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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes �i � ��� � �� �1,, �c��P�rity f�i��t .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... ���'� �rid� �►�d MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL October 17, 2018 COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a regular meeting on October 17, 2018, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The audience, staff, Mayor, and City Council Members recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Steve Dennis, Council Member Wayne Johnson, Council Member La Rae Mills, and Council Member Dave Thiede. Also present were: Charlene Stevens, City Administrator; Korine Land, City Attorney- LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; Ryan BurFeind, Assistant City Engineer; John Burbank, Senior Planner; Les Burshten, Public Works Director; Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director; Joe Fischbach/HR Manager/City Clerk; Pete Koerner, Director of Public Safety; Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer; Robin Roland, Finance Director. 4. OPEN FORUM Mayor Bailey opened the open forum and asked if anyone in the audience wished to address the Council on any item that was not on the agenda. As no one wished to address the Council, Mayor Bailey closed the open forum. 5. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Motion by Council Member Dennis to adopt the agenda; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE • 12800 Ravine Parkway • Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 www.cottagegrovemn.gov • 651-458-2800 • Fax 651-458-2897 • Equal Opportunity Employer City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 2 6. PRESENTATIONS A. Public Works Forestry and Emerald Ash Borer Update Quinn Palar, the City Forester, gave information and an update on the voluntary Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) program, the boulevard trimming around the City, the Arbor Day celebration, work the interns had done over the past summer, tree injections, and the EAB DNR grant that they received this year. With the voluntary Ash removal last year, they received 197 responses, which resulted in 215 boulevard Ash trees being removed by both City staff and contractors. The removed trees were replaced with 16 different species; there were approximately 276 trees replaced. For the upcoming season, there will again be approximately 200 Ash tree removals and replacements. Boulevard trees (1,737) were trimmed last year, both by City staff and by a contractor. The first EAB infestation in Cottage Grove was found in February, 2018; two were near Highlands Park. A private tree company noted the telltale signs and reported it to the Department of Agriculture; Forester Palar confirmed the infestation, a letter was sent, and the trees were removed by the property owner. We have not found any other infestations throughout Cottage Grove but most likely more will be found. The Arbor Day celebration took place at Hamlet Park on April 28. Forester Palar had given a demonstration on proper tree planting, and the City gave away 160 bare root ornamental trees and provided information on EAB. Two interns worked for Public Works this year, Danny Nichols and William Molitor. They spent most of their time updating tree inventory for this year and next year's trimming area. They also performed insecticide injections for preventative Ash treatment on approximately 800 boulevard trees, assisted with storm cleanup and trimming operations, and at an event they did a presentation on EAB. The chemicals used on the Ash trees were changed; it takes effect quicker and was found to be equally effective. A company with another injection system available gave a demonstration, which will increase our efficiency in upcoming years. We also received one of four grants issued from the DNR for the EAB; the grant was $28,000 and the City will match $30,000. Those funds will help with: Ash tree removal, grinding stumps, updating our EAB Management Plan, purchasing the more efficient injection equipment, providing community outreach regarding EAB, and conducting surveys for EAB infestation. Council Member Dennis thanked Forester Palar for the work he's doing on the EAB management. He also acknowledged Public Works Director Burshten and his team for City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 3 their work on this issue as the City has an urban forest of approximately 25,000 trees. EAB can cause significant devastation so we're trying to keep ahead of it. Council Member Johnson thanked Forester Palar for his presentation. Council Member Johnson asked at what point they try to inject the trees as opposed to removing them. Forester Palar stated it depends on what benefits that tree provides to the homeowner; if it's a primary shade tree in your yard, they'd recommend treatment, which is 100% effective and relatively affordable. As part of the grant, Forester Palar will be working with contractors to get a Citywide rate that will discount the injection price for residents in Cottage Grove. If residents don't want the tree or are unsure, it's probably a better idea to remove it and get a replacement tree sooner rather than later, as the tree and the costs to remove it will both grow. The tree injections need to be done every three years for the life of the tree. Council Member Johnson confirmed with Forester Palar that the removal costs of a tree on private property are borne by the homeowner. Council Member Johnson asked if there's an EAB tree on private property but the resident doesn't want to treat it if