City Council Minutes 10-28-1985MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
Monday, October 28, 1985
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Bill Fair, Jack Maxwell,
Dan Blonigen.
Members Absent: Fran Fair.
2. Approval of Minutes.
A motion was made by Bill Fair, seconded by Maxwell and unanimously
carried to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held
October 15, 1985.
3. Citizens Comments/Petitions/Requests.
Mr. Ken Larson appeared before the Council to again request
that the Council overrule the Planning Commission's action
to table his conditional use request regarding a proposed
duplex addition to his home on 4th and Washington Street.
The Planning Commission at their last meeting delayed action
on the request due to lack of sufficient parking information,
but Mr. Larson requested that the City Council act on his
request due to limited time for construction this season.
It has been the Chairman of the Planning Commission's opinion
that the Planning Commission again hold a public hearing regarding
this matter since there were neighbors opposed to the request
and it was also recommended by the City Administrator that
proper procedures be followed because of the opposition.
As a result, it was the unanimous concensus of the Council
that the Planning Commission should first hold a public hearing
and make recommendations to the City Council prior to the
Council's discussion on the item.
4. Public Hearing on a Proposal for a Tax Increment Finance
Plan - Project Raindance Partnership.
The Monticello HRA has recently approved a Tax Increment Financing
Plan for Raindance Partnership who plan to construct a retail
grocery store on land owned by the City of Monticello and
Wilbur Eck. As part of the State requirements, the City Council
held a public hearing regarding the Tax Increment Financing
planned for this proposal and heard no comments from the general
public.
Formal adoption by the City Council will follow the completion
of negotiations and the execution of a developers agreeihent
between the HRA and the developer.
In regard to the Tax Increment Plan, motion was made by Maxwell,
seconded by Bill Fair and unanimously carried to acccept the
HRA's offer of $90,000.00 for the purchase, by the HRA, of
the City's property that will become part of this project.
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Council Minutes - 10/28/85
5. Consideration of a Resolution Ordering the Preparation
of Plans and Specifications for the Improvement of West County
Road 39.
Previously, the City Council approved the upgrading of West
County Road 39 from Elm Street to I-94 with a rural type design
that would widen the road and this project would be included
with Wright County Highway Department's proposed County Road 39
improvement scheduled for 1986.
Wright County has requested that the city prepare the necessary
plan documents to be included with the County's plans for
that segment of County Road 39 in the City limits. For this
preliminary engineering, the County will reimburse the City
up to 5% of the contract bid price.
The expected cost to the City of Monticello for the County Road 39
improvement has been estimated at $47,100.00 construction
cost, which is 300 of the estimated total cost plus the engineering
cost exceeding the 5% reimbursement.
Motion was made by Bill Fair, seconded by Dan Blonigen, and
unanimously carried to adopt Resolution ordering the preparation
of plans and specifications for the improvement of West County
Road 39 by the consulting City Engineer, OSM, to be completed
by January 15, 1986. (See Resolution 1985 #22)
6. Consideration of Establishing a Schedule/Deadline for
the Completion of Plans and Specifications and the Ordering
or the Improvement of the Sewer Interceptor Line.
At the last Council meeting, the City authorized the consulting
engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the entire
proposed interceptor sewer line from Washington Street to
Elm Street.
It has been recommended by the Public Works Director that
the council establish a time schedule under which the plans
and specifications should be completed by the engineer by
January 14, 1986, so that bids can be received in sufficient
time in early February to allow for early spring construction
of the sewer line. The City Engineer indicated that the plans
could be completed by January 13, 1986, and after review by
the City Council, bids on the project could be returnable
February 14, 1986, with awarding of the contract scheduled
for February 24, 1986.
Motion was made by Bill Fair, seconded by Blonigen, and unanimously
carried to accept the Public Works Director's recommendation
of establishing a deadline of January 13, 1986, as a completion
date for the plans and specifications for the interceptor
sewer line proposed.
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Council Minutes - 10/28/85
7. Consideration of Entering an Agreement with Monticello
_Township: For the Continued Payment of Funds from the City
to the Township.
As part of the 1974 annexation of the nuclear Plant, the Minnesota
Municipal Board issued an order of annexation that included
a formula that was to be used for issuing payments from the
City to the Township for lost revenues because of the annexation.
The formula, and the resulting payments was based primarily
on the amount of local government aids and revenue sharing
aids that were received by the City and Monticello Township.
The Municipal Board included a provision in the agreement
that stated the Board could retain jurisdiction on changes
in the formula in the event of unforeseen extraordinary circumstances
arose.
Because of recent State changes in the amount of local government
aid that Townships now receive, the formula suddenly required
the City of Monticello to pay approximately $72,000.00 in
1984 and $78,000.00 in 1985 to the Monticello Township. The
City of Monticello has not made these payments and has asked
the Municipal Board to review the formula because of this
change in state aids that affected the amount the City would
be required to pay to the Township.
