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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 07.12.2005 MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP JULY 12, 2005 6:39 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Ken Olson at 6:39 p.m. on July 12, 2005. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: _x_ Dick Fritzler _x_ Kate Stevenson _x_ Gay Easton x Jennifer Johnson _x_ Doug Poehls x Mark Mace x Daniel Dart _x_ Norm Stamper OTHERS PRESENT: Debi Meling, Morrison-Maierle Steve Klotz Mary Embleton Cai Cumin Sam Painter LuAnne Engh Clarence Eastlick Chad Eastlick 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. · Clarence Eastlick, 1102 Montana Avenue, spoke regarding his variance request to exceed lot coverage standard. o Mr. Eastlick wants to build a larger garage on his property. o Presently, he cannot open his vehicle doors fully in his garage. o The variance would allow the garage to be built larger than the 30 percent lot coverage allowed. o Mr. Eastlick would like to have a woodworking shop in the garage. o In November 2004, he was diagnosed with arthritis throughout his body, and the best way to combat it is to keep very active. East First Street Project - recommended bid award · Steve Klotz distributed a letter and information from Debi Mcling, Mordson-Maierle, regarding the bid opening and the planned project, and a copy of the information is attached to these minutes. · The pre-bid conference was held on June 24t~ and thc bids were received and opened on July 7th. · Two bids were submitted from JTL Group, Inc. and H.L. Ostermiller Construction, Inc. · The low bidder is JTL Group, Inc. with a bid of $1,541,175.65. · The Iow bid is less than the construction estimate by approximately $290,000. · Morrison-Maierlc recommends award of the contract to JTL Group, pending approval by CTEP and SRF. Council Workshop Minutes of July 12, 2005 The planned project construction period is the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006 with a seasonal shutdown. Water and sewer utilities will be installed this fall and the trenches will be restored with millings for the winter. · In the spring, the curb, gutter, sidewalk, storm drainage, and street work will be done. · The resolution to award the bid will be on the July 19th council agenda. Planning Board issues: · Clarence Eastlick and variance request to exceed lot coverage standard. o Cai explained that the standard is to allow 30 percent of lot coverage, and Mr. Eastlick has requested a variance to go to 33 percent of lot coverage for a garage. o Cai suggested that, if the council decides to grant the easement, maybe the council should consider doing away with the requirement altogether because the ordinance states the 30 percent. o Cal stated that there is no particular hardship and the City-County Planning Board recommends denial. o Cai stated that the comments Mr. Eastlick made tonight about being ill were not disclosed at the Planning Board's public hearing. · Cai stated that the council could require the Planning Board to have another public hearing so those things could be proposed; otherwise the council should not take them under consideration. o Discussion regarding: · Thirty percent of the lot coverage · Variances are approved/denied on a case-by-case basis. · Hardship was not presented at the planning board's public hearing. · Sam stated that it is safe to collect evidence within the proceedings, so the evidence needs to be gathered at a public hearing. · The 30 percent lot coverage standard is based on the size of the lot, and lot sizes are different. o Cal recommended that the council send the issue back to the planning board for another public hearing. o The variance request will be on the July 19th council agenda. Iron Horse Subdivision Zone Change Request, Block 3, Lots 1-6, from Residential Limited Multi-Family to Community Commercial and Block 2, Lots 1-17 from Residential 7500 to Residential Limited Multi-Family. o Cal explained the two zone changes and requested that the council set a public heating date. o The Planning Board has recommended approval. o Cal explained that the whole subdivision has been designed from the start to provide a life cycles residency so residents can go from a starter home to a middle-class home, to a retirement home, to an assisted living home. o The developer, who has been working with St. John's Nursing Home to design a complete footprint for the southwest comer, recently requested additional space to do a bigger complex in that comer. 2 Council Workshop Minutes of July 12, 2005 In the zoning ordinance, community commercial covers a lot of different things. Nothing in the ordinance allows specifically for a nursing home complex, which would be contract zoning and is illegal. There is no way to specifically control the community commercial zoning for a nursing home, but Cal thinks the developer will follow through with the project. The developer is requesting an additional area for the community commercial so he can better design the project and integrate it more fully into the surrounding area. Cai stated that there would not be a lot of market for community commercial non- residential type uses in that area. The developer has done what he said he was going to do and has planned this as his flagship project. The zone change from single family to duplexes would increase the density, which complies with our Growth Management Plan and puts the densities where the utilities are located. · The street can handle the density, and the new water and sewer lines can more than handle this project because it is designed to go further north. · The area planned for zoning is against the Nutting Drain Parkway so it is not crowded into one tiny lot. · The lots are also across the street from R6000, and traditional land use usually gradients up from smaller lots to medium size. · It is traditional to go from R6000, which are small lots, to small multi- family lots, which is what the developer is doing. Cal's written explanation is included in the Planning Board minutes. No citizens attended the public hearing to protest the zone changes; however, Alderwoman Johnson attended the meeting to speak for nine residents. · There was no formal protest presented at the public hearing. · Formal protest can be submitted until the council decision is made. · If a formal protest is filed, then a super majority of the council would be needed to override it. Discussion regarding: · St. John's Lutheran Home and the possibility of commitment for the project · Written and/or verbal protests have not been received. · The two zoning requests for Iron Horse Subdivision are separate requests. th Cai requested that the council set a public heating date at the meeting on July 19 . Annexation and Zone Change from Residential Tracts to Residential Multi-Family-- request from Patrick Mullaney for COS 2039, Tracts A-1 and B-1. o Cai pulled this item from the agenda. Zone Change to eliminate off-street parking requirement in CBD. o Cai explained that the zone change to eliminate the off-street parking in the Central Business District has gone through the City-County Planning Board public heating process and came out of the Growth Management Plan. 3 Council Workshop Minutes of July 12, 2005 o There are various implementation procedures for concepts that have been published, advertised, and agreed to and adopted by the city in the Growth Management Plan. o The first one is that, in order to encourage new development in the downtown area, the off-street parking requirement be eliminated. · Cal stated that Laurel would be lucky to have so many new businesses downtown that they had a parking problem, but Laurel has the opposite problem. o This would not apply to existing businesses. o The city could address the issue of the past businesses that have contributed into the Parking Fund, but that is a separate issue. o Cal thinks we need to do anything possible to get business in the downtown area. · This would apply only to expanding a building, building a new business, or tearing down a building and building a new business. o There was no protest against this at the Planning Board's public hearing and the Planning Board recommends approval. o Cal requested that the council set a public heating date at the meeting on July 19th. Zone Change to allow "Granny Flats" or small residential units in basements and garages in residential zoning districts. o Cai explained that this zone change comes from the Growth Management Plan in its underlying effort to densify the community and provide more housing opportunities for a wider range of people, whether it is a son, daughter, parent, or grandparent that needs housing. o The Granny Flats idea allows existing residences and existing structures in the residential zones to have apartments in the garage, in the basement, etc. This is not a new building, which is a traditional Granny Flat. o The Planning Board did not receive any protests on this. o Cai said that, after talking to the Public Works Director and various people, this may not be needed but he would like to go forward to see if there is any feedback from the public. o The primary owner of the land has to live in the dwelling. o Cai requested that the council set a public hearing date at the meeting on July 19th. Zone Change to allow small "Mom and Pop-Type" retail stores in residential districts. o This also comes out of the Growth Management Plan and is the idea underlying traditional neighborhoods. o In this society, everyone gets in their vehicle to drive to the convenience store or grocery store for a carton of milk. o This concept is trying to nurture the idea of neighborhood. o The Planning Board has worked this issue a lot. · The board's original proposal was for 5,000 retail square feet for 50 homes. · The final proposal is to allow 1,000 square feet per twenty homes. · The idea would be to allow a coffee shop, a bakery, pastries, or something similar without spreading intense commercial activity on a larger scale. 4 Council Workshop Minutes of July 12, 2005 © © · The applicant would have to justify their request and the market. · k may be necessary to describe the allowable uses for this store (food items, pastries, coffee, etc.). Cal requested that the council set a public hearing date at the meeting on July 19th. Cai mentioned that planning is usually reactive, but this would be a proactive issue. Clerk/Treasurer: · Insurance transfers o The insurance transfem are done twice a year, when we gather funding that is authorized by mill levies in our Employee Health Insurance Fund (Fund #2371) and the Permissive Medical Levy (Fund #2372). o One of the tax payments was received in the middle of June, and these dollars are transferred as of the end of the fiscal year. o The totals are $62,525.54 from the Employee Health Insurance Fund and $72,766.22 from the Permissive Medical Levy Fund for a total of $135,291.76 to the General Fund, which helps defray the cost. o The worksheet prepared to provide those figures showed taking the actual costs of health insurance to the General Fund from the different departments from January 1st through June 30th. o The total cost exceeds what the city can levy through the other two funds; without those two funds, it would be a greater burden on the General Fund. o The resolution will be on the council agenda on July 19th. · Final Budget and Tax Resolutions o The final session of the public heating is scheduled for July 19a~. o Adoption of the Final Budget has been scheduled for July 19th for quite some time. o Mary reviewed the following tax resolutions: · Adopting the Final Budget · Light District No. 2 · Light District No. 3 · Street Maintenance District No. 1 · Street Sweeping District No. 1 · SidNo. 110 · Delinquent water charges · Delinquent sewer charges · Delinquent garbage charges o The final resolutions with the dollar amounts will be prepared and available for the council's review on Friday, July 15th. o The mill levy resolution will be presented after the mill levy is received on August 1st. Executive review: · Agreement with the Montana Department of Transportation o Mayor Olson explained a resolution for an agreement with MDOT for use of cold milled bituminous material. 5 Council Workshop Minutes of July 12, 2005 o No dollars are involved, and the cold millings must be used on public roads. o A resolution will be on the July 19th council agenda. Planning Board appointment o Council appointment of Ed Thumer to complete the term ending June 30, 2006 will be on the July 19th council agenda. Review of draft council agenda for July 19~ 2005 · No discussion Announcements · None Attendance at the July 19th council meeting · All will attend. Other items · None The council workshop adjourned at 7:54 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. MORRISON MAIERLE, NC. An Emp~oy~.O~vned ~ompany ENGINEERS SCIENTISTS SURVEYORS PLANNERS 2020GRANDAVENUE. 81LLINGGi~T 59102 · 408-~56~000 · FAX:406-858-3432 July 11, 2005 Mayor Ken Olson and City Council City of Laurel P.O. Box 10 Laurel, MT 59044 East First Street Bid Results and Project Update MMI Project #0703.011.07 Dear Mayor Olson and Council Members: The East Fkst Street project was advertised three times beginning on June 15, 2005 and ending on June 30, 2005 in both the Laurel Outlook and the Billings Times. A pre-bid conference was held un June 24, 2005 and the bids were received on July 7, 2005. Tho bids were opened and read aloud by City Clerk Mary Embloton on July 7, 2005. There were two bids submitted: JTL Group, Inc. and H.L. Ostermiller Construction, ]hie. The apparent iow bidder is JTL Group, Inc. with a bid of $1,541,175.65. A bid tabulation is attached with this letter. The low bid is less than the construction estimate used to plan for funding on this project by approximately $290,000. Nathan Tubergen will present the comparison of the bid breakdown and the plauned fmtds at a later date. We have reviewed the bids and have found no irregularities that would disqualify the Iow bid. Typically, if the contractor was relatively ar~lown to us or the City, we would ountact references to ensure satisfactory past performance. However, JTL Group and their proposed utility subcontractor, COP Construction, have done work with both the City and MMI and are known to be qualified to perform the project. IvlM[ recommends award of the cm~ect to JTL Group in the amount of their bid, $I,541,175.65 pending approval by CTEP and SRF. Paeketq of information required by CTEP and SRF have been forwarded to the agencies fei' their review and bid award approval. The agencies' approvals are anticipated to be received before the City Council meeting on July 19, 2005. The planned project constructi'an period is this fall and next spring with a seasonal shutdown. The wa~er and sewer utilities will be installed in Fall 2005 and the trenches will be restored with milihags for the winter. The tentative schedule includes starting in September 2005 and proceeding through October 2005. As soon ns possible in the spring, the curb, gutter, sidewalk, storm drainage, and street work will commence. The work in the spring is ant/¢ipated to last approximately two months. As always, thank your for the opportunity to work with the City of Lanrel and please contact tls if there are any questions or concerns. Sincerely, MORRISON M-A]ZRLE, !NC Encls. H:\070s\01iI07 1st StreeflDOCS\050~Corresp\bid award re:omme~ldadon.doo "Providing resources in partnership with clients ~o achieve their goals" °°88888~88888 ~ qq ...........