the City steps in at that point to prevent further infestation; Forester Palar responded that they can only step in once an infestation has been proven, and confirmed with the State, to have it removed. It's also possible to save a tree that is infested if it's caught early enough, as the treatment will eradicate the infestation in a tree. If the homeowner can provide a record that the tree's been treated, they will be able to keep the tree. Council Member Thiede stated he appreciated the City having an Arbor Day celebration as his yard has a nice diversity of trees and it's important to get residents planting trees. Mayor Bailey asked Forester Palar if the idea is to keep an eye on the area where the two trees were identified as having EAB; Forester Palar responded that yes, that's considered to be ground zero for the infestation. Those two trees were already stressed before the EAB infestation; they most likely had some other native borers attacking it and worsening its health, which might have attracted the EAB. It's a question of when, not if, and they'll be finding more trees in the coming years. They'll be doing concentric circles in that area when surveying, and there are also infestations in St. Paul Park so that's most likely how it will be coming into Cottage Grove. Mayor Bailey stated he'd noted trees along the river in Hastings had been marked; Forester Palar stated he believed that was an awareness campaign to alert people what an Ash tree looks like, as other communities had done that in the past year. Mayor Bailey asked Forester Palar about Oak wilt, as he'd heard there are some trees with that in Ravine Park. He asked if there was anything we can do to help protect the Oak trees as they're slow-growing trees. Forester Palar stated prevention within the urban forest is harder to deal with but it's about timing of pruning and making sure that's done at the right time with no trimming from April to September on any Oak trees. Preventative fungicide applications are the treatment, but the cost is more expensive than EAB treatment. City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 4 Council Member Thiede asked if there was a way for residents to take a photo and email it to him to have him take a look at a tree or if there were links to the University of Minnesota or websites where residents could read about things to watch for. Forester Palar stated there are useful things on the Forestry page of the website; the University of Minnesota had some good resources at �r�r�r.._��r�iir�r���c����rc�c�c��e�r�r�e�c��, which is really geared toward private homeowners and contains much information about various trees. He goes out weekly and looks at boulevard and private trees, so he's available to provide some guidance to people on where they could find information about ailments their trees have and/or their landscaping plans. 7. CONSENT AGENDA A. Authorize Public Works to advertise and sell surplus property on eBay and/or Cranky Ape. B. Adopt Resolution 2018-129 levying assessments for off-site improvements to Hadley Avenue and 95th Street pursuant to Summers Landing development agreement. C. Adopt Resolution 2018-128 accepting $5,850 in donations made to the City in the third quarter of 2018. D. Adopt Resolution 2018-127 approving the All Hazard Mitigation Plan for Washington County. E. Approve and authorize execution of the agreement between the City of Cottage Grove and Independent School District No. 833 to provide for School Resource Officer Programs at public schools within the City. F. Adopt Resolution 2018-137 accepting the National Fitness Campaign grant in the amount of$30,000, to be used towards the construction of an Outdoor Fitness Court at Highlands Park in 2019. G. Adopt Resolution 2018-136 approving an amendment to the original 2013 Historic John P. Furber Wedding & Event Center Historic Properties Conditional Use Permit (HPCUP) to permit the construction of a new standalone structure with 10 guestrooms and associated common areas and driveway at 7310 Lamar Avenue South and to operate the new facility as a bed and breakfast. H. Approve Change Order No. 1 in the amount of$15,668.75 for installation of the additional 340 water meters, and final payment in the amount of $57,746 to Milbank Winwater Works Co. for Contract Number 1 - Furnish Water Meters and Radios. I. Approve Change Order No. 48 in the amount of$54,752.36 for the additional 340 purchased water meters, and final payment of$219,308.01 with Milbank Winwater Works Co. for Contract Number 1- Furnish Water Meters and Radios. J. Adopt Resolution 2018-134 calling for a public hearing on the modification of Development District No. 1 and the establishment of Tax Increment Financing District No. 1-19 (an Economic Development District). City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 5 K. Adopt Resolution 2018-133 supporting Up North Plastics, Inc. in their application to the Department of Employment and Economic Development Job Creation Fund. L. Adopt Resolution 2018-132 supporting the Up North Plastics' application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for a Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) loan. M. Adopt Resolution 2018-135 approving plans and specifications and establishing a November 27, 2018 bid date for the Ice Arena Refrigeration System project. N. Adopt Resolution 2018-131 declaring costs and adopting the assessment roll for the Hadley Avenue Reconstruction Project. O. 1) Approve the amendment to the Eastbrooke Development Agreement. 