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Home My WebLink About2011-11-16 MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota Regular Meeting November 16, 2011 OPEN FORUM Mayor Myron Bailey convened the Open Forum portion of the meeting at 7:15 p.m. and stated that during Open Forum a person may address the City Council on subjects not a part of the regular meeting agenda, but must limit their remarks to two (2) minutes per person. The purpose of Open Forum is to provide the public an opportunity to provide information or to request action by the City Council. It may not be used to make personal attacks, to air personality grievances, to make political endorsements, or for political campaign purposes. Open Forum will adjourn to the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Derrick Lehrke, Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Jen Peterson, and Council Member Dave Thiede. The following were absent: None. Also present were: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator; Caron Stransky, City Clerk; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Corrine Heine, City Attorney-Kennedy & Graven; Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer Craig Woolery, Public Safety Director; and Les Burshten, Public Works Director. Mayor Bailey opened Open Forum at 7:15 p.m., and asked if anyone in the audience wished to address the City Council on any topic not on the agenda. There being none, Mayor Bailey closed Open Forum to the Regular Meeting. CALL TO ORDER – Regular Meeting The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular th meeting on November 16, 2011 at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80 Street South. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Wolf Den Pack 55 from Cottage Grove Elementary School led the audience, staff and the Mayor and Council Members pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. ROLL CALL The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Derrick Lehrke, Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Jen Peterson, and Council Member Dave Thiede. The following were absent: None. Cottage Grove City Council 2 November 16, 2011 Regular Meeting Also present were: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator; Caron Stransky, City Clerk; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Corrine Heine, City Attorney-Kennedy & Graven; Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer; Craig Woolery, Public Safety Director; and Les Burshten, Public Works Director. Mayor Bailey presided over the meeting. 1. ADOPTION OF AGENDA MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER OLSEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED. 5-0. 2. PRESENTATIONS – None. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. August 10, 2011 Regular Meeting Mayor Bailey noted that he was not in attendance for the Open Forum portion of the meeting but it shows he was in attendance. He asked the City Clerk to amend the minutes to show that Mayor Pro Tem Olsen presided over the Open Forum portion of the meeting. There being no further amendments to the minutes, Mayor Bailey stated that the minutes of the August 10, 2011 Regular Meeting stand approved as presented. B. September 7, 2011 Regular Meeting Council Member Peterson stated that under Presentation, Item B, the Motion reads: “Motion by Council Member Olsen, Seconded by Council Member Olsen, to…” but stated that it should read: “Motion by Council Member Olsen, Seconded by Council Member Peterson, to…” There being no further amendments to the minutes, Mayor Bailey stated that the minutes of the September 7, 2011 Regular Meeting stand approved as presented. 4. CONSENT CALENDAR The City Council pulled items C for discussion purposes only. MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LEHRKE, TO: A. NONE SUBMITTED. B. PASS ORDINANCE NO. 896, AN ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE, AMENDING TITLE 5, CHAPTER 4, SECTION 4 RELATING TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-147, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF A SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 896. Cottage Grove City Council 3 November 16, 2011 Regular Meeting C. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-148, A RESOLUTION APPROVING INTER- LOCAL CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL, PROVIDING FOR A COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR GOODS AND SERVICES. D. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-149, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PREPARATION OF A FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR THE HINTON AVENUE THTH BETWEEN 70 STREET AND 80 STREET IMPROVEMENTS. E. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-150, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ACT AS THE CITY’S AGENT TO ACCEPT FEDERAL AID FOR ALL FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROJECTS AWARDED TO THE CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE. F. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-151, A RESOLUTION CERTIFYING DELINQUENT UTILITY BILLS. MOTION CARRIED. 5-0. 5. RESPONSE TO PREVIOUSLY RAISED OPEN FORUM ISSUES A. Receive Response to Open Forum Questions Regarding Ambulance Service. Mayor Bailey acknowledged the letter Public Safety Director Woolery sent to Beverly Moreland regarding the ambulance service. 6. PUBLIC HEARING A. Continue the Public Hearing to Consider a Written Spending Plan for Tax Increment Expenditures City Administrator Schroeder recommended that the City Council continue the public hearing to consider a Written Spending Plan for Tax Increment Expenditures to the January 18, 2012 meeting. MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER THIEDE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE WRITTEN TAX INCREMENT SPENDING PLAN UNTIL THE JANUARY 18, 2012 CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MOTION CARRIED. 5-0. 7. BID AWARDS A. Consider Awarding the Contract for the Highlands Park Splash Pad MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER THIEDE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2011-151, A RESOLUTION AWARDING THE CONTRACT AND BID FOR THE HIGHLANDS PARK SPLASH PAD TO LS PACK CONSTRUCTORS, INC., FOR $465,881.00. Cottage Grove City Council 4 November 16, 2011 Regular Meeting Mayor Bailey asked the City Clerk to conduct a roll call vote. COUNCIL MEMBER LEHRKE VOTED NAY; COUNCIL MEMBER OLSEN VOTED AYE; COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON VOTED AYE; COUNCIL MEMBER THIEDE VOTED AYE; AND MAYOR BAILEY VOTED AYE. MOTION CARRIED. 4 AYES. 1 NAY. 8. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS – None. 9. RESPONSE TO PREVIOUSLY RAISED COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS – None. 10. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Mayor Bailey highlighted the followoing events: The community short survey on the City’s web site on what you value the most living in the City of Cottage Grove; the all you can eat Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on November 20; Fundraising to Share the Joy th Campaign by the Public Safety Department; 26 Annual Breakfast with Santa on December 4; Holiday tree lighting event at City Hall on December 7; Santa Breakfast on December 11 at River Oaks Golf Course; Canadian Pacific Railway’s Holiday Train on December 11; Annual Cottage Grove Winter Lights and Decoration Contest for residents and businesses; and lastly, that Holiday bread would be sold for $5.00 at various churches and events. Council Member Peterson announced that the next Beyond the Yellow Ribbon meeting would be December 20; that November is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month, and the Stone Soup Thrift Shop was looking for volunteers to help with the Stone Soup-er Bowl on May 4. Council Member Lehrke stated that the Holiday Train stop in Cottage Grove is the most attended and have raised the most money in North America. Earlier in the meeting, Bev Moreland talked about the magnets for the defibrillators noting that all of our ambulances do have them and the situation she talked about occurred 6-7 years ago. Council Member Thiede commented that all of the money raised by the Holiday Train goes to the local food shelf and he encouraged residents to donate. Council Member Olsen commented on the brand new non-profit organization called “Coats of Kindness” and encouraged the public to donate. Council Member Olsen stated that in terms of significant changes, one of the things he was a bit disturbing to him was the increase in partisanship in local government. 11. PAY BILLS MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER OLSEN, TO APPROVE PAYMENT OF CHECK NUMBERS 174331 THROUGH 174526 TOTALING $1,657,636.22. CHECK NUMBERS 174331 THROUGH 174366 TOTALING $281.959.089 WERE ISSUED PRIOR TO COUNCIL APPROVAL. MOTION CARRIED. 5- 0. Cottage Grove City Council 5 November 16, 2011 Regular Meeting 12. WORKSHOP SESSION – OPEN TO PUBLIC A. 2012 Property Tax Levy Discussion The City Council discussed the change in the 2012 homestead credit where the 2011 Legislature repealed the homestead credit, and replaced it with a new Homestead Market Value Exclusion. The last year of the credit is for property taxes paid in 2011 and the exclusion for property taxes payable in 2012. They also reviewed a reflection of the revenues and expenditures and the additional $584,000 money from the market value homestead credit that we knew we were not going to get, was put aside in the fund balance to be used in future years when we could not balance the budget. That money is still sitting in fund balance. Council Member Lehrke noted for the record that he was opposed to budgeting $584,000 from the market value homestead credit that we know that we will never receive. 13. WORKSHOP SESSION – CLOSED TO PUBLIC – None. ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER OLSEN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PETERSON, TO ADJOURN THE REGULAR MEETING AT 9:26 P.M. MOTION CARRIED. 5-0. Prepared by, Caron M. Stransky City Clerk