City Council Meetings

Watertown City Council T Regular Meeting Mayor Michael Walters Deborah Everson F Jim Kasheimer Fred McGuire Kay Thul A 3/11/2025 - 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, March, 11, 2025, by Mayor Mike Walters. Councilmembers present: Mike Walters, Kay Thul, Jim Kasheimer, Fred McGuire and Deborah Everson D Councilmember(s) absent: None City staff present: City Administrator Dan Tolsma, Administrative Services Director Michael Sommerfeld and City Engineer Phillip Schrupp 2. Adopt Agenda City Administrator Tolsma added the Community Grant partnership initiative through Carver County to the agenda as item 5C. COUNCILMEMBER FRED MCGUIRE MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. COUNCILMEMBER JIM KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3. Consent Agenda Discussion And Approval COUNCILMEMBER DEBORAH EVERSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH CORRECTION TO JERRY BRUNNER, NOT JOE BRUNNER IN THE WORK SESSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 25, 2025. COUNCILMEMBER KAY THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 3.A. 3A - February 25, 2025 Work Session Minutes 3.B. 3B - February 25, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes 3.C. 3C - RFA - Step Movement For Connie Kammerer  3.A. 3A - February 25, 2025 Work Session Minutes 3.B. 3B - February 25, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes 3.C. 3C - RFA - Step Movement For Connie Kammerer 3.D. 3D - RFA - Wastewater Treatment Facility Project Pay App No. 34 3.E. 3E - RFA - Water Tower Pay Application No 4 4. Open Forum T 5. New/Old Business Carver County Sheriff's Deputy Buckintine gave a reporting that in January the nice weather brought out people for crimes of opportunity. Multiple vehicles had been gone through and tampered with at that time. One incident was a catalytic converter was stolen off a vehicle. Just want to remind people to keep their F vehicles locked and keep an eye on their property and their possessions. Deputy Buckintine also would like to remind everyone to be aware of pedestrians and kids now that the nicer weather brings out. 5.A. 5A - RFA - 2025 Mill And Overlay Project A City Engineer Phillip Schrupp presented on the Mill and Overlay project looking to approve plans and specifications and authorize bidding for the 2025 mill and overlay project. The project includes the mill and overlay of three city-owned parking lots along Lewis Avenue. There are also two alternates on the project, the first is to address settlement and drainage issues on R Castle Ridge Road, and the second is to replace two manhole structures on Lewis Avenue to reduce groundwater entering the sanitary sewer system. The opening of bids would occur on April 2nd, and then the project could be awarded at the April 8th meeting. D COUNCILMEMBER THUL MOVED TO APPROVE THE 2025 MILL AND OVERLAY PLANS & SPECIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZE SOLICITATION OF BIDS. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 5.B. 5B - RFA - Temporary Short-Term Parking Signage At 105 Lewis Ave S. Mayor Walters gave an overview of the issue and discussed some of the history of downtown parking regulations. Administrator Tolsma presented the Council with a map that indicated where signage had been in the past based on physical evidence in the sidewalks. Tolsma also briefly gave a recap of what staff was able to piece together for official Council actions related to downtown parking and signage, including a resolution in 2015 that removed timed parking from 201 Lewis Avenue, and another one in 2016 that that would have added timed parking on the 100 block of Lewis Avenue. Councilmember Everson noted that the 2016 resolution failed due to a lack a motion and so was never implemented. Walters noted that his primary concern was related to the timed signage that was removed from the corridor in 2016 or 2017 without any Council authorization. Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce President Kyle Jarvis recalled that he had a discussion with previous City Administrator Shane Fineran sometime around 2016 about removing some timed parking signs near his office. Kyle stated that he had expressed to Shane that he did not have strong opinions about the removal of the signage, but that the extent of their conversation was only related to those specific signs. Councilmember Everson noted that her primary concern is that the City is not following its own code regarding the temporary signage that currently exists in front of Crow River Liquors. Everson read code section 48-16 as it relates to temporary signage on public property and noted that there is a time limit of 30 days, which has already been exceeded. Crow River Liquor Store owner Raj Kumar spoke on that he would like to keep the temporary signage near his store as it has made an impact on his current sales.  