Loading...
01 10 11 CC Reg Mtg MinCITY OF SHOREWOOD CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2011 MINUTES 1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS 7:00 P.M. Mayor Lizee called the meeting to order at 7:05 P.M. A. Roll Call Present. Mayor Lizee; Councilmembers Hotvet, Siakel, Woodruff and Zerby; Attorney Tietjen; City Administrator Heck; Planning Director Nielsen; Director of Public Works Brown; and Engineer Landim Absent: None. B. Review Agenda Councilmember Zerby asked that Item 10.E City Administrator's Contract Renewal be added to the agenda. Woodruff moved, Zerby seconded, approving the agenda as amended. Motion passed 510. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mayor Lizee explained to new Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel that if there are spelling or grammatical corrections that need to be made to minutes they don't need to be discussed during meetings. The corrections should be emailed to Deputy Clerk Panchyshyn. If there are phrasing or verbatim corrections proposed, those should be discussed during meetings. A. City Council Executive Session Minutes, December 13, 2010 Zerby moved, Woodruff seconded, Approving the City Council Executive Session Minutes of December 13, 2010, as presented. Motion passed 510. B. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes, December 13, 2010 Woodruff moved, Zerby seconded, Approving the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of December 13, 2010, as presented. Motion passed 510. C. City Council Executive Session Minutes, January 3, 2011 Zerby moved, Hotvet seconded, Approving the City Council Executive Session Minutes of January 3, 2011, as amended in Item 3.A, change "Making Appointments to Certain Offices and Positions within the City of Shorewood for the Year 2011." to "Making Appointments to Certain Offices and Positions within the City of Shorewood for the Year 2011: ➢ Acting Mayor will be Scott Zerby; ➢ Park Commission Liaison for January — June 2011 will be Laura Hotvet; ➢ Park Commission Liaison for July — December 2011 will be Scott Zerby; CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 2 of 12 ➢ Planning Commission Liaison for January — June 2011 will be Debbie Siakel; ➢ Planning Commission Liaison for July — December 2011 will be Richard Woodruff; ➢ Metro Cities (Association of Metro Municipalities) will be Richard Woodruff, with Brian Heck as alternate; ➢ Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission will be Scott Zerby; ➢ South Lake Minnetonka Police Department Coordinating Committee will be Christine Lizee, with Debbie Siakel as alternate; ➢ Excelsior Fire District Board Member will be Scott Zerby, with Laura Hotvet as alternate; ➢ Investment Committee — no appointments were made at this time; ➢ Personnel Committee will be Christine Lizee and Debbie Siakel; ➢ Weed Inspector will be Christine Lizee, with Joe Lugowski as assistant; ➢ Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Liaison will be a resident; ➢ Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District Liaison will be a resident; ➢ Lake Minnetonka Conservation District Board will be a resident; ➢ Lake Minnetonka Communications Commission resident representative will be Ken Hendrickson; ➢ Minnetonka Community Education will be resident Tad Shaw (two -year appointment); ➢ City Attorney will be discussed; ➢ City Prosecutor will be Ken Potts; ➢ Emergency Preparedness Director will be SLMPD Chief Bryan Litsey; ➢ Official Depositories will be Beacon Bank, 4M Fund and other Depositories as necessary; ➢ Official Newspaper will be Sun Sailor and notices may also be published in the Laker; ➢ and, that the Blanket Bond is approved." Motion passed 4/1 with Woodruff dissenting. 3. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Lizee reviewed the items on the Consent Agenda. Zerby moved, Woodruff seconded, Approving the Motions Contained on the Consent Agenda and Adopting the Resolution Therein. A. Approval of the Verified Claims List B. Travel Policy for Elected Officials C. Southshore Center Directional Signs D. Staff Compensation E. Speed Cart (This was moved to Item 10.17 under General/New Business.) F. Adopting RESOLUTION NO. 11 -03 "A Resolution Adopting the Hennepin County All- Hazards Mitigation Plan." Motion passed 510. 4. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were no matters from the floor presented this evening. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 3 of 12 5. PUBLIC HEARING None. 6. REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS None. 7. PARKS Commissioner Edmondson first congratulated newly elected Mayor Lizee and Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel. He stated he is looking forward to working with this Council. He stated he looks forward to continuing his role as a Park Commissioner. Commissioner Edmondson then reported on matters considered and actions taken at the December 14, 2010, Park Commission meeting as detailed in the minutes of that meeting. He commented there was a delay with the lot being surfaced and landscaping being done at Silverwood Park. He stated he has observed a lot of people using the new shelter. Director Brown clarified the lot was surfaced and the curb and gutter was placed. Brown explained that after the lot was surfaced a decision was made to install a path behind the easterly curb to ensure there is handicap access to the new shelter. Edmondson then stated Denny Loving, an organizer for the Pond Hockey Tournament, contacted him about using a power broom for the 2011 tournament. Mayor Lizee stated she had contacted Mr. Loving and explained that because the 2011 Tournament is not scheduled for the same days as the 2011 Arctic Fever event it wasn't appropriate for the Tournament people to use the equipment. Lizee then stated she told Mr. Loving that if he wanted to pursue it for 2012 he should contact the Arctic Fever coordinators. Edmondson commented that if Arctic Fever continues to be popular, the two events could bring synergy to each other. Edmondson went on to state he continues his liaison with the Shorewood Parks Foundation. He noted he thought the Foundation continues to do great work. Councilmember Hotvet stated she is interested in creating a return on investment in cooperation with the Park Commission for the Arctic Fever event, noting a return doesn't have to be just financial. Mayor Lizee stated Channel 5 News interviewed three members of the staff about Arctic Fever at Manor Park on the morning of January 7, 2011. 8. PLANNING Commissioner Hutchins stated he looked forward to working with new Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel. He then reported on matters considered and actions taken at the January 4, 2011, Planning Commission meeting as detailed in the minutes of that meeting. Mayor Lizee stated the Planning Commission works like a "well -oiled machine "; it does a good job. She noted she attended the January 4 "' Commission meeting because Councilmember Siakel was not able to attend. She expressed she was pleased the Commission reappointed Chair Geng and Vice -Chair Arnst to their positions. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 4 of 12 Councilmember Siakel stated she appreciated getting information about the request from the Shorewood Yacht Club. She noted she will be attending the January 18 Planning Commission meeting as Council's liaison. 9. ENGINEERING /PUBLIC WORKS A. Silver Lake Engineer Landini explained the stormwater outlet structure located near 5750 Covington Road and Silver Lake has sediment deposits built up to the level that the deposits restrict the function of the storm sewer system located at Covington Road and Old Market Road. Two core samples of the sediment were taken and analyzed. The results of the analysis indicate the soils are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs need to be treated as Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) dredge management level 3. The excavated soils will need to be disposed of at a MPCA permitted landfill. Landini then explained Staff assembled and distributed plans and specifications to receive quotes for the outlet structure to ten excavation contractors. Seven quotes were received and Parrott Contracting, Inc provided the low quote. in the amount of $30,308.80. Landini stated Staff recommends the sediment analysis report be accepted and a contract be awarded to Parrott Contracting, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $40,000. Councilmember Zerby asked if trees will have to be removed as part of this effort, to which Engineer Landini responded they would. Councilmember Hotvet asked what preventive measures will be put in place to keep this from happening again. Engineer Landini explained Council could consider a future project to modify the storm sewer system. Without that happening the system will continue to function the way it has in the past. Administrator Heck stated Staff met with residents in the area about this structure. The Capital Improvement Program includes a possible project to modify the current outlet structure. He noted the MPCA wants to minimize the number of structures which discharge directly into lakes. He stated Staff has been talking with the MPCA, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District about a possible modification of the outlet structure. Councilmember Zerby asked if the maintenance project will be a temporary fix, and would not be needed if the outlet structure were to be modified. Engineer Landini explained this is a maintenance item and the City will continue to have to maintain the outlet structure unless the situation is improved. Councilmember Hotvet asked if the project could be expanded to include a long -term solution. Director Brown clarified the quotes received are to excavate out the sediment. Also, rip rap will be placed around the structure and that is a minor maintenance item. Brown explained Staff has been working to modify the outlet structure and he anticipates Council will be asked to consider a phase two to modify the structure. Brown stated he thought the money to excavate the sediment will be spent wisely because that would have to be done even if there were to be a phase two. Mayor Lizee asked when the outlet structure will be excavated. Engineer Landini responded within the next forty five days. Councilmember Siakel stated she agrees with Councilmember Hotvet that there are a lot of concerned residents and that it's prudent to find and implement a long -term solution to this problem. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 5 of 12 Councilmember Zerby requested Staff make sure the residents know trees will be lost. Engineer Landini explained that he has walked the property with the owner and that individual knows there will be trees lost. Landini noted the property owner granted a temporary construction easement. Administrator Heck commented that the owner of the property adjacent to the outlet knows trees will be lost. Heck stated the major concern the residents have is about the sediment. Councilmember Hotvet asked if there is a communications plan in place to share with the residents. Hotvet moved, Zerby seconded, accepting the sediment analysis report and awarding the contract for the 2010 Silver Lake Storm Outlet Maintenance to Parrott Contracting, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $40,000. Councilmember Zerby stated the low quote is for $30,308.80 yet Staff is recommending a not to exceed amount of $40,000. He suggested the amount be reduced to $35,000. Engineer Landini stated the extra funds were to cover unforeseen circumstances. Without objection from the maker of the motion, the seconder amended the not to exceed amount to $35,000. Motion passed 510. 10. GENERAL /NEW BUSINESS A. City Attorney Agreement Administrator Heck stated that during its January 3, 2011, meeting Council voted to enter into a one -year contract for civil attorney services with Tim Keane, of Malkerson, Gunn, and Martin, LLP, subject to an acceptable agreement. The meeting packet includes a copy of a draft agreement for such services. The proposed retainer is $1,850 per month with non - retainer work billed at a rate of $155 — $185 per hour depending on the level of the attorney dealing with the case. The development rate is slightly higher and that is essentially a pass through to the developer. The term of the agreement provides an automatic renewal annually unless otherwise stated by the City Council. He noted the current retainer is $1,500 per month and non - retainer work is billed at $145 — $165 per hour. Zerby moved, Hotvet seconded, appointing Malkerson, Gunn, and Martin, LLP as the firm to provide civil legal services to Shorewood as described in the Agreement for Municipal Legal Services dated January 6, 2010, with Tim Keane serving as the City Attorney. Councilmember Woodruff stated during the January 3, 2011, Council meeting he expressed his reservations about what he perceived to be a lack of process. He explained two years ago the City requested proposals for providing municipal legal services. The City received seven proposals and interviewed five firms. Tim Keane represented one of the firms interviewed. From his personal perspective, he thought the proposal received from the firm Mr. Keane represented to be weak and he did not rank it in the top three. Woodruff then stated that for a variety of reasons, Council elected to select the firm Kennedy and Graven to provide the services, noting this firm had provided the civil legal services in the past. There is one year remaining on that contract. He noted that the city attorney serves at the will of the Council; therefore, the contract can be cancelled at any time. He called to question the process and the rush to judgment to hire Mr. Keane's firm. Woodruff went on to state that Mr. Keane at present has no other municipal clients. The City hasn't asked for a proposal other than a contract. The City has no references. He commented the City received an CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 6 of 12 email from Ron Johnson on January 7, 2011, in which Mr. Johnson stated that in 1997 "Mr. Keane was not rehired by the City Council on grounds of incompetence ", a matter of city record. He stated he had not been aware that this would be the third time Mr. Keane would be providing legal services to the City. Woodruff also stated the City is being asked to agree to a more than a 20 percent increase in the base retainer rate for civil legal services at an additional cost of $4,200 per year for no better or different services than the City is currently receiving from Kennedy and Graven. He expressed he did not think it would be right to frivolously spend $4,200 per year to change firms. He then expressed his absolute commitment to a process of soliciting proposals to provide civil legal services, noting he finds such a process healthy. He stated he has a problem with the rush to bring in Mr. Keane at a substantially higher rate with no reference checks especially in light of the fact that this would be the third time Mr. Keane would be hired to provide civil legal services. Councilmember Zerby stated questioning Mr. Keane's experience is unwarranted. Mr. Keane has represented the City two other times. Mr. Keane helped create the joint powers agreements for police and fire services. Mr. Keane has represented numerous other cities in the past. Zerby stated Mr. Keane has worked for the City during Mayor Lizee's and his previous tenures as City Officials and on commissions. Zerby noted he will speak as a reference for Mr. Keane. He commented Mr. Johnson does not represent the record as accurately as people would like. Zerby explained he attended the interviews of firms proposing to provide civil legal services in 2008 as a councilmember- elect. During that process he asked a number of questions as to why the then Council wanted to change attorneys. He was told it was not for financial reasons. There were other motivations for replacing the then city attorney and the process that was claimed to have been followed was a pretty thin disguise for premeditated decisions. Councilmember Siakel asked if some of the retainer increase would be offset in other ways because of Mr. Keane's experience with and knowledge of City operations. She noted the City's residents spoke based on the outcome of the November 2010 election; the residents decisively elected Mayor Lizee. She stated that from her vantage point the previous Council had been somewhat divisive. She encouraged this Council to work together. She noted she respects Mayor Lizee's and Councilmember Zerby's opinion and they deserve her support. She stated that although this is an awkward decision to make as a new Councilmember, she believes it's important to take a positive step and support their recommendation. Mayor Lizee expressed her confidence in Mr. Keane's abilities to represent the City. She noted Mr. Keane has sixteen years of experience as Shorewood City Attorney. Mr. Keane has a great track record. He knows the City's Comprehensive Plan well. He works with staff well. He has built positive associations with the City's neighboring communities; he has worked with their representatives over many years. Motion passed 4/1 with Woodruff dissenting. B. Trail Discussion Administrator Heck stated that during conversations with Councilmember Hotvet, Planning Commissioner Arnst, and Mayor Lizee it became apparent to him that there is a strong interest in taking a look at trails in the community. He explained that since the last time there was discussion about trails in the City, the neighboring communities to the south have constructed trails that end at the City's border. Residents have asked why they can't be continued. He stated residents who have children that attend the Minnewashta Elementary School have expressed concern about students walking, and they likely don't let their children walk because there is no safe place to do so. He noted the City received a request from CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 7 of 12 residents residing along Galpin Lake Road south of State Highway 7 asking the City to consider a trail connecting their neighborhood to the LRT trail in the City of Excelsior. Heck then stated Staff proposes Council establish a trail planning committee consisting of at least two Councilmembers, two Park Commissioners, and two Planning Commissioners with Director Nielsen serving as the "project manager" and providing support to the committee. The committee would review existing trail plans, revise them where needed, and outline implementation steps for trail connections and construction that could be incorporated into the Capital Improvement Program. Mayor Lizee stated she liked the idea of establishing a trail planning committee. She recommended other community representatives also be appointed to the committee. She expressed her support for Director Nielsen being the coordinator of this effort. Mayor Lizee asked Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel if they would be willing to represent Council on a trail planning committee, noting both have expressed a need for connecting trails and constructing new trails. Hotvet and Siakel indicated they are willing to do that. Councilmember Zerby stated it's time to discuss this again and he thinks it's a great idea to establish a trail planning committee. Zerby moved, Siakel seconded, establishing a trail planning committee comprised of Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel, two Park Commissioners, two Planning Commissioners, and two community representatives with Planning Director Nielsen serving as the "project manager" and providing support for this effort. Motion passed 510. C. Appointments to Boards and Commissions Administrator Heck stated there will be two Planning Commission openings and three Park Commission openings. Two Park Commissioners have decided to reapply. He explained an issue that has arisen is the need for incumbents to go through the interview process. Another issue is if commission incumbents are going to be automatically reappointed, new applicants have asked why they should bother applying. He stated the City has advertised for the Park and Planning Commissions positions in the City newsletter. The City has received one letter of interest for the Park Commission and one letter of interest for the Planning Commission. He noted the appointments to the Commissions are usually made in February. He asked Council if it would like to interview the Commission incumbents along with other applicants or would it prefer to just reappoint them for another three -year term. Councilmember Zerby stated he appreciates having the opportunity to interview the incumbents. It provides Council an opportunity to find out what an incumbent thinks about a Commission, and to find out how they are aligned with the Commission and Council. He noted he understood incumbents may think interviewing for a position they already hold to be a hassle. Mayor Lizee stated there are two new Councilmembers and interviewing incumbents will give Councilmembers Hotvet and Siakel the opportunity to get to know them. She then stated she would like to keep the process as it is. She commented the application process is in the early stages. She noted one of the Park Commissioners is ending her tenure as a Park Commissioner because she is moving to Finland and two Planning Commissioners are ending their tenure because of family obligations. She stated she wants all applicants to know that they will be treated fairly. Councilmember Hotvet stated she would like to have the opportunity to interview all applicants including the incumbents, noting she thought it's important to do that. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 8 of 12 Councilmember Siakel stated she hopes more residents will express interest in the openings, noting it's fairly early in January. Mayor Lizee stated the interviews will be scheduled for February. Administrator Heck stated the interviews can be scheduled for February 14 or February 28 prior to the regular Council meeting. D. Staff / Council Retreat Administrator Heck stated he discussed the possibility of having a retreat for Council and staff during the end of the 2011 budget discussions. He recommended Council approve doing so. He explained that one of the objectives of the retreat is to ensure that everyone understands what Council's and staff's responsibilities are. Another objective is to work with a facilitator to establish priorities and goals for 2011 and develop a methodology for future years' budget processes to develop goals and objectives. He stated he originally recommended a one -day retreat. He related that Mayor Lizee suggested breaking it into two half -day retreats. He noted the retreat would be held at the Southshore Community Center. Heck then stated the City could prepare a request for proposals for facilitator services. He noted he knows high quality facilitators that he could contact directly and ask them to submit a proposal. He also noted the 2011 budget does have funds set aside for this. He clarified this is not a community -wide strategic planning initiative. Councilmember Hotvet stated she likes the concept and she supports having two one -half day sessions during regular working hours. She then stated she wants such an effort to be a catalyst for creating a strategic plan. She expressed support for working with a facilitator. She stated the goals of the two sessions should be to create a foundation/framework to begin the process for creating a strategic plan for the City, noting using staff's expertise would help create the framework. She then stated down the road she would like to create an opportunity for residents to be involved in a short-term and long -term capacity. Councilmember Siakel questioned if a retreat is necessary. She stated Council could meet with each department separately to solicit input from them about what they think the goals and priorities should be. She indicated it would be extremely helpful to have a strategic plan to help guide things in the future, and that she likes the idea of having a budget that that is tied to goals and objectives. She asked if this could be accomplished by Council meeting with staff. Administrator Heck stated having everyone meet together would be valuable. Ideas would be shared with everyone not just those that would be impacted. A team relationship would be developed between Council and staff as well as between staff and staff. Meeting with departments separately can potentially promote a silo working environment. He encouraged Councilmembers to meet with staff one on one. He expressed his bias is to have Council and staff retreat. He explained that the process used to identify goals and priorities for 2010 did not go all that well. He stated he has led strategic planning initiatives before, but he doesn't think it would be appropriate for him to do that now because it would end up being his plan and not our plan. Councilmember Siakel stated at some point during the process of developing a strategic plan it will be important to include the neighboring Cities of Excelsior, Greenwood and Tonka Bay to help identify opportunities for sharing services. Councilmember Hotvet stated finding out staff's perspectives on what they think the goals and priorities should be would be beneficial. She then stated she thought it would be prudent to conduct a resident survey to find out what the residents want to see in their community. She expressed she thought it's CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 9 of 12 important to be proactive on this and to start creating the framework. She recommended measurable outcomes be defined, measured and published. Mayor Lizee expressed her support for involving a facilitator and she suggested Administrator Heck contact facilitators he is aware of to get costs. She also expressed support for having two half -day sessions that would be held in the mornings. Councilmember Zerby stated he could support this. Councilmember Hotvet stated she thought it would be beneficial to talk to other cities of similar size to find out what approaches to doing this have worked well for them. Zerby moved, Siakel seconded, directing Staff to contact three or four consultants to obtain quotes for facilitator services and to identify dates for holding two morning half -day brainstorming sessions. Motion passed 510. E. City Administrator's Contract Renewal Councilmember Zerby stated during its December 13, 2010, meeting Council approved extending City Administrator Brian Heck's contract with the City to the end of 2012. He explained he wants to reconsider that motion in order to make a change to the terms. Zerby moved, Lizee seconded, reconsidering the motion extending City Administrator Brian Heck's contract with the City to the end of 2012. Motion passed 4/1 with Woodruff dissenting. Councilmember Zerby stated he wanted the contract renewal terms to be restored to the original contract language. The term of the original contract was to automatically renew annually unless otherwise stated by the City Council. He noted a two -year term is not standard in the industry. Administrator Heck noted he preferred the original language. Mayor Lizee stated she prefers City Administrator Heck's contract automatically renew annually until specific action is taken by Council. She wanted the original contract language restored. Zerby moved, Siakel seconded, restoring the term language in City Administrator Brian Heck's contract so that the contract automatically renews annually unless otherwise stated by the City Council. Motion passed 510. F. Speed Cart This item was removed from the consent agenda at Councilmember Woodruff s request. Councilmember Woodruff stated about three years ago the City replaced its existing speed cart because the old cart was not repairable. He then stated he thought it fair to say the cart has been deployed intermittently without there being any plan. It's his understanding the City can't deploy the cart; it has to be deployed by the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department ( SLMPD). He explained the speed cart has the capability to capture valuable information about traffic counts and speeds. He stated he favors donating the speed cart to the SLMPD and asking the SLMPD to take full charge and ownership of deploying the cart on some reasonable basis. Woodruff moved, Zerby seconded, donating the City of Shorewood's speed cart to the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department ( SLMPD) with the understanding that: the SLMPD will schedule the deployment of the cart; the SLMPD will make use of the data the cart can capture; the SLMPD will report back to the SLMPD Coordinating Committee on the use of the cart; the SLMPD will CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 10 of 12 become 100 percent responsible for the maintenance of the cart; and, the City of Shorewood would be afforded 50 percent use of the cart. Councilmember Zerby asked how the SLMPD can make sure the cart gets used. Councilmember Woodruff responded that's not being done now and it's now up to SLMPD Chief Litsey to figure that out. Mayor Lizee stated Staff has dealt with a lot of requests from the other three SLMPD member cities and she assumed there is a need for the cart in the City of Deephaven as well. She then stated the SLMPD is aware of troublesome locations. She indicated this would streamline how the speed buggy will be utilized. She stated currently the SLMPD stores the buggy and deploys it. She noted she will ask for this item to be added to the January 20, 2011, SLMPD Coordinating Committee meeting agenda for discussion and acknowledgement. Councilmember Zerby stated he would like to receive a report of the data captured and of utilization information. He wants some assurance that the speed cart will be used. Director Brown stated SLMPD Community Service Supervisor (CSS) Hohertz maintains a running list of requests for deployment and deployment is done on a first -come first- served basis. He explained there is usually a backlog of requests for the use of the cart. The cart is highly used throughout the non - winter months. He noted he received a request from CSS Hohertz earlier in the day asking if the cart could be deployed. He explained that originally the City's Public Works department deployed the speed cart. The cart takes a significant amount of time to deploy and set up. A few years ago the SLMPD was asked if it would mind taking over responsibility for deploying and setting up the cart because it took aware from the Public Works Department's time. He expressed appreciation for the SLMPD's efforts. Councilmember Zerby thanked Director Brown for his explanation. Administrator Heck stated he had sent SLMPD Chief Litsey an email containing a proposal about the speed cart and he has spoken to Litsey in the past about the SLMPD taking over responsibility for the cart. Motion passed 510. 11. STAFF AND COUNCIL REPORTS A. Administrator and Staff Hennepin County Open Book Meeting Date — May 2, 2011 Administrator Heck stated the County will hold an Open Book meeting in place of a Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 2, 2011, from 5:00 — 7:00 P.M. at City Hall. 2. Arctic Fever Staff Report Director Brown stated this year's Arctic Fever event is scheduled for January 15 and 16 This will be the second time skijoring will be one of the activities planned, noting this activity has been expanded for 2011. He noted that earlier today Three Rivers Park District agreed to supply a groomer to groom the proposed trails for this activity. He explained this is great news because the alternatives were not very good from an ordinance or neighborhood standpoint. Staff will meet with the Park District on January I P h . Pending Council's approval, Public Works personnel will begin packing snow on the LRT trail on CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 11 of 12 January I P h to create the skijoring track. He noted there are some concerns because the LRT is heavily used. Brown explained the race route along the LRT crosses Smithtown Road and Wedgewood Drive. Attendants will be located at the two crossings as crossing guards. Public Works will build a snow crossing at the two crossings to allow the skijorers to cross the pavement. Barriers will be place along the two crossings to narrow the traffic crossings to help slow motorists down. Director Brown stated he wanted to make Council aware of this activity and the challenges it presents. Mayor Lizee asked if it would be