City Council Minutes 04-26-1982MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
April 26, 1982 - 7:30 P.M.
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Ken Maus, Phil White, Fran Fair,
Dan Blonigen.
Members Absent: None.
1. Public Hearing - Consideration of a Variance - Rosewood Cor-
poration.
Mr. Howard Rekstad of the Rosewood Corporation appealed the
decision of the Planning Commission of April 13th, 1982 at
which time they denied the request for a variance on the size
of a temporary sign to be located on the freeway, just west
of the Monticello Mall, advertising the vacant lot to the
west of the mall for sale.
The Rosewood Corporation recently sold the mall portion of
their property along I-94 to another company, and Rosewood has
opted to sell their vacant land west of the mall building and
has asked for a variance to be able to erect two (2) "For
Sale" signs on the property which exceed the size requirement
allowed by the City. Current ordinances allow signs of only
20 square feet whereas Rosewood Corporation wanted two for
sale signs of 8 feet by 12 feet.
Mr. Rekstad of Rosewood Corporation requested the variance
for the following reasons:
1. The City of Monticello currently has special pro-
visions for signs within 800 feet of the freeway to
be larger than the normal ordinances and Mr. Rekstad
felt that "For Sale" signs should be included in this
category.
2. For the sake of safety, it was Mr. Rekstad's opinion
that a small sign may cause a perspective inquirer
to stop abruptly to secure the telephone number, etc.
off of a small sign.
Concerns were expressed by the Council that if a variance of
this nature was granted, possibly similar requests would be
made by all property owners along I-94 within the city limits
who had property for sale and as a result, a motion was made
by Fair, seconded by White to deny the variance request for
two signs of 96 square feet and require that any for sale
signs placed by Rosewood Corporation meet the city ordinances
of 20 square feet. Opposed: Blonigen. In favor of: Grimsmo,
Maus, White and Fair.
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
2. Consideration of a Variance Request - Monticello Country Club -
Storage Building.
At the regular meeting of the Monticello Planning Commission on
April 13, 1982, the Monticello Country Club requested a variance
to be allowed to develop a 1600 square foot golf cart storage
building on their property. However, at the time of the meeting,
there was not a member of the Monticello Country Club board
present to answer questions that the Planning Commission might
have had on the new building, so the Planning Commission tabled
the matter until a future meeting.
Because of this decision, the Monticello Country Club has opted
to appeal directly to the City Council for a decision since
there is a time element to be considered in the construction
of their new building. The building requested would be approxi-
mately a 26 X 60 foot pole barn type structure to be located
just east of the existing parking lot at the Country Club.
Mr. Lloyd Grossnickle, who is the abutting property owner, did
contact the zoning administrator to indicate that he was in
favor of allowing the Country Club to build this building.
Hearing no other objections, a motion was made by White,
seconded by Maus and unanimously carried to approve the vari-
ance request to allow the Country Club to build an additional
storage building as planned.
3. Consideration of Continuing or Eliminating the Dutch Elm Disease
Program for 1982.
During the past seven years, the City of Monticello has par-
ticipated in a Dutch Elm Disease Control Program in accordance
with the State guidelines in an effort to control the spread
of the disease throughout Monticello. During the past years,
the State of Minnesota has participated by reimbursing the City
of Monticello anywhere from 20% to 50% of the city's cost. With
state funding cutbacks, funding by the State for 1982 has been
eliminated with any future programs operated by the City being
at their cost.
Kris Caufield, with the State Shade Tree Program.Department,
reviewed with the Council the options available for the City to
continue a disease program. Ms. Caufield indicated that all
trees will eventually succumb to the disease and will have to
come down, but a community with a good Dutch Elm Disease Program
will spread out the removal of the trees over a longer period of
time allowing for newly planted trees to grow. It has been es-
timated that if the city would drop the Dutch Elm Disease Program,
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
900 of the remaining 2100 trees would die within 10 years,
whereas by maintaining aDutch Elm. Disease Program, the removal
of the trees could be spread over a much longer period of
time.
It has been estimated by the City staff that approximately 75
to 100 trees each year will die of Dutch elm disease. The
current city cost for removing a Dutch elm diseased tree has
been estimated at approximately $400 per tree and in 1981,
the City of Monticello picked up approximately $240 of this
removal cost with $60 reimbursed by the State of Minnesota
and the property owner paying $120.00. If the $400 estimate is
accurate for 1982 and because of the cutback in State funding,
with 4 $120 charge to the homeowner, the City would pick up
approximately $280 if the program was run the same as in
1981.
After discussing the merits of the Dutch Elm Disease Program,
a motion was made by White, seconded by Fair and unanimously
carried to continue the Dutch Elm Disease Program in accord-
ance with State guidelines.
