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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-19-2007 400 Special MeetingMINUTES MAPLEWOOD CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING Monday, November 19, 2007 Council Chambers, City Hall 4:00 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the City Council was held in the City Hall Council Chambers and was called to order at 4:03 p.m. by Mayor Longrie. B. ROLL CALL C. Diana Longrie, Mayor Rebecca Cave, Councilmember Erik Hjelle, Councilmember Kathleen Juenemann, Councilmember Will Rossbach, Councilmember Present Present Present at 4:18 p.m. Present at 4:07 p.m. Present APPROVAL OF AGENDA City Manager, Greg Copeland added two items to the agenda. Citizen Service's fees for 2008 and Ambulance Rates for 2008. Mayor Longrie moved to approve the agenda as amended. Seconded by Councilmember Cave. Ayes - All OLD BUSINESS a. CLOSED SESSION (4:05 — 5:20 p.m.) CoPar Inc. vs. City of Maplewood, John Baker, Greene Espel, Alan Kantrud, City Attorney a. Speakers were John Baker and Rose Lorsung (The Council Meeting continued under the Open Session at 5:22 p.m.) b. OPEN SESSION Ferndale Geranium Area Street Improvement, City Project 07 -14, Change Order 1 a. Public Works Director, Chuck Ahl gave the report and answered questions of the council. Councilmember Hjelle moved to approve the resolution for the Modification of Existing Construction Contract Change Order Number 1. November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting 1 RESOLUTION 07 -11 -195 DIRECTING MODIFICATION OF EXISTING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT PROJECT 07 -14, CHANGE ORDER 1 WHEREAS, the City Council of Maplewood, Minnesota has heretofore ordered made Improvement Project 07 -14, Ferndale Geranium Area Neighborhood Improvements, and has let a construction contract pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 429, and WHEREAS, it is now necessary and expedient that said contract be modified and designated as Improvement Project 07 -14, Change Order No. 1. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA that: 1. The mayor and city clerk are hereby authorized and directed to modify the existing contract by executing said Change Order Nos. 1 in the amount of $79,293.71. The revised contract amount is $1,555,222.86. 2. The finance director is hereby authorized to modify the project budget by making the following fund increases: Linwood Assessments: SAC Fund WAC Fund Total $40,000 (new fund) $20,000 $20,000 $80,000 IF, upon completion of the Ferndale- Geranium project, there are excess funds remaining, then the city shall repay the Sewer Fund and St. Paul WAC fund first, prior to any money going back the CIP Fund. Mayor Longrie made a friendly amendment if there are excess funds in the project when it is completed that the funds should be paid back to the SAC and WAC fund. Seconded by Councilmember Juenemann. Ayes - All E. NEW BUSINESS a. Annual Adjustment of City Fees for all Departments Resolution for Adoption of 2008 Public Work Rates, Park Charges and Recycling Rates a. Public Works Director, Chuck Ahl gave the presentation. Councilmember Juenemann moved to approve the Resolution for Adoption of the 2008 Public Works Permit Fees, Assessment Rates, Park Charges and Recycling Rates. November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting 2 RESOLUTION 07 -11 -196 ADOPTION OF THE 2008 PUBLIC WORKS PERMIT FEES, ASSESSMENT RATES, PARK CHARGES AND RECYCLING RATES WHEREAS, the City of Maplewood has established assessment rates, park charges, recycling rates and permit fees, and WHEREAS, city staff has reviewed the assessment rates, park charges, recycling rates and permit fees dated November 7 2007. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF MAPLEWOOD, MINNESOTA, that: 1. The updated assessment rates, park charges, recycling rates shall become effective beginning January 1, 2008. 2. The updated public works fees are approved for all related permit applications received after January 1, 2008. 3. The rates shown will be reviewed by staff on an annual basis with recommendations for revision brought to the city council for consideration. 4. The increase in fees is necessary due to increasing costs and a work program to improve various facilities and to cover increasing costs. The Park Availability Charge shall be increased by 10 %. This is necessary to cover increasing costs related to construction of park and trail improvements as well as increasing costs for the development of park land, including a significant increase in land values over the past year. The City has also adopted a Capital Improvement Plan that includes added expenditures for trail development and park improvements that the city will dedicate the increased fees to. Mayor Longrie made a friendly amendment that the resolution should include wording summarizing why the fees are being increased for the PAC fees. Seconded by Councilmember Hjelle. Ayes - All Public Works Director, Chuck Ahl recommended moving Ambulance Rates for 2008 ahead of the Adoption of the Environmental Utility Fund Rates for 2008 because Chief Lukin had to leave the meeting early this evening. Ambulance Rates for 2008 a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave a brief report. b. Maplewood Fire Chief, Steve Lukin answered questions of the council Council Hjelle moved to approve the Resolution Adopting the 2008 Ambulance Rates. Councilmember Hjelle recommended directing staff to look at other options and alternatives to the enterprise fund. November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting 3 Chief Lukin asked the council for clarification regarding whether the motion was to direct staff to review moving the Enterprise Fund back into the General Fund or if it was for staff to look at all options. Mayor Longrie said Councilmember Hjelle's motion was for staff to look at all options. Councilmember Juenemann asked if all options included hiring outside companies to do the