2022-07-19 City Council Minutes - Work SessionCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the Council Work Session
Held Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a work session of the Mendota Heights City Council was held at
City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Levine called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Councilors Duggan, Mazzitello, Miller, and
Paper were also present.
Staff in attendance included City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson, Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek,
Community Development Director Tim Benetti, Finance Director Kristen Schabacker, Assistant City
Administrator Kelly Torkelson, and City Clerk Christine Lusian.
REGIONAL ROADWAY VISIONING STUDY
Dakota County Assistant Engineer Erin Laberee and Kimley Horn Project Manager JoNette Kuhnau
presented an update of the regional roadway visioning study. The study included land use, traffic
capacity, crash history, roadway network/connectivity, and transportation impacts. Public input was
sought and received with open houses conducted on June 1 and 24. The study identified 19 potential
improvements. The study resulted in 15 recommended improvements, including Argenta/494 east of
Delaware, and addresses needs into 2040 and beyond.
Laberee and Kuhnau recommend adopting the study recommendations and incorporating the projects
into the city's capital improvement plan.
Mayor Levine requested that other transportation methods, such as bicycle and pedestrian trails, be
prioritized and included. Laberee confirmed the existence of trail gaps and assured they are included in
the county's 5-year capital improvement plan.
SEWER BILLING STRUCTURE
Stacie Kvilvang of Ehlers and Associates presented an update of the sanitary sewer system billing
structure study. The study included a review of rates and base charges, budget and fund balance, and
user types and volumes. The study identified that the city is not collecting enough to cover all
operating costs, the current rate structure is overly complicated and inequitable, and low volume users
are subsidizing high volume users.
Ehlers recommends a base charge of $25.64 to all users with a volume usage rate of $4.67 per unit/100
cubic feet, and a 20% surcharge to users outside customers. This approach will build the sewer fund
balance to the recommended level by 2031. It is estimated that 40% of homes would see a reduction in
their sewer bill. Staff proposed that for the top three commercial users (Applied Coating, Wu Xi,
Lloyd's) a phase -in approach be taken to implement the new rate structure. Once the recommended
billing structure is in place, Ehlers will review structure performance after one year.
Mayor Levine suggested public education about environmentally friendly water usage, such as
checking for leaks, how to reduce usage, etc.
ADJOURN
Mayor Levine adjourned the meeting at 5:10 pm.
wart dr
Step anie Levine, Mayor
ATTEST:
Christine Lusian, ity Clerk
July 19, 2022 Mendota Heights City Council Work Session Page 2