regarding the temporary signage that currently exists in front of Crow River Liquors. Everson read code section 48-16 as it relates to temporary signage on public property and noted that there is a time limit of 30 days, which has already been exceeded. Crow River Liquor Store owner Raj Kumar spoke on that he would like to keep the temporary signage near his store as it has made an impact on his current sales. COUNCILMEMBER EVERSON MOVED TO REQUEST THE IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF THE TEMPORARY SIGNAGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 48-16. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. City Council continued discussing the merits of allowing for the continuation of temporary signage in the meantime until a longer-term solution is figured out. Administrator Tolsma proposes temporary signage T under code section 48-16 up through and including St. Patrick's Day with potential action by the Council at next meeting to resolve the questions about the long-term options. Councilmember Everson reminded the Council that there is a motion on the floor and that it should be acted upon before discussing other options. F MOTION CARRIES 4-1 (Councilmembers Everson, Thul, McGuire and Kasheimer voting Aye - Mayor Walters voting Nay) 6. Other Reports A 5.C. Community Grant. City Administrator Tolsma presented two competitive grants for economic expansion projects in Watertown through the Carver County Community Grant partnership initiative through Carver County. We need to select one that the council is in favor of to move forward for this process. R COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO RECOMMEND 709 JEFFERSON AVENUE LLC TO RECEIVE THE COMMUNITY GRANT. COUNCILMEMBER KASHEIMER SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 D Interim Public Services Superintendent Mike Loehrs reported on information on EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) trees. 2025 trees were marked last fall of 2024, and removal was just finished up. We are trying to find a contractor to get quotes and timing to take down the three trees up in the power lines. We will grind out all the stumps, we put black dirt and then grass seed. Those choosing trees to be replaced will be in mid- October after placement of tree is approved. Mike Loehrs also continued with reporting on this year's tree trimming. Postcards have been sent out along with putting it in the February newsletter. It is pretty much the west side of Madison Street SW to Rio Road, and then Highway 25 to Angel Avenue SW. City Administrator Tolsma reported that first review deadline for the new Public Services Superintendent will be next Thursday. Tolsma also noted that the Park Board Commission will be meeting next week. The Planning Commission have two site plan applications, but they will be going on the April meeting. Councilmember Thul noted that the League of Minnesota Cities has some big housing and zoning authority bills right now. The current trend is they really want to take all of the zoning decisions out of the local decision-making bodies, which means public opinion does not matter. It just depends on what they say in St. Paul. So, I'm encouraging anyone that watches these meetings, you could go to a site called the League of Minnesota Cities. They have information about these laws and feel free to contact your elected officials about them. Councilmember Everson gave a shout out congratulations that Watertown was featured on Minnesota Bound. Rick Johnson Park and Crow River, they were doing some fishing and then were at Famer's Plate to eat.  League of Minnesota Cities. They have information about these laws and feel free to contact your elected officials about them. Councilmember Everson gave a shout out congratulations that Watertown was featured on Minnesota Bound. Rick Johnson Park and Crow River, they were doing some fishing and then were at Famer's Plate to eat. Mayor Walters also gave a shout out to the Watertown-Mayer Wrestling team who for the first time in school history won the State Class AA Championship. 7. Claims COUNCILMEMBER MCGUIRE MOVED TO APPROVE THE CLAIMS ROSTER AS PRESENTED. T COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 7.A. 7A - Claims F 8. Adjournment COUNCILMEMBER WALTERS MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 8:50 P.M. COUNCILMEMBER THUL SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED 5-0 A 309 Lewis Avenue South; P.O. Box 279, Watertown, MN 55388 R _________________________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________________________ Michael Walters, Mayor D Dan Tolsma, City Administrator