2) Authorize the execution of the easement agreement required in the Amendment to the Development Agreement for the Eastbrooke subdivision. P. Approve the issuance of rental licenses for the properties in the attached table. Q. 1) Approve the Easement Encroachment Agreement with North Star Sheets, LLC, and Soo Line Railroad Company. 2) Approve the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance Agreement for private road, 91st Street Alcove, with North Star Sheets, LLC, and HHHJWB, LLC. R. Receive information on Strategic Plan Update Q1. Mayor Bailey stated Item F, the Fitness Court Grant, and Item G, the Historic John P. Furber Wedding & Event Center HPCUP Amendment, would be pulled for separate votes. Council Member Mills wished to pull Item F, Council Member Dennis wished to pull Item C, and Mayor Bailey wished to pull Item G for further comment and/or discussion. Council Member Dennis stated regarding Item C, he wanted to recognize individuals or corporations who had made donations to the City; they received $5,850 of donations in the third quarter. The Minnesota Twins Community Fund donated $5,000, which covered the Grey Cloud dugout covers; the second was a picnic table, valued at $850, from the North American Fast Pitch Association. In August, there was a national softball tournament in Cottage Grove, and both of those associations stepped up to help enhance our fields. He stated we appreciated those donations very much and no donation is ever too big or too small. Motion by Council Member Mills to approve the Consent Agenda except for Items F and G; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. Wayne Butt, 7405 Lamar Avenue South, stated he and his wife, Angie, own the Historic John P. Furber Farm at 7310 Lamar Avenue South. Mr. Butt stated Senior Planner John Burbank had received their information, and they want to do a 10-bedroom home City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 6 on the vacant property to the north of the Historic John P. Furber Farm. He wondered if they could do more than 10 bedrooms but not to exceed 14, and he stated he'd take any questions from the Council. Council Member Dennis stated he'd looked at the plans, and this site has become a beloved place in Cottage Grove; he commended Mr. and Mrs. Butt for what they've done to help grow Old Cottage Grove. Mr. Butt stated they're very excited about this project and thanked the City of Cottage Grove for its support. Mayor Bailey asked, regarding the change to this resolution, if they needed to go back to the Planning Commission; Planner Burbank stated they could modify the resolution. Mr. Butt stated the new home will look like the old home, but his wife, Angie, won't let him paint them the same color; it will be unique and set itself apart. It will be historic and will look like it belongs in Old Cottage Grove. Motion by Council Member Thiede to Adopt Resolution 2018-136 approving an amendment to the original 2013 Historic John P. Furber Wedding & Event Center Historic Properties Conditional Use Permit (HPCUP) to permit the construction of a new standalone structure with up to 14 guestrooms and associated common areas and driveway at 7310 Lamar Avenue South and to operate the new facility as a bed and breakfast; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. Council Member Mills stated she wanted to pull Item F, the Fitness Court Grant, because she felt that we needed some extra time to discuss and perhaps postpone the decision on this to look at the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to make sure we're making the right decision since it's a large amount of money. Council Member Thiede stated he also wanted to wait for the CIP, but this is actually a resolution to accept the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) grant in the amount of $30,000, to be used toward construction of an Outdoor Fitness Court if it, in fact, happens; it doesn't say we're actually going to do it. Ultimately, we'll use the grant money for that and if we don't actually put in the Fitness Court, that grant money would be returned. Parks and Recreation Director Zac Dockter stated that was correct; the grant is a non-binding grant so the resolution gets the process moving; there is a 60-day window to get that resolution in if the Council would feel more comfortable waiting until the CIP process. The grant does not commit us to any type of investment or completing the project at this time; it just accepts the grant. Mayor Bailey stated this was a unique way of doing fitness in a park; there is a grant process associated with it. As a Council we stated we could move forward to understand it, but we still have time to discuss this. In the interim period, Mayor Bailey asked Director pockter to start checking with some companies, not necessarily in Cottage Grove, to offset a large portion or all of the $100,000 to be part of this project, as that would make it a little bit more palatable for the rest of the Council. We have a number of items on the CIP, many rather costly, including the Ice Arena; if it's obtaining City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 7 a cement floor at $100,000 versus an Outdoor Fitness Court for $100,000, he personally would move towards the cement floor. If we can get funds from other sources, however, he would not be against it. Council Member Dennis stated he felt transparency and honesty were important, but from what he's been able to learn, this really is not a grant; this is a process where when a City says they want to do this they're getting a reduction in cost of that particular project. The company, National Fitness Campaign (NFC), is the company bringing this forward but they're also the producer; he didn't know what they