HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-09-04 MINUTES (SPECIAL MEETING)
OTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL
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City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Special Meeting
September 4, 2013
CALL TO ORDER
The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a special
meeting on September 4, 2013 at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway,
Cottage Grove.
Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL
The following were present: Mayor Bailey, Council Member Jen Peterson, Council Member
Derrick Lehrke, Council Member Justin Olsen, 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; Les Burshten, Public Works Director; and Craig Woolery, Public
Safety Director.
Mayor Bailey presided over the meeting.
2014-2018 STORM WATER UTILITY FUND PLAN
The Council reviewed the City Engineer’s report on the 2014-2018 Storm Water Utility Fund
Plan included in the City Council Packet. In her report, City Engineer Levitt states that the
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) General Permit mandated by federal regulations
under the Clean Water Act gives owners/operators of MS4’s such as the City, approval to
discharge storm water into lakes, rivers, and wetlands in Minnesota. MS4’s are regulated
through the use of MPDES permits. As a result of this unfunded federal mandate, the City is
required to clean and maintain ponds, storm water structures, waterways, and ditches on a
five-year cycle. This includes minor maintenance and major maintenance projects. The
minor maintenance projects are typically completed by internal Street Division employees,
and major maintenance by hired contractors.
City Engineer Levitt noted that under the new permit issued August 1, 2013, the MPCA
reissued the general NPDES/SDS permit for MS4’s. The City is required to submit an
application for reauthorization by December 29, 2013, for the new five-year term. Included
in the updated permit are new requirements that the City must follow. The City has already
been working on addressing several of these requirements in the past five years, including
mapping/inventorying the City’s storm water system in Infra Seek, developing written
procedures for site plan reviews, and developing long-term maintenance plans.
Requirements that still need to be addressed include items such as doing quarterly City
facility inspections, prioritizing education efforts on high priority issues, and working with
private entities to ensure their privately-owned ponds are being maintained.
Cottage Grove City Council
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September 4, 2013 Special Meeting
City Engineer Levitt then highlighted the future annual maintenance budget and projected
storm water expenditures for 2014-2018 and the recommendation to increase the City’s
monthly fee for the next five years. An increase of $4.20 per month or five percent would
raise the projected annual budget.
The Council then discussed the Storm Water fund balance. City Engineer Levitt stated that
as far as the fund balance policy, they are looking at 50 percent of the expenditures dating
back to 2008. If we look at 2008 to 2013, the fund balance should be about $370,000 based
on what the policy and goal directions have been established.
Following extensive discussion, there was Council consensus to establish a $200,000 Storm
Water Fund fund balance and to reassess this again in January 2015.
ADJOURNMENT
The Mayor and City Council members adjourned this special meeting to the regular meeting.
Prepared by,
Caron M. Stransky
City Clerk