09-27-10 CCITEM 3-2
OTSEGO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
OTSEGO CITY HALL
SEPTEMBER 27, 2010
7:00 PM
1 Mayor Jessica Stockamp will call the meeting to order.
Mayor Stockamp called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM.
Roll Call: Mayor Jessica Stockamp; Councilmembers: Vern Heidner, Dan Scharber, Tom
Darkenwald and Doug Schroeder.
Staff: Mike Robertson, City Administrator; Tami Loff, City Clerk; Gary Groen, Finance Director;
Daniel Licht, City Planner; Ron Wagner, City Engineer; Andy MacArthur, City Attorney.
Pledge of Allegiance: Mayor Stockamp led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
2 Consider agenda approval.
City Engineer Wagner requested to remove item 5.3 and add item 9.1 Island View Storm Water
Issue. CM Scharber requested to add item 12.2 HPC Grant. CM Darkenwald requested to add
item 11.2 Wright County Mayors Meeting.
CM Scharber motioned to approve. Seconded by CM Heidner. All in favor. Motion
carried.
3 Consider the following minutes.
3.1. September 13 2010 Workshop.
CM Heidner motioned to approve as written. Seconded by CM Scharber. All in favor.
Motion carried.
3.2. September 13 2010 City Council Meeting.
CM Heidner motioned to approve. Seconded by CM Schroeder. City Engineer Wagner
said item 10.2. Should be changed to say quote instead of invoice. CM Heidner motioned to
modify to include changes. Seconded by CM Schroeder. All in favor. Motion carried.
4 Open Forum: (5 minute limit)
4.1. Special Presentation: Elk River School District Superintendent Mark Bezek.
Mark Bezek, ISD 728 Superintendent, reviewed the two ballot questions for the November
elections. The first is for an expiring Levy and the second is for a new Levy. CM Darkenwald
asked about the operating average per pupil. Mr. Bezek said around $1200 per pupil is the
metro average and these numbers come right off the Department of Education's website. The
City Council thanked him for coming.
4.2. Albertville: I-94/CSAH 37 Improvement.
Larry Kruse, Albertville City Administrator, said thank you for your $400,000 offer and said
Otsego's conditions would cost a lot of money that they do not have.
City Attorney MacArthur said he talked to Otsego's Bond Counsel Mary Ippel, regarding the
funding options. The only thing would be a street reconstruction bond that would have to be
based on amount of land in Otsego's jurisdiction. That is estimated by City Engineer Wagner to
be about 2 percent which is about $200,000. Would it be a legal expenditure of the city? He's
looking for Albertville bond counsel to tell Otsego how we can do it. Mr. Kruse said they could
do that.
Mayor Stockamp said she is disappointed that it's already the 27"' and we still have not heard
back on this issue.
City Council Meeting September 27, 2010. Page 2.
CM Heidner said he is disappointed in the tone of letter sent to the County.
Heather Eidem, New River Medical Center, said for the upcoming elections they will have 4
positions up for election. Robert VanDenBerg has applied for Otsego. She also stated that they
were present at the Festival and had a good time and Rose and the Festival Committee did a
great job. CM Heidner asked about the Hospital proposed 2011 tax levy, will they reduce the
levy as planned. Ms. Eidem said she will get back to the City Council with that information.
Brian Byrnes, Otsego Rod and Custom, thanked the Council for their support and said they had
a new record of 161 cars entered at the Festival.
5. Consent Agenda (Non -controversial items).
5.1. Approve Claims List.
5.2. Approve Wildflower Meadows Escrow refund in the amount of $52,243.27.
5.3. Approve Pay Estimate #1 in the amount of $132,721.79 for 2010 Street
Maintenance -REMOVED
5.4. Approve Resolution 2010-36 setting a Public Hearing for Assessment for unpaid
Utility Billing Accounts and Escrow Accounts related to development.
5.5. Received August 11, 2010 Parks & Rec Commission Minutes.
5.6. Received August 12, 2010 HPC Minutes.
5.7. Received August 17, 2010 Police Commission Minutes.
CM Scharber motioned to approve with removal of item 5.3. Seconded by CM
Heidner. All in favor. Motion carried.
6. Unfinished Business.
No items.
7. Public Works.
CM Heidner said the tree at the corner of Kahler Avenue and Kadler Avenue has branches that
are obstructing the view.
8. Daniel Licht, City Planner.
CM Heidner said he would like to see a letter written to the Hospital District about reducing the
levy down to zero as planned. CM Darkenwald asked when this was implemented. City Planner
Licht said last year. City Council agreed to have City Planner Licht write a letter.
9. Ron Wagner City Engineer.
9.1. Island View Storm Water Issues
City Engineer Wagner said he received a call from a resident from Island View regarding a
storm water pond that is elevated. He and Public Works Supervisor went to check it out. The
golf course pulled out some cat tails and the pond is now flowing. They also went to the pond
north of that and the clay drain tile is plugged. City Engineer Wagner said the issue is ongoing
if we can't get the drain tile fixed. CM Heidner said he has heard from residents that live there
that they didn't have that issue until the golf course went in. CM Scharber said the golf course
has been there ten years so it's probably the drain tile.CM Heidner asked what the cost is. City
Engineer Wagner said he would have to look at it.
