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City Council Minutes 04-08-1985MINUTES REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL April 8, 1985 - 7:30 P.M. Members Present: Mayor Arve Grimsmo, Fran Fair, Bill Fair, Jack Maxwell, Dan Blonigen. 1. Call to Order. 2. Approval of Minutes. A motion was made by Bill Fair, seconded by Blonigen to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held on March 25, 1985. Voting in favor were Fair, Blonigen, Maxwell and Fran Fair with Grimsmo abstaining due to his absence at the last meeting. 4. Consideration of Ordinance Amendment to Section 9-1-5: Protection and Preservation of City Streets. Public Works Director, John Simola, reviewed with the Council the City's current ordinances regarding load limits on City streets and noted that the current regulations limit axle weight load to a maximum of 4 tons on any City street. Numerous violations occur every day as many vehicles delivering freight or such trucks as cement trucks and gravel trucks would be in excess of 4 tons. In an attempt to lessen the violations occurring on City streets, the City Engineer has drafted a map indicating the weight limits for all of the City streets. Based on the map, the Public Works Director recommended that the City ordinances be amended increasing from 4 ton to 5 ton the maximum load limit permissible and also that the Council adopt the current street design capacity map regulating loads in excess of 5 ton. In addition, the ordinance amendment would reduce load limits upon City streets during Spring road restrictions. A motion was made by Blonigen, seconded by Maxwell and unanimous- ly carried to adopt Ordinance Amendment #146 pertaining to load limits on City streets. See Ordinance Amendment #146. 5. Consideration of Vacating Portions of Sixth Street, Seventh Street, Hennepin Street, Washington Street, and Fallon Avenue, Also Known as the Old Copland Road, All Lying Within the Proposed Construction 5 Addition. Construction 5, Inc. is in the process of subdividing their property,formally known as Blocks 47, 48, 49, 41 and 51 into a new division for commercial and multiple dwellings. As part - 1 - Council Minutes - 4/8/85 of the subdivision request, the City would be required to vacate portions of Sixth Street, Seventh Street, Hennepin Street, Washington Street and Fallon Avenue, which are currently undeveloped and the replatting would rededicate the streets for extending Lauring Lane to Fallon Avenue. A motion was made by Fran Fair, seconded by Bill Fair and unanimously carried to vacate portions of Sixth Street, Seventh Street, Hennepin Street, Washington Street and Fallon Avenue located within the proposed division known as Construction 5 Addition. All necessary utility easements within these platted streets will be retained by the City. 6. Consideration of Granting Final Approval to the Final Plat for Construction 5 Addition. The final plat for the Construction 5 Addition has been reviewed by the Planning Commission and recommended for approval con- tingent upon an agreement being attached to the subdivision that would allow no outdoor storage within the platted area and that screening/planting plan be established for the lots fronting on I-94. In addition, the City Planner and the Planning Commission recommended that some type of architect- ural controls be established within this plat for all future buildings that would be exposed to I-94. The proposed plat extends to Lauring Lane and Fallon Avenue and provides for 7 lots. A motion was made by Blonigen, seconded by Maxwell and unani- mously carried to approve the final plat as presented with restrictive covenants attached to the plat providing for plantings/screenings along I-94 and an Architectural --Control Review Board being established to review future buildings. 7. Consideration of Granting Approval for a Conditional Use Permit to Allow a Multiple Dwelling in Excess of 12 Units - Applicant, Construction 5. Construction 5, Inc. requested a conditional use request to construct an 18 unit multiple dwelling on Lot 1, Block 2 of the newly created Construction 5 subdivision. The con- ditional use request was approved by the Planning Commission contingent upon additional plantings being established behind the proposed 18 unit garage structure to screen the facility from Lauring Lane. A motion was made by Maxwell, seconded by Fran Fair and unani- mously carried to approve the conditional use permit for an 18 unit apartment building contingent upon an additional landscaping plan being presented providing additional plantings to screen the garages from Lauring Lane. - 2 - Council Minutes - 4/8/85 8. Consideration of Authorizing Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban, Inc., Consulting Planners, to Commence a Downtown Rehabilitation Study. A presentation on a proposed Downtown Rehabilitation Study has been presented to the downtown retailers along with the Chamber of Commerce. There appears to be an interest from the downtown retailers in pursuing a study but committments from the retailers would depend upon the cost and individual obligations expected. The initial proposal presented by the Consulting Planners for Phase I of the Downtown Study involved a great deal of in- ventory analysis and base map preparation. Information such as this does little to excite the public and downtown retailers on the potential of rehabilitation and as a result, it was recommended that the Consulting Planner, during Phase I, prepare some perspective sketches along with site plan developments on how the downtown could look after rehabilitation. It was hoped that having some sketches available would generate more interest from the downtown retailers and committment to a rehabilition project. The estimated cost for this phase was $4,500. A motion was made by Fran Fair, seconded by Bill Fair and unanimously carried to authorize Consulting Planners, Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban, Inc. to commence a sketch alternative program for the Downtown Rehabilitation Program, including an area from Maple Street on the west to Palm Street on the east and Broadway Street on the north to the railroad tracks on the south for the sum of $4,500.00. 9. Consideration of Council Formal Request to OSM to Complete As - Built Drawings and Turn Over Reference Files for the WWTP Project. Consideration of Council formal request to OSM to complete as - built drawings and turn over reference files for the WWTP Project otherwise known as WWTP. Public Works Director, John Simola, informed the Council that it has been nearly two years after substantial completion of the WWTP Project and the City has yet to receive a set of acceptable asbuilt drawings or the necessary files pertaining to the construction and equipment at the Treatment Plant from the City Engineer. Mr. Simola noted that he has made numerous requests to the engineer for the completed asbuilt drawings and now requested that the Council formally request the engineer to complete the asbuilt drawings. City Engineer, John Badalich, indicated he will have the asbuilt drawings completed and acceptable to the Public Works Director by April 30, 1985. - 3 - Council Minutes - 4/8/85 10. Consideration of City Hall Roof Specifications and Authorization of Advertisement for Bids. Building Inspector, Gary Anderson, informed the Council that final plans and specifications for reroofing City Hall had been reviewed by Council Member, Dan Blonigen, and himself and had prepared for advertisement of bids. A motion was made by Bill Fair, seconded by Maxwell and unani- mously carried to approve the City Hall specifications as presented and authorize the advertisement of bids for construction. 11. Consideration of widening 7th Street and Relocating the Lighting System in Connection with the Highway 25 Project. As part of the MN. DOT proposed Hwy 25 improvement in 1986, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has indicated that a problem exists with the width and alignment of 7th St. intersection on Hwy 25. Due to the planned installation of stop lights at this intersection, MN. DOT requests that the City widen the 44 foot 7th St. west of Hwy 25 to a 52 foot width which would result in the south side of 7th St. curb and gutter being relocated an additional 8 feet to provide a 52 foot width. At the present time, MN. DOT would allow 44 foot width on the east side of Hwy 25 to exist as it presently is. The estimated cost of removing the existing curbing on the west 7th St. along with additional grading and paving was estimated at $10,000.00 to $15,000.00. The widening of 7th St. would result in approximately $700 worth of land- scaping being removed that was installed by Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was agreed by the Council that the City Staff should work with the owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken on possible or partial reimbursement for landscaping costs that will be lost due to the widening of this street. MN. DOT requested Council authorization to include the widening of 7th St. to 52 feet wide to be part of the Hwy 25 Improvement Project expected to be let in 1986. All costs associated with widening this street would be the responsibility of the City. As part of the Hwy 25 Improvement Project, the City street lights located along Hwy 25 would have to be moved beyond the face of the new curb being proposed along Hwy 25. MN. DOT requests that the City of Monticello obtain the services of a consulting engineer to lay out and design the lighting re- location and that the plans be completed in August 1985 for incorporation into the Hwy 25 reconstruction project. - 4 - Council Minutes - 4/8/85 A motion was made by Fran Fair, seconded by Bill Fair, and unanimously carried to authorize MN. DOT to incorporate the widening of 7th St. into their Hwy 25 Improvement Project and to also authorize the consulting city engineer, OSM, to pre- pare plans and specifications for the relocation of the existing lighting along Hwy 25 to coincide with the Hwy 25 Construction Project. 12. Consideration of Purchase of Park Equiment. Public Works Director, John Simola, reviewed with the Council the proposed purchase of park equipment for the Country Club Manor Park which would include play ground equipment and for picnic tables. The Public Works Director also requested approval to buy 12 additional picnic table frames to replace some of the old tables in other city parks. The total cost for all improvements would be $4,533.00. A motion was made by Maxwell, seconded by Blonigen and unani- mously carried to authorize the Public Works Director to purchase 16 picnic table frames and various park play ground equipment totalling $4,533.00 as requested. 13. Consideration of Authorizing Investigation of Senior Center RPInoatinn_ A few years ago there were some preliminary discussions with respect to the current Senior Citizen's Center building being sold to private enterprise and being developed in the downtown and with the Senior Center being relocated to the Assembly of God Church property. That proposal fell through rather quickly because of the asking price of the Assembly of God Church and the required expenses to convert the building to suitable activities for the seniors. In recent weeks there has been renewed interest expressed by a private enterprise to acquire the City's Senior Center downtown and at the same time the Assembly of God Church has indicated a willingness to reduce their asking price. Karen Hanson, Senior Citizen Director, has informed the Council that the seniors would be willing to investigate the possibilities of relocating to the Assembly of God Church. She noted that the building provides for future expansion of activities but would need some alterations as an elevator to be suitable. The main purpose of discussion was to determine whether there was any interest on the City Council and the se:n­16­r8 to pursue additional investigation into possibly purchasing this property for the Senior Center. The discussion by the Council noted that much more information would have to be obtained before any type - 5 - Council Minutes - 4/8/85 of decision could be made including costs involved in acquiring the new property along with the possible sale of the existing site and how improvements and cost acquisition would be financed. After further discussion, it was the concensus of the Council to authorize the staff to negotiate and investigate the possible acquisition of a new site and the possible sale of the existing site and present further information to the Council. Rick Wolf Steller Assistant Administrator - 6 -