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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-02-03 MINUTES Cottage � Grove �here Pride and P�osperity Meet MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH February 3, 2016 REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M. (COUNCIL CHAMBER) CALL TO ORDER — Mayor The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular meeting on February 3, 2016, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway South. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The audience, staff, Mayor and City Council Members recited the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL — City Clerk The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Steve Dennis, Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Jen Peterson, Council Member Dave Thiede. Also present were: Charlene Stevens, City Administrator; Korine Land, City Attorney- LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director; Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk; Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer; John McCool, City Planner; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Craig Woolery, Public Safety Director OPEN FORUM Mayor Bailey asked if anyone in the audience wished to address the Council on any item that was not on the agenda. Daniel Bies of 7653 Langley Avenue South spoke to the City Council about "22 a Day is 22 Too Many." He reported statistics indicate 22 veterans commit suicide every day. He and his partner, Ashley, want to set up a walk and run through Cottage Grove, 22 miles, on Sunday, May 22, to raise awareness. Today they submitted an application for a permit and he wanted to find out if there was anything more they needed to do to make the event possible. Mayor Bailey asked CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE • 12800 Ravine Parkway. Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 www.cottage-grove.org .651-458-2800 • Fax 651-458-2897 • Equal Opportunity Employer ;Cottage Grove City.Council ;February 3; 201� Page 2 where in Cottage Grove the race would take place, and Mr. Bies gave the proposed route, which begins and ends at the Cottage Grove Armory. Mayor Bailey asked how people could find out more information or sign up. Mr. Bies stated they're working on the website for people to sign up, but they have an event page on Facebook; there are already over 200 people who are interested and 70 people attending. Shirts will also be available and it's possible to make donations for military hero funds through the McDonough Foundation. Council Member Olsen asked what the impetus was for the race; Mr. Bies stated he took it upon himself to organize a 22-mile march for the veteran suicides, as he felt not many people knew how many veterans committed suicide every day. Mayor Bailey asked Mr. Bies if he was a veteran; he replied affirmatively and Mayor Bailey thanked him for his service. Mayor Bailey stated the press was present tonight and the City would also mention it in its internal newsletter. Mayor Bailey also invited Mr. Bies to return on a date closer to the event to remind everyone. As no one else wished to address the Council, Mayor Bailey closed the Open Forum. Mayor Bailey presided over the meeting. 1. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion by Council Member Olsen, second by Council Member Thiede, to adopt the agenda as presented. Motion carried: 5-0. 2. PRESENTATIONS A. Banner Presentations to Mrs. Washington County Stacy Ekholm by Mrs. Minnesota Kate Howe and Mayor Bailey. Mayor Bailey stated Mrs. Stacy Ekholm had been named 2016 Mrs. Washington County for her commitment to family, profession, and community stewardship. She will be available to speak, make appearances, do special presentations, and assist with civic and nonprofit projects. She is seeking sponsorship support as she prepares for the Mrs. Minnesota competition. Mrs. Ekholm is a Properfy Manager and lives in Cottage Grove with her husband and two children. Mayor Bailey and the reigning Mrs. Minnesota, Kate Howe, along with Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham presented Stacy with her official banner and she was congratulated. B. Police Officer Swearing In Ceremony-OfFicers Adrianne Lamers and Edward � Weber. ;Cottage Grove"City Council �February 3; 2016 Page 3 City Administrator Charlene Stevens gave background information on the two new Officers and swore them in. Public Safety Director Woolery spoke about the Officers' field training and stated they were now on their own, out on the streets. He spoke about their badges being a symbol of trust and told them to keep their integrity when doing their job, serving the community and keeping everything in order. Officer Weber's badge was pinned on by his girlfriend and Officer Lamers' badge was pinned on by her father. Mayor Bailey and the Council Members congratulated both Officers. C. Police Reserve Officer Program Presentation by Officer Jordan Ziebarth. Officer Ziebarth, Reserve Liaison for the Cottage Grove Police Department, reviewed the hours the 16 Cottage Grove Reserve Officers had contributed to the City and specifically recognized some of the Reserve Officers. The Reserve Officers are citizen volunteers and assist the Department with patrol duties, bike patrol, park and business patrols, community events, Neighborhood Watch events, crime scene security, community emergencies, focused traffic enforcement, and transporting people to jail for Patrol Officers. The Reserve Officers volunteered 