possible to place notices along the route in the snow in the next few days informing LRT trail users of the upcoming races. Director Brown stated signs are being designed and will be posted along the route. Lizee then asked when the snow will be put down and removed from the two crossings. Brown explained the snow will be put down the morning of January 15 and it will be removed after the races. Brown stated the plan is to blade off the LRT trail on January 16 Councilmember Siakel asked how many skijoring races there will be and how many people are registered to race. Administrator Heck stated there will be a pro race, an intermediate /amateur race and novice race, noting the Midwest Skijor Club has several hundred members. Director Brown stated the Club has the registration information. Councilmember Hotvet asked what time the races are scheduled for. Administrator Heck stated the first race is scheduled to start at 9:00 A.M. The second is scheduled to start 10:00 A.M. — 10:30 A.M. The third is schedule to start 11:00 A.M. — 11:30 A.M. Heck commented that members of the Club have told the Arctic Fever Committee that the course is too short. Councilmember Hotvet asked if other locations, such as Lake Minnetonka, were considered for the races. Director Brown explained that in 2010 skijoring was a much smaller event and it was hosted out of Freeman Park. Having the races on the Lake was considered but the hurdles of the permit requirements and what could be done ahead of time caused the Club to shy away from that. For Pond Hockey there can't be any severe depressions created in the area that could be problematic if a snowmobiler were to hit them ahead of time. He stated if this event were to be held again next year he recommends the race route not cross any roadways. He then stated the route to the south is an excellent alternative because the route could cross the regional park to the south. Councilmember Hotvet stated Director Brown's memorandum explains the race will have bi- directional traffic and the width of the route is not ideal. Brown clarified not ideal based on the width requested. Hotvet asked if the race route could be point -to- point. Brown stated the point -to -point route was discussed, but not for long. In response to a question from Hotvet, Brown explained the event coordinators have to provide insurance waivers. Administrator Heck noted Arctic Fever events will also be held in the Cities of Excelsior and Tonka Bay. Other Administrator Heck stated the City -owned house will have new tenants beginning January 15 The City rental fee is a little higher than in the past and there will be more vehicles on the property. He then stated State Senator Gen Olson is scheduled to be on the January 24, 2011, Council meeting agenda. He went on to state two bills have been introduced to the State Legislature that he will be paying particular attention to. There is a bill in the Senate that deals with variance reform; it changes variance criteria from hardship to practical difficulty. There is a bill in the House of Representatives that would eliminate a number of CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES January 10, 2011 Page 12 of 12 mandates. Several of them are for school districts and some are for the County. The mandates that affect the City have to do with pay equity. The bill would repeal all of the provisions surrounding pay equity and it's being supported by the School Board Administrators group. Councilmember Woodruff asked for an update on the two Lift Station rehabilitation projects. Director Brown explained a lift station is a waste water pumping station. He stated the mechanics for Lift Station 15, which is located on Enchanted Island, have been completed; it's up and operational. The alarms for Lift Station 15 come on much sooner and Public Works can remotely monitor the Station. He then stated that despite the snow and cold weather the contractor has been making excellent progress on Lift Station 17, which is located on Shady Island. The plan is to bring Lift Station 17 online on January 12 " He noted there will earth work items and asphalt that have to be put into place in the spring. Councilmember Woodruff stated he was at the Lift Station 17 site this past weekend and he saw a lot of material and equipment around. He asked if the residents are okay with what is going on. Director Brown stated there are construction easements and that to the best of his knowledge any concerns residents had have been addressed. B. Mayor and City Council Attorney Tietjen thanked the City, Mayor Liz6e, Councilmembers Zerby and Woodruff for the opportunity to serve the City as City Attorney, noting she enjoyed her time at the City. She expressed her appreciation for the staff. She stated they are very dedicated, hardworking and professional and she appreciated their willingness to collaborate. She wished everyone well. Mayor Liz& thanked Attorney Tietjen and Kennedy and Graven for the services provided. She expressed her appreciation to Tietjen for her cooperativeness and her even handling of situations with Council and residents. She stated she anticipated the City will be in contact with Kennedy and Graven in the future. 12. ADJOURN Zerby moved, Hotvet seconded, Adjourning the City Council Regular Meeting of January 10, 2011, at 8:36 P.M. Motion passed 510. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED Christine Freeman, Recorder ATTEST: Christine Liz6e, Mayor