City Council Meeting

What was on the agenda

29 items as recorded in the packet and minutes, each with a plain-English summary of what was at issue.

1Call to Order / Roll Call / Approve Agenda

Meeting opened, roll call taken, and the Council approved a revised agenda limited to consent agenda, floor items, Sheriff's contract, engineering, fire JPA termination, and Cote lot split, with other items recessed to April 20.

Because some participants and staff were absent or remote during the pandemic, the Council narrowed the April 13 meeting to time-sensitive items and recessed the rest of the agenda to a continued meeting. The revised agenda passed 4-1, with Blake voting no, and the meeting later recessed to the next Tuesday for remaining items.

The agenda was revised and several items were recessed to Tuesday, April 20, 2021.

revised agenda
meeting recess

Approved

p. 1p. 1

2aApprove March 9, 2021 City Council minutes

Approve City Council Meeting Minutes of 03-09-2021.

The Council approved the consent agenda, including the March 9 minutes, Treasurer's Report, claims, and Nowthen Historical Power Association yearly CUP events. The claims batch approved through consent totaled $53,049.94.

Approved as part of the consent agenda.

consent agenda

Consent calendar

p. 3p. 1

2bFinancial Report: Treasurer's Report and Claims

Approve Treasurer's Report and claims dated March 3, 2021 through April 6, 2021.

Approved as part of the consent agenda.

consent agenda
claims
treasurer report

Consent calendar

p. 1p. 1

2cNowthen Historical Power Association CUP yearly events

Approval of Nowthen Historical Power Association CUP yearly events.

Approved as part of the consent agenda.

consent agenda
Nowthen Historical Power Association

Consent calendar

p. 1p. 1

3Floor Items

Floor items included a request from Elk River Youth Softball Association to use and maintain Nowthen softball fields during its season.

Anthony Schlegel asked whether Elk River Youth Softball could again use Nowthen fields and maintain them during the season in lieu of payment. The Council did not decide the request that night and directed him to contact Clerk Streich to be placed on the April 20 agenda.

The request was not decided; the speaker was directed to contact the Clerk to be placed on the April 20 agenda.

floor items
softball fields

Continued

p. 1p. 1

4aSheriff's Contract

Sheriff's report and 2022 Sheriff's contract discussion.

Commander Heath described the Sheriff's Office history with Nowthen and proposed moving from an eight-hour law-enforcement contract to a 12-hour dedicated deputy model, likely from 2:00 PM to 2:00 AM, with a dedicated squad car and possible Nowthen workstation. The Council asked for exact numbers and expected to discuss the proposal further in a work session or future meeting.

Commander Heath presented a proposal for a 12-hour dedicated contract; no contract vote was taken.

Sheriff's contract
law enforcement

Discussion only

p. 1p. 2

5aQuarterly Report

Quarterly financial report.

The minutes state the intent was to recess remaining non-critical items to April 20; the quarterly report was not acted on in the minutes.

quarterly financial report

Continued

p. 1p. 1

6aMS4 Permit Updates

MS4 permit updates and authorization to submit the permit application to MPCA.

The Council authorized staff to submit the MS4 permit application to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The discussion noted new requirements and coordination among the engineer, Public Works Supervisor, and Clerk on responsibilities.

Staff was authorized to submit the MS4 permit application to MPCA.

MS4 permit
stormwater

Approved

p. 26p. 2

6bResolution 2021-13 Ebony & Garnet Road Improvement Plan

Resolution 2021-13, Ebony and Garnet Road Improvement Plan.

The Council approved plans and specifications and ordered advertisement for bids for the Ebony and Garnet Street NW project. It also approved assessment-hearing preparation for May 13 at 6:00 PM and approved a reimbursement resolution for improvement-bond financing.

Plans and specifications were approved and advertisement for bids was ordered.

Ebony and Garnet road project

Approved

p. 1p. 3

6cResolution 2021-14 Rogers Lake Road Improvement Plan

Resolution 2021-14, Rogers Lake Area improvement plan.

The Council approved plans and specifications for the Rogers Lake Area project, including paving the currently gravel portion of 185th Lane, and ordered advertisement for bids. During the assessment discussion, the Council corrected the project amount to $863,763, with the City portion at $546,163 and residents' portion at $317,600, and set the assessment hearing for May 13 at 7:00 PM.

Plans and specifications, including 185th Lane, were approved and advertisement for bids was ordered.

Rogers Lake Area road project
185th Lane

Approved

p. 1p. 3

6dResolution 2021-15 Rogers Lake Area Assessment Hearing

Resolution 2021-15, Rogers Lake Area costs to be assessed and assessment hearing.

Assessment preparation and notice were approved with amended amounts and a May 13, 2021 hearing at 7:00 PM.

Rogers Lake Area road project
assessments

Approved

p. 1p. 3

6eResolution 2021-16 Ebony & Garnet Assessment Hearing

Resolution 2021-16, Ebony and Garnet costs to be assessed and assessment hearing.

Assessment preparation and notice were approved with a May 13, 2021 hearing at 6:00 PM.

Ebony and Garnet road project
assessments

Approved

p. 1p. 3

6fResolution 2021-17 Reimbursement Resolution

Resolution 2021-17, reimbursement resolution for improvement bonds.

This resolution was handled under Engineering in the minutes although it was not listed on the packet agenda page shown.

road project financing
improvement bonds

Approved

p. 3

6gResolution 2021-18 Reimbursement Resolution

Resolution 2021-18, reimbursement resolution with amended amounts.

This resolution was handled under Engineering in the minutes although it was not listed on the packet agenda page shown.

road project financing
improvement bonds

Approved

p. 3p. 4

7aJoint Powers Fire Protection Agreement to Terminate

Joint Powers Fire Protection Agreement to terminate.

The Council approved the agreement to terminate the Joint Powers Fire Protection Agreement with Ramsey. The discussion emphasized that the agreement depended on the Legislature and Governor completing special legislation concerning the Ramsey Volunteer Firefighters' Relief Association; otherwise the existing JPA rights would remain in place.

The termination agreement was approved; discussion noted it was contingent on special legislation being signed and would be effective April 26, 2021.

fire department
Ramsey JPA

Approved

p. 1p. 4

8aDryden property line change

Property line change to split 10 acres off an 80 acre parcel - Dryden.

The minutes do not record action on the Dryden item at the April 13 meeting; the revised agenda proceeded only with the Cote lot split under Planning and Zoning.

Dryden property line change

Continued

p. 1p. 1

8bBrand Name Storage Phases 2 and 3

Brand Name Storage Phases 2 and 3, CUPs, Variance, Lot Reconfiguration.

The minutes do not record action on this item at the April 13 meeting; the revised agenda proceeded only with the Cote lot split under Planning and Zoning.

Brand Name Storage

Continued

p. 173p. 1

8cOrdinance Amendments

Ordinance amendments.

No action was recorded in the minutes; the packet described the item as recommended amendments for consideration with a draft ordinance pending direction.

ordinance amendments

Continued

p. 41p. 182

8dCote Lot Split

Cote lot split, reconfiguration, and conditional use permit.

The Council approved the Cote lot split reconfiguration and conditional use permit based on the planner's and Planning and Zoning Commission's findings and recommendations. The action split off a 10-acre parcel from a larger property, with drainage, driveway, and easement clarifications discussed; Rainville abstained because she was not comfortable voting on late-arriving materials.

Added to the revised agenda and approved, with Rainville abstaining.

Cote lot split

Approved

p. 4

9aPurchase of Capital Equipment - Mack Truck

Purchase of Capital Equipment - Mack Truck, continued.

Public Works items, Recycle Center items, the City Facebook page, and the North Metro Animal Control contract were all held over to the April 20 continued meeting. Packet materials included major financial proposals for the Mack truck purchase, dust control bids, seasonal wages, Recycle Center revenue and grants, and animal-control contract fees, but no final April 13 vote was taken on those items.