3,534 hours in 2015, which is a 15% increase from 2014; those included 22 emergency callouts and 58 special details. The Department issued a Letter of Recognition, for a record of significant perFormance, issued in recognition of intelligent and excellent perFormance of regular duties, to four Reserve Officers: Jeff Rossow, Tony Henseler, Dan Ries, and Lauden Rinzel. Those four Reserve Officers contributed a significant amount of time to the City of Cottage Grove--of the 3,534 total hours that were volunteered, those four Reserve Officers contributed 1,302 of those hours: Jeff contributed 375 hours, Tony contributed 281 hours, Dan contributed 331 hours, and Lauden contributed 315 hours. Director Woolery stated the Police Department counted on the Reserve Officers; he commended the four recognized Reserve Officers and called them forward to accept their Certificates. Director Woolery thanked all of the current Reserve Officers as they have been a special class with their dedication, professionalism, and amount of time worked. He asked them to continue on with the City. Mayor Bailey also thanked the Reserve Officers for their work and stated it was very much appreciated. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. January 20, 2016 Special City Council Meeting. B. January 20, 2016 Regular City Council Meeting. Mayor Bailey and the Council Members approved the minutes as presented. Cottage Grove Gity Council ;February 3,2016 Page 4 4. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Accept and Place on File the Following Minutes: i. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes from 12-21-15. B. Item Removed from Agenda 2/6/2016. C. Adopt Resolution 2016-023 approving the State of Minnesota Joint Powers Agreement and Court Services Amendment. D. Pass Ordinance 954 amending Title 7, Chapter 6, Section 6, Registration and Right of Way Occupancy of the City Code and authorize its publication by title and summary. E. Authorize issuance of a single-occasion gambling permit to Armstrong Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization to conduct a raffle at Armstrong Elementary School on February 26, 2016. F. Adopt Resolution 2016-024 authorizing the preparation of a feasibility report for the 65th Street, Geneva Avenue, and Century Avenue Improvements Project, including 65th Street from Meadow Grass Avenue to a point 1,000 feet west of Geneva Avenue, Geneva Avenue from 6th Street to the dead end, and Century Avenue from 65th Street to the Woodbury border. G. Adopt Resolution 2016-025 approving the plans and specifications and establishing a March 3, 2016 bid date for the CP Rail Water Main Improvement Project. . H. Approve the Water Efficiency Grant Agreement with the Metropolitan Council for a grant in the amount of$8,250. I. Approve the Restrictive Easement Agreement (REA) for the Grove Plaza redevelopment project area and authorize its execution, subject to minor modifications approved by the City Attorney. Motion by Council Member Olsen, second by Council Member Thiede, to approve the Consent Calendar. Motion carried: 5-0. 5. RESPONSE TO PREVIOUSLY RAISED OPEN FORUM ISSUES — None. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS — None. 7. BID AWARDS — None. 8. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. Consider SunShare LLC's request for a zoning text amendment of City Code Title 11-4-10, Solar Collection Systems (Ordinance No. 948) to add approximately 430 acres of land located south of 100th Street between Hadley Avenue and Jamaica Avenue to Exhibit A, which is the map showing areas in the City where solar gardens/farms are allowed by conditional use permit. ;Cottage Grove City Council ,February 3, 2016 Page 5 City Planner John McCool stated SunShare had made application for a zoning amendment to the City's ordinances that pertain to solar collection systems; they're requesting that approximately 430 acres of land be added to the Exhibit A that is part of Ordinance 948, Solar Collection Systems. He , reviewed the specific land areas affected. Ordinance 948, which was adopted in October 2015, did not allow for solar collector systems to be located within the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA). The 430 acres would be outside the City's Urban Service Area. The solar collection systems were not to be allowed within any transition area or planning area of the community. Planner McCool presented the Comprehensive Plan and land use map for the City of Cottage Grove, and the westerly half of the 430 acres was located within the transition planning area. Because of that, the ordinance would not allow for solar collector systems within that area. There was also a possibility of the City expanding its business park, located to the north of 100th Street; the extension of the business park would require the MUSA boundary line be adjusted to the south and the Comprehensive Plan would need to be amended. The Applicant provided three exhibits to the City and also identified some of the existing transmission lines that dissect the community; one indicated their proposed 430 acres would be along the south side of 100th Street, which is by an existing transmission power pole and utility lines. The second identified that much of the area to the west of the 3M Cottage Grove facility was a wetland area and they did not feel that area would be conducive to solar collector systems. The third merely identified the 430 acres that they would like to have added to Ordinance 948, Solar Collection Systems. The Planning Commission