In regard to the cost and how to charge for the removal by
city crews, a motion was made by White, seconded by Maus to
charge a residential homeowner $120 for the removal of a
tree from private property and also $120 for removal of a
tree from the boulevard and to allow the property owner to
either plant his own tree or have the tree planted for him
allowing for a reimbursement of 50% of the cost up to a
maximum of $30 per tree. Voting in favor were Maus, White,
Grimsmo, and Fair. Opposed: Blonigen.
4. Consideration of Ordinance Amendments.
At the February 16th, 1982 Planning Commission meeting,
recommendations were made whereby ordinance Sections
10-3-2-(F)-(2) regarding the placement of a fence or plant-
ings along property lines be amended as follows:
No fence, structure, planting, trees or shrubs shall
be permitted within the visibility area of any corner
formed by property lines intersecting with a railway
right-of-way. (The visibility area referred to above
shall be in the form of a triangle with two sides formed
by the property lines mentioned and the third side
formed by a straight line connecting the two (2)
twenty-five (25) foot points on both sides of the
corner.
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
EXCEPTIONS: 1. Chain lin:: fences with openings of one
and five -eights (1 5/8) inches to two
(2) inches and not exceeding a maximum
of forty-eight (48) inches in height may
be allowed anywhere within the visibility
area.
2. Except as provided in Section 10-3-2-(F) (2),
fences, plantings, trees or shrubs not over
three feet in height may be permitted if not
prohibited by other areas of the ordinances.
3. Except as provided in Section 10-32-(F) (2),
fences may be erected on any part of a lot
when they are to be located behind the front
line of the principal building on that lot.
4. Fences over 6 feet in height shall be treated
as structures and will require appropriate
permits as required.
The Planning Commission also recommended that Ordinance Section
10-3-2 (N) be added to the city ordinances for the purpose of
regulating outside propane tanks, fuel oil tanks, etc. and the
size of wood piles that would be allowed to be stored on any
property as follows:
S. Propane tanks, fuel oil tanks, and other
similar storage tanks which do not exceed
1,000 gallons in capacity and shall not be
located within five (5) feet of any property
line.
6. Wood piles in which wood is stored for fuel
provided that not more than 10 cords shall
be stored on any property. NOTE: A cord
shall be 4' X 4' X 8'. All wood piles shall
be five (5) feet or more from rear and side
yard property lines and shall be stored be-
hind the appropriate set back line in front
yards.
The basic reason for adoption of the ordinance regulating wood
piles is that it is a way to control the size of wood piles and
also to keep them from becoming too close to someone else's
property especially where a neighbor's building may be very
close to the property line. In regard to fuel tank sizes, the
regulation would make sure that they are not closer than five (5)
feet to any other person's property line where again, other
buildings may be located.
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
A motion was made by Fair, seconded by Blonigen and unanimously
carried to amend and adopt both Ordinance Sections 10-3-2 (F) (2)
and 10-3-2 (N) as presented. (See Ordinance Amendments 4/26/82
#114 and #115).
5. Consideration of Awarding Contract on Maintenance Building Pole
Shed.
Bids were received and opened at 2:00 P.M. on April 26th, 1982
for the construction of a 2800 square foot pole building to be
located on the maintenance building property. Three bids were
received as follows:
Bid
Contractor Security 5% Item #1* Item #2** Item #3***
Menard's - 0 - $19,324.00 - 0 - - 0 -
L & L Const. - 0 - 21,350.00 $ 925.00 $5,000.00
Lester's Inc. $1,300 19,368.00 $1,550.00 $5,150.00
* ITEM #1 Base bid pole building
** ITEM #2 - Alternate #1, Class 5 floor
*** ITEM #3 - Alternate #2, 5" reinforced concrete floor
The 1982 budget amount reserved for the pole building totalled
$21,70.00. The low bid received was from Menard's Inc., for
a base bid of $19,324.00. Included with the bids were alter-
nates for a class 5 floor within the building and also an al-
ternate for a 5" concrete floor. It was the recommendation of
John Simola, Public Works Director, that the low bid from Men-
ard's in the amount of $19,324.00 be accepted with the City of
Monticello's Public Works Department providing the class 5. floor
or concrete floor themselves.
In reviewing the bids received, discussion occurred by council
members comparing the price of the pole building as bid compared
to other structures recently built within the City. Councilman
Blonigen indicated that in his opinion the building was over
specified resulting in the cost per square foot of this building
being double the price it should be built for. Representatives
of the two low bidders, Menard's and Lester's, Inc., informed
the council that in their opinion the building was not over
specified for a commercial or industrial type use. For example,
the State building codes allow the roof load on this type of a
building to be only 30 pounds per square foot whereas the build-
ing specified required 40 pounds per square foot load. It was
the recommendation of the Menard's representative that this
roof load of 40 pounds should be adhered to considering the use
the building may receive with employees being in it.
