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04-25-22 CC Reg Mtg MinutesCITY OF SHOREWOOD CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2022 MINUTES 1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD COUNCIL CHAMBERS 7:00 P.M. Mayor Labadie called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. A. Pledge of Allegiance B. Roll Call Present. Mayor Labadie; Councilmembers Johnson, Siakel, Gorham, and Callies; City Attorney Shepherd; City Administrator Lerud; City Clerk/HR Director Thone; Finance Director Rigdon; Planning Director Darling; Director of Public Works Brown; and, City Engineer Budde C. Review Agenda Johnson moved, Callies seconded, approving the agenda as presented. All in favor, motion passed. 2. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Labadie reviewed the items on the Consent Agenda. Gorham moved, Johnson seconded, Approving the Motions Contained on the Consent Agenda and Adopting the Resolutions Therein. A. City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2022 B. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2022 C. Approval of the Verified Claims List D. Approval of Retail Liquor Licenses, Adopting RESOLUTION NO. 22-040, "A Resolution Approving 2022 Retail Liquor License Renewals." E. Approving 2022 Deer Management Dates F. Approve SLMPD Agreement with Excelsior for Dock Patrol G. Accept Shop Technician Resignation and Authorize Advertising for the Position H. Accept Public Works Supervisor Resignation CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 2 of 7 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR Tom Lesser, 26245 Birch Bluff Road, explained that he was here to talk about the Birch Bluff reconstruction project and thanked the City for the information session that was held on April 6, 2022 and for the outreach by City Engineer Budde. He shared the reasons the felt the neighborhood has a unique, `up -north -like' feel is because of all their big old trees. He stated that they are not opposed to the street rehabilitation project because they understand the benefits to the watermain, fire hydrants, and storm water remediation, however they are opposed to widening the street to 26 feet, adding a sidewalk and removing over four hundred trees. He noted that `standards' make sense in a new development but he feels they do not make sense just to shoe horn those standards into an old neighborhood where there is not a problem to begin with. He explained that they do not want Birch Bluff to become Smithtown Road. He stated that the residents of Glen Road had raised many of the same concerns and were able to have a 22 foot wide street built and reiterated that he did not feel a 26 foot wide roadway was needed in the area and will just encourage faster driving. He stated that they are asking the City to approve a narrower road, remove fewer trees and preserve the character of the neighborhood. 4. PUBLIC HEARING 5. REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS A. Presentation of 2021 Audit Justin Nelson, Abdo, gave a brief overview of the 2021 Audit results. He noted that the City received a clean, unmodified opinion with no internal control findings. He reviewed the General Fund balance; revenues and expenditures; Capital Project Funds; Governmental Debt Service Funs; Enterprise Funds; Cash and Investments by Fund Type; and Key Performance Indicators. Councilmember Siakel commended Finance Director Rigdon for doing what she feels has been an A+ job since he has joined the City. She stated that she just wanted to ensure that his great work was recognized. Siakel moved, Gorham seconded, Accepting the 2021 Audit and Report, as presented. Motion passed 4-0-1 (Johnson abstained) B. Watercraft Operator License Legislation Joe Schneider, 21125 Christmas Lane, stated that he and Mr. Jabbor are here to tonight representing two of five organizations that have banded together to try to achieve a much safer boating environment. He explained that there is a bill working its way through the legislative process that would establish a mandatory watercraft operator's license along with an education program. He stated that all five organizations are invested in protecting the resource for future generations which is why they have partnered together. He stated that safety is a huge issue for Lake Minnetonka but also for all the lakes throughout the State, including Christmas Lake. Gabriel Jabbor, 985 Onkawa Road, Orono, noted that he feels people spend more time worrying about what they home and boats look like than they do on safety or the environment. He stated that all five of the organizations that have banded together on this issue have interest in the preservation of the resource in common. He gave examples of changes that have been CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 3 of 7 happening to the resource with things like blue algae. He noted that there has not been one person who has testified against this bill and has already passed through various committees. He stated that they are proud of this effort and ask that the Council give support, if it is ever needed. He explained that they just wanted to give the City the courtesy of keeping them informed about what they are working towards. He noted that they are also extremely committed to continuing research on AIS. He encouraged anyone who had questions to contact either himself or Mr. Schneider. Councilmember Callies stated that she really appreciated this report because she found it very interesting and was not aware of the proposed legislation. 6. PARKS A. Report by Commissioner Schmid on April 12, 2022 Park Commission Meeting Mayor Labadie explained that Park Commissioner Schmid was unable to attend the meeting but noted that she had dropped off a brief report with the Council prior to the meeting. She explained that if anyone would like to see the report they can drop by City Hall tomorrow but noted that the contents of the report will be made part of the record. B. Award Quote for Freeman Park Fence Improvements Project Public Works Director Brown gave an overview on the fence heaving issue that has been happening in Ballfield 3 at Freeman Park. He explained that staff has talked to a number of contractors including a soils consultant about this issue. He stated that the contractor they are recommending did the work at Bennett Field who had installed that type fencing because they had some of the same issues. He stated that the City had solicited bids from three contractors, but only received a response from one. He noted that the bid came in above the estimate, but the City received a grant from the Minnesota Twins for $10,000 and the Minnesota Baseball and Softball Associations will also donate $1,000 each which brings the cost closer to the original budgeted amount. Gorham moved, Johnson seconded, Adopting RESOLUTION NO.22-041, "A Resolution to Award Contract to Low Quote for Freeman Park Fence Improvements." All in favor, motion passed. 7. PLANNING A. Report by Commissioner Eggenberger on April 5, 2022 Planning Commission Meeting Planning Commissioner Eggenberger gave a brief overview on discussions and actions taken at the April 5, 2022 Planning Commission meeting. Councilmember Gorham commended the Planning Commission for their in depth questions and their probing commentary. B. Site Plan Amendment Review Location: 24275 Smithtown Lane CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 4 of 7 Applicant: Mikan Homes Planning Director Darling explained that this is an application to allowing building and site modifications to accommodate the offices for Mikan Homes. She reviewed the actions proposed by the applicant and noted that the Planning Commission recommended approval with a few conditions as noted in the packet. She explained that Site Plan review does not require notification of adjacent property owners or a public hearing. Councilmember Siakel stated that she thinks this proposal will be an improvement over what is currently there. She stated that the applicant did a good job of answering the questions at the Planning Commission meeting. Councilmember Gorham noted that the flags depicted in the drawings are just a graphic and there will not be flags flying in front of the building. Siakel moved, Gorham seconded, Adopting RESOLUTION NO. 22-042, "A Resolution Approving a Site Plan Amendment for Property Located at 24275 Smithtown Road." All in favor, motion passed. 8. ENGINEERING/PUBLIC WORKS A. Approve Plans and Specifications for 2022 Mill and Overlay, City Project 21-11 City Engineer Budde explained that the City has identified some streets in their 2022 Mill and Overlay project in order to maintain and extend the longevity of the existing roadway infrastructure throughout the City. The streets included are: Silver Lake Trail; Sierra Circle; Christmas Lake Road; Christmas Lake Lane (East and West); Murry Street; Murray Court; Galpin Lane; and the remaining block of Covington Road that was not done last year because of the watermain repairs. He stated that they had investigated the possibility of including curb and trail improvements on Covington Road, however it would add an additional $200,000 so staff has recommended just completing a mill and overlay to stay within the CIP budget. He noted that the estimate is over what it had originally been so the recommendation is to bid Murray Street and Murray Court as an alternate, because they have the best pavement rating of the streets currently included in the project area, and could potentially be extended out a bit further, if needed. He stated that the City is trying to get State bond funding for Galpin Lane sidewalk improvements and are hopeful that they will get an answer by the end of May. He explained some of the possible approaches of the City if they are successful in their funding endeavors. Staff recommends approval with Galpin Lane as Alternate A and Murray Street/Murray Court as Alternate B. Councilmember Gorham asked if the City does not do Murray Street and Murray Court this year if the plan be to do a full reconstruction in a few years. City Engineer Budde explained that it would still stay as a mill and overlay project, but could be combined with a 2023 street reconstruction project or it could be delayed a few years and included with future mill and overlay projects. Councilmember Gorham stated that City Engineer Budde had stated that they were the highest rated of the streets included and asked how many good years they had left in them. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 5 of 7 City Engineer Budde stated that would be subjective and stated that he believes they were rated at a 6 on a scale of 1-10. He noted that the City has received a fair number of complaints from residents that it is starting to deteriorate, however, staff feels, if they need to, they can get a few more years life out of it with some patching and other minor repair work by Public Works. Councilmember Gorham stated that Galpin Lane is in poor shape and asked if he understood correctly that if they received bonding for that area, the idea would be to wait for that funding to come in before the work is done. City Engineer Budde stated that it would be a Council decision, but he had envisioned that if there were State bonding dollars dedicated for it, the City could move forward with final design for the full street reconstruction including adding in the sidewalks. He stated that he would estimate it would take at least two years to get to construction because there is some robust permitting that will be required because of the wetlands. Mayor Labadie stated that she likes the proposal of having the main bid and the two alternates as options because she thinks it makes things very clear to residents and the Council. Callies moved, Labadie seconded, Adopting RESOLUTION NO. 22-043, "A Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications and Authorize Bidding for the 2022 Mill and Overlay Project, City Project 21-11." All in favor, motion passed. 9. GENERAL/NEW BUSINESS 10. STAFF AND COUNCIL REPORTS A. Administrator and Staff Advanced Construction Notification Signs Public Works Director Brown stated that the City has been working on various methods in order to strengthen communication methodology for the CIPs. He stated that Council and staff has heard too many times that residents were unaware that projects were happening even though they lived in the neighborhood. He stated that staff is proposing the installation of signage on key termini points of the projects. He reviewed the proposed sign that would state that construction was planned for the roadway and gives people the option to reference the City's website or call City Hall if they had questions. He noted that if the Council supports this, the first installation of the signs would be on the Strawberry Lane and Birch Bluff road projects. He gave an overview of the proposed timeline for when the signage would be posted. Councilmember Johnson asked if the signs had already been manufactured. Public Works Director Brown stated that the signs had not been manufactured. Councilmember Johnson suggested actually including City Hall's phone number on the sign and not simply telling people to contact City Hall. Councilmember Gorham stated that he was going to make that same suggestion. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 6 of 7 Councilmember Siakel noted that the Strawberry Lane project had already been approved and questioned whether the signs needed to be put up in that location. Public Works Director Brown stated that it is always surprising that even with all the discussion and information that has been distributed, there always seems to be someone that comes in at the ninth hour that says they had no idea that the project was going to happen. Councilmember Callies stated that there are also people who move in and out who may be unaware. Councilmember Johnson stated that he feels the more the City can enforce the idea that the project is coming will be a positive thing. Public Works Director Brown stated that City Engineer Budde just suggested the possibility of including a QR code on the sign. City Engineer Budde explained that when this has been used elsewhere, it has allowed him to simply take a picture on his phone when he was driving by without the need to stop and take down the phone number. The Council had consensus that including a QR code on the construction notification signs would be a great idea. 2. Green Steps Update Mayor Labadie noted that the Green Steps document was included in the packet and noted that Communications and Recycling Coordinator Moore was not able to present the information at tonight's meeting. She suggested Moore come to a future meeting and present this information to the Council. :MITI M Public Works Director Brown stated that spring weight restrictions are still on and noted that Public Works has begun sweeping streets on the east side of town, however the sweeper is having to go to the shop so there will be a minor delay it that work continuing. He stated that when the sweeping is done, their crews will come behind and flush the watermains and encouraged residents to check the City website and social media for details of those plans. Councilmember Johnson asked why the City always starts on the east side and moves to the west with this work. Public Works Director Brown explained that traditionally, there was more curb and gutter on the east side. The street sweeper is one of the heaviest vehicles the City owns, so when roadways are soft, it has the potential to do damage, which means running it down a roadway with edge control where it is supported does far less damage than if it were on a rural roadway without curb and gutter. He stated that this approach may change over time because there are more roadways on the west side of the City that have more curb and gutter. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES APRIL 25, 2022 Page 7 of 7 Councilmember Callies asked about the lift station on Radisson Road. She stated that it is not on the list for planned repair, but she noticed that there was a lot of work that has happened recently and asked for an update. Public Works Director Brown explained that at least once a year they go through and pump down and clean and wash out the lift stations. He stated that when this was done at the Radisson Road lift station, the crew noted that there were some parts that had deteriorated which meant they needed to conduct some emergency repairs to replace some piping. He expressed his appreciation to his crew for their work this past weekend with the wind storms. City Engineer Budde stated that the City will open bids tomorrow on the Smithtown Ponds and Shorewood Oaks project. He stated that they expect to add the rock in at the end of the Christmas Lake boat landing later this week. City Administrator Lerud noted that this will be his last meeting with the City. He expressed his appreciation to the current and former Council for their support over the last five years. Mayor Labadie expressed her appreciation for the work City Administrator Lerud has done in the City with such a high level of competence and professionalism. She stated that he will be leaving the City better than it was when he arrived and thanked him for his service to the City. B. Mayor and City Council Councilmember Gorham thanked City Administrator Lerud for his work for the City and expressed his appreciation to Mayor Labadie for bringing in two strong interim City Administrator candidates. Mayor Labadie encouraged residents to sign up for the water pledge before the end of the month as part of the Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for water conservation. She stated that they can sign up at www.mywaterpledge.com. 11. ADJOURN Johnson moved, Gorham seconded, Adjourning the City Council Regular Meeting of April 25, 2022, at 8:08 P.M. All in favor, motion passed. ATTEST: J ifer badie, Mayor Sandie Thone, City Clerk