had built into this for costs or how they actually sold the product. He felt some Council Members were uncomfortable going down this path. It appeared that we already had the money so we wouldn't have to go through this legal process of asking for a grant. He felt the correct thing to do, because we have a lot of irons in the fire, was to consider many large purchases, including the Ice Arena. We support fitness and opportunities for Cottage Grove residents, but we must also be good stewards of the taxpayer money. There are some concerns with this; we could take a moment and bring this into the CIP, which is next month, so we could look at things as a group and weigh the merits, the value with the money available, and all other projects we have coming up. He felt that was the reasonable, prudent, and right thing to do for our community. He was supporting Council Member Mills' motion to take more time and examine this further. Director pockter stated that it is, in fact, a grant, and those comes in all shapes and sizes. The Twins grant that we accepted tonight was another grant. They don't happen that often, but this one has a tight timeframe; we'd be going up against a lot of competition and this one is just organized differently. Council Member Johnson asked if the Twins grant stipulated that we use them to install it or was it just a grant given to us to use with whatever vendor we chose at the lowest price to install it; Director pockter stated that we could choose the vendor. Council Member Johnson felt that was the difference between a grant and a discount; he asked if this grant money had to be used towards their equipment and Director pockter confirmed that. In Council Member Johnson's opinion, that was a discount, not a grant, as a grant should not have stipulations other than it's going for a particular cause. Director pockter stated there were many facets to this; they have a large sponsorship campaign, including Wells Fargo Bank and large entities that make contributions towards offsetting the costs that they call a grant. As much as he'd researched it, they have large sponsors who contribute to the NFC, and NFC partners with Fitness Court, which is a separate entity, to build the Fitness Courts. You cannot use the grant money to buy another piece of equipment. Council Member Johnson stated the other corporations are subsidizing the money going to the City. Director pockter stated once something is called a grant, staff is obligated to handle it in a certain way, which is why he can't say it's not a grant and it still needs to come before the Council. If it's a discount, he doesn't need to bring it before the Council. It's simply handled differently. Council Member Johnson asked if the City has to do anything special to get the grant; Director pockter stated it's a grant application, but there are many upfront conversations City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 8 with their marketing team, with their sponsorship team, and their design team. Much of the work on this one is handled before the grant application is even submitted; they want to make sure Cottage Grove is the right fit for their product and their campaign. Once they identify all of that and talk with staff, then they say, okay, you're ready, you have a 14-day window to put this application in and send it in. There's much work done before you even apply, which is similar to other funds, but the application process is pretty quick and simple. Council Member Thiede asked if they actually physically sent us a check for $30,000; Director pockter replied that he did not know. Mayor Bailey stated it sounded like Director pockter had done some research on this project so it might be helpful for him to share that information with the Council. There might also be some strings attached, like an app that people download and need to pay for, so he asked him to check on some of those things that would be very beneficial for the Council to know as they go into the CIP discussion; Director pockter agreed. Council Member Mills made a motion to table the decision on this until there's a discussion on the CIP; second by Council Member Dennis. Motion carried: 5-0. 8. APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS A. Approve payments for the period of 10/3/2018 - 10/11/2018 for $489,210.85. Motion by Council Member Thiede to approve disbursements; second by Council Member Mills. Motion carried: 5-0. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS — None. 10. BID AWARDS — None. 11. REGULAR AGENDA A. 61 Marine & Sports Expansion Staff Recommendation:Adopt Resolution 2018-130 approving a conditional use permit for the expansion of the nonconforming use at 11730 Point Douglas Drive South to include a 6,000 square-foot building addition. Planner Burbank stated this was an expansion of a non-conforming use for 61 Marine and Sports. There have been additions to this site over the years with the size of the building, the property, and their inventory. They're requesting to construct a 60' x 100' addition to the service building. The zoning is currently guided B-2, General Business. City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 9 In the B-2 zoning district, this is not a permitted use or a conditional use for motorized recreational vehicles and associated equipment. This operation continues without negative effects on other B-2 businesses, so the expansion by conditional use permit has seemed to be the route to go. He reviewed the history of the previous expansions. He showed the proposed building site plan, including the architecture and building materials. The site does not meet