Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Services Minutes 9-20-21 Minutes City of Cottage Grove Public Services Commission September 20, 2021 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Cottage Grove Public Services Commission Meeting was held on July 19, 2021. CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE ROLL CALL Members Present: Steve Ingram Serpico, William Griffith, Kent Campbell, Robert Members Absent: Podoll, Jeff Dornsbach, Robert Kath, Ron Staff Present: Burfeind, Ryan – PE, Public Works Director/City Engineer Redenius, Rick – Fire Chief & Deputy of Public Safety Rinzel, Greg – Deputy Director of Public Safety & Police Captain Orloff, Gary – Street Supervisor Others Present: Bailey, Myron - Mayor Mills, La Rae – Council member APPROVAL OF AGENDA Approval of Agenda – Motion by Campbell. Seconded by Serpico. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 7-19-21 - Motion by Griffith. Seconded by Serpico. Open Forum None PRESENTATIONS Snowmobile Club Workshop Goebel, East Cottage Grove Scramblers President, handed out the 2020/21 snowmobile map for the Commissioners to review. Goebel was seeking feedback for the 2021/22 snowmobile map which is scheduled to be printed at the end of the month. Goebel addressed concerning items with the Commission which included: The proposed new Community Center location 100th Street trail The removal of 70th street trail 70th Street parking lot The additional trail along 70th (close to the solar garden) Udstuen, president of the Star Trail Association, praised the Commission for their efforts preserving the sport of snowmobiling and thanked them for continuing to work with the club to ensure this sport can continue in the community. Udstuen explained the current trails in Cottage Grove lead all the way to Canada. The club has made an investment in the Washington County community by purchasing new signs and posts. The club anticipates purchasing a new tractor in 2022-2023 in the amount of $150,000. Udstuen stated the club likes to handle snowmobiling complaints personally. The club tries to eliminate issues by being involved and keeping a good line of communication with the residents and snowmobilers. Ingram asked if the map doesn’t show a red line (indicating a snowmobile trail) south of HWY 94 can snowmobilers still travel there. Goebel responded there is a trail in that location. The road is being reconstructed right now and some areas are missing on the map. Ingram made a recommendation to leave the easement for snowmobilers as development begins on 100th Street. Burfeind stated 100th street will be a County Road, but City staff has been working with the County regarding a future road that may have some potential for a trail that would allow snowmobilers better access to Grey Cloud Island. Udstuen added that many communities market snowmobile trails as a selling feature for homes. Goebel recommended the City add a snowmobile trail to River Oaks Golf Course adding the trail would boost business for the club during the slower months. Serpico directed a question to Rinzel asking how many snowmobile complaints the Police Department receives each year regarding snowmobiling and what is the largest complaint. Rinzel responded the PD receives a small handful of complaints and the biggest complaint is trespassing. Udstuen stated trespassing calls are the club’s specialty and they like to be involved with these calls because it is an opportunity for club members to have a conversation with the violators and educate them without issuing a violation. Ingram thanked the snowmobile club for the work they do and for keeping the safety of the residents as a top priority every year. NEW BUSINESS None OLD BUSINESS None RESPONSE TO PREVIOUSLY RAISED COMMISSION REQUESTS None COMMISSION COMMENTS AND REQUESTS None COUNCIL COMMENTS Mills updated the Commission regarding new projects and the Community Center referendum. STAFF COMMENTS Mayor Myron Bailey briefed the Commission regarding the Community Center referendum going for vote in November. Mayor Bailey played a video explaining the referendum and showed pictures of the future Community Center if approved. Serpico asked if the pictures shown are actual depictions of what will be built. Mayor Bailey responded every picture except the indoor playground. Mayor Bailey added the indoor playground will seek community feedback before it is finalized. Mayor Bailey stated the architects were careful to represent the area in every detail including the limestone used which is to represent the old limestone kiln from Grey Cloud Island. There were no further questions for the Mayor. Fire Department Personnel New FT FF Mike Campbell is now off FTO and working out well. Calls for service – July to August 2021 EMS – 305 (July) 336 (Aug) 641 Fire/Rescue – 43 (July) 86 (Aug) 129 Several grass fires in July Several structure fires in July and August Other items Public Safety did their last training burn on Saturday August 14th at the home on W Pt. Douglas Rd East of the old Majestic Ballroom. That completed their live fire training for this year. Right now, they may have a home to burn in the early spring in East Cottage Grove. Several staff completed their Fire Burn Certification at the Aug 14th house burn. PS now have 9 state certified burn instructors on our staff. PS have sent a full-time member to a trainer course for Blue Card. This course is designed to teach each member of the department common fire nomenclature, how to give size up of an incident, and set up a command structure based on the scene activity. That member can also complete a member’s certification through a scenario-based process. Our officers and FT staff are going through that process over the next few months. A new ambulance was placed into service in early August. It is a 2021 Dodge chassis and mirror’s the 2018 Dodge we purchased. PS is in the process of cleaning up their 2014 Chev ambulance to put it out for sale. PS is not sure if there will be an Open House at the Central Fire Station yet. PS is monitoring the Delta Covid variant’s spread. Public Works Administration Burfeind briefed the Commission regarding the road construction on Jamaica. DNR is not relaxing the watering ban. Burfeind updated the Commission regarding Community Development projects. Streets New Forester Paving and Patching crew is working hard Large storm on 9/16/21 that left many trees down throughout the community. Staff is working hard to clean up the mess. Currently running 24 staff spread over 3 crews cutting down large and dangerous trees that have been uprooted or that have large branches hanging. Next, the crews will be going around the community picking up piles of debris the residents are piling on the boulevard. Any trees that has fallen on homeowner’s personal property staff is advising they contact their homeowner’s insurance to have it removed. Orloff is estimating the cleanup will take 3 to 4 weeks to complete. This timeline will conflict with the fall flushing and street sweeping and could force Public Works to push it back. Utilities Fall flushing is scheduled to begin the week of September 27, 2021. The DNR has not relaxed any of the watering bans in the community. Restrictions are still being enforced. Police South Washington County School District has reduced funding for the officer at their middle schools for the 2021/22 school year. This increased the Police Department staffing budget $93,000. The goal of the City was to keep all 44 officers funded and staffed. The School District did keep high school level officers staffed. In 2022 the PD will conduct an organizational shift and assign specific job titles for officers. In 2022 the PD will hire, with the help of a federal grant, a full-time crisis unit officer. This role will manage residents that require a little more attention proactively instead of reactively. An example Rinzel gave the Commission was a resident that regularly has trouble getting to the bathroom and calls Public Safety to help. This new role would actively seek help for this resident within the community to reduce the number of calls Public Safety would have to field from them. In 2022 the PD will hire a Community Engagement Officer. This officer’s role will work with the underrepresented members of the community and try to help provide a better service for them. The PD is adding a second K-9 funded partly from a grant. The City currently has a 6-year-old K-9 that could be retired any time in the next 4 years. This new dog will be trained and ready when that date approaches. Rinzel stated if all roles at the PD are full, they will be selecting an officer to work with Washington County on a major case. This is an exciting opportunity for one of our officers and great job experience. Rinzel stated Night to Unite was a success and it was wonderful to see the community, in person. PD hired 2 new CSO’s to replace 2 that will be leaving because they found full-time work. ADJOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 8:12 pm. Motion by Griffith. Seconded by Campbell.