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City Council Agenda Packet 04-25-1977AGENDA REGULAR HE: um HO;TICaaz CITY CODUCIL April 25, 1977 - 7130 P.M. Mayori Con 0. Johnson Councilmeni Dan Blonigen, Arve Crimamo, Stan Hall, Gene Walters. Meeting to be taped. ✓Citizen comments. ,/1. Update of Railroad Crossing at Walnut Street. 4. Public Hearing - Sanitary Sewer Extension to Oakwood Industrial Park and along County Road #117 to Highway 25. N6. Public Hearing - Sewer and Water atension to John Sandberg Plat. Consideration of Rezoning Request and Conditional Use Permit - Cedarcrest Apartments. Js. Consideration of Rezoning and Variance Request - John Sandberg. V*. Consideration of Existing City Hall Being Used as a Senior Citizens Center. ✓/. Consideration of Building Permit requested by Bud Kline for a Duplex. �. Consideration of Increasing Firemen's Lump Sum Retirement Benefits. V9• Consideration of Operating Information Center. *10. Consideration of Street Improvement Method. 41. Consideration of Resolution Accepting a Crant Offer from the Federal Aviation Administration relative to a Maple Lake -Monticello Joint Use Airport. J2. Consideration of Amending Ordinance Section 8-3-2 Relative to // Permitted Trees to be Planted in a Now Subdivision. Approval of bills. .. Approval of minutes - April 6. April 11, 1977. 14 Unfinished business. �6. New business. p'14a.-rO- ��� AGENDA SUPPLEMENT Agenda Item 1. Update of Railroad Crossing at Walnut Street. (� Montieello's city attorney, Cary Pringle, will be at Monday's meeting to update the council relative to the city's efforts to put a railroad crossing in at Walnut Street. Agenda Item 2. Public Hearing - Sanitary Sewer Extension to Oakwood Industrial ' Park and along County Road #117 to Highway 25. At our last meeting, John Badalich, consulting city engineer, 0 prepared a preliminary report on this project and the council (0 0 called a public hearing for Monday night's meeting relative VV V U Q to the project. POSSIBLE ACTIONS Consideration of Resolution ordering � ,i �t► im- provement project. /i -u V, REFERENCES O.S.M. Preliminary report (handed out at April -4 A P$ 11. 1977 meeting). ng). O.S.K. Feasibility report. Agenda Item 3. Public Hearing - Sewer and Water Extension_ to JctIn Sandberg See w �end�c � for d�tail . � � � fv�7 � /�v/• �/I Agenda Item 4, C nsidera ion o Rezoning Reouest and Conditions Use. Perm t - Cedarcrest Apartments. On June 2, 1976, the Monticello City Council reviewed two Section 8 (Elderly Housing) projects, one proposed by Mr. John BeVtad of Minneapolis at the southeast intersection of Cedar and Third Streets and another proposed by Mr. Wally Houle of Annandale adjacent to the existing Ridgemont Apartments. Prior to the council meeting, the required public hearings had been held by the Planning Commission. Both projects required rezoning to R -B (Residential Business) and a conditional use permit since the R -B district lista elderly housing as a conditional use. It was the decision of the council to approve each rezoning and conditional use permit application contingent upon funding of the projects by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Approval was given by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to Mr. John Bergotad'e Codarcreat Housing Project. As a result of the approval, final council action is necessary relative to granting the rezoning of Lots 1.2,3.9 and 10 In Block C from R-2 to R -B plus a conditional use permit for a elderly housing apartment as required by the R -B zoning ordinance. It should be pointed out that a variance is no longer necessary from the ordinance requiring that an elderly housing project have adequate apace for providing one parking stall per unit with one stall par. 2 unite required immediately and the remainder required as deemed necessary by the council. This variance is not required as the project Is now at 38 unite instead of the 50 unite originally proposed. Thirty three spaces are provided immediately for parking with sufficient room to add 5 more at a future data if required by the council. The additional apace is available since the sizo of the apartment was reduced after eliminating the 12 units. POSSIBLE ACTION: Consideration of rezoning Lots 1,2,3,9 and 10, of Block G. from R-2 to R -B and granting a conditional rt use permit on said property to John Bergatad for a 38 1Y� unit elderly housing project. Agenda Item 5• Consideration of Rezoning and Variance Bequest - John Sandberg. Mr. John Sandberg has applied for the following: Jk0 A. Rezoning of property described in enclosed notice of Il Planning Commission public hearing and depicted in certificate of survey also enclosed from B-4 (Regional Business) to R-2 (Single & Two Family Residential). B. Variance from lot width and lot area ordinance re- quirements of 80 feet and 10,000 square feet respectively. Proposed lot would be 68 feet wide and 8,976 square feet In area. There was quite a bit of discussion relative to the question of whether the entire block. Block 30. should be commercial since the entire area to currently residential