City Council Minutes 06-28-1982MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
June 28, 1982 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Ken Maus, and Fran Fair.
Members Absent: Phil White and Dan Blonigen.
I. Call To Order.
A. Approval of Minutes. A motion was made by Fair, seconded
by Maus and unanimously carried to approve the minutes of
the regular meeting held on June 14, 1982.
II. Ordinances/Resolutions.
A. Consideration of Ordinance Amendment Regarding One -day
Set Up Licenses.
Currently, the City Ordinances allow the issuance of
a set up license on an annual basis only. The 1982 leg-
islature made provisions allowing city's to issue one day
set up licenses for non profit organizations with a maxi-
mum one day license fee not to exceed $25.00. In order
for the City of Monticello to issue one day licenses, an
ordinance amendment had to be adopted to allow for this
new provision.
A motion was made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unani-
mously carried to adopt an ordinance amendment allowing
for the issuance of a one day set up license for the
display and consumption of intoxicating liquor for a
non profit organization with a fee of $25.00 per day,
provided proper liability insurance is provided by the
organization. (See Ordinance Amendment 1982 - #116).
(See Resolution 1982 #47).
B. Consideration of a Resolution Establishing Minimum Require-
ments Indicating when a Building Permit should be issued.
C. Consideration of a Resolution Establishing a Scale of
Building Valuations.
Recommendations were recently made by the State Building
Code Division that City Councils pass resolutions making
it an official policy of the City establishing when a
building permit is required and also a scale determining
building valuations. In the past, the City of Monticello
has, in most cases, left this up to the discretion of the
Administrative Staff including the Building Official, but
due to recent court cases, it has been recommended that
any policy establishing the minimum requirements for a
building permit or setting of valuations be done through
Council action.
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As a result, it was recommended by the Building Official
that a schedule of valuations for determining a building
valuation based on square foot cost be adopted and also
that the building permit policy be adopted noting that
under certain conditions a building permit is not necessary
such as:
1. When the amount of work is less than $800 or re-
quires no structural change.
2. When reroofing or residing is done.
3. For a portable building of less than 100 square
feet.
4. For driveways, sidewalks, etc.
5. For installation of wood burning fire places or
stoves.
A motion was made by Fair, seconded by Maus and unanimously
carried to adopt both resolutions establishing the valuation
of buildings and also the resolution establishing when build-
ing permits are not required as recommended by the Building
Official. (See Resolutions 1982 #48 & #49) .
III. Unfinished Business.
A. Consideration of Request by Pizza Factory to lift Parking
Restrictions.
At the last Council meeting, representatives of the Pizza
Factory Restaurant requested that they be allowed to open
for business between the hours of 11:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M.
for the lunch trade. As part of their original Certificate
of Occupancy, a restrictive covenant was placed on the
building they were located in, limiting their hours of
operation to the evening hours due to limited parking.
The Downtown Parking Committee met on June 24th to discuss
the possible lifting of this restrictive covenant but no
final descision was made until further contact was made
with Security Federal, the abutting business operation.
In the past, parking spaces were limited in the block
where these businesses were located due to the fact that
commuters were parking their cars in the city lot, but
since that time a commuter lot has been made available
which has alleviated the parking problem. A recent
count indicated that during the hours of 11:30 to 1:30,
approximately 31 parking spaces were available in the
Municipal Parking Lot and 9 spaces were available at the
private Security Federal Lot.
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It appeared from this count, that adequate spaces would be
available for the noon lunch trade should the restrictive
covenant be lifted temporarily.
Although spaces are available in the Municipal Lot, appar-
ently some problems have existed with customers of the
Pizza Factory parking in the Security Federal Parking Lot,
thus tying up Security Federal's customer parking. The
possibility exists that if a realignment was made from the
Municipal Parking Lot with a different access for the drive-
in facility at Security Federal, problems could be eliminat-
ed and better traffic control would result for Security Fed-
eral.
A motion was made by Fair, seconded by Maus and unanimously
carried to lift the restrictive covenant on the Pizza Fac-
tory allowing them to open for the lunch hour between 11:30
and 1:30 for a 90 day trial period if an agreement can be
reached with Security Federal, etc. The City Administrator
will be meeting with representatives of the Pizza Factory
and Security Federal to work out an agreement.
B. Consideration of Change Orders #40 and #41 for the Waste-
water Treatment Plant.
As part of the Wastewater Treatment Plant construction
project, a change order was recommended that would provide
for a diesel fuel storage tank and fueling station for the
sludge trucks located near the new masonry vehicle garage
rather than piping the diesel fuel from the diesel generator
tank to the fueling station. Due to the heavy fuel consump-
tion of the generator, estimated at 40 gallons per hour, the
tank would only last one full day and it was recommended
that a separate tank be used for refueling the sludge trucks.
In addition, the contract does not provide for a pump or
wiring for the fuel station and the estimated cost for these
items was $1,345.00 with the additional fuel tank change
order totalling $443.00.
Council discussion concerned whether a separate fuel tank
for the two sludge vehicles was a necessity due to the
limited use the vehicles will have. The vehicles are
primarily intended to be used only during the summer
months and a possibility exists that either fuel be ob-
tained as originally planned from the generator tank or
that the vehicles could be refueled at the city's main-
tenance building on West Cty. Rd. #39. It was the Council
concensus to table any action on this change order until
the full Council could meet to review the item.
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Council Minutes - 6/28/82
Change Order #41 concerned a modification in the piping
lay out in the blower room to make the methane engine
and blower as supplied compatible with the structure and
other equipment. The additional change order would result
in an extra cost of $629.00 and a motion was made by Maus,
seconded by Fair and unanimously carried to approve Change
Order #41 with the Paul A. Laurence Company for $629.00
as recommended.
IV. New Business.
A. Consideration of a Proposal by Mr. James Iblmesto serve as
Legal Consultant on Tax Increment Financing Plan.
Mr. James Holmes, a principal in the legal firm of Holmes
and Graven of Minneapolis, reviewed with the Council their
desire to be legal consultants for the City in developing
a tax increment financing plan.
Mr. Holmes and Mr. Walt Hartman of the firm noted that
typically a consulting fee for a feasibility study could
range from $3500 to $4000 and that an additional $3000 to
$3500 is typically spent for the complete development of
a tax increment financing plan. Mr. Hartman noted that
with the city administration doing some of the work in-
volved in developing a plan, it was estimated that their
fee would possibly be approximately $5000 total. It was
noted that their service would be primarily in the field
of legal consultation and eligible property determination
and that they would not be serving as land use planners
or the actual physical consultant in the event that tax
increment bonds had to be sold.
It was the concensus of the Council that since this is
the City's first attempt at a tax increment plan, an
expert in tax increment financing would be essential
for the City and a motion was made by Fair, seconded by
Maus and unanimously carried to appoint the firm of
Holmes and Graven as tax increment financing consultants
for the City of Monticello with the City Administrator
to work out a firm cost proposal.
B. Consideration of Request to Increase Fire Department Re-
lief Assn. Benefit to $14,000/20 year Payment Plan.
Members of the volunteer Fire Department werein attend-
ance at the meeting to request an increase in the Retire-
ment Benefits of the Relief Association from the current
$10,000 amount to $14,000. This benefit is payable in a
lump sum after 20 years of service at the rate of $500 per
year and the request was to increase this amount to $700
per year.
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Council Minutes - 6/28/82
By State Statutes, as long as there is a deficit in the
Relief Association Fund, they must come to the City Coun-
cil for approval of any increase as part of the deficit
would be the responsibility of the City. In reviewing
the figures presented, an increase to $700 per year of
service would,in 1983, require a city contribution from
tax sources in the amount of over $7,000.
Representatives from the Fire Department felt that the
City of Monticello should be a leader in establishing
retirement benefits for volunteer Fire Departments and
that they felt their job was more hazardous in this
community than in others, and therefore, their retire-
ment benefits should be higher than surrounding communi-
ties. A survey of surrounding communities indicate that
the City of Monticello is currently as high or higher
in regard to retirement benefits than others.
Although it was the concensus of the Council that the
volunteer firemen do a good job for the City, it was
the concensus of the Council that this item would be
tabled until the full Council was available to review
the item at the second meeting in July.
C. Consideration of a Request by Mr. Roy Lauring to Abate
Assessments against an Outlot in Lauring Hillside Addi-
tion.
Mr. Roy Lauring requested that the Council consider the
possibility of abating the special assessments for street
improvements against an outlot in the Lauring Hillside
Addition because the lot is only 7,000 square feet and is
considered unbuildable at the present time. The assess-
ment against the property was for the 1978 Street Im-
provement Project and totalled originally $1,851.08.
At the time the improvement project was completed, it
was felt that since this property could be eventually
combined with the abutting property to create a build-
able lot, the property was assessed.
It was recommended by the City Staff that although there
may be arguments for deferring the assessment, an out-
right abatement of the assessment may not be in the best
interest since the property could be, in the future,
combined with another parcel and be considered buildable.
It was recommended that the present assessment could be
deferred but that the assessment would be attached so
that when and if the lot is placed under ownership with
the adjacent property, thus making it buildable, the
assessment then becomes due and payable with back in-
terest.
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Council Minutes - 6/28/82
A motion was made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unanimous-
ly carried to approve deferring the original assessment
against this outlot until such time as the lot is com-
bined with another piece of property and or is determined
buildable at which time the entire amount would be due
plus back interest. City Attorney, Gary Pringle, will be
consulted for the preparation of the appropriate documents
relating to this deferral.
D. Consideration of Purchasing Auxiliary Pumping Equipment for
City Lift Stations.
At a previous Council meeting, the Public Works Director
was directed to obtain cost estimates on the purchase
of a portable standby gasoline driven trailer mounted
pump that could be hooked up to the City's lift stations
in case of power failure or equipment failure at the lift
stations. Public Works Director, John Simola, informed
the Council that in order to pump 600 gallons per minute
against a 45 foot head, a minimum of a 6 inch pump would
be required for approximately $6,000.00. In addition, a
manhole would have to be placed over the force main at
Bridge Park and with the installation of miscellaneous
fittings the cost could rise to $9,000.00 total.
A motion was made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unanimous-
ly carried to authorize the Public Works Director to pur-
chase a portable emergency pump from Road Machinery in the
amount of $5,925.00 and to contract with Utility Service
Company in the amount of $1,460 for the installation of
the necessary manhole and fittings. The cost of the man-
hole was estimated at $580.00 with an approximate cost of
$900 for all the necessary fittings bringing the total
estimated cost to $8,865. In addition, the Public Works
Director was directed to send a letter to all property
owners affected by the previous lift station failure ad-
vising them to still purchase back water valves for in-
stallation in their homes.
E. Approval of Bills for Month of June.
A motion was made by Maus, seconded by Fair and unanimous-
ly carried to approve the list of bills as presented for
the month of June and to also approve the bill submitted
by Utility Service Company for the repair of the manholes
in the amount of $6,250.00.
Meeting Adjourned.
Rick Wolf stCler
Assistant Administrator
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