding to the calls very well. F He discussed that the fire department uses different response models for responding to calls including the station crew model and duty crew model. Hanson said that for 2023, staff is reviewing capital needs and doing other general planning. A He provided an update on his visit to the Minnesota State Capital “Legislative Day at the Capital” and discussions with state representatives on important fire department related items including the funding of Fire Safety Accounts and the commitment to taking care of the state’s firefighters. Pawelk referenced a consent agenda item that was approved relating to the approval of the full-time fire chief R job description and recruitment process. He asked Hanson for an update on the Ladder truck that was approved in 2022. Hanson said that the construction of the truck seems to be “on schedule” for completion for June 2024. He explained it could be a little sooner. D McGuire asked what the window was for highest calls. Hanson stated that because the City of Watertown is a bedroom community, most calls tend to be between 1 pm – 11 pm. McGuire asked if most of the calls come from the assisted living homes. Hanson confirmed that calls come from the assisted living homes, but that the community is continuing to grow and so calls for service continue to grow as well. Walters thanked Hanson for being at the meeting and said that he appreciated his dedication. 6. New/Old Business 6.A. 5A - Sugarbush Playground Phase 2 Dressel introduced this item to the City Council for review and discussion. He explained that at the March 23, 2021 City Council meeting, that the City Council approved the acquisition of playground equipment for the phase I of the Sugarbush playground project. He said that that equipment was installed during the summer of 2021. Dressel stated that the city planned to wait a couple years to complete the playground project with Phase II. He explained that Phase II would add to the current playground with the installation of additional independent play features and added buildout of the 5-12 play structure. He provided visuals of the additions. Dressel estimated the project to be about $65,000. He said that the installation would take about 1 week to complete and that during that time the park  Dressel stated that the city planned to wait a couple years to complete the playground project with Phase II. He explained that Phase II would add to the current playground with the installation of additional independent play features and added buildout of the 5-12 play structure. He provided visuals of the additions. Dressel estimated the project to be about $65,000. He said that the installation would take about 1 week to complete and that during that time the park would have to be closed to the public for safety reasons. He said that he is approaching the City Council early with the discussion because the hope (if approved) is to get it ordered in February for an installation date of August/September 2023. Dressel recommended that the City Council allow staff to obtain a quote from Flagship Recreation & Landscape Structures to determine what the cost will be for Phase II. He said it would come back to the City Council for additional discussion. T PAWELK MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE SOLICITATION OF QUOTES FOR THE PHASE II PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR SUGARBUSH PARK. MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. F 6.B. 5B - Closing Capital Account Reisdorf introduced this item to the City Council for review and discussion. A She explained that historically, the City of Watertown plans for the transfer of enterprise fund amounts from the water, sewer and stormsewer funds into a general utility capital fund that funds all planned and approved enterprise capital projects and purchases. She reviewed a recommended from the city’s financial advisor to close the 402: General Utility Capital Fund and create separate capital accounts for each utility department instead. Reisdorf explained that R it would allow for capital projects and purchases to be more directly tied to each respective account. Reisdorf reviewed the current annual transfer process and the recommended changes. She explained that the current utility capital fund account has a balance around $2,305,728.61 and D reviewed two potential scenarios to divide the funds back into separate capital fund accounts. Reisdorf recommended the scenarios that would split the funds based on future planned capital project needs. The recommendation included the following transfers: 1. Transfer of $780,728.61 from 402 Fund into the Water Capital Fund. 2. Transfer of $1,350,000 from 402 Fund into the Sewer Capital Fund. 3. Transfer of $175,000 from 402 Fund into the Storm Capital Fund Reisdorf recommended that the City Council consider the approval of Resolution 2023-04 that directs staff to close the 402: General Utility Capital Account and transfers the current balance into the separate water, sewer, and stormwater fund accounts. Pawelk asked about future capital projects and potential scenarios in which one fund may need additional funds for a project if they don’t have enough in its capital fund. Reisdorf said that a lot of projects are planned for through the capital project planning document and that staff and the City Council would still monitor and be mindful of the placement and timelines of projects. She said that if there was a situation where a fund needed additional funding that there are some options available including an interfund loan. Pawelk stated that he appreciated the additional information. MCGUIRE MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023-04 APPROVING THE CLOSURE OF FUND 402: GENERAL UTILITY CAPITAL FUND AND TRANSFER OF THE MONETARY FUNDS INTO SEPARATE FUNDS. PAWELK SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. 6.C. 5C - Utility Fund Transfers  MCGUIRE MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023-04 APPROVING THE CLOSURE OF FUND 402: GENERAL UTILITY CAPITAL FUND AND TRANSFER OF THE MONETARY FUNDS INTO SEPARATE FUNDS. PAWELK SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. 6.C. 5C - Utility Fund Transfers Reisdorf explained that this item goes with that just approved. She stated that on an annual basis a predetermined dollar amount is planned for transfer between the separate water, sewer and storm sewer into the 402 general capital fund. Reisdorf said that with the motion made to adopt Resolution 2023-04 to approve the closure of fund 402, that the transfer are no longer applicable. She recommended that the predetermined dollar amounts still T be planned for during the budget process, and instead be transferred from the specific enterprise fund into its respective capital fund. Reisdorf recommended that the City Council consider adopting Resolution 2023-05 that would approve to stop the planned transfer for 2022 and instead transfer the funds into each enterprise department’s F respective capital account fund. PAWELK MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2023-05 APPROVING TO RETROACTIVELY STOP THE PLANNED 2022 ANNUAL CAPITAL UTILITY FUND CONTRIBUTION TRANSFERS AND APPROVING THE RECOMMENDED TRANSFER INSTEAD. MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION A PASSED 3-0. 6.D. 5D- Legislative Services Agreement Foster introduced this item to the City Council. He reviewed that the city has been working with lobbyist Lockridge Gridal Nauen over the past couple years to help lobby for grants that support the city’s vital R infrastructure projects. He explained that the firm helped the city to secure $7 Million in grant funding from the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority for the city’s current Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion Project. Foster stated that the firm has been currently putting their efforts into lobbying for funds for the City’s D Water Tower #2 Project that is being planned. He explained that the lobbyists have been working directly with city State Representatives to support State funding for the project. Foster reviewed the cost of the enclosed agreement that needs to be updated and approved as the current agreement is set to expire. He said that the cost for services is $2,500 per month ($30,000 annually). He explained other contract verbiage. Foster recommended to the City Council adopting the two-year agreement that would go from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Pawelk stated that there is value in how the firm’s efforts have benefited the city. He stated that he doesn’t necessarily agree with this process in which city’s need to hire a firm to lobby for money at the State level, but understands the need to this service based on what it is and how it works. He appreciated the contract language that allows the city to reassess priorities from time to time. Foster agreed that if different priorities arise, the city council could discuss shifting the firm’s focus area at any time. Walters expressed support for the firm stating that the city has struggled in the past to communicate with leaders at the state level to prioritize the city’s grant fund applications. He said that the firm’s been able to help the city very quickly be able to obtain funding. He stated that many cities use these firms to help obtain funding. WALTERS MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGREEMENT FOR LEGISLATIVE SERVICES WITH LOCKRIDGE GRINDAL NAUEN FOR THE YEARS 2023 AND 2024. MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0.  WALTERS MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGREEMENT FOR LEGISLATIVE SERVICES WITH LOCKRIDGE GRINDAL NAUEN FOR THE YEARS 2023 AND 2024. MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. 7. Other Reports Dressel provided data to the City Council on the 2022 – 2023 snow season. He stated that he has been with the city for seven snow seasons and that this has been the busiest season so far and that the city is on track to greatly exceed the average snowfall numbers based on past years. He said that because of the weather and so much staff time spent on snow removal efforts, that the ice rinks would likely not be T available this season. Walters thanked Dressel and the public works employees for their hard work and said that he appreciated it. F Walters mentioned that he attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting recently and those in attendance expressed appreciation for all of the snow removal efforts as well. Dressel stated that the city has a hard-working crew. A Foster stated that the Planning Commission would be meeting on January 26, 2023 to discuss a variance request from the school district. Foster informed that there is a team building/goal setting session on Saturday, January 28, 2023 to discuss goals and priorities for 2023. R Foster said that at the February 14, 2023 City Council workshop meeting, the City Council and City Commissions/Committees will be invited to an informal meet and greet and discuss how the groups relate to one another and 2023 city goals and priorities. Pawelk said that the Park Commission met in annuary and discussed the installation of a Free Little D Library, the receipt of an Adopt a Park Application, and a Park Bench Donation event with Watertown Area Fine Arts Association. Walters informed that he attended the Chamber of Commerce Meeting where the County Administrator presented a “State of the County” presentation. He explained that within the presentation there was discussion on upcoming County projects within the City of Watertown including road construction safety improvements by the High School and the addition of a turn lane at Kristy Lane. 8. Claims 8.A. 7A - Claims Packet. 1.24.23 PAWELK MOVED TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 24, 2023 CLAIMS PACKET, MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. 9. Adjournment WALTERS MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:45 PM, MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION PASSED 3-0. 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 ________________________________________________________ 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 ________________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor ATTEST:__________________________________________________ Margaret Reisdorf, Admin. Services Director F T R A D