in use. Since the Public Hearing and application for rezoning did not include the entire block, the Planning Commission voted to deny the rezoning and variance filed by John Sandberg. Another petition has been filed by 100% of the residents of the block to rezone Block 30 to residential. However, since the petition did not indicate the particular residential zone requested, notice has been sent to the petitioners to so indicate. Additionally, the Planning Commission felt the area. Block 30, should be reviewed at the time of reviewing the revised Comprehensive Plan so that a better overall view could be taken on the question. This has been explained to the petitioners, however. they still have the right to request a hearing prior to review of the Comprehensive Plan if they feel the estimated time 90-120 days is too long to waft. Although the Planning Commission does not necessarily concur with rezoning the block to residential, it indicated it would be more receptive to granting the lot size and width variances if the entire block were zoned to residential. POSSIBLE ACTION 9 Consideration of rezoning and variance request. REFERENCE1i Notice of Planning Commission public hearing, map depicting area. March 11. 1977 report from Richard Dwtnell . letter from George Kiracht, certificate of survey. Agenda Item 6. Consideration of iNisting City Hall Being Used so a Senior Citianns Center. Enclosed, you will find a letter from Karen Hanson, Senior. Citizan Director, on behalf of the Senior Citizens Center Board of Directors. The letter .to requesting that the city council consider making the present city hall available for a senior citizen center after the new city hall is completed and also that the present city hall be expanded to provide space for an additional 1,500 square feet. At various times, discussions have been held relative to the future use of the city hall as a senior citizen center and the possibility of extending the present city hall to the west in line with the rear portion of the former maintenance building, which would be an addition of approximately 1,000 square feet. Additionally, when the architect contract for city hall was approved, it included a provision for adding 1.000 square feet to the existing city hall. However, a formal decision has never been made relative to the use of the existing city hall.. Eventually, two questions will have to be resolved relative toi A. Use of existing city hall and former maintenance area. B. Additions, if any, to be added to city hall. Probably the question that is of main concern for Monday's meeting is whether the council intends to move the Senior Citizen Center to the existing City Hall site. Should It be decided that the present City Hall should be utilized as a Senior Citizen Center other issues such as allocation of space for Senior Citizen's Center and Fire Department can be addressed along with possible additions. It would seem these latter issues could beat be resolved at the time of actually sitting down with the architect and reviewing (� cost of remodeling, expansion and design. W I have talked to the Architectural Alliance and they have Indicated it would not take long to develop plane and speci- fications if an expansion was decided upon. POSSIBLE ACTIONt Consideration of future use of existing city hall. If council feels the best use of city hall to a senior citizen center it may want to convey thoughts to the director so to possible expansion and a meeting could be arranged with the Architectural Alliance if expansion is considered. REFER OXESo Karen Hanson's letter. Agenda Item 7. Consideration of Building[ Permit reouented by Rud Kline for a Duplex. At their last meeting, the Planning Commission recommended approval of a building permit for Mr. Bud Kline relative to a duplex to be built on Late 8 and 9 of Block 10 of Upper Monti. Additionally, the Planning Commission recommended that the $1,500 minimum landscaping requirement be waived and the ordinance be amended that not only single family residences be exempt from its provisions but that two family residences should also be exempt. Reasoning behind recommendation was that Planning Commission felt the landscaping requirement was too -3- 01 i� stringent and felt it was intended for larger residential developments along with commercial and industrial developments. POSSIBLE ACTIONx Consideration of approval of building permit and landscaping requirements. REFERENCES Blueprints available at Monday's meeting. Agenda Item 8. Consideration of Increasing Firemen's Lump Sum Retirement Benefits. The Monticello Fire Department is requesting that the re- tirement benefits, after 20 years of active service, be increased from $4,000 to $6,000. This request has been reviewed and approved by the Joint Fire Board. In accordance with the fire contract with the Township of Monticello, this must now be approved by both boards. In previous years, there has been sufficient funds within the firemen's relief fund that a levy was not required under the State Statute. Chapter 69, which regulated pension funds for firemen relief