the current development landscaping standards. They're recommending approval of expansion with the 6,000 square-foot structure, but they're recommending nine conditions of approval, including any new construction on the site have Class 1 material, and the western storage parking area, the areas closest to the highway, be hard surfaced. He stated they'd take questions from the Council. Council Member Johnson asked about staff wanting them to do a hard surface; he asked if there's any measurable difference with water runoff with the current surface as opposed to a hard surface. Planner Burbank stated his understanding was with the gravel surface that would be the same as a bituminous or concrete area. The applicant, AI Stewart, 9435 Kimbro Avenue, Cottage Grove, stated 61 Marine & Sports has been present for 23 years; it started out with 5,000 square feet and just keeps growing. They're trying to keep inventory and staff inside. They can't afford to have all bituminous and it's also hard on the axles and tires when turning a boat, but they've been adding bituminous in specific sections. They're working on obtaining another two acres of land to the south just to give them more room. Mayor Bailey stated he liked the look of their property, but wondered about the purpose of the bituminous strip; Mr. Stewart stated when a boat is pulled out on the tar, it just runs off into the gravel or the blacktop. He felt it would just be a clean look so you'd not be walking dirt into the building. The two buildings would be connected by tar by this time next year. Council Member Thiede asked with the new building they'd be adding on if it would look like one building; Mr. Stewart stated it would be taller so there'd be 16-foot garage doors so they can get bigger boats inside if they need to. There'd be a 16-foot overhang off the back of the building because the boat motors are on a steel crate covered by cardboard. They had a theft problem with boat motors because one of the cameras wasn't working, so they lost $50,000 worth of boat motors. Behind that building they'll be putting the boat motors under security so they'd be out of sight but as the motors sit and before they're used, the cardboard tends to get wet and flops off and it ends up along the fence. They're going to try to eliminate all the boat motors from being seen in the parking lot. Mr. Stewart stated the overhang is on the back side and runs the whole 100 feet. Council Member Thiede asked if the new piece was higher if they'd still kind of look the same; Mr. Stewart stated that yes, they'd look a bit stacked. Council Member Johnson asked when they sold an ATV if they were able to allow test driving on their property; Mr. Stewart stated sometimes, but there's a trail that runs along the highway to County Road 15 and back so that's basically where they run the City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 10 ATVs. Council Member Johnson asked if on the pavement on the west lot if that ever has any issues with freezing and snow and runoff and potholes; Mr. Stewart stated it has none of those. Council Member Johnson asked if there would be any ATVs running over that area or if there would be a real purpose that would be detrimental to paving that area other than it being hard on the axles, etc. Mr. Stewart stated no, there'd just be no use for that, as they're the only ones who go past their front gate. It would be different if there were stores surrounding their building that all had blacktop with curbs, but there's no use for any of that there. Mayor Bailey stated that Council could make a motion or make amendments or table it to the next Council Meeting so staff could actually write up the conditions to match some of the discussion. He felt there were certain areas of our community where it makes total sense to do asphalt, but he wasn't sure that this was one of them even though we call for it in this particular zoning area. If asphalt were installed, it would be getting torn up and probably would look worse as you're driving by. The building materials don't exactly meet the classifications, but he liked the western or northern woods look, as well as the door. Planner Burbank stated they'd focused more on the building and parking. Council Member Thiede asked Planner Burbank about the specific conditions, as there were quite a few; Planner Burbank stated the new resolution carries forward the 2015 resolution with the exception of requiring hard surface and paving and they're looking for the building materials to be Class 1. Council Member Thiede confirmed that right now the plan did not meet the requirements; Planner Burbank stated the recommendation of the Planning Commission was that it would be required with the resolution before us today. If modifications need to be made, they'd need to amend that resolution, which would be the reason for a delay or continuation. Council Member Thiede asked what would need to be adjusted, and if it was just the pavement. Planner Burbank stated the previous action didn't address the property on the east. There was a modification because the area on the south side of the building was never included in the 2015 language. Council Member Thiede asked if they were talking about a different area, they needed to make a change as to what's written; that was confirmed. Also the building materials would need to be changed. Council Member Johnson felt regarding the paving, he agreed with Mayor Bailey; he didn't see a huge benefit in this particular application as it wasn't the type of place that would require that and didn't feel it needed to be in there. Council Member Mills felt the paving