What this meeting did about specific topics, organized by issue rather than by document.
Wagner / O’Welling / Engs comprehensive plan amendment (frontage road removal)
Council opened the workshop with discussion of a draft comprehensive plan amendment involving John Wagner, Bill O’Welling, and the Engs, explaining the city is working with the property owners to amend the plan so a frontage road will not go through the property, allowing the owners to develop it as they see fit. The planner noted efforts to have the amendment reviewed administratively by the Met Council and possibly avoid review by neighboring cities due to the site’s central location; no action was taken at the workshop beyond discussion.
Agenda: A. Speakers: Liz.
Sheldon agricultural building exemption and Green Acres definition mismatch
Council discussed Cory and Haley Sheldon’s request for an additional agricultural building and the discovery that the city code’s definition of “agricultural use” still includes a Green Acres tax-status requirement for agricultural exemptions, even though prior ordinance amendments appeared intended to remove the Green Acres requirement elsewhere. Staff and council described the Green Acres clause as an oversight in the definitions and indicated the council seemed comfortable deleting the Green Acres requirement for agricultural uses and formalizing the change at the Tuesday meeting, with the goal of allowing the Sheldons to move forward without being delayed by the cleanup of outdated language.
Agenda: B. Speakers: Liz, Councilman Bettenger, Council Member Bryant, Council Member Rucker.
Ordinance 2016-07 fee schedule review and comparison request
Council discussed Ordinance 2016-07 (fee schedule) and a council member stated she planned to move at the Tuesday meeting to table the fee schedule and direct staff to produce an apples-to-apples comparison of