association. If the lump sum benefit remained at $4.000 this again would be the case. However. the attorney general's office has issued an opinion in late 1976 that Minnesota State Statute 424.30 requires a 1/30 of a mill levy and this statute is not superseded by Chapter 69 which only required a levy if sufficient funds were not available within the firemen's relief association fund. Am a result of this ruling, it would be necessary for the Joint Fire Board to require a levy of approximately $1,550 for collection in 1978 if the lump sum benefit remained at $4,000. If the retirement benefits were raised to $6,000 a levy of $1,894 would be necessary. Therefore, the increase, if approved, will average $344 per year over the next ten years. Thin would be allocated on the basis of valuation percentages which currently allocates 86.5% of the costo to the City of Monticello or approximately $300 per year over the next 10 years assuming valuation percentages remain the same. POSSIBLE ACTIONx Consideration of approval of lump sum retire ment benefits from $4,000 to $6,000 for twenty years of service. Agenda Item 9. Consideration of Operating Information Center.. With the advent of the warmer weather, consideration (should be given to the operation of the Information center at the Intersection of Hwy. 25 and Broadway Street. Last summer, the information center vas operated with the aid of the Chamber of Commerce. This was due primarily to the feet that the Chamber considered it a good location for it A. deputy registrar's office and this office could also be utilized to hand out information relative to the Monticello area. The Chamber agreed to finance the salary of an Individual at the information center pending final notice from the State relative to their application for a deputy registrar's office. Ultimately the Chamber's application was denied with the State deciding to appoint the City of Monticello as a deputy registrar's office. At various times, the council has discussed different ways of operating the information center. Two of the methods discussed most frequently would be to have the city run the information center directly with the assistance of volunteers from the senior citizen center or renting the site out to a private individual or firm for a monthly fee which would take Into consideration that the individual or firm would agree to hand out information. Although the details could vary, it would appear that if volunteers from the senior citizen center would operate the information center, payment could be made In the form of an account to be built up for the senior citizens. I have previously talked to Karen Hanson and she indicated that there would be an interest in this arrangement. For example, if the information center was manned for an average of $2 an hour, this would be set aside for future use by the senior citizen center and as the senior citizens center's needs arose for expenditures, other than the operating expenses currently funded by the City, this fund could be utilized. Payment then would not be made directly to the individual working nor the senior citizen's center but rather an escrow account would be set up within the City's funds earmarked for use by the Senior Citizen Center. The other method mentioned, that of renting the apace out on a privato basis would entail the setting of a fixed monthly charge for the site. This charge would hnve to be discounted for the service rendered of handing out information. Obviously, the City would have to be careful that the type of business that would be allowed to rent the apace would not be incompatible with an Information Center Some examples may be a secretarial service, lock and key shop, small antiquo shop, oto. A secretarial service has indicated an interest in the alto. Listed below aro some of the advantages and disadvantages of each slternativei Operated by Senior. Citizen Center VbLmteer Advant Aess 1. City would maintain more control. 2. No imcompatibility in terms of usage or advertising. 3. Would allow Senior Citizen Center to build up fund for special needs. 4. Would save city dollars that now come out of general fund for special needs or capital outlay items for Senior Citizens Center. -S- Disadvantagest I. Raid to justify someone operating Information Center on full time basis other than on weekends. 2. Same individual would not necessarily be operating the Information Center. Operated on a Private Basis Advantages 1. Better coverage (probably 8-9 hrs.) during normal workdays. 