City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council T Regular Meeting Mayor Michael Walters Adam Pawelk F Fred McGuire Dan Schuette Kay Thul 1. Call To Order And Roll Call R A 9/3/2024 - Minutes Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the special meeting of the Watertown City Council was called to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 6:32 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, by Mayor Mike Walters. Councilmembers present: Mike Walters, Adam Pawelk, Kay Thul, Fred McGuire. D Councilmember(s) absent: Dan Schuette City staff present: City Administrator Jake Foster, Administrative Services Director Michael Sommerfeld, City Engineer Philip Schrupp and Utilities Superintendent Doug Kammerer. Others present: Jim Kasheimer 2. Adopt Agenda COUNCILMEMBER KAY THUL MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER FRED MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval COUNCILMEMBER ADAM PAWELK MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER MCGUIRE SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 3.A. 3A - Minutes - August 27, 2024 - Regular Meeting 3.B. 3B - Minutes - August 27, 2024 - Work Session 4. Open Forum No expressed interest.  3.B. 3B - Minutes - August 27, 2024 - Work Session 4. Open Forum No expressed interest. 5. New/Old Business 5.A. 5A - Sanitary Sewer Extension And Water Tower Bid Awards City Administrator Jake Foster presents the RFA Sewer Extension and Water Tower Project. T Mayor Walters asks if we were to separate the sewer extension, how would we parse it out. Jake Foster responded, the water tower would likely need to be re-bid to include the portion of the sewer extensoin project that is necessary for the water tower. He added that the bid would almost certainly incur additional costs, such as prevailing wage, that currently only apply to the water tower F due to state funding. Councilmember Thul asked if prevailing wage would apply to current sewer extension. Jake answered that it would not. He continued to address previous questions about adding larger A septic properties when developing southward, in lieu of sewer extension. To balance the Comprehensive Plan, high density would need to be added to counter the low density or large acreage, rural estate type properties. Other areas of the City are guided for rural estate, but must have certain property attributes. To change the comp plan, it would have to go through Met Council for approval. R Councilmember Pawelk brings up the benefits of the sewer extension beyond the potential for housing south of 30th Street. It would support developments in process currently and alleviate the potential for sewer backups for lift stations to its west. Jake Foster continues with presentation, detailing cost breakdown as well as current and proposed sanitary sewer conditions and benefits. He outlined what revenues would come with the current and D potential development. Mayor Walters states that Council is somewhat blindsided by the new talking point of issues with potential sewer backup. Other Councilmembers agree. The mayor states that the issues with bottlenecking and capacity should have been brought up with development discussions for the Cove and others in that area. Mayor Walters then asks clarifying questions about cost breakdown. He asks if any grant money would be available for sewer. Wants it on the record that the City has sought and is still pursuing the tax exemption bill for public project contractors which would lower costs retroactively on the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Tower/Sewer Extension. Councilmember McGuire considers deferral of general fund projects, such as mill and overlay, until grant money is available to lessen pressures on residents due to the costs of many concurrent projects. Mayor Walter asks what the impacts are on utility rates. Jake outlines some savings when compared to the pre-bid forecasts. He adds that growth of households will reduce the impact on projected rates. Mayor Walters summarizes that the combined project costs minus grants is still within the range of the original planned cost of the water tower project. Councilmember Pawelk discusses the likely rise in costs per resident if growth were stifled. He would only approve this project for the sake of immediate concerns though, not for the potential development in the future. Mayor Walters agrees that this project is about current needs, not the hopes for expansion. That would be a bonus, but not a driving factor.  Councilmember Pawelk discusses the likely rise in costs per resident if growth were stifled. He would only approve this project for the sake of immediate concerns though, not for the potential development in the future. Mayor Walters agrees that this project is about current needs, not the hopes for expansion. That would be a bonus, but not a driving factor. Jake Foster reiterates the only sewer extension costs that are unrelated to and necessary for the water tower project, are the $600,000 outlined in the RFA. COUNCILMEMBER MCGUIRE MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION #2024-40 AWARDING THE SANITARY SEWER EXTENSION PROJECT CONSTRUCTION TO THE LOW BIDDER: R.L. LARSON EXCAVATING, INC. WITH A TOTAL BASE BID AMOUNT OF $2,150,157.13; AND RESOLUTION #2024-41 AWARDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 750,000-GALLON WATER TOWER PROJECT TO T THE LOW BIDDER: LANDMARK STRUCTURES I, LP WITH A TOTAL BASE BID AMOUNT OF $5,127,000.00. COUNCILMEMBER PAWELK SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 6. Other Reports AF City Administrator Jake Foster discussed his transition process with Chief Hanson. 7. Claims R 8. Adjournment COUNCILMEMBER PAWELK MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 7:43 PM. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 4-0 D 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 ________________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor ATTEST:__________________________________________________ Jake Foster, City Administrator