Prior to a Municipal. Board ruling, negotiations have been
taking place between attorneys representing both the City
and the Township and a new agreement has been prepared that
would call for a $36,000.00 paymant for each year of 1984
and 1985 to Monticello Township and thereafter $27,500.00
per year until the year 1995 at which time the agreement would
terminate.
City Attorney Gary Pringle informed the Council that the new
agreement results in a lower dollar payment per year to the
Township than what the current agreement calls for and felt
that the annual dollar amount indicated in the new agreement
would be justifiable. The payments by the City are intended
to be used by the Township to provide for services and maintenance
of the orderly annexation area that is likely to be annexed
into the City in the future.
Council member Maxwell questioned why the City is making payments
at all to the Township if the Township's mill rates are currently
13 mills lower than the City's and questioned whether the
City of Monticello should be taxing its residents to subsidize
the Township's taxes.
Councilman Bill Fair questioned whether action should be taken
on this new agreement at the present time since an annexation study
of the OAA area is in the process of being completed by the
City Planner and City Engineer. Mr. Fair felt that if the
study shows that annexation should occur, the agreement to
pay money to the Township to provide services for the annexation
area would be a mute point.
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City Attorney Pringle noted that even if this new agreement
is approved, provisions are made within the agreement that
if annexation of the OAA area or a part of it does occur in
the near future, the formula and payments would be adjusted
accordingly.
After discussion on whether a full Council should be present
to decide on this matter, motion was made by Maxwell, seconded
by Blonigen to accept the agreement as presented that would
result in City payments of $72,000.00 for the years 1984 and
1985 and $27,500.00 each year thereafter through 1995. Voting
in favor was Maxwell, Blonigen and Grimsmo. Opposed was Bill Fair.
8. Consideration of Authorizing the Preparation of a Request
for Proposals for the Purpose of Soliciting Proposals from
Private Enterprise to Operate and Maintain the Monticello
Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Informal discussion has been held on numerous occasions by
the City staff and Council with respect to investigating the
possibility of contracting out the operation of the City's
sewer plant. Public Works Director John Simola suggested
that the City staff prepare its own request for proposals
that could be later reviewed by the Council to determined
if actual bids will be sought in regards to the possibility
of contracting out the operation of the sewer plant. Mr.
Simola noted that sample contracts can. be obtained from other
communities and the staff can assemble all of the necessary
data on those areas of operation and maintenance that would
most effectively be contracted out. The assembled information
could then be reviewed at a later date by the Council in detail.
Motion was made by Maxwell, seconded by Blonigen, and unanimously
carried to authorize the Public Works Director to prepare
a request for proposal for the sewer plant operations and
maintenance contract.
9. Quarterly Department Head Reports.
Quarterly Department Head Reports were discussed with various
department heads.
Public Works Director John Simola and Fire Chief Willard Farnick
reviewed with the Council the present status of Burlington
Northern Railroad's request for the Fire Department to burn
down the depot in Monticello. Mr. Simola noted that the State
Fire Marshall's Office would not give an opinion one way or
the other and that the Pollution Control Agency did not have
a record of any permit being issued to the Fire Department
to burn down the depot. As a result if the Fire Department
was to proceed in the near future, they would have to reapply
for a new permit which the PCA indicated may not be issued
as State Statutes do not allow Fire Departments to burn down
buildings in lieu of demolition.
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Council Minutes - 10/28/85
Burlington Northern Railroad has indicated they thought they
had a good faith agreement with the City's Fire Department
to burn down the building and if a permit can not be gotten
from the PCA to burn the building, the Railroad would be able
to get a crew to demolish the building but requested that
the City pay for the land fill charges estimated at $1-2,000.00
if the building has to be hauled to a land fill. Councilmen
Blonigen and Maxwell felt the building should possibly be
demolished by Burlington Northern Railroad and the debris
hauled to a different site and than burned rather than burning
the facility in a dangerous area. After further discussion,
it was suggested by the Council that the Fire Chief reapply
for a burning permit from the FCA to see if the State will
allow burning of the depot at the present site and if not
if a permit can be obtained .for burning the debris at a different
site away from a populated area.
10. Approval of Bills
Motion was made by Blonigen, seconded by Maxwell, and unanimously
carried to approve the bills for the month of October as presented.
11. Consideration of Change Order #2 -Fire Hall Construction
Project.
Fire Hall Building Committee member, John Simola, reviewed
with the Council a potential drainage problem within the new
parking lot at the Fire Hall. Mr. Simola noted that their
recently installed curb elevation may cause some small ponding
problems within the parking lot and suggested that the curb
be lowered to provide for more adequate drainage to the street.
The contractor has indicated if the City is willing to tear
out the existing curb, they would be able to replace the curb
at a cost of approximately $500.00.
It was the consensus of the City Council that Change Order #2
be executed in the amount of $500.00 to lower the curb to
provide for better drainage of the parking lot.
i
�/ �Ajj
Rick WolfsteXler
Assistant Administrator
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