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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 04.10.2012 MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP APRIL 10, 2012 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Ken Olson at 6:30 p.m. on April 10, 2012. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: _x_ Emelie Eaton _x_ Doug Poehls _x_ Bruce McGee _x_ Mark Mace _x_ Scot Stokes Chuck Dickerson _x Tom Nelson Norm Stamper OTHERS PRESENT: Heidi Jensen Monica Plecker Public Input (three - minute limit): Citizens may address the Council regarding any item of City business not on the agenda. The duration for an individual speaking under Public Input is limited to three minutes. While all comments are welcome, the Council will not take action on any item not on the agenda. There was no public input. General items There were none. Executive Review: • Resolution: Amendment No. 1 to Task Order No. 23 — Cemetery Irrigation Project Heidi Jensen explained that the resolution for Amendment No. 1 to Task Order No. 23 regarding the cemetery irrigation project allows Great West to continue with the project. Task Order No. 23 directed Great West Engineering to prepare a preliminary design and work with city staff on any changes. There has been discussion on various kinds of pumps, where the water was going to come from, whether the pipe was going to go on the side of the road, and whether it was going to go up along Cove Road. This allows Great West to go forward with a preliminary and final design. It will also allow them to help the city through the bidding process, as it will be easier for staff to defer to Great West to answer any technical questions from contractors. They will also help with the bid opening to ensure that the bids are fair and the direction the city should go. The amendment to the task order will be an additional cost of $8,900 for the project. • Resolution: Amendment to Resolution No. R05 -102 to include language for the right -of -way at East 11 Street and Montana Avenue Heidi stated that the amendment to Resolution No. R05 -102 to include language for the right -of -way at East 11 Street and Montana Avenue is a planning issue and she deferred to Monica Plecker, the city planner. Monica stated that the property at East 11 Street and Montana Avenue was annexed into the city in 2005. However, the resolution did not specifically say what adjoining right -of -ways would come in Council Workshop Minutes of April 10, 2012 with the annexation. Montana Code Annotated requires that adjoining right -of -ways be annexed with the property, so the amendment is needed to clarify and to bring those right -of -ways into the city. Current maps do not show the right -of -ways as being in the city limits. Monica further explained that the right -of -ways include the alley to the west, East 11 to the north, and Colorado Avenue to the east. She distributed copies of the certificate of survey to the council. The two tracts, A and B, have already been annexed, but the right -of -ways that adjoin the tracts were not specifically included in the annexation at that time. • Discussion: City wide leases Mayor Olson stated that some citywide leases are not current with the City of Laurel. These include the Laurel Rifle Club, the American Legion, the Fire Company's lease of the fire hall for social functions, the lease for the baseball fields and Little League, and the Rod and Gun Club. Regarding the lease with the Rod and Gun Club, Mayor Olson stated that the council had previously discussed its desire to sunset the shooting allowed in the lease. Mayor Olson, Bruce and Tom are scheduled to meet with the Rod and Gun Club on Thursday, and they want to go forward with a united voice regarding the council's stand on the leases. There was a lengthy discussion regarding: the safety and liability issues with allowing shooting by the Rod and Gun Club and the need to terminate the shooting issues; MMIA's concerns regarding the city's liability to allow shooting; the fees included in the lease agreements; the disrepair of some of the buildings at Riverside Park; staffs recommendation to remove a couple of the buildings; the current and possible future use of the Senior Citizen's Center by the American Legion instead of the building at Riverside Park; and electric and gas charges that the clubs pay for their buildings. Emelie asked if the park could be opened up for more campers if some buildings were removed. Heidi explained that the park is unsafe and the septic tanks have failed, which means that no bathroom facilities are available. There are unknowns regarding spring runoff and the park cannot be opened until the city fmds out what kind of construction will be done with the levee. There was further discussion regarding the staffs recommendation to remove some buildings. Heidi explained that some buildings are beyond saving, and the costs would exceed more than the buildings are worth. The storage house for the police department has significant black mold growing up the walls. The structure is just covered with tar paper and is not worth saving. The windows in the garages are broken out, the walls are slanted and the roof is sagging and the building needs to be removed. Heidi stated that the stone buildings are fine. The Rod and Gun Club's building needs significant work, but it is one of the most salvageable buildings down there. The mold has to be cleaned out before anyone can go in the building. Doug questioned how realistic it is to work on the buildings until the levee issue is resolved. Mayor Olson agreed that the taxpayers' dollar would not be spent prudently until the levee situation is under control. Tom expressed the difficulties of entering into lease agreements with the clubs when the buildings need to be repaired but the city does not have the funding or ability to repair them yet. He does not 2 Council Workshop Minutes of April 10, 2012 see a reason to enter into any lease agreements with Riverside Park clubs until the buildings are addressed and the park is armored from the river, which could take another year. There was further discussion regarding repairing and restoring and/or selling and moving some park buildings and the failure of the septic systems due to groundwater infiltration. The buildings used by the Jaycees and the Rifle Club did not suffer water damage. The Rod and Gun is the only building, besides the caretaker's residence, that actually received significant water damage and it is in the lowest part of the park. The rest of the buildings seem to be fine just by the natural curve in the park. There was further discussion and clarification regarding the extent of the use of the buildings, the current septic systems and the possible future use of pressurized systems or vaults. Port-a- potties are currently being used at the Jaycees building. Doug suggested that leases should be pursued with the clubs that are using their buildings, but the issues regarding remediation, restoration of the levee, and the city's sunset on shooting should be discussed with the clubs that are unable to use their buildings. Emelie suggested that the lines of communication need to be open between the city and the clubs. Heidi reviewed a PowerPoint presentation Kurt prepared for the council. The presentation included the following information: • The 1930's cabin needs to be repaired by jacking up the front and securing to skids in order to be moved. It must comply with floodplain regulations to stay in the park. • Flood damage in the Rod and Gun building is estimated between $20,000 and $30,000. Mold is about two feet up on all interior walls. FEMA assistance is $2,000 and additional funds are needed for repairs. • There are mold issues in the crawl space of the office /caretaker's house. New carpeting is needed throughout the building and some light construction of a few windows and doors. • There was no flood damage in the American Legion building. The building probably needs a new septic tank and drain field in order to use the building on a continuing basis. The city pumps out the septic tank every couple weeks during the summer. • In the park bathrooms, doors and frames need to be replaced due to rust. Bathrooms are not ADA compliant. Showers constantly plug due to rust in the service lines. Constant cleaning is needed and toilets do not flush when there is high ground water. • The Laurel Jaycees' building was spared from flood damage due to city personnel directing the flood waters around the building. The septic tank and drain field may be compromised due to the flooding and need to be looked into further. • The Rifle Club's building was spared flood damage due to city personnel directing the flood waters around the building. Issues could be the same as the other buildings regarding the septic tank and drain field. • The storage house and the storage building for the police department need to be removed, as the buildings are an issue. • The roof and the doors on the caretaker's garages need to be replaced. The walls need to be reinforced due to the age. The garages are used to store small park equipment over the winter. Staff recommends tearing the building down. 3 Council Workshop Minutes of April 10, 2012 • Unresolved issues include waiting for the Army Corps permit to rebuild the bank and levee and waiting for FEMA funding, which is dependent on the Army Corps permit. An answer is expected in the next few weeks. • Even if the levee is rebuilt and nothing is done about the sediment deposits, the river elevation upstream of the bridges causes the groundwater to rise inside the park. Localized flooding may occur and render the septic systems useless. • The waterline across the bridge has no freeze protection due to malfunctioning heat tape. It needs a constant flow in order to keep from freezing during the winter. The estimated cost to replace the line is $130,000 to $160,000. • Recommendations include: rebuild levee and remove some of the debris under the bridges; replace the waterline over the bridge; resolve septic issues; prioritize the building renovations; formulate a Riverside Park Master Plan that incorporates all possible uses and guidance for the future; funding and possible creation of a citywide park maintenance district. Emelie requested additional discussion regarding the leases at the next council workshop. Doug requested some estimates on the financial impacts to remove some of the buildings. Tom asked for information regarding any hazardous materials involved in removal of the buildings and the city's responsibility to get rid of those properly. Heidi stated that it was encouraging to hear that the council is interested in staff pursuing these issues. There was discussion regarding: the timing for the proposed park maintenance district, which the Park Board would like to be on the November ballot; insurance issues since the park buildings are located in the floodplain and MMIA will not insure buildings in the flood zone; Mayor Olson and Heidi have spoken with Jim Martin, the area director for the EPA. One of his employees wrote the letter that caused the Army Corps to extend the comment period on the city's permit. He will try to coordinate the responses to releases and will see if any projects could be done with the $1.3 million that Exxon has to pay for mitigation remediation. FEMA Director Charles Baird was scheduled to call Mayor Olson and Heidi at 10:00 a.m. today, but he did not call until 3:30 p.m. The communication process has been frustrating for the city. Director Baird left two messages for Shannyn Johnson on the city's behalf, but she is not returning calls to Great West, FEMA or the City of Laurel. There was discussion about the need to contact someone higher in the chain of command, the timeframe for the Army Corps' response (Friday), Todd Tillinger (Shannyn's boss), and the possible need for the city to address the issues without the required permit. Other items There were none. Review of draft council agenda for April 17, 2012 • Public Hearing: Ordinance No. 012 -02: An ordinance amending Chapter 8.12 titled "Nuisances" located at Title 8 of the Laurel Municipal Code. (First reading — 04/03/2012) The public hearing and the appointment of Darrell Aaby are on the council agenda. 4 Council Workshop Minutes of April 10, 2012 Attendance at the April 17, 2012 council meeting All council members present will attend. Announcements Tom stated that the Cemetery Commission will meet this month and a date will be determined soon. Doug stated that the Emergency Services Committee will not meet on April 23` so the Cemetery Commission could meet on that date. The Public Works Committee will meet on Monday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m. The council workshop adjourned at 7:33 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Allen Council Secretary NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion of the Council for the listed workshop agenda items. 5 4/10/2012 1930's Cabin Riverside Park But sing N re pp to ired d be � j ` �., by jackmg, up the front and Issues that need to be decide. -Q ° ; securing to skids i and recommendations for order to be moved'! improvements Must comply wjt flood plain regulations "' - A in the park. „ Rod and Gun Building Officer" Caretakers house Flood damage is " -- Mold issues in the estimated between 20 crawl space. at and 30 thousand Needs new carpet dollars. Mold is through out the about 2 feet up on = " building and some Lill al interior walls light construction of a �`' few windows and FEMA assistance is t 0 k doors. around 2 thousand a No phone service due - ` . -- #r ""` dollars to the river erosion Needs additional washing out the funds for the K„ . phone line. 1 4/10/2012 American Legion Buildin , Park Bathrooms ',;,. No flood damage.'' -.. Probably needs new - Doors and frame' need to be replaced to rust. �� septic tank and Bathrooms are not drain field in order ADA compliant. to use the buiidint Showers constantly on a continuing" plug due to rust in ' basis. , the service lines. m r City pumps out th` septic constant tic tank every cleaning and toilets p Y couple of weeks ;,N; don't flush when there is high ground during the water. - I Jaycees Buildmi Rifle Club Building Was spared from p :„ Spared flood flood damage due t, ~ mage due city city personnel - directing the flood z sonnel directing *" 1 waters around the > , the flood waters building. ;, • . around the building. Septic tank and drai Issues could be the field may be compromised due tf same as the other the flooding and k , buildings about the needs to be look:- ' septic tank and into further. drain field. 2 4/10/2012 w tarac - ... m_.,TM. ft °n..-:¢. *. .w t P storage building Needs to tre remmed. "' Needs to be , Entire building is an Issue. w.., ..... removed ; Entire building is an issue. ' , Caretiikers garage'- ,, nresolved issue; it Roof needs reptacei:., Waiting for Arm` as well as all the Corps permit to doors. rebuild bank an Walls need to be �, levee. s � � , ,, i ewtorced clue to aq'�� Waiting for FEM ... - Lased sometimes to r funding which is endant on the . Store srTlafl park i �_ � � P � equipment over the'. Army Corps Permit, winter Expecting an answ: RecQ in the ne �, weeks 3 4/10/2012 Park flooding could continu ' titer line across the bt idg Even if the levee is - ! Has no freeze rebuilt and nothing is ;" done about the _ - protection due t= sediment deposits :: malfunctioning heat the river eievatr » tape . upstream of the'. ;'� Needs a constant flo causes t in order to keep fro - 9rouhd water to ris`M freezin during the park t g g Localized flooding t, k winter. may occur and rend ,,,,,� 4 Estimated cost to the septic § stems ''' replace line is 130- -' useless .� _ . a � ' 160 thousand dollar Recor rrnendatiorn Questions Rebuild levee and remove some o debris under the bridges. ; Replace the water line over bridge. l Resolve septic issues. � Prioritize the buildings renovations. + + y . Formulate a Riverside Park Master Pla;_; 3 that incorporates all possible uses an guidance for the future. Funding' Possible creation of a cit wide Park Maintenance District. 4