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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023/09/18 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - RegularOfficial minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota Sept. 18, 2023 1. Call to order Mayor Pro Tem Brausen called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. a. Roll call b. Pledge of allegiance Councilmembers present: Mayor Pro Tem Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Lynette Dumalag, Yolanda Farris, Nadia Mohamed, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: Mayor Jake Spano Staff present: City manager (Ms. Keller), deputy city manager (Ms. Walsh), city attorney (Mr. Mattick), finance director (Ms. Cruver), fire chief (Mr. Koering), building and energy director (Mr. Hoffman), public services superintendent/deputy public works director (Ms. Fisher), chief building official (Mr. Skallet), utilities superintendent (Mr. Holm), administrative services director (Ms. Brodeen), city clerk (Ms. Kennedy), deputy city clerk (Ms. Scott-Lerdal), HR director (Ms. Vorpahl), human resources technician (Ms. Lamfers), race, equity and inclusion director (Ms. Guess), engineering director (Ms. Heiser) Guests: Lt. Andrew Willenbring and family, Dan Ullsperger, members of the public. 2. Approve agenda It was moved by Councilmember Mohamed, seconded by Councilmember Farris, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). 3. Presentations a. Recognition of service for Lt. Andrew Willenbring Mayor Pro Tem Brausen read the proclamation honoring St. Willenbring’s 23 years of service in the fire department. Fire Chief Koering thanked Lt. Willenbring for his years of service and noted how much his many years of service are appreciated. He described how Lt. Willenbring’s leadership expanded the fire department’s engaged culture through modeling. His litany of awards and commendations as evidenced in his proclamation show his numerous contributions to the department and the community. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen noted Mayor Spano’s comments to Lt. Willenbring, including a personal thanks for keeping the community safe through the years while keeping the mood light. Mayor Spano’s remarks also thanked the Lieutenant’s family for their support. DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC City council meeting minutes -2- Sept. 18, 2023 Lt. Willenbring thanked the city council and the fire and police departments for their support over the years, mentioning that the council and city staff are there for the fire department during the highs and the lows, and thanked Chief Koering for his leadership. b. Proclamation for Latine Heritage Month Mayor Pro Tem Brausen read the proclamation announcing September 15 through October 15, 2023 as Latine Heritage Month. Ms. Keller noted the city has resources for learning and celebrating Latine heritage online within the council report, on page 2. These resources provide timely connection to further information. 4. Minutes a. City council meeting minutes of Sept. 5, 2023 It was moved by Councilmember Rog, seconded by Councilmember Mohamed, to approve the Sept. 5, 2023, meeting minutes as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). 5. Consent items a. Resolution No. 23-103 recognizing retirement of Lt. Andrew Willenbring from fire department b. Resolution No. 23-104 appointing election workers for Nov. 6, 2023 municipal election c. Resolution No. 23-105 rescinding resolution of snow emergency exempt parking streets d. Resolution No. 23-106 approving grant award for DWI Traffic Safety Police Officer Program e. Resolution No. 23-107 approving 2024 employer benefits contribution f. Resolution No. 23-108 approving off-site gambling for Community Charities of Minnesota Councilmember Rog asked to make a comment regarding consent calendar item 5b, stating with humor that she was disappointed she was not chosen to be an election worker for the municipal election this year. In seriousness, she thanked those who were chosen to serve. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen referenced the approval of the 2024 employer benefits contribution, and commended staff for obtaining favorable rates for insurance coverage, stating that some of the rates were decreased. He thanked the HR staff for negotiating good terms. It was moved by Councilmember Rog, seconded by Councilmember Farris, to approve the consent items as listed. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). 6. Public hearings a. Consider on-sale brewer’s taproom liquor license for Ullsperger Brewing, LLC – Ward 4 Ms. Scott-Lerdal presented the staff report. The location of Ullsperger Brewing is 2314 Louisiana Avenue South. DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC City council meeting minutes -3- Sept. 18, 2023 Mayor Pro Tem asked the owner, Dan Ullsperger, if the brewery had an anticipated opening date (assuming that the license is granted). Dan Ullsperger responded that he would like to open the brewery as soon as possible; he is working on products and a timely opening would allow the flow from brew to service to continue uninterrupted. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen closed the public hearing. It was moved by Councilmember Mohamed, seconded by Councilmember Rog, to approve on-sale brewer’s taproom liquor license for Ullsperger Brewing, LLC – Ward 4. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). 7. Regular business a. Resolutions No. 23-109, 23-110, and 23-111 to adopt 2024 preliminary property tax levy certification. Ms. Cruver presented the staff report. She summarized the policy question: Does the city council support the proposed preliminary levy increase of 7.7% that includes the following components: • General levies (general fund, park improvement, capital replacement and employee benefits) equal to $37,569,803 • Debt Service levy equal to $6,292,503 • Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA) levy equal to $1,744,133 • Economic Development Authority (EDA) levy equal to $877,000 Ms. Cruver noted the HRA and EDA levies have been approved by the EDA, and after the council approves it, the preliminary levy will be certified to Hennepin County by September 30, 2023. Final approval will be completed at the December 18, 2023, city council meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen noted that this has all been discussed since June and all the final levies have not been approved yet, so that is why there is leeway being built into this budget. He added the HRA levy has been set at the statutory maximum so there is no departure from the existing practice on this. He also noted there is an increase proposed on the EDA levy this year. Ms. Cruver responded that these statements were all correct. Councilmember Rog noted even though this shows a 7.7% increase the impacts to homeowners and renters will be significantly less and she asked for further explanation from Ms. Cruver. Ms. Cruver stated yes, the actual property tax is affected by the levy as well as the valuation of their home compared to the previous year. She noted last year, the median value for homes increased by 1% while commercial property valuation increased by over 5%. She explained that whatever levy is approved by council, homeowners will see an increase that is less because their overall value is increasing by less in comparison to other properties within the city. She noted some apartments and industrial/commercial will see higher increases because their value has grown faster. DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC City council meeting minutes -4- Sept. 18, 2023 Councilmember Rog noted the class C apartments will see the highest increases. Ms. Cruver stated that the median for class C apartments will increase due to higher value from improvements. She also noted there were some policy decisions at the state level and some of the class C apartments will see rate decreases in 2025, but not 2024. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen added the classifications of properties and values are all set at the state level by formula, and the city cannot step in and apply targeted tax relief. He also noted there is a 4D housing program for older apartments in the city and the state has created an incentive for those owners to apply for the 4D status to benefit residents. Councilmember Mohamed stated she is very much in support of the proposal, noting that staff has looked at many ways to create funding and solutions to keep levies lower. She stated it is good to see the city’s commercial facilities are still in use, especially coming out of COVID, and that their values remain higher, compared to other areas. Councilmember Rog stated 7.7 % feels high but realizes this is the first year that council has received this information as an all-inclusive levy. She noted she has been uncomfortable in the past with higher levies, but noted this year she feels residents are getting good value based on these numbers. She added in the past, she has had concerns about the EDA levy, and noted it felt less than transparent. She stated discussing the EDA levy now as part of the all-inclusive rate is helpful. Councilmember Rog also noted this year there is a need to replenish the EDA fund. In part, this need includes significant subsidies - including debt forgiveness and land sale price reduction - for a developer in the community. She stated that at the time those subsidies were approved, she and Councilmember Budd were opposed because it would incur future levy increases. Councilmember Rog pointed out the correlation between these factors and the nearly doubled EDA levy for this year. She stated she does support the EDA levy this year considering the need to replenish the fund, she believes in the development work the city does and hopes the council will be discerning in how taxpayers are affected in future projects. Councilmember Dumalag thanked staff for the all-inclusive number and appreciated that taxpayers also have this transparency in where funds are going. She stated that she is supportive. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated he is also supportive of these levies and noted they are preliminary and typically do go down and he attributed this to staff’s ongoing work. He added the spending so far has basically been committed to supporting staff at the same levels and to support the city residents with the service level they expect. He mentioned a levy projection from budget discussions held about a year and a half ago, where levy projections came in at over 9%. He pointed out that city staff has been able to find additional funding for large structural projects through state and federal means. He expressed appreciation to staff’s commitment to deliver the best possible value for residents for their tax dollars. It was moved by Councilmember Mohamed, seconded by Councilmember Budd, to adopt Resolutions No. 23-109, 23-110, and 23-111 to adopt 2024 preliminary property tax levy certification. DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC City council meeting minutes -5- Sept. 18, 2023 The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). b. Public sewer and water utilities protection program – first reading of ordinance Mr. Hoffman presented the staff report along with Mr. Skallet and Mr. Holm. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen asked if the proposed budget for the inspection program is meant to recover costs from inspection and cleaning. Mr. Hoffman stated these fees would recover about $100,000 per year, which would cover the city’s costs for salary and benefits for a permit technician and equipment. He noted that with good practices of grease collection, staff hopes to reduce the amount of time spent cleaning out the main lines in front of affected establishments. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen asked for an estimate of how many FOG licenses will be issued. Mr. Hoffman stated staff will go out to businesses to look and right now, there are about 120 establishments that are licensed by the Department of Health for food production and are therefore likely to be eligible for this program. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen asked if this type of license would apply to a brewery. Mr. Hoffman stated he is not sure if oils and grease are associated with the production of beer, but that could be looked into. Councilmember Budd asked if some of the 120 establishments already have a grease interceptor in place. Mr. Hoffman responded that most of the establishments do, but not all - staff will need to inventory that and to be sure their interceptors are in place and have been maintained. He noted some do not have interceptors in place and that the higher cost of operating with a provisional license is an incentive to work with the city on installing one. The city’s small business loans program is a potential area of assistance for installation costs. The fee for operating without a grease interceptor is meant to balance the city’s time and resources needed to do more frequent cleanings. Councilmember Budd asked about the 1,500 backflow devices in place. Mr. Skallet stated there are about 1,500 devices total throughout the city, but there is no total count for residential. Anyone with a typical underground lawn irrigation or boiler system would be a candidate for this type of device. Mr. Hoffman added these are devices within the water system and most of these are in commercial buildings such as hospitals or apartment buildings. The only time a device like this would be found in residential situations is an underground lawn irrigation system or boiler. Councilmember Mohamed asked about enforcement. Mr. Hoffman stated that in every program, the first step is to notify businesses and residents that they need to have this done and then have a certified person test the assembly. Secondly, if residents do not comply with the ordinance, they would then have a service charge on their water statement. A service charge is the staff’s recommendation for the best incentive to change behaviors, rather than implementing a criminal charge. Councilmember Dumalag asked if there is a service charge on a water bill, would that be a monthly service charge. Mr. Hoffman stated yes and there would be a service charge for not DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC City council meeting minutes -6- Sept. 18, 2023 testing water backflow assemblies. He added provisional license fees for FOG noncompliance would cover added sewer cleaning. Councilmember Dumalag asked if a business could lose their business if they remained noncompliant. Mr. Hoffman stated the restaurant business license is issued through the department of health or agriculture, and this license is to discharge into the sanitary sewer. If a business owner remailed noncompliant, the city attorney would address it as a code violation. Councilmember Rog noted FOG damage can range from $10 - $85,000. She asked if this damage estimate is for private property or public utilities. Mr. Holm stated that significant damage is typically caused to private property, or other businesses, or where overflow makes its way into the sewer system. Mr. Hoffman stated that the FOG and backflow program is intended to prevent these problems, so that preventable damage does not occur. It was moved by Councilmember Mohamed, seconded by Councilmember Farris, to approve first reading of an ordinance for public sewer and water utilities protection program, as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Spano absent). 8. Communications and announcements Ms. Keller noted the following: • The Latine History Month proclamation and information is available through the council report online and the city channels this week as well. • The Fire Department open house will be held Tuesday, September 19, from 5-7:30 p.m. at Fire Station #1. • Early voting starts at city hall on Friday, September 22, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and an elections guide with sample ballot was mailed to all residents. • The recent employee appreciation event was well attended, and Ms. Keller thanked city employees for the dedication and passion brought to work each day. Councilmember Mohamed wished a happy Rosh Hashana to all who celebrated last weekend. 9. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 47BBAC52-6B0E-4D7B-AAB7-F8108933F6AC