held public hearings in November and December relating to this application. At the December meeting, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council deny the application to amend the City Ordinance pertaining to Solar Collection Systems. Adoption of the resolution prepared would be approving the Planning Commission's recommendation of denial in addition to its approval of Findings of Fact for that denial. The Applicant was present, and a letter from the Applicant, dated February 2, was received today, February 3; copies of the letter have been distributed to the City Council and other City staff. Ben Granley, President of Werner Electric, 7415-95th Street South, addressed the Council and stated he thought to have the solar system language excluded from this area might be a mistake. He thought they were only looking at it from a land use standpoint if the systems are put on the ground as a ground-mount system. Mr. Granley stated there's a lot of opportunity to actually have a solar garden on the roof, which actually adds value to the business because they could lease out that space. He said they Cottage Grove:Gity Council �Fe�ruary 3; 2036 ,Page 6 were not at the point where they were ready to bring that to the Council but to actually approve this amendment the way it was presented would eliminate Werner Electric from being able to do that. There are other businesses that might want to come into that industrial park and have the ability to lease out their rooftops for the future and be able to earn income from that. From their standpoint, they'd recently expanded pretty significantly in the business park; one of the reasons they'd done that was because of solar energy, which is the fastest growing part of Werner's business. He thought they were on the front edge of something really big and making a decision today that would be long term and limiting in significance would be a challenge for the future because having the ability to put the power on their buildings and having that flexibility in the future would be important. Planner McCool responded that the solar ordinance adopted in October 2015 would allow for Werner Electric and other businesses to have rooftop solar panels as part of the building structure use so that's already a permitted use within that ordinance. Randy Kroll, who owns property where SunShare has an agreement for development of a solar garden, wanted to encourage the City as to what the younger generation was looking for in the City. Limitations on new ideas or new directions like this would be something the Council needed to consider from the standpoint of not putting limitations around this but instead encouraging this type of activity and development. As a property owner, he wanted to see this type of project moving forward and thought it made sense from an environmental standpoint for the City to consider new opportunities in this regard. Council Member Dennis spoke about a letter that had appeared in the St. Paul paper from someone who stated they were pleased to see the boom of solar gardens occurring in Cottage Grove as the City continued to set the bar high in terms of renewable energy. The article from January 28 was titled Cotta.pe Grove, Minn., takes initiative with solar qarden. It stated that the City Council members had been extremely helpful in the process by approving ordinances and expanding rules regarding solar power and making it much easier to increase the City's solar capabilities. The article stated every City in Minnesota should be more like Cottage Grove and make access to solar power options more readily available. He stated there are people noticing that the City has been proactive to this process. In 2015, there had been a tremendous amount of effort_put into the ordinance process to help the situation, but solar power can't be put everywhere. There were two very substantial zones set up and, at this point, he personally felt that was adequate. ;Cottage Grove City Council ;February 3, 2016 Page 7 Council Member Thiede reiterated that the City is very proactive with solar energy and wind energy, but it was his understanding that this was something that would last for 25-to-30 years; they didn't want to have to figure out how to get the solar panels out of that area to allow for a future business going into that area. The Comprehensive Plan revision will take the City out to approximately 2040, which will include land use, and some changes to the current plan might be made at that point in time. He asked if SunShare was also looking at some other designated areas; Planner McCool stated that SunShare had made an application for 37 acres east of Lamar Fields, which will be before the Planning Commission on February 22 for a public hearing. Council Member Olsen stated the City's Ordinance was clear and was the product of significant research, time, energy, effort, and he felt it was more than adequate. He also understood that Mr. Kroll was looking for some sort of profitable use for his property. Council Member Olsen felt the City has been supportive of alternate energy sources and the wind turbine at Werner Electric is one example. There are also solar panels on a number of the City's public buildings. Council Member Olsen felt the request should be denied based on the ordinance requirements. Motion by Council Member Olsen to deny the request for a zoning text amendment of City Code Title 11-4-10, Solar Collection Systems (Ordinance No. 948) and adopt Resolution 2016-026 approving the finding of facts for the denial, second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. B. Consider adopting a resolution approving the plans and specifications and establishing a bid date of March 3, 2016 for the 70th Street South (CSAH 22) and Jamaica Improvements Project. Wayne Sandberg, Washington County Deputy Director of Public Works/Engineer, spoke to the City Council regarding the roundabout and intersection and pavement improvement project at 70th Street and Jamaica Avenue. Washington County is happy to partner with the City to plan, design, and implement this important safety and traffic management project, which is critical because Washington County does not have the resources to keep this project on schedule so the partnership with Cottage Grove is what has kept this project moving. The project is ready to move from the design phase into the construction phase. Mr. Sandberg stated this is the most comprehensive Communication Plan that Washington County had ever been a part of; the City staff has done an outstanding job of leveraging new technology in this plan while also continuing to do the tried-and-true methods that have been successful in the past. City Engineer Jennifer Levitt stated there were plans and specifications before the Council for approval tonight; she wanted to walk through some Cottage Grove City Council ;February 3; 2016 Page 8, specifics to keep the public informed: Installation of the actual roundabout on Jamaica and pavement preservation at Jamaica and 70th Street, where the asphalt would be removed and new asphalt put down to improve the ride quality. To the north of Jamaica, that segment will be a rehabilitation method of reclaiming it and installing new bituminous. As part of that, they will also install turn lanes into the Dodge Nature Center and extending water service to them. It will be a concrete roundabout, similar to what is present at the Jamaica interchange off of Highway 61. As you move north on Jamaica, they will be installing the ultimate section of what Jamaica will look like, the curb and gutters, the trail on both sides of the roadway, east ravine decorative lighting, and landscaping will be installed as part of the project. The project will be done in multiple phases; one of the elements they've looked at was how to keep this open to traffic. Extending the water main into the Dodge Nature Center will require road closure for one-to-three days. There's a very extensive detour plan. In the Communication Plan, it is detailed how they will communicate to residences and businesses. During that same closure period, the bypass will be constructed so as not to interFere with traffic. There will be closures on Jamaica, both north and south, as the roundabout project is constructed. Once the contractor is on board, the detailed schedules will be communicated to Public Safety, trash haulers, and the School District. The proposed landscaping monuments will be on the Dodge Nature Center side of the project, which will send you into the Upper Ravine District, and it will set the tone for the ultimate road improvement there. In the center of the roundabout, there will also be landscaping, decorative paving, more landscaping in the medians, as well as an irrigation system and lighting. Neighborhood meetings and social media will be used to get the construction messages out. There is special signage that will be used indicating how people can get to Strawberry Fest and the fireworks to ensure there's no miscommunication. Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham addressed the City Council and thanked them for allowing Washington County to work together with the City to get this project completed. She stated they will use these measures going forward to get the word out to businesses and residences. Commissioner Bigham stated communication was a key factor and she also thanked Engineer Levitt, the City staff, Deputy Director Sandberg, and County staff for collaborating on the project and hoped that would continue into the future. Mayor Bailey thanked Deputy Director Sandberg and his staff for working so well with the City staff to develop the Communication Plans, as citizens would Cottage Grove City Council ,February 3, 2Q16 Page 9 have questions and he felt it was important that they had a plan in place to communicate in a variety of venues. Council Member Olsen also wished to thank City staff, Engineer Levitt and her team, and Administrator Stevens, as the City of Cottage Grove was the lead agency for this project. He also stated there were issues with the 70th Street-Jamaica Avenue roundabout project; he hoped that everyone had learned from those and the new roundabout would be done correctly. He felt he needed to just call that out as a "watch out" from the last project. Council Member Olsen asked if the previous concern regarding the actual specifications regarding turn radiuses and where they were located with the four corners had been resolved. Engineer Levitt replied affirmatively and stated there were roundabout specialists who had analyzed it from all the turning movements that had been previously discussed, the angles of entry, and Washington County had also analyzed the City consultant's work. The plan had been sent to State Aid at the Department of Transportation, whose engineers have reviewed it. She stated that at this point they feel very confident that those elements were addressed in the plan. Council Member Dennis stated he was impressed with the thoughtful and considerate approach that Washington County was taking on this project, and he thanked everyone involved. Council Member Thiede asked if there were going to be other monuments put up and how much those would cost. Engineer Levitt stated the goal was to set the Upper Ravine District community apart and bring recognition; one of the ways was to use hardscape in addition to other landscaping features and elements. The intent is to address the gateway or entrance points into the district. The monument and landscape shown will cost approximately $30,000. Council Member Thiede thought the monument should instead state "Dodge Nature Center" rather than "Upper Ravine District" and that it would be confusing to people. Mayor Bailey stated that with the initial plans there was an idea to have monuments in the middle of the roundabout, which was not possible as Washington County had safety concerns. The messaging that they were looking at was mainly internal to it and the current monument is the compromise to still have that kind of a message, signifying the different area. Mayor Bailey asked about the quality of the pavement that will be installed on Jamaica; Engineer Levitt stated the pavement preservation on Jamaica Avenue is only temporary, pending development of that area; once the - development is done, there will be new roads and street lighting, etc. ;Cottage Grove City Council �February 3, 2016 ;Page 10 Motion by Council Member Olsen to adopt Resolution 2016-027 approving the plans and specifications and establishing a bid date of March 3, 2016 for the 70th Street South (CSAH 22) and Jamaica Improvements Project, second by Council Member Peterson. Motion carried: 5-0. C. 1. Consider approving the Business Plan for the River Oaks Golf Course as drafted by the River Oaks Subcommittee (Mayor Bailey and Council Member Dennis). 2. Consider approving the organization change as outlined in the attached organization chart, appointing Council Member Dennis as General Manager of the River Oaks Golf Course, Grill and Events Center, and appointing the City Council as Board of Directors of the same. Attorney Land stated that there was a change to the organizational business plan and organizational chart that were made earlier today. Mayor Bailey stated the City Council had opted to look at the golf course as a total because the golf course has been struggling from a profitability standpoint; they're trying to define what might be causing that and are looking at different opportunities that can help fix that and ultimately break even or even be profitable. Council Member Dennis has expertise in the food and beverage area and business management and had offered some great ideas to the Council and staff to help make River Oaks Golf Course profitable. Prior to Administrator Stevens' hiring, the golf course did not fall under Parks and Recreation Director Zac Dockter but was an offshoot from the City Administrator. Before the golf course is handed over to the Parks and Recreation Department, the Council wants to help get it back on track. Ultimately, Administrator Stevens will not be in charge of the golf course but it will be turned over to the Parks and Recreation Department. If any changes need to be made, it has to come back before the City Council and/or staff. Council Member Olsen stated for the past eight years the City has wrestled with River Oaks Golf Course as a financial entity. The current staff does a marvelous job with the golf course; however, currently the golf course is a burden because it can't generate enough income to cover the expenses, which include maintenance, capital expenditures, food and beverages, etc. They've been working with the staff to find ways to generate additional revenue. The City Council has decided they want the golf course to run as efficiently as possible while still providing a high degree of service in all areas. Mayor Bailey and Council Member Dennis have been assigned as the President and Vice President of the EDA to examine the business and put together a business plan that they felt would best provide direction and opportunity to grow the business and create a sustainable business model for the long term, which will be operated by the Parks and Recreation Department under the direction of Director pockter. Council Member Olsen stated he felt the business plan that Mayor Bailey and Council Member ;Cottage Grove Gity Counci( ;February 3,,2016. ;Page 11; Dennis came up with was very thorough and covered all aspects of the golf course. Council Member Thiede stated the new business plan would follow the budget and if any additional monies were required, it would have to be requested and approved like anything else. The organizational chart has been changed, but he felt the semantics of the second action request needed to be changed; instead of"General Manager" he proposed it state that Council Member Dennis would be given the authority to implement changes. He felt it was wonderFul that Council Member Dennis was donating his time to turn things around at the golf course. Mayor Bailey stated Council Member Dennis was going to oversee the golf course in its entirety and then bring back recommendations to the Council. Mayor Bailey asked if each item had to have a separate motion; Attorney Land stated they could be done together, the first to approve the business plan and the second to approve the organizational change as it was outlined or using Council Member Thiede's language. Attorney Land felt what needed to be clear was that the Council was taking on the role of Board of Directors so whatever the Task Force would recommend would come back to the Council for approval before it would be implemented. Council Member Dennis stated it was a team effort in the best interests of the community. He felt he was fulfilling his campaign promise, as a local business owner working on behalf of the community itself by bringing a skill set and initiative and work effort to the process. He has three goals: Profitability, making River Oaks Golf Course an entity that the entire community could be very proud of, and to enhance the shop local philosophy of getting the community to keep their money in town and support the golf course. Council Member Dennis stated he felt if the Council could not make this work, it wasn't going to work and that could be addressed at a later time. Council Member Peterson thanked Mayor Bailey and Council Member Dennis for working so hard on this project. Motion by Council Member Olsen to approve as written, second by Council Member Peterson. Motion carried: 4-1 (Nay by Council Member Thiede). Administrator Stevens suggested the Council move to Agenda Item 9, as the interviews would possibly result in appointing a candidate. Mayor Bailey agreed. 9. RESPONSE TO PREVIOUSLY RAISED COUNCIL COMMENTS AND � REQUESTS — None. 10. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS ;Cot#age Grove City Council �February 3, 2096 �Page 1.2 Council Member Dennis wanted to give a Public Service Announcement as he stated after reading a post on Facebook, a Cottage Grove resident had an eagle swoop down into their yard and take their cat. He wanted to remind citizens when you take your cat or dog outside that you give them a little bit of protection so that wouldn't happen again. Council Member Olsen thanked Senator Katie Sieben for 14 years of dedicated service to the City of Cottage Grove; Senator Sieben announced yesterday that she would not be seeking reelection this fall. He felt she has been a tremendous partner as both a State Representative as well as a State Senator. He stated she's worked with the City on their bonding requests and innumerable other issues. He wished her the best. Council Member Peterson stated the next Fare For All, the discount grocery- buying opportunity for frozen meat and fresh produce, which is open to the public, will take place on February 11 at All Saints Lutheran Church. The proceeds benefit the nonprofit food group. Council Member Peterson stated the next Burger & Brat Night will take place on February 18 at the Cottage Grove VFW. It's open to the public and is a fundraiser for the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon network of Cottage Grove, which supports local military families and veterans. Council Member Peterson stated the Stone Soup Thrift Shop is now taking registration for teams for the Stone Soup "Souper Bowl," which will take place on Saturday, April 23, at the Park Grove Bowl. She hopes a lot of people will participate in that event. Mayor Bailey stated the Fish Fry at River Oaks Golf Course will start this Friday, February 5, and he encouraged everyone to attend. Mayor Bailey stated on February 6 there will be a Woodridge Park Open House; the park recently went through some major redevelopment and this park is the location where the City is proposing the All Inclusive Playground. Mayor Bailey stated the snowman photo contest entries are due on February 29; he stated with the recent snowfall there should be plenty of snow to make a snowman. He encouraged everyone to enter that contest; information can be found on the City's Facebook page. Mayor Bailey wanted to congratulate the Parks and Recreation Department for the Skate Night at Highlands Park Pond last Friday; he stated it was a huge success with a lot of people there. � ;Cottage Grove City Council jFebruary 3, 2036 EPage 13 Mayor Bailey stated on February 25, in the City Hall Training Room, there would be a presentation called the Safety Exchange Zone; it's free and open to the public. The Public Safety Commission is presenting that, and it's typically an area where people will meet to exchange products from Craigslist or newspaper ads. He encouraged interested citizens to attend. 11. PAY BILLS A. Motion by Council Member Peterson, second by Council Member Dennis, to approve payment of check numbers 194783 to 194949 in the amount of $687,489.15 and EFT Payment of$159,673.66. Motion carried: 5-0. 8. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS — CONTINUED IN THE ST. CROIX CONFERENCE ROOM D. Economic Development Director Candidate Interview (Douglas Borglund). Mayor Bailey and the City Council Members conducted an interview of Douglas Borglund for the position of Economic Development Director with the City of Cottage Grove. E. Consider appointing a candidate to the position of Economic Development Director. The City Council discussed both of the candidates and what they could bring to the City of Cottage Grove. Christine Costello's background and experience more align with what the City Council envisions for the position. Motion by Council Member Olsen to approve Christine Costello as the Economic Development Director, subject to background check and City Administrator Stevens finishing the hiring process. Second by Council Member Peterson. Motion carried: 5-0. 12. WORKSHOP SESSION — OPEN TO PUBLIC — None. 13. WORKSHOP SESSION — CLOSED TO PUBLIC — None. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Olsen, second by Council Member Thiede, to adjourn the regular mee�ing at 9:50 p.m. Motion carried: 5-0. Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk.