Monday, May 24, 2021 · 6:00 PM
Agenda
Not on file
What was on the agenda.
One-line summary
The Council held two road-assessment public hearings, discussed a T-Mobile generator easement, approved the Name Brand Storage Phase 2 and 3 grading permit, and selected Lars Carlson, Martin Bies, and Dan Haapala for the Planning and Zoning Commission.
7 items as recorded in the packet and minutes, each with a short summary of what was at issue.
CALL_TO_ORDERCalled to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call
Meeting called to order, pledge, and roll call.
The meeting was called to order and attendance was recorded.
1PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED ASSESSMENT OF COSTS RELATED TO THE 2021 ROAD IMPROVEMENTS TO EBONY STREET NW & GARNET STREET NW PROJECT
Public hearing on proposed assessments for 2021 road improvements to Ebony Street NW and Garnet Street NW.
The Council held the assessment hearing for the Ebony and Garnet road project. Engineer Nelson reviewed the proposed reclamation, aggregate base, paving, drainage responsibilities, project estimates, and proposed assessments. Residents raised major drainage concerns, repeated-assessment concerns, and questions about the road base and appeal rights. The Council asked the engineer to pursue cost estimates for additional drainage improvements involving culverts running east to west toward Trott Brook, then closed the hearing without awarding the contract.
The Council held and closed the assessment public hearing; contract award and whether to move the project forward were left for the June 8, 2021 City Council meeting.
2PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED ASSESSMENT OF COSTS RELATED TO THE 2021 ROAD IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROGER'S LAKE AREA PROJECT
Public hearing on proposed assessments for 2021 road improvements in the Rogers Lake area.
The Council held the Rogers Lake area assessment hearing for improvements to 183rd Lane, 184th Avenue, 185th Lane, Salish Circle, Century Street, Waco Street, and Yakima Street. The engineer described reclaiming and paving the roads, the estimated costs, the higher proposed assessment for two 185th Lane properties, and the standard assessment for the remaining properties. Residents discussed veteran hardship, the timing of assessments after COVID, driveway tie-ins, road load concerns, potholes, mailboxes, and appeal procedures; Kristine Fallon submitted an objection before the hearing was closed.
The Council held and closed the assessment public hearing; bids and contract award were to be considered at the June 8, 2021 meeting.
3T-Mobile Generator Project Info
Information and discussion on a T-Mobile emergency backup generator and related CenterPoint Energy gas-line easement.
The Council discussed T-Mobile's proposed emergency backup generator inside the existing fenced area and the related CenterPoint gas-line easement through the parking area near the fire station. Members discussed possible easement conditions including sidewalk installation, fire department parking during emergencies, restoration of disturbed bituminous, drainage and ice concerns, and ADA sidewalk specifications. Staff was to request a survey drawing and prepare an easement for attorney review before possible return to Council in June.
No final approval was recorded; staff was to request a survey drawing and draft an easement agreement for attorney review and possible return in June.
4Name Brand Storage Grading Permit
Consideration of Name Brand Storage grading permit for Phases 2 and 3 on Viking Boulevard NW.
The Council considered and approved a grading agreement allowing Name Brand Self Storage to grade ahead of building permits for Phases 2 and 3 on Viking Boulevard NW. The discussion noted that Phase 2 was intended for the next set of buildings and Phase 3 involved removal of the existing house and barns and stormwater pond work. The approved agreement included a $30,000 security requirement.
The grading permit for Phases 2 and 3 was approved unanimously.
5Planning & Zoning Commission Member Selection
Selection of Planning and Zoning Commission members from applicants.
The Council reviewed five Planning and Zoning Commission applicants. Mayor Pilon's initial motion to appoint Martin Bies, Lars Carlson, and Dan Haapala with specified terms failed on a 2-3 vote. The Council then used a 1-to-5 ranking method for all five candidates, read the results aloud, and selected Lars Carlson, Martin Bies, and Dan Haapala for staggered terms.
An initial appointment motion failed; the Council then used a ranked vote and selected Lars Carlson, Martin Bies, and Dan Haapala.
ADJOURNMotion to Adjourn
Adjournment.
The meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM.
6 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.
M1_CLOSE_EBONY_GARNET_HEARINGMOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING by Blake; 2nd by Alders. Unanimous approval. Hearing CLOSED.
moved by Blake, seconded by Alders
Unanimous approval
M2_CLOSE_ROGERS_LAKE_HEARINGMotion to CLOSE the PUBLIC HEARING by Alders, 2nd by Blake. Unanimous approval. Public Hearing closed at 8:25 pm.
moved by Alders, seconded by Blake
Unanimous approval
M3_NAME_BRAND_GRADING_PERMITMotion to approve Name Brand Storage Grading Permit for Phase 2 & 3 by Alders; 2nd by Blake. Unanimous approval. Motion Carried.
moved by Alders, seconded by Blake
Unanimous approval
M4_PZ_INITIAL_APPOINTMENT_MOTIONPilon made a motion to appoint Martin Bies, term ending December, 2024, Lars Carlson, term ending December, 2025 and Dan Haapala, term ending December, 2026.
moved by Pilon, seconded by Rainville
M5_PZ_RANKED_SELECTIONGreenberg made the motion that Council vote on all five candidates based on a ranking scale from 1-5, lowest to highest, and the top 3 candidates will be selected.
moved by Greenberg, seconded by Blake
Top three candidates selected, from top to bottom: Lars Carlson, Martin Bies, Dan Haapala
M6_ADJOURNMotion to adjourn by Rainville, 2nd by Alders. Unanimous. Meeting Adjourned at 9:05 PM.
moved by Rainville, seconded by Alders
Unanimous
When someone referred back to earlier business, we found the matching prior discussion and tied it in here.
The first Public Improvement Hearing was held in December of 2020.
— Shane Nelson
What this is about
The engineer recalled the earlier public improvement hearing for the Ebony and Garnet road project, held before this assessment hearing.
The records I searched do not contain a prior public improvement hearing or decision matching this recollection for the Ebony and Garnet road project in December 2020. The search results mainly show unrelated 2026 road-improvement assessment materials and dust-control items for other road segments, not Ebony and Garnet. So based on these results, I cannot confirm the date or outcome of the earlier public improvement hearing.
He built his house in 1994 and the ditch was 6 feet wide and about 3 feet deep.
— Jeff Porter
What this is about
Public comment recalled the original condition of the drainage ditch and property after the speaker built his house in 1994.
The records I searched do not contain a prior decision or documented discussion matching this recollection about the drainage ditch being 6 feet wide and about 3 feet deep when the house was built in 1994. The closest related records are general drainage/property documents: a 1959 Birchwood plat included public access and utility/flood easements, and at the April 14, 2026 meeting staff reported that Public Works planned to replace a culvert on 218th Avenue in-house. Those records do not confirm the ditch’s 1994 dimensions or describe the property’s original condition after the house was built.
In the initial road study years ago, the Engineer estimated $1 million to fix the roads as they should have been fixed at that time.
— Paul Reighard
What this is about
A resident recalled an earlier engineering road study and an older estimate for fixing the Ebony and Garnet roads.
The records I searched do not contain a prior engineering road study or decision matching the recollection that Ebony and Garnet roads were estimated at about $1 million to repair. The closest road-related records in these results concern the 2026 Overlay Road Improvement Project, but that project covered portions of Country Meadows, Westpahl Country Acres, Morton Farm Preserve, 224th Court, and 218th Avenue—not Ebony or Garnet. In the May 12, 2026 packet, the City Engineer’s estimated total cost for that separate overlay project was $462,800, with $227,840 proposed to be assessed to benefited properties and $227,840 paid by the City, plus overruns and budgeted road repair costs.
This will be the 3rd time that many of the residents in this neighborhood have been assessed, and he does not want to be in this position again.
— Paul Reighard
What this is about
A resident asked the Council to consider that some neighborhood properties had been assessed multiple times before for the same road area.
The records returned are a partial match. They document the current 2026 Overlay Road Improvement Project and proposed special assessments for roads including 218th Avenue, Country Meadows, Westpahl Country Acres, Morton Farm Preserve, and 224th Court, but they do not show earlier assessment decisions confirming that these same residents had already been assessed twice before. At the February 10, 2026 meeting materials, the project was described as including $128,000 in city-paid repairs and $462,800 for overlay work, with 50% of the overlay cost to be assessed to benefiting properties. The estimated assessment was $3,560 per property for 65 benefiting properties, payable up front or over 10 years on property taxes. Later materials for the April 14, 2026 meeting listed total project costs of $491,400 with $245,700 proposed to be assessed, and the May 12, 2026 packet included an amended version reducing the total overlay project cost to $462,800, with $227,840 proposed to be assessed and $227,840 paid by the City, plus city-paid road repair costs estimated at $81,710. The records I searched do not contain a prior decision matching the recollection that this would be the third assessment for many of the same neighborhood properties.
The largest problem was the first section that was repaired 10 years ago.
— Shane Nelson
What this is about
The engineer recalled earlier repairs to part of Ebony and Garnet about 10 years before this meeting.
The records I searched do not contain a prior council decision or discussion matching the recollection that a section of Ebony Street NW and Garnet Street NW was repaired about 10 years earlier. The only related hit is a map in the April 23, 2024 Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet showing Ebony Street NW and Garnet Street NW in the area, but it does not describe road repairs, costs, or any council action.
At the Public Improvement Hearing the City listened to residents regarding what they would like included in the road improvements.
— Shane Nelson
What this is about
The minutes recalled the prior public improvement hearing for the Rogers Lake area project and what residents had asked to include.
The records searched do not contain a prior Public Improvement Hearing or formal decision matching this recollection about the Rogers Lake area road improvement project, nor do they show resident requests about what should be included in those road improvements. The closest partial match is in the March 10, 2026 packet, where the Clerk Update notes “tree trimming and chipping using Ham Lake’s bucket truck after letters to residents in the Rogers Lake area.” That entry relates to work/notice in the Rogers Lake area, but it does not document a public improvement hearing, resident testimony, a road-improvement scope, or a council vote.
This is identical to the one that was done for Phase 1, and both Engineer Nelson and Attorney Ruppe have reviewed this.
— Stockman
What this is about
The planner compared the proposed Name Brand Storage grading agreement to the earlier Phase 1 agreement.
The records I searched do not contain a prior Phase 1 Name Brand Storage grading agreement or a prior council decision matching this recollection. The search results also do not show a meeting where council approved an earlier agreement with terms that could be compared to the proposed agreement. The only related detail in the results is that Engineer Nelson and Attorney Ruppe were listed as present at the February 10, 2026 meeting, but that record does not mention Name Brand Storage, Phase 1, or a grading agreement.
CASWELL ENGINEERING CO. ENGINEERS & LAND SURVEYORS ## BIRCHWOOD ANOKA COUNTY, MINNESOTA KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That The Elk R
## CITY OF NOWTHEN ANOKA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA ## RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XX ## AMENDED RESOLUTION DECLARING COSTS TO BE ASSESSED AND ORDERING PREPARATION OF PROPOSED ASSESSMENT AND NOTICE
# CITY OF NOWTHEN ANOKA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA # RESOLUTION NO. 2026-XX # RESOLUTION DECLARING COSTS TO BE ASSESSED AND ORDERING PREPARATION OF PROPOSED ASSESSMENT AND NOTICE OF ASSESSME
" Enhancing public safety & emergency response " Investing in parks, trails, & community spaces " Protecting natural resources and water quality " Strengthening public transportation " Impr
## TITLE OF ISSUE: APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION 2026-XX AWARDING CONTRACT FOR 2026 DUST CONTROL APPLICATION BACKGROUND AND SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: The city's transportation system is composed of sixty mil
Documents and recordings archived for this meeting, when available.
Meeting City Council Public Hearing — Agenda Packet (2021-05-24)
Packet · Monday, May 24, 2021
38 pages
Meeting City Council Public Hearing — Minutes (2021-05-24)
Minutes · Monday, May 24, 2021
10 pages
Meeting recording
YouTube
Transcript · 944 segments · 2:28:18
The summary on this page is AI-extracted and may need correction. The PDFs and the meeting recording are the official record. What do the trust labels mean?