City Council Meeting September 27, 2010. Page 3.
City Engineer Wagner said there is another storm water issue on the northwest corner of
Kadler. There was a handmade catch basin which collapsed and had to be dug out. City
Engineer Wagner said in a few years there may be an issue with the road itself if this is not
fixed. Mayor Stockamp asked is this a city issue also. City Engineer Wagner said yes.
CM Scharber motioned to proceed with both issues. Seconded by CM Heidner. All in
favor. Motion carried.
CM Scharber said if the County had not done the road reconstruction on CSAH 36 the water
would be over the road.
10 Andrew MacArthur, City Attorney.
City Attorney MacArthur said the appeal was filed for the hospital petition to the Supreme
Court. Mayor Stockamp asked about the letter that was talked about to send out to the
surrounding cities seeking support. The City Council agreed to wait until the next meeting. Staff
will bring back a letter to the next meeting to review.
11. Council Items.
11.1. Request to allow Snowmobile Club to use the PW Building for Snowmobile
training this winter.
Mayor Stockamp said she was contacted by Otsego Great River Riders Snowmobile Club asking
to use the Public Works Facility for training again this winter. Mayor Stockamp said she would
be able to be at the meeting. CM Heidner said he would like to check with Public Works
Supervisor Belair if there were any issues last year. CM Scharber asked how we are determining
what organizations can access city facilities and who cannot. Mayor Stockamp said one of the
restrictions is that they would open up the training to Otsego residents first.
Mayor Stockamp motioned to approve Otsego Great River Riders Snowmobile Club
use of the PW Building for training contingent on checking with Brad Belair.
Seconded by CM Scharber. All in favor. Motion carried.
11.2. Wright County Mayors meeting.
CM Darkenwald said he attended the last Wright County Mayors meeting and learned that the
Buffalo Mayor is retiring. He is the current representative of the Region 7W Board so that
position is opening up. City Engineer Wagner said that they have to have one person
representing the cities and that in the past it has always been a Mayor. CM Heidner asked how
you nominate people. The City Council can nominate one of their members and send it on for
the Wright County Mayors association to decide.
CM Heidner moved to nominate CM Darkenwald. Seconded by CM Scharber. Mayor
Stockamp said she is not going to vote on this since CM Darkenwald is up for re-election. City
Council agreed to wait until the November 8"' meeting. CM Heidner moved to withdraw his
motion. Seconded by CM Scharber.
CM Scharber said that a letter needs to be written on why we are nominating CM Darkenwald.
City Council agreed to have City Planner Licht write the letter.
12 Mike Robertson, City Administrator.
12.1. Minnesota Twins Fence Grant.
City Administrator Robertson said that the city received a grant of $5000 from the Minnesota
Twins and that he has emailed the Youth Baseball Association who said they would match it.
City Council Meeting September 27, 2010. Page 4.
They are going to add this action to their next meeting. Public Works Supervisor Belair is
checking if this can go this fall. Total cost of project would be around $22,000. CM Scharber
asked what fund would this come out of. Finance Director Groen said the Community Facilities
fund. Mayor Stockamp asked about the Little League request for a ball field. City Administrator
Robertson said they brought in their list of volunteers and said they are willing to construct a
ball field if we provide the land. CM Scharber asked where we would put this. City Administrator
Robertson said in the back of Prairie Park. Cost estimate was $150-$200,000.
12.2 HPC Grant.
City Planner Licht reviewed the grant that the Heritage Preservation Commission received for
the digitalization of their records.
13. Gary Groen, Finance Director.
Finance Director Groen said that the notices for the Public Hearing on delinquent water and
sewer bills were mailed out and it is set for October 11, 2010 at 7 PM.
14. Tami Loff, City Clerk.
No items.
15. Adjourn by 10 PM.
CM Scharber asked when we are going to review Wildflowers request. City Planner Licht said we
have not received a formal request.
City Engineer Wagner said the Safe Route to School project is at the State to be reviewed.
CM Heidner said that he learned of a computer virus that is affecting SCADA systems. CM
Heidner said he talked to Rob Snavely and he doesn't do any work at the WWTF. City
Administrator Robertson said he will check into it.
Mayor Stockamp said that the next City Council meeting she would like to formally thank the
Otsego Festival Committee and Otsego Rod and Custom. Mayor Stockamp said the Festival
went very well there were a few traffic issues that she has talked to PW Supervisor Belair about
already. Mayor Stockamp said she was asked about the Festival Committee using city hall for a
wrap up meeting and does the Council agree. The City Council agreed.
CM Scharber motioned to adjourn. Seconded by CM Darkenwald. All in favor. Motion
carried. Adjourned at 8:44 PM.
Mayor Jessica Stockamp
ATTEST:
Tami Loff, City Clerk