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2020-05-05 Council MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA Minutes of the Regular Meeting Held Tuesday, May 5, 2020 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting of the City Council, City of Mendota Heights, Minnesota was held at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota. C�1_�IfIrIC�7�777�17 Mayor Garlock called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Councilors Duggan (arrived at 5:06 p.m.), Paper, Miller, and Petschel were also present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council, the audience, and staff recited the Pledge of Allegiance. AGENDA ADOPTION Mayor Garlock presented the agenda for adoption. Councilor Petschel moved adoption of the agenda. Councilor Miller seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Mayor Garlock aye Motion carried. CONSENT CALENDAR Mayor Garlock presented the consent calendar and explained the procedure for discussion and approval. Councilor Petschel moved approval of the consent calendar as presented, pulling item f. for a separate discussion. a. Approval of April 21, 2020 City Council Minutes b. Approval of April 16, 2020 Council Work Session Minutes c. Acknowledgement of March 24, 2020 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes d. Approve Resolution 20202-31 Accepting a Donation of Equipment e. Approve Resolution 2020-32 Accepting a Park Bench Donation g. Approve the March 2020 Fire Synopsis Report h. Approve the Claims List Mayor Garlock seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Mayor Garlock aye Councilor Miller aye Motion carried. PULLED CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS F) APPROVE HEALTHEAST USE AGREEMENTS FOR THE FIRE STATION Councilor Paper stated that he has some concern with the agreement with HealthEast for their use of the Fire Station. He stated that the City is spending a lot of money on updating this facility and in return, the City receives a number of Medical Director hours per month/year. City Administrator Mark McNeill stated that this agreement formalizes what has been going on for years, as HealthEast has had access to the day room area and kitchen. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan stated that HealthEast has always been able to use the station as a regional operating position, with two or three ambulances at the station. He stated that the agreement formalizes the Medical Director. He stated that in the past the City has paid $2,000 to $3,000 per year for training certifications. He explained that HealthEast will now conduct the yearly training hours for first responder certification under this agreement. He noted that the agreement also specifies that HealthEast has its own space and is responsible for its own consumables. Councilor Duggan arrived. City Administrator Mark McNeill noted that another benefit of having HealthEast stationed here is the quicker response time for residents. Councilor Paper commented that this is a big space that HealthEast is getting and asked if they will be contributing towards utilities. He also asked for input on supply replenishment. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan replied that anything that the fire department uses when on a medical call can be replaced on scene through the ambulance to ensure that the first aid bag is replenished. Councilor Paper asked for details on inventory and how often that is reviewed for the trucks. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan reviewed the different expiration dates on materials carried on the trucks. Councilor Paper stated that Fairview is a large company and wants to make sure that the City is not simply signing this with blinders. May S, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 2 of 10 Fire Chief Dave Dreelan stated that the City Administrator and City Attorney had conversations related to whether HealthEast could be charged. He confirmed that HealthEast holds the contract to provide service to Mendota Heights, but that does not mean that they have to be stationed in Mendota Heights and could respond from a further location. He stated that the fire station space is still the City's space and can be reclaimed. City Administrator Mark McNeill explained that the fire station bonds are tax exempt and therefore in- kind services are being used for reimbursement as HealthEast/Fairview is a for profit business. Councilor Paper asked if there can be a commitment on how often HealthEast will clean their space. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan stated that he has not had a formal discussion related to cleaning but can do that and report back to staff and Council with that plan. Councilor Miller stated that in terms of inventory, the trucks are checked weekly and if an item is low and was not replenished on the scene, there would be an opportunity to restock that supply through HealthEast. Councilor Duggan asked for details on the potential termination of the lease and how that could be handled, using the example of agreed upon training not being provided. City Administrator Mark McNeill stated that staff would leave that to the Fire Chief as to how the services could be recouped. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan stated that he would be willing to work out an option to make it work. He stated that the EMS training that the department has received from third party services has declined over the past several years and from what they have seen, the HealthEast medics are much more willing to train with the fire station and do a much better j ob. He stated that he is less worried about cleaning, as the true value in this is increasing the professionalism of the fire department in the field. Councilor Duggan asked if the Fire Chief has a say in the training that is provided. Fire Chief Dave Dreelan replied that the four hours of medical direction per month is the constant communication that occurs between himself and the HealthEast medical directors. He commented that has been invaluable in the past few months with COVID-19. He explained that the 18 hours of training annually is the training that is nationally required for firefighters. Councilor Petschel commented that the City needs to keep its eye on the highest priority, which is the safety and wellbeing of the residents. She commented that having ambulances at this location is a precious commodity for the residents. Mayor Garlock stated that in his time on the squad he appreciated that the ambulance was centrally located to reduce response time. He commented that Mendota Heights provides service to other communities that have a higher population of elderly, and also benefits from the quick response time. Councilor Paper asked if HealthEast could assist with an annual CPR training event offered to residents. May S, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 3 of 10 Fire Chief Dave Dreelan confirmed that the Fire Department staff could also assist with that type of training. Councilor Petschel moved to approve THE THREE HEALTHEAST USER AGREEMENTS WITH THE FIRE STATION. Councilor Duggan seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Councilor Petschel aye Mayor Garlock aye Councilor Duggan aye Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Motion carried. PUBLIC COMMENTS No one from the public wished to be heard. No items scheduled. PUBLIC HEARING NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS A) RESOLUTION 2020-33 APPROVE VARIANCE TO ISD #197 FOR WIDER DRIVEWAY ACCESS ON TO MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD FOR FRIENDLY HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL, 701 MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD Community Development Director Tim Benetti explained that the Council was being asked to approve Resolution 2020-33, approving a variance to Independent School District No. 197, for a wider driveway access to Friendly Hills Middle School at 701 Mendota Heights Road. Councilor Paper referenced the previous discussions about a stoplight and asked if that type of improvement could help, or perhaps a crosswalk with lights that could function during before/after school times. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek replied that an analysis was completed by the School District and additional improvements were not warranted, noting that the crosswalk lights were also not found to be warranted. He stated that the School District is planning to look at additional pedestrian improvements which could include striping improvements, signage and a possible school zone speed limit reduction. May 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 4 of 10 Councilor Duggan asked if the buses would go onto Mendota Heights Road at the same time as the exiting lanes of traffic. Community Development Director Tim Benetti noted that the bus access lane is separate and therefore the lanes will not intersect. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek commented that there is a crossing guard that stops the passenger vehicle traffic from exiting when the school buses are leaving the site. Mark Foreman, on behalf of the applicant, commented that the buses are required to take right turns out to minimize conflict. He confirmed that adult crossing guards are used in the morning and afternoon to assist in mitigating traffic concerns. Councilor Duggan asked if there has been consideration for a traffic warning signal indicating that oncoming traffic should slow or stop. Mr. Foreman replied that he does not have that information. He noted that the Safe Route to School was completed years ago by Dakota County and could have that information. Councilor Duggan asked for clarification on the numbers used in the report, whether the width would be 36 or 38 feet. Community Development Director Tim Benetti replied that in 1996 there was discussion to give the School District an allowance to go up to 36 feet but that did not happen. He stated that the current request is for 38 feet, which was the requirement to fit the two turn lanes and entryway. Councilor Duggan asked if there would be consideration for signage related to directional preferences and speed. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek replied that the improvements would not result in signage on Mendota Heights Road, but noted that there will be a separate discussion related to pedestrian improvements and possible signage. Councilor Duggan asked the distance from the proposed new driveway to Hubert Drive. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek explained that the driveway will be expanded to the west and the eastern edge will not change. He stated that the western access is for bus access and will not interfere with the western driveway. Councilor Duggan wanted to ensure that landscaping would not interfere with sightlines. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek commented that staff will review the plans for possible obstructions. Councilor Petschel commented that she is fine with the size of the driveway and understands what this is attempting to accomplish with traffic flow. She noted that will only be accomplished by the willingness of the parents to follow that path, rather than parking on Mendota Heights Road. She encouraged the Traffic Safety Committee to look into that issue when the pedestrian safety issue is discussed. Councilor Duggan echoed those comments and asked if it would be reasonable to request no parking on Mendota Heights Road. Councilor Petschel commented that should be addressed by the Traffic Safety Committee, rather than within this request. May 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 5 of 10 Councilor Paper stated that he would be concerned with limiting parking on Mendota Heights Road, as implementing that near the high school has only caused more problems. He commented that the situation only occurs once per day in the afternoon for a limited period of time and that the School District is requesting to make the driveway wider which will be a safety improvement. Councilor Petschel disagreed that the elimination of parking near the high school has made the situation worse. She stated that she is not recommending that there be no parking on Mendota Heights Road, but simply asks that it be looked into in the future. Mr. Foreman stated that the School District would welcome a discussion of safety on Mendota Heights Road. Councilor Miller stated that he supports this measure and believes this is a smart improvement for the congestion. Mayor Garlock stated that he also supports this action and suggested this go forward to the Traffic Safety Committee for future discussion. Councilor Petschel moved to approve RESOLUTION 2020-33 APPROVING A VARIANCE TO ISD #197/FRIENDLY HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL, 701 MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD. Councilor Duggan seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Mayor Garlock aye Councilor Duggan aye Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Motion carried. B) RESOLUTION 2020-34 APPROVE LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT FOR PROPERTIES AT 1865 AND 1883 DODD ROAD Community Development Director Tim Benetti explained that the Council was being asked to consider Resolution 2020-34, approving a lot line adjustment between two properties located at 1865 and 1883 Dodd Road, both owned by Mr. Matt Gustafson. Councilor Petschel commented that these are three legal lots and therefore she does not have any issues returning to that original plat. She referenced the statement of the proposed resolution referring to the driveway encroachment. She commented that Mr. Gustafson is not always going to own all the lots and did not want to see a future issue, therefore would prefer to eliminate the driveway encroachment. Councilor Miller agreed with Councilor Petschel. He would like the language adjusted to show the driveway must be installed. May 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 6 of 10 Councilor Paper asked if there would still be access to the backyard if the driveway were cut. Community Development Director Tim Benetti provided additional details on the parking pad behind the home. He stated that there would still be enough space to maneuver if the driveway were cut. Councilor Duggan asked if the County has approved an access for the new home, should this be approved. Community Development Director Tim Benetti replied that MnDOT would be the permitting authority and that approval would be needed before a new access is provided. Councilor Duggan referenced the issue of wetland/drainage, noting that it would be the responsibility of the builder to ensure that there are not drainage problems for adjacent properties. Councilor Duggan moved to adopt RESOLUTION 2020-34 APPROVING A LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT FOR 1865 AND 1883 DODD ROAD, with the stipulation that condition #2 be modified to reflect that the applicant shall saw -cut and remove that part of the driveway/apron that encroaches over the shared lot line between lots 35 and 36 to meet the five foot setback required for a driveway. Councilor Petschel seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Councilor Duggan aye Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Mayor Garlock aye Motion carried. C) RESOLUTION 2020-25 APPROVE VARIANCES FOR NEW PRESS-BOX/COVERED BLEACHER STRUCTURE AND LIGHT TOWERS FOR BASEBALL FIELD AT SAINT THOMAS ACADEMY CAMPUS, 949 MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD Community Development Director Tim Benetti explained Resolution 2020-25, approving variances for Saint Thomas Academy for a new multi-purpose press-box/bleacher stand structure with a canopy, along with six new over -height light towers, all for the existing baseball field located on the campus property. Councilor Duggan stated that over the years there has been a challenge in the development of schools and he did not believe the ordinance has been updated accordingly for institutional uses within residential areas. He believed that the process should be sped up to determine appropriate institutional uses within residential areas. He asked for input from legal counsel on the approval that would be granted, should this be adopted as the proposed action would include adoption of options one and two. City Attorney Andrew Pratt asked the setback to the adjacent property if option two moved forward. Allay 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 7 of 10 Community Development Director Tim Benetti replied that the smaller option two structure would not require the setback variance but the height for the canopy and for the footprint of the structure would remain as a variance. He stated that the Planning Commission recommended option one, but was also in favor of option two, if the school chose to move forward with that option. City Attorney Andrew Pratt stated that option one would include three variances, while option two would include two variances. He explained that issuing approval in this manner would allow the school to move forward with option one, but if fundraising is not secured to that level, the school could still move forward with option two. He noted that the proposed resolution specifies that construction must begin within one year from approval and therefore if that does not happen, the school would need to come back to the City for approval. He explained that if the school chose to move forward with option two, the approval of option one would expire after that one-year period. Councilor Duggan noted that the City has generally approved the requests for lighting for the schools and he has not had a problem with that as the lighting continues to be more efficient. He stated that a second bleacher area will be a significant addition and asked for input on potential challenges. Community Development Director Tim Benetti commented that the school prefers option one, should their fundraising support that option, in order to accommodate its fan base. Councilor Duggan asked if a three-dimensional representation has been seen for the new field in order to get a sense of the scale. Community Development Director Tim Benetti replied that he has not seen that. Jay Pomeroy, Anderson -Johnson Associates, replied that they did not do a three-dimensional layout. He provided details on the bleachers and compared that to the existing bleachers and bleachers at another school location. Mayor Garlock stated that he supports option one and has faith in the fundraising ability of the school. Councilor Petschel stated that she also supports option one but emphasized the statement that the approval is only given to the applicant and all variance requests are reviewed by the City under their own merit. She noted that this location is at the junction of two busy roads and is setback from homes. She commented that the school building acts as a buffer to the neighborhood in terms of light and noise. She noted that there is a condition proposed that if there are issues with the lighting or speaker system, which would need to be mitigated by the applicant. She complimented staff and the Planning Commission for the inclusion of those conditions. Councilor Miller stated that he is happy to see that the proposed light fixtures will be updated and will cause less spill into the community. He echoed the comments of Councilor Petschel that this is not surrounded by a residential area. Councilor Paper asked if there would be a time restriction on the lights in the evening hours. Community Development Director Tim Benetti replied that baseball games often run later than the specified time but believed that the lights would be turned off following the conclusion of the game. May 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 8 of 10 Councilor Paper inquired about other schools' abilities to use this facility and asked if there will be other end users of this field. Andy Faulkner, ICS, replied that there has been a conversation that the Academy's season is finished in June, and therefore, there would be opportunities for others to use the field after that time. Councilor Paper asked if the setback measurement is from the edge of the footing or the post and whether the adjacent business is aware of these plans. Mr. Pomeroy provided details on the setback measurement, explaining that the pole slips over the footing. Community Development Director Tim Benetti stated that with this type of light structure he did not believe there would be any impacts to the adjacent business. He stated that a lot line adjustment was previously completed between the two property owners. Councilor Paper asked if there is an agreement for shared parking with the adjacent business. Mr. Faulkner replied that the southern two rows of the adjacent business were allowable for baseball parking in the past. Mayor Garlock moved to approve RESOLUTION 2020-25 APPROVING VARIANCES FOR A NEW PRESS-BOX/BLEACHER STRUCTURE AND LIGHT TOWERS FOR SAINT THOMAS ACADEMY CAMPUS, 949 MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD. Councilor Duggan seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Mayor Garlock aye Councilor Duggan aye Motion carried. Councilor Duggan stated that he would like to initiate a future discussion related to Code changes regarding institutional uses within residential areas. D) ESTABLISH A COUNCIL WORK SESSION DATE/TIME City Administrator Mark McNeill stated that the Council is being asked to establish a date and time for the next Council work session. It was the consensus of the Council to hold the work session on Monday, May 1 lth at 2:00 p.m. Allay 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 9 of 10 COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS City Administrator Mark McNeill thanked customers for golfing at the Par 3, which has been very busy. He also thanked the Master Gardeners and the Natural Resources Coordinator for completing the spring cleaning of the City's pollinator friendly garden in front of City Hall. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilor Miller stated that three weeks ago the Fire Department received correspondence from a neighborhood in the community related to a desire to drop off food for the firefighters. He stated that the neighborhood stocked the new shelves with snacks and bottled water and thanked those that came together to provide that for the Fire Department. He reported that the Fire Station recently accepted homemade masks from the community and received 450 masks donated. He reviewed the different locations that the masks were distributed to. Councilor Paper encouraged everyone to stay well and keep an eye out for pedestrians. Councilor Duggan stated that he would like to have strong communication between the City, schools and communities to ensure that the City stays up to date on the impact that will occur when the schools reopen. He referenced the impact to the small business community and stated that if the community does not support local businesses, they will not survive the impact of COVID-19. He thanked everyone that continues to remain safe. Councilor Petschel noted the fighter planes that will be flying over the metro area on Wednesday morning in honor of the first responders. Mayor Garlock moved to adjourn. Councilor Duggan seconded the motion. A roll call vote was conducted: Mayor Garlock aye Councilor Duggan aye Councilor Miller aye Councilor Paper aye Councilor Petschel aye Motion carried. Mayor Garlock adjourned the meeting at 6:41 p.m. azo Lorri Smith, City Clerk Neil Garlock, Mayor May 5, 2020 Mendota Heights City Council Page 10 of 10