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2001-04-17 City Council minutesPage No - I - C, April 17, 2001 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA Minutes of the Regular Meeting Held Tuesday, April 17, 2001 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting, of the City Council, City of Mendota Heights, was held at 7:30 o' clock P.M. on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Mayor Mertensotto called the meeting to order at 7:30 o'clock p.m. The following members ID were present: Mayor Mertensotto, Councilmembers Dwyer, Krebsbach, Schneeman and Vitelli. AGENDA ADOPTION Councilmember Schneeman moved adoption of the revised agenda for the meeting. Councilmember Dwyer seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 MINUTE APPROVAL Mayor Mertensotto stated that there are two sets of minutes from October for Council approval. The City has no record that the Council ever approved them. Mertensotto added that Councilmember Vitelli should abstain from voting on those minutes, as he was not on the City Council last year. Councilmember Krebsbach moved approval of the minutes of the regular meeting held on Tuesday, October 3, 2000. Councilmember Schneeman seconded the motion Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstain: I (Vitelli) Councilmember Dwyer moved approval of the minutes of the regular meeting held on Tuesday, October 17, 2000. Councilmember Krebsbach seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstain: I (Vitelli) Councilmember Krebsbach moved approval of the minutes of the regular meetina, held on Tuesday, April 3, 2001, with one C) t�l correction. She stated that on page 5, the comment was that other businesses have put up additional landscaping on T.H. 55. Council C� Page No - 2 - April 17, 2001 member Dwyer added that on page three, "Mississippi river" should be changed to "Minnesota River." Council Member Dwyer seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstain: I (Mertensotto) Councilmember Vitelli moved approval of the minutes of the Board of Review meeting held on Tuesday, April 17, 2001. Councilmember Krebsbach seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstain: I (Mertensotto) CONSENT CALENDAR Councilmember Krebsbach moved approval of the consent calendar for the meeting, revised to remove item 5h, Authorization of Fire Department to Apply for Federal Grant, to the regular agenda, along with the authorization for execution of any necessary documents contained therein. a. Acknowledgement of April 10, 2001 Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes. b. Acknowledgement of April 11, 2001 Airport Relation Commission Minutes. c. Acknowledgement of NDC4 Unapproved Minutes from the February 21" Full Commission meeting, March 7th Executive Committee Meeting Minutes and Agenda for April 4, 2001 fall Commission meeting. d. Acknowledgement of March 2001 Treasurers report e. Acknowledgement of March 2001 Monthly Fire Department Report f Acknowledgment of Park and Recreation Commission Recommendations for Town Center. g. Authorization for Planning Commission to Schedule a Public Hearing for Creation of MUPUD Zoning Description. i. Acceptance of Premium Refund Option for Workmen's Compensation Insurance Renewal. j. Approval for Hiring Human Resource/Communications Coordinator. k. Approval of Payment for Sewer Backup. 1. Approval of List of Contractors in. Approval of List of Claims Councilmember Vitelli seconded the motion Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Page No - 3 - April 17, 2001 FEDERAL GRANT FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT Mayor Mertensotto asked Chief John Maczko to come forward. Mayor Mertensotto stated that he lauded the Chief's attempts to get a federal grant. He wanted to clarify, however, that the Council is not approving the expenditure of the funds. They are just authorizing the application for the grant. Assuming the application is successful, the Council will address the expenditure of the funds at that time. Councilmember Dwyer moved approval of the Authorization for Fire Department to Apply for the Federal Grant. Councilmember Kxebsbach seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 PUBLIC COMMENTS Sten Gerfast, 1802 Valley Curve, stated that ever since the City has been making plans for Town Center, the businesses on Dodd Road have slowed down. Mr. Gerfast asked the Council when they would acknowledge that they are driving businesses out of Mendota Heights. Councilmember Schneeman asked Mr. Gerfast if he was aware that the. filling station has been for sale for a long time and that it has nothing to do with Town Center. Mayor Mertensotto stated that he noticed that a new member of the Parks Commission, Paul Portz is in attendance. Mr. Portz approached the Council and stated he just came to watch the operation in action. Mayor Mertensotto welcomed Mr. Portz. Administrative Assistant Patrick Hollister pointed out that the new Planning Commissioner Bruce McManus was also in attendance. Mr. McManus approached the Council. He stated that he is very happy to be part of the Planning Commission. Page No - 4 - April 17, 2001 OF REVIEW Treasurer Larry Shaughnessy stated that at the April 3rd Council meeting, the City conducted the annual Board of Review meeting with Bill Peterson, the County Assessor. The Assessors met with 37 residents at the open book meeting and about 20 at the Board of Review meeting. The City also received three letters regarding values. The Assessor met with all of the residents that had concerns and provided a report to the City about the actions taken. Councilmember Vitelli moved to close the Board of Review meeting and authorize the signing of the transcript by the Councilmembers present at the meeting tonight. Councilmember Schneeman seconded the motion Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstain: I (Mertensotto) COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL Joelene Evenson, Director of Violence Prevention and Intervention for the Community Action Council addressed the City Council. She thanked the Council for the opportunity to come and make a presentation to them. Community Action Council (CAC) is a non profit agency that works in partnership with individuals, families, volunteers, schools, churches, service organizations and cities to help the neighborhoods stay strong and healthy. Community Action Council's services include battered women's shelters, domestic violence intervention, sexual assault services and violence prevention education. CAC has two shelters for battered women and children that serve over 1,000 people each year. The shelters are located in Hastings and in Eagan, and serve mainly Dakota County residents. CAC also does outreach services and intervention projects. They provide immediate assistance at the time of a domestic assault. They provide civil/criminal court advocacy and can help the women obtain an order for protection. They provide many sexual assault services that cover a broad range. CAC also focuses on community education. They provide presentations to school and community groups on date rape, sexual assault etc., with a strong focus on young people. Ms. Evenson added that most people hear about issues like these from their police departments. CAC hopes to help especially in cases where the individuals don't feel like they can go to the police. They may be worried about public perception and want to handle the matter privately. CAC can be very helpful in those situations. Page No - 5 - April 17, 2001 Mayor Mertensotto asked about their funding source. Ms. Evenson reported that they get their funding mainly from the State and the United Way. They also have 500-700 volunteers each year. Mayor Mertensotto added that residents could donate to CAC, which is a non-profit agency, and that those contributions would be tax deductible. Council member Dwyer asked how CAC could be contacted. Ms. Evenson reported that their crisis line phone number is 651 -452- 7466. The sexual assault hotline number is 651-405-1500. Council member Krebsbach added that CAC also acts as an educational service for the community. Her daughter volunteered at the Lewis House and was able to follow a mother and child through the court process. Mayor Mertensotto thanked Ms. Evenson for her presentation and for making the community aware of their services. MARIE AVENUE PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Mertensotto opened the meeting for the purpose of a public hearing on the proposed Marie Avenue Mill and Overlay Paving Project. City Engineer Marc Mogan addressed the Council. He stated that the City Council identified the section of Marie Avenue from Lexington to Dodd Road as a candidate for a street rehabilitation project in 2001 as the condition of the road has begun to deteriorate. Property owners from Lexington to Victoria Road were polled and four of the eight residents on this segment responded. The results of this poll were given to the Council on March 6th, 200 1. The Council asked Mogan to send a follow up letter encouraging the residents to relay their views to the Council. Council then directed staff to generate a feasibility report and conduct a public hearing and also to expand the project scope to include the segment of Marie Avenue from Victoria to Dodd Road. Mogan stated that the segment of Marie Avenue between Lexington and Victoria was originally constructed in 1976 as a 24- foot wide rural design without concrete curb and gutter. The road consisted of a 3.5-inch bituminous surface over an engineered subgrade. In 1982, the street was widened to a total of 45.33 feet between the outside edges of concrete curb and gutter by adding 8.5 feet of pavement to each side of the street. This project also added a 4.5-inch layer of bituminous to the original pavement constructed in 1976. Page No - 6 - April 17, 2001 Mogan reported that the segment of Marie Avenue between Victoria and Dodd was constructed in 1974 45.33 feet curb back to curb back and was constructed of a 10 inch thick bituminous surface over an engineered subgrade. There is a 421 -foot long bridge constructed at grade that spans over a large expanse of unsuitable soils in an area east of Wachtler Avenue on this segment. Mogan added that the surface on this bridge section needs to be replaced. This is the worst section of the whole project. The .5 mile long section of Marie from Lexington to Victoria and the .8-mile long Victoria to Dodd Road segment combine for a total of 1.3 miles. The City has 67 miles of streets and the yearly street maintenance budget funds a limited amount of patching and repairs, and is not intended to cover a project of this size. Mogan added that postponing this project until the street has completely deteriorated could lead to a project that costs 2.5 times as much. Mogan explained that the City has conducted six projects since 1995. Last year, the City's street project was in the Rogers Lake, Delaware Crossing and Sylvandale area. This project would be very straightforward. Marie Avenue would be resurfaced with a simple mill and bituminous overlay. Existing curb and gutter sections would be inspected for damage and would only be replace if not functional. They would not be replaced for aesthetics alone. Mogan reported that the project would cost around $350,000. It has been the City's policy on past street projects to assess all property owners that have driveway access. All properties within this project area with driveway access from Marie would be assessed an equal amount of $1,300, regardless of frontage. Mayor Mertensotto asked Mogan if the Bridge was the worst portion of the project and what the average life expectancy of a bridge like this usually is. Mogan stated that the life of this bridge was around seven years, but we hope to get longer service life out of this pavement in the future. Mayor Mertensotto asked if we are assessing this area more frequently because it's a heavily traveled street and also an MSA collector street. Mogan assured him that we aren't. In fact, Mogan was unsure as to what extent property owners had been assessed for street improvements on past projects. Page No -7- April 17, 2001 Council member Dwyer asked Mogan for confirmation that it would cost two and 1/2 times as much if we wait for full deterioration and also about the time frame. Mogan said that it would cost 2 I/2 times as much. He stated that they hope to have the project started in June and completed by the time school begins in the fall. Mayor Mertensotto opened the public hearing to the audience. Walter Moynagh Jr., 725 West Marie stated that he drives the street frequently and that the bridge is in terrible shape, but that from Wachtler to Lexington it looks pretty good. Mayor Mertensotto replied that the base is ok, but the surface is worn down. He added that the City has to look at the project as a whole and cannot do a block here and a block there. Walter Moynagh Jr. stated that that section of blacktop is a different color as well. He is not objecting to the project, he is just questioning the need to do the whole thing. Mogan added that the section from Lexington to Victoria started the discussion about this project. He stated that the risk the City runs is that there is no gravel base. The strength is in the blacktop itself. If it becomes saturated with water, it will deteriorate quickly. He added that if the bridge were not such a problem, they would probably not be considering this project at this time. Mogan stated that, in his opinion, it would be better to do a good stretch of the road and be done with it. Council member Krebsbach expressed concern about access. Mogan stated that the residents will have access during the entire project. Council member Vitelli stated that he feels the road should be repaired East of Wachtler, but not West. Council Member Dwyer asked if we would only be causing more of a problem by waiting. Cliff Arnold, 1005 Marie, stated that the road needs to be repaired. He asked since this is a collector street, will it need to be repaired more frequently. Mayor Mertensotto stated that the City builds all of it roads to nine tons, so it saves money and time. Mr. Arnold asked if Lexington and Victoria were done now, would they be assessed for seal coating in the next twenty years? Mogan stated that the City does not charge for seal coating. The City is able to do two miles of seal coating per year. Council Member Krebsbach asked how thick the bituminous would be. Mogan stated that it would be a nominal I 1/2"minimurn thickness. They would mill off about an inch and then add blacktop Page No - 8 - April 17, 2001 to the edge. The center would have 1 V2 - 2" added to the existing pavement. Council Member Schneeman asked for clarification of cost. Mogan replied that the 26 residents with access on Marie would be assessed an equal share of $1,300. This assessment could be paid up front without interest, or added to the property owner's tax bill over a 10 -year period at 7% simple interest. MSA funding would cover around $282,400 and the rest would come from the infrastructure reserve fund. Ron Ellis, 726 Marie asked about the cost of replacing curb and gutter. Mogan explained that the City charges $10 per foot for replacement of curb and gutter that is no longer functional. The curb and gutter will not be replaced for aesthetics alone. Wendy Sheets, 1037 Marie, asked the Council if it even mattered if they opposed this project. Are they going to do it anyway? She stated that she is opposed to doing the whole project. John Sheets, 1037 Marie, asked the Council why they wouldn't pick option four in the letter that was sent out. Option four was that the City pay for the entire project. Mayor Mertensotto explained that Engineer Mogan was simply giving the residents the full spectrum of what the Council could do. Mayor Mertensotto explained the City is only assessing them the $1,300, which is what other residents have paid for projects of this nature. The City will be paying the rest. Council member Jack Vitelli added that it isn't fair to the rest of the residents if they don't also assess the residents on Marie. He was assessed for the project on Sylvandale last year. Ron Ellis, 726 Marie, stated that the project sounds like a good deal for only $1,300. Council Member Dwyer moved to close the public hearing. Council Member Schneemen seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Council Member Dwyer moved approval of Resolution No. 01 -15 "ACCEPTING ENGINGEER'S REPORT, ORDERING OF IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, AND PREPARATION OF PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MARIE AVENUE MILL AND OVERLAY PAVING PROJECT TO SERVE BURIL AND HOLMES, CAROLL F. SMALL FIRST ADDITION, EAGLE RIDGE EAST PLAT 2, VALLEY CURVE ESTATES, Page No - 9 - April 17, 2001 SOMERSET PARK, SPRING CREEK ACRES AND SURROUNDING AREAS (IMPROVEMENT NO. 2001, PROJECT NO. 1)" Council Member Schneeman seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 CSC PUBLISHING Linda Cress, of CSC Publishing addressed the Council. She stated that she met with Planner Steve Grittman, Jim Danielson and Patrick Hollister to discuss the dumpster location. They decided to move the building 13' forward to allow the 10'x 8' dumpster to be placed behind the building. Patrick Hollister added that by moving the building 13', they still meet the parking and setback requirements. This also allows them to put the dumpster in a more desirable location. Council Member Schneeman thanked Linda Cress for working with the Council so diligently. They changed the color of the roof from blue to slate gray. They enhanced the landscaping as well. Linda Cress stated that Council Member Krebsbach requested two extra trees be added, and in fact they added three. Council Member Jack Vitelli moved to adopt Resolution 01 -16, "RESOLUTION APPROVING A TEN FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACK VARIANCE FOR 1155 NORTHLAND DRIVE". Council Member Dwyer seconded the motion Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Mayor Mertensotto thanked Mrs. Cress for working with the City and added that they are excited to have them as part of the Mendota Heights Business Community. VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS Ms. Cheryl O'Donnell of Visual Communications addressed the Council. She apologized for missing the last meeting. She stated that she does sign design and consulting for United Properties. She is here today to discuss her application for a 35-foot front yard setback variance to move the monument sign at South Ridge Business Center from its current location 20 feet from the front property line to a new location five feet from the front property line. Ms. O'Donnel stated that the growth of the trees in the vicinity of the sign has obscured the view of the sign from the road. She added that the Planning Commission asked them to Page No - 10 - April 17, 2001 remove a tree and leave the sign in place. She stated that United Properties would prefer not to remove any trees. Council Member Schneeman stated that she drove by trying to find the sign and they are in fact hard to locate. Ms. O'Donnel stated that the City has a lift station in the vicinity of the sign and United Properties planted evergreens to help screen this building. Jim Danielson added that this building is the force main and is the lift station for sanitary sewer that serves the entire park. Council Member Krebsbach stated that she would oppose removing any of the trees. Council Member Schneeman agreed. Council Member Dwyer moved adoption of Resolution No. 01 -17 "A RESOLUTION APPROVING A 35-FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACK VARIANCE FOR A MONUMENT SIGN AT 1355 MENDOTA HEIGHTS ROAD." Council Member Schneeman seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 HEAVER HOUSE Keith Heaver addressed the Council. He stated that he met with two Council people and the owner of the property Mr. Jim Toonien last week. He would like to submit a new plan for the Council to consider. He stated that he has eliminated the back dormer of the home, as there were concerns that this house looked like three stories from the back. Council member Vitelli asked if there is livable space on the third level. Heaver indicated that there is. Council Member Vitelli stated that this is still a three-story home. He suggested that Heaver build a one-story home similar to 1445 Knollwood Lane. Heaver replied that a one story home would have a footprint that is 12' wider. The depth of the home and the height of the roof would be even higher. Heaver stated that the concern was the back. The elevation of this home is a one-story roofline from the front and a walk out from the back. Council Member Dwyer stated that it was the vertical profile from the back that was objectionable. He doesn't understand how removing the dormer does anything to help that issue. The structure is the same. Page No - 11 - April 17, 2001 Mayor Mertensotto stated that Mr. Heaver agreed to build a one and %2 story home on this lot. Council Member Schneeman stated that this is an integrity issue. This is a three-story home. Council Member Kresbach asked the City Attorney how this fits into the City Ordinance. Attorney Dan Schleck stated that under the city ordinance, this exposed basement is counted as a story. Council Member Krebsbach stated that she appreciates that he took the dormer off the back as it alleviates the issue of the homeowners looking down from the third floor into their neighbor's homes, however the appearance from the rear of the home is still an issue. Mayor Mertensotto asked if there was anyone in the audience who would like to speak. Preston Smith, 1416 Cherry Hills Road, stated that if any of the City Council Members visit the neighborhood, they would understand their concerns about the visual impact of the home. Six years ago, that was the concern as well. The concern is the height of the rooflines. He added that the Geller Home, which is supposedly a one-story home, is a very formidable thing to look at. Michelle Hanson, 1432 Cherry Hills Road, stated that this is an ethical issue. A promise was made that is not being kept. This is a very friendly neighborhood that is now being disrupted. The Geller home caused a lot of disruption and frustration. She added that if Heaver knew that these people wanted a three-story home, he should not have sold this lot to them. He should have said he could not build it there. John Bland, 1431 Cherry Hills Road, stated that lowering the roofline does not make this a single story home. There are three bedrooms above the first floor. Bob Hanson, 1432 Cherry Hills Road, stated that the lot next to him is supposed to be a one-story home. He heard tonight that a one story home would have an even higher roofline, which concerns him. Council Member Vitelli stated that Heaver did not take his advice to build a home like 1445. The problem is in the intent and the interpretation, especially when he is calling the Geller home a one story home. Heaver replied that he is offended that he is being Page No - 12 - April 17, 2001 condemned for the Geller home. He built the Geller home, but did not design it. It was also approved by the City. Council Member Sch-neeman stated that when the agreement was signed, concessions were made and Heaver agreed to minimize the three-story impact. The residents did not want to look at a three- story fagade from the back. Mayor Mertensotto stated that Heaver is the developer. He is controlling the sale of the lots. Heaver stated that the concern was the three-story fagade. The dormer has now been removed from the top level. Mayor Mertensotto said that the concern is the vertical height. Heaver stated that he doesn't know how to do it then. Mayor Mertensotto asked if he was saying then that he couldn't build a house on this lot that complies with the agreement? Heaver stated that it's a matter of interpretation. He asked if he could build a one-story home with a walkout? Council Member Vitelli stated that Mrs. Hanson was right. He made a mistake when he let the owners think that he could build the house they want on this lot. You were the one that knew the details of the agreement. Heaver stated that because this is a walk out lot, the only way that he could do it is to build a retaining wall in the back yard, so that the basement is no longer exposed. Mayor Mertensotto disagreed. He told Heaver to re work the plan. He will give him ninety (90) days to come back to the City with a revised plan. He added that they would even waive any administrative fees. Mertensotto stated that he has a resolution from staff that would give Mr. Heaver ninety (90) days to come back with a new plan. Council Member Jack Vitelli moved approval of Resolution No. 01 -18, "DENYING MR. KEITH HEAVER A BUILDING PERMIT FOR LOT 1, BLOCK 2 IVY FALLS SOUTH". Council Member Schneeman seconded the motion Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Mayor Mertensotto instructed Heaver that he has 90 days to return to the City Council with a revised plan. Heaver stated that the current plan does meet the agreement. Council Member Dwyer added that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of what a story and 1/2 home is. Mayor Mertensotto stated that it is the intent of the developer's agreement that is pertinent here. Page No - 13 - April 17, 2001 Council Member Krebsbach asked if a drainage plan for that property was completed. Public Works Director Jim Danielson replied that the developer submits a grading plan for each house. Danielson added that the drainage plan for the area was completed. DELAWARE AVENUE Public Works Director Jim Danielson stated that he received a LEFT TURN LANE letter from Mr. Bruce Kastner, MnDOT Traffic Engineer, concerning MnDOT's analysis of the intersection of Delaware Avenue and TH I 10. He agreed that the left tam signals at the intersection would be a good idea, and that it would MnDOT's responsibility, but the cost benefit of doing the project is not there. The project is estimated to cost over' /2 million dollars, not including right of way acquisition. Mr. Kastner indicated that a study of the accident history shows that only the one, 1999 accident may have been eliminated by the left turn signals. Danielson reported that Mr. Kastner told him that if the cities involved and the County are willing to share in the costs of the cooperative agreement project, that the State would contribute its cost share. This would mean that West St. Paul, Sunfish Lake, Dakota County and Mendota Heights would all have to cooperate on the project. Mr. Kastner also suggested that an inexpensive measure to discourage southbound drivers from using the right turn lane would be to sign it as "Right Turn Only" and paint an island at TH I 10 making the lane a right turn only. The police could then enforce the violators. Brenda Machacek, 2279 Fieldstone Drive, addressed the Council. She stated that she travels that road eight times per day. Currently there is no turn signal and the light is very short. She has experienced many close calls sitting in the middle of the intersection waiting to turn. She stated that she received a copy of the letter from Mr. Kastner. She wonders how many fatalities it will take for this intersection to become a priority. Jim Danielson responded that MnDOT agreed that it was a good idea, but that it isn't in their CIP program. Council Member Krebsbach stated that she brought this issue forward four or five years ago for the intersection at TH 149 and Mendota Heights Road, and a task force was created. Mayor Mertensotto stated that the City could ask the County to address it in their 2002 budget. Ms. Machacek replied that she doesn't want to wait until 2002. Something has to be done now. The Mayor responded that we don't have jurisdiction to do much more. This is a state highway intersecting with a county road. Page No - 14 - April 17, 2001 Council Member Dwyer suggested contacting the local representatives. This may take more political muscle than the City has. Mayor Mertensotto stated that staff should write a letter to the County Engineer asking them to update TH110 and Delaware. Getting them on board will be the first step. Council Member Krebsbach moved that staff contact the County Engineer asking them to upgrade the intersection of TH110 and Delaware. Council Member Schneeman seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 2001 GOAL SETTING Mayor Mertensotto stated that the Council has held a goal setting session annually in May or June. He suggested the fourth Tuesday in May for the meeting. Councilmember Krebsbach asked if it could be earlier in the month. Mayor Mertensotto stated that it could be held on Tuesday, May 8th at 6:00 PM. He directed staff to order box Ituzches from Cecil's for the City Council that night. Councilmember Schneeman moved to schedule the 2001 goal setting session for Tuesday, May 8th at 6:00 p.m. Councilmember Dwyer seconded the motion. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 PARADIGM BILL Mayor Mertensotto stated that he received a bill from Paradigm reporting for the preparation of the transcripts from the public information meeting for the Xcel Energy Transmission Lines. The bill is for $1,447.25. He asked Administrator Lindberg to write a letter to the Mayors of Sunfish Lake and South St. Paul asking them to share in this cost. Administrator Lindberg stated that she would. ST THOMAS ACADEMY Mayor Mertensotto stated that he received another letter from Francis Lang regarding a potential joint venture with the City and St. Thomas Academy to build and operate a multi purpose hockey arena. Lindberg suggested that they invite Mr. Lang to the next City Council meeting on May 1St to talk about the proposal. Mayor Mertensotto stated that the City should have a task force to discuss this item. He asked each Council Member to come prepared with the names of two people that would be willing to serve on such task force. He also directed staff to contact the Parks and Recreation Commission to see if there are three members that would be willing to serve on this Commission. This will ensure a Page No - 15 - April 17, 2001 committee of at least ten but not more than fifteen people. The Council agreed. COUNCIL COMMENTS Council Member Schneeman had no comments. Councilmember Dwyer had no comments. Mayor Mertensotto stated that the Welcome to Mendota Heights sign is an eyesore and asked Public Works Director Jim Danielson to look into it. Councilmember Krebsbach had no comments. Councilmember Vitelli stated that he has good news to report from the Cable Commission. Residents with cable ready televisions can now return their cable boxes to the cable company. They can hook the cable right into their television if it is cable ready. This will save them an additional $3.29 per month. ADJOURN There being no further business to come before Council, Councilmember Dwyer moved that the meeting be adjourned. Councilmember Krebsbach seconded the motion Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 TIME OF ADJOURNMENT: 10:40 p.m. Cari Lindbecr4g4 City Administrator ATTEST: 4271.4 -F. A4X-4�.& Charles E. Mertensoto Mayor