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
A motion was made by Fair, seconded by Grimsmo to award the
contract to the low bidder, Menard's, Inc., in the amount of
$19,324.00 with the Public Works Department doing the balance
of the class 5 and cement work as needed up to the budget
amount of $21,750.00. Voting in favor were Fair and Grimsmo.
Opposed were R-lonigen, Maus, and White.
A motion was then made by Maus, seconded by White and unani-
mously carried to table for 30 days any action on awarding
a contract and to appoint Councilman Dan Blonigen to work
with the city staff and city administrator to review the plans,
etc. in regard to the specifications and report back to the
Council within 30 days.
6. Consideration of Approval of Change Order #32 with the Paul A.
Laurence Company on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction
rnnt-rani- _
John Badalich, City Engineer, reviewed with the Council change
order #32 on the Wastewater Treatment Plant construction con-
tract which amounted to an additional $932.00 for the following:
#32 - A modification to clarify the specifications regarding
lubrication of the pump seals for various sludge and
scum pumps. The modification shall provide for the
pumps to have non -potable water lubrication in lieu of
self lubrication. This modification will insure com-
patibility with the equipment supplied.
A motion was made by White, seconded by Maus and unanimously
carried to approve change order #32 with the Paul A. Laurence
Company for an additional amount totalling $932.00.
7. Approval of Minutes for regular meeting held on April 10th, 1982
and approval of bills for the month of April.
-
A motion was made by Blonigen, seconded by Fair to approve the
minutes of the council meeting held on April 12, 1982 as pre-
sented. Voting in favor were Blonigen, Fair and Maus. Abstain-
ing were Arve Grimsmo and Phil White as they were not present at
the last council meeting.
A motion was made by Blonigen and seconded by Fair and unanimous-
ly carried to approve the bills for the month of April as pre-
sented. (See exhibit 4/26/82 41).
Council Minutes - 4/26/82
8. Consideration of Approval of Advance on Salary for Moving Ex-
penses - Tom Eidem.
A request was made by the new City Administrator, Tom Eidem,
that an advance be made on his salary in the amount of $1,000
to help defray the cost of his moving expenses. Mr. Eidem
indicated that he would be agreeable to signing an agreement
whereby he would pay back any unused portion of this $1,000
advance should his appointment with the City of Monticello be
terminated prior to April 19, 1983 or 12 months.
The primary purpose for making the adjustment in his salary of
$1,000 for moving expenses was that this would allow Mr. Eidem
immediate funds to absorb his cost of moving to Monticello.
A motion was made by White, seconded by Maus to approve the
agreement with Mr. Eidem for the allocation and advance of
$1,000 for moving expenses and to reduce his monthly salary
by a similar amount for 1982 and 1983. Voting in favor were
Maus, Grimsmo, Fair and White. Opposed: Blonigen.
9. Consideration of Senior Citizen's Center Application for Mc-
Knight Foundation Grant Mone
Senior Citizen's Center Director, Karen Hanson, recently in-
dicated that the McKnight Foundation is accepting applications
for grant money which can be used b.r= local Senior Citizen
Centers for the purpose of remodeling or expansion. Karen.
Hanson indicated that the amount of funds that she will be
applying for will be $2500, which have tentatively been ear-
marked for remodeling the present portion of the Senior
Citizen's Center building that was formerly occupied by
Monticello Printing.
Although the Council consensus was that the issue of expanding
the Senior Citizen Center will have to be dealt with at a
later date, a motion was made by Fair, seconded by Blonigen
and unanimously carried to adopt a resolution approving and
encouraging the Senior Citizen's Center to apply for McKnight
Foundation grant funds. (See Resolution 1982 #37).
10. Review of the Library Construction Project.
Library Board Chairman, Loren Klein, reviewed with the Council
the progress being made on the finishing touches at the new
Monticello City Library. It was noted by Mr. Klein that the
Library Board is planning on waiting for approximately one
month to see how much funds are available for landscaping and
the installation of a sprinkler system.
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Council Minutes - 4/26/82
It was also noted that the proposal calls for seeding the
lawn area rather than sodding and therefore, a motion was
made by Maus, seconded by Blonigen and unanimously carried
to authorize the Library Board to immediately expend up to
their budget amount the monies necessary to finish the land-
scaping as soon as possible. The reason was that the build-
ing will be open for occupancy on May 3rd, and seeding of
the area now would provide the best possible opportunity for
the grass to establish itself this summer.
Meeting adjourned.
Rick Wolfstel er
Assistant Administrator