2. Continuity, in terms of personnel operating information center. Disadvantagcna Concern about weekend coverage of Information center. Less control by the city. Potential Incompatibility with information center concept. Another alternative not mentioned previously, would be to not man the information center at all. This would be similar to the rest stops along interstate highways. The information center could be open with maps available and free literature could be picked up. Class enclosures could contain larger ps of the area, points of interest, etc. This would not .) require a full time attendant. Naturally, someone would have to open the information center in the morning and close it at night as Is being done with the rest rooms. Y i My recommendation would be to have the senior citizen center handle the operation of the information center. My concern 0 1� la that if the facility is privately used the principal use will change and the Information center concept will be lost. Thera is concern in my mind whether any business would be compatibile with an information center and the prime hours for an information center include Sundays when a normal business to not open. POSSIBLE ACTIONi Considarntion of operating information center. If it Is decided to rent space on a private basis, an ad could be placed and potential businesses be roviowed for consideration. Agenda Item 10. Consideration of Street Improvement Method. At our last mooting, the Monticello City Council reviewed Mike Rajalnes street report and various methods of upgrading the ext sting streets in the city. It was determined by the City Council to table any decision until the next meeting in order that the alternative methods could be further studied. -6- --7- Because of the complexity of the issue in that some streets in Monticello are in need of varying degrees of repair and one particular method may be the best in one case and not In another it may be well to study the streets on a case by case basis. Priorities could be set with those section / most in need of repair getting the initial attention. In this way, streets could be improved on a scheduled basis ver a three to four year period and funded over the same Iw time frame. A priority program could be worked up with 'e' .p possible initiation in 1978 as adequate funds are not a- a vailable until that time unless a bond was floated. In this way specifications could be approved for the particular seg - Y!'4 lf•"/ `V ment of streets to be done in the year the work was to be V accomplished. Admittedly, the streets are in need of repair but they are in need of repair to varying degrees t(� and it possibly comes to a question of practicability and economies if all streets can be brought up to standard In Qy` one year. ,pN` V i POSSIBLE ACTIONi Consideration of Street Improvement Program. REFERENCESt Street. Report, Cost on scarifying, Article from 6` March. 1977 Issue of American City and County relative to .2 scarifying method. (All these Stems have been previously ♦ distributed). Agenda Item 11. Consideration of Resolution Accepting a Grant Offer from the Federal Aviation Administration relative to a Maple Lake Monticello Joint Una Airport. The FAA has approved a $16,000 study relative to a Maple Lake -Monticello Joint Use Airport. This study to funded 90% by the FAA and 5% by each community. There are two phases to the study and Phase I deals with finding a suitable alto or sites that meet FAA requirements In the vicinity between Maple Lake and Monticello. After completion of Phase I, a determination will be made relative to the availability of the alte(s) found in Phase I. Phaco II will involve a study of the proposed layout of the final site selected. It should be pointed out that Phaco II to not mandatory since a suitable and available site may not be found or one com- munity may drop out of Phase II if the final site is not agree- able to that community. This could develop for example, if the beat site that was available was very close to one community and quite far from the other. The cities of Maple Lake and Monticello have previously engaged Ralph Burke Assoc. to do the study. Phase I will cost $8,500 with Phase II costing $7.500. --7- POSSIBLE ACTION Consideration of approving Resolution accepting Grant (Maple Lake has already approved the Resolution). Also, another resolution must be passed appointing Commissioner of Taxation as agent for the City of Monticello to receive the federal monies and pay the services of the engineers. REFERENCESi Copies of Resolutions. Agenda Item 12. Consideration of Amending Ordinance Section 8-3-2 Relative to Permitted Trees to be Planted in a New Subdivision. At our last meeting, a discussion developed relative to the above ordinance which lists various types of trees which are allowed to be planted in a new subdivision. Some of the trees that the City is making available as a replacement tree are not listed among the allowable trees. After checking with the Department of Agriculture and the City of Burnsville, from whom the ordinance in question was adopted, there appears to be no real basis for the ordinance. In talking with a Burnsville official. he indicated he was unaware of the ordinance and after looking it up, indicated it was being adhered to. Some thought should be given to amending the ordinance to list trees which are prohibited rather, than listing the trees that are allowable as the latter list could be quite lengthy . The list of trees to be prohibited could be limited to alms and oaks to prevent further spread of Dutch Elm and Oak Wilt disease. POSSIBLE ACTIONi Consideration of Ordinance Amendment. REFERENCEi Ordinance Section 8-7-2. -8-