ambulance work in Maplewood? Councilmember Hjelle said that was not his intention in the motion. Mayor Longrie said that was the way she understood the motion and that was what she voted for. The Mayor said to her "All Options" means "ALL OPTIONS ". Councilmember Juenemann asked City Attorney, Kantrud if the motion could be opened back up because she didn't intend to second a motion that would include hiring outside companies to take away the ambulance business from the City of Maplewood employees. City Attorney Kantrud said if a councilmember wanted to put the motion back on the table that was a possibility. Councilmember Rossbach said the Mayor interpreted Councilmember Hjelle's motion differently than the rest of the councilmember's understood the motion. Councilmember Hjelle said he did not intend his motion to mean the city should look at the option of hiring outside companies to take over the ambulance needs in Maplewood. Mayor Longrie said Councilmember Rossbach and Councilmember Juenemann were serving on the City Council in 2004 when the decision was made to move the Ambulance charges from the General Fund to an Enterprise Fund. Mayor Longrie thought maybe the issue with the Ambulance funding should be reevaluated again. After a very lengthy decision the council decided to leave the motion the way it was read and allow staff to report the findings back to the council. RESOLUTION 07 -11 -197 ADOPTING 2008 AMBULANCE RATES WHEREAS, the City of Maplewood is authorized to impose reasonable charges for emergency and paramedic ambulance services by Minnesota Statutes 471.476 and by special laws of 1978); and WHEREAS, it is fair and reasonable to charge for services rendered based upon the distance a person is transported and by type of services provided; i.e., basic or advanced life support services as defined by Medicare. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following charges shall be effective January 1, 2008. November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting 4 Base rates: Non - transport (treatment administered) $ 505.00 Basic life support ambulance services $ 1,330.00 Advanced life support ambulance services 1 $ 1,750.00 Advanced life support ambulance services 2 $ 1,930.00 Rate per mile transported $ 17.30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that there shall be no charge when the patient has not been administered treatment and is not transported, when the patient is transported to the detoxification center, or when the patient is transported in a squad car. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if more than one person is transported, the ambulance charges will be pro -rated between the people transported. Seconded by Councilmember Juenemann. Ayes — All iii. Adoption of Environmental Utility Fund (EUF) Rates for 2008 a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave a brief report. b. Public Works Director, Chuck Ahl answered questions of the council. Councilmember Juenemann moved to approve an increase in the 2008 Environmental Utility Fund rate from $12.35 per quarter per residential unit to $13.59 per residential unit. Seconded by Councilmember Rossbach. Ayes — Councilmembers Hjelle, Juenemann, Rossbach Nays — Mayor Longrie, and Councilmember Cave Mavor Lonarie said for the record. she was one of the few citizens that attended the Environmental Utility meetings in 2003 and she was very concerned about how those fees would increase over the years. The schedule of rate increases has not been adhered to and in fact the fees have actually doubled which the Mayor said concerns her. Mayor Longrie felt this fund should be self - sustaining and she said it has bothered her that the City of Maplewood has been borrowing against this fund for money the city hasn't even collected yet. iv. Increase in Inspections, Planning and Building Operations Department Service Charges a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave a brief report. b. Building Official, Dave Fisher answered questions of the council. Councilmember Cave moved to approve (1) increases in the Inspections, Planning and Building Operations Department Service Charges as listed in (Exhibit A in the staff report) effective January 1, 2008, and (2) approve the increases in the permit fees. These fees will increase for 2008 but will remain the same in 2009. Seconded by Councilmember Rossbach. Ayes — All November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting 5 V. Sanitary Sewer Rates for 2008 a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave a brief report. b. Public Works Director, Chuck Ahl answered questions of the council. Councilmember Cave moved to approve the sanitary sewer rate increase by 5% effective January 1, 2008, to provide the revenues anticipated in the 2008 Budget. Seconded by Councilmember Juenemann. Ayes - All vi. Citizen Services Fees for 2008 a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave the report. Councilmember Cave moved to approve the Citizen Services Department, License and Permit Charges with an increase in fees of 3.2% for 2008. Seconded by Councilmember Juenemann. Ayes — All b. 2008 -2012 Capital Improvement Plan a. Finance and Administration Manager, Bob Mittet gave the report. Councilmember Rossbach moved to approve the adoption of the CIP as amended herein. Seconded by Councilmember Juenemann. Ayes — Councilmembers Cave, Hjelle, Juenemann, Rossbach Nay — Mayor Longrie Mayor Longrie said she has always been concerned about the amount of debt the City of Maplewood is incurring and the lack of priorities she feels are being set for road projects. Mayor Longrie said she questions whether or not the city should go back to seal coating city streets to help preserve the streets in order to keep from havina to do total road reconstruction or to at least prolong that process. F. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Longrie moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:33 p.m. November 19, 2007, Special City Council Meeting N .