was already present for customers and if the buildings matched, she felt it would look good. Council Member Dennis felt we should be reasonable; Mr. Stewart has made a sizeable investment in our area, and is looking to add on again and we appreciate him doing that. He agreed with their paving plan and the other items; there haven't been any complaints about dust. The buildings have a certain motif or theme so if Mr. Stewart City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 11 was willing to put on that front and make it look a bit more rustic he had no problem with that. He agreed we should table this and allow staff to work out the finer details and come to an agreement with the investor and then bring it back to the Council so we can vote on it for him. Council Member Thiede asked Mr. Stewart if this was tabled if it fit into his timeframe versus just making some changes here based on the discussion; Mr. Stewart stated they were hoping to get this done as he's already bought the material and wanted to get it done before the snow fell and had hoped to start building somewhere before the end of the month. If it gets too far out, he'd probably wait until next year. Council Member Thiede asked if we needed to table this or if we could just make changes to the resolution. Mayor Bailey asked City Attorney Korine Land for her thoughts; Attorney Land stated she felt we could just amend the resolution tonight without the need to continue it and allow Mr. Stewart to complete his construction in a timely manner this season. She recommended the first condition be amended, which says all conditions of Resolution 2015-118 shall be conformed with, with the exception of paving only the area in red on Page 10 of 11 on the staff report. In addition, she would take out condition #2 completely; instead, say the applicant shall be allowed to use Class 3 cementitious concrete materials on the front of the new addition and the existing building, as he's going to change the face of the existing structure that he's adding onto, and then use that new material, the Class 3 material, on the addition part facing Highway 61. She asked Mr. Stewart if he was also using that new material on the existing storefront and the other parcel; Mr. Stewart stated they're not doing anything to the new building, but he asked if she was asking about the storefronts and she confirmed. The three buildings that actually face Highway 61 now, those three will be sided. The other building comes at a side angle so you don't see the front of that building at all. Attorney Land stated just the existing mechanical building will have the addition and that will have this new Class 3 material; just the part of the existing storefront that faced Highway 61, not the side. Mr. Stewart stated that was correct, and it's 100' on the new one. With that, Attorney Land stated everything else in the resolution could stay the same. Motion by Council Member Dennis to Adopt Resolution 2018-130 approving a conditional use permit for the expansion at 11730 Point Douglas Drive South to stipulate all points as identified by the City Attorney; second by Council Member Thiede. Motion carried: 5-0. 12. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Council Member Dennis stated Saturday, October 27, was the annual Acacia Lodge #51 spaghetti dinner, at 11094 70th Street South; they have a charitable component for the sales and the spaghetti is fantastic. City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 12 Council Member Dennis stated on Sunday, November 18, is the grocery-bagging event at Cub Foods between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. It's an event to raise money for the Friends in Need Food Shelf; this is part of our community's Holiday Train fundraising, and the goal this year is $90,000. You can consider making a donation to those who are bagging groceries and doing a good job. Council Member Dennis stated that our City has received another accolade from an organization called SmartAsset, a New York based financial technology company; it has ranked Cottage Grove as the healthiest housing market in Minnesota and #15 in the entire nation. They consider things like stability, affordability, fluidity, and risk of loss to find the healthiest housing markets in the country. This means that Cottage Grove is one of the most affordable areas in the state with most people spending less than 20% of their overall income on housing cost. Council Member Thiede stated that he had actually dug up some more statistics from the State of Minnesota and things that they were ranking and put that on his website so there is some really good information there regarding affordability for Cottage Grove. Council Member Thiede requested of the Council that when we have projects that come up we're always looking at the cost of implementing the project and not documenting what is actually the cost to maintain that project over the years. He's officially making that request so that we get a little bit more formal about when a project is presented; it will show what it's going to cost to implement it as well as the ongoing maintenance costs and what impact that will have on our resources going forward. Council Member Thiede stated that on the morning of October 27 there will be a Monster Bash Parade; everyone is encouraged to attend and put on their costumes. The actual parade starts at the District Service Center, right behind Hy-Vee, and goes to the District Program Center behind Applebee's. It's a great time and he invited everyone to come down and have some fun. Council Member Thiede stated that October 28 will be the grand opening of T.J. Maxx and Home Goods, which is a good thing. He invited everyone to come down and check those stores out. Council Member Thiede stated that November 6 is voting day so he encouraged everyone to exercise their right to vote as it's a privilege. Council Member Johnson stated he knows Cottage Grove is a Yellow Ribbon city and he's the liaison on there. Right now it is doing some great things; there were initially some challenges with some turnover, but the current Chair, Kate, and the Vice Chair, Ray, have done a great job of getting it turned around. It's standing on its own, has its own bank account, has done some wonderful things, and is really contributing to the community. Right now they're working with Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport, and Hastings, but they also get requests from other areas. They work with the VFW and the City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 13 American Legion. There are some challenges moving forward so we need some volunteers to step up and be part of the Board; the meeting is on October 18. Kate, the Chair, steps down at the end of the year and Ray will step into her position, but we need a Vice Chair to step in; we know how busy people are, but it's not that big of a commitment. Meetings are on the third Thursday of the month. Without some more people stepping up, he's afraid things will go backward. As a Yellow Ribbon city, we can't let that happen. Council Member Johnson stated there's a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Suits for Heroes event; Men's Wearhouse has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of brand- new suits that were delivered. They were delivered in a semi in some boxes, and they're working on getting them pressed; these are for veterans and people coming out of the service looking for a suit for an interview. There is no charge of these, but they will be fitted with a suit jacket and pants, and this is going on at the Armory. They're still looking for volunteers to help out. He was hoping the Bulletin and/or the City could jump on this to get the word out. This is another example of why we cannot let this group fade away. Council Member Dennis asked Council Member Johnson if people wish to be on the Board if they needed to have an actual connection to the military, either having served themselves or a family member served, or if anyone who wants to be part of that can help out. Council Member Johnson stated that anybody can help with Beyond the Yellow Ribbon; most people have a connection to the military, but it can be anybody who's willing to help with ideas. Council Member Johnson stated it's a great cause and anybody can join the Board and help out. Mayor Bailey stated that the Cottage Grove Prayer Breakfast will be on Tuesday, November 13, at the River Oaks Golf Course from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. He stated it's also a tribute to the military and the veterans, and there is no cost for veterans. Mayor Bailey stated regarding the grand opening of T.J. Maxx and Home Goods, they will be presenting the Youth Service Bureau with a $10,000 check that morning; that's their way of introducing themselves to our community and supporting the youth. Mayor Bailey and members of the Youth Service Bureau will be present to accept the money. He hopes to see a large group of people there to support local business. Mayor Bailey stated on November 22, there will be the annual Hail to the Bird 5K race, which will take place at Hamlet Park; it begins at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. There's usually a very large crowd there for that event, so he encouraged everybody to check the City's website or the Facebook page for more information. Mayor Bailey stated there will be a holiday lights and decorating contest; the nominations are due on November 30, which isn't a long period of time after Thanksgiving. They'd like a lot of nominations, there's a form available on the City City Council Meeting Minutes October 17, 2018 Page 14 website or the Facebook page, and you can just write down the address to enter the owners in the contest. Mayor Bailey stated that at the Council Meeting on Wednesday, December 5, they will be presenting the awards for the holiday lights and decorating contest. Also, that night there will be the official tree-lighting ceremony at 6:00 p.m., prior to the City Council Meeting. Public Works Director Burshten planted a new tree, which will be lit, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be inside City Hall; cookies, hot chocolate, and cider will be served. Mayor Bailey stated that the Holiday Train will be coming to Cottage Grove once again on Monday, December 10; it will be in the same location on West Point Douglas Road, near the Youth Service Bureau. The train will arrive at approximately 5:15 p.m., but there will be other things to do there. There will be music provided by Terri Clark on the Canadian side, but the United States singer is not yet known. All proceeds from this event go to the Friends in Need Food Shelf to support families in need. He hopes to see a lot of people there once again. 13. WORKSHOPS — OPEN TO PUBLIC — None. 14. WORKSHOPS — CLOSED TO PUBLIC A. Performance Evaluation Staff Recommendation: Close the meeting pursuant to MN Statute 13D.05, Subd. 3(a) to conduct an annual performance evaluation of City Administrator Charlene Stevens. 15. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Dennis, second by Council Member Thiede, to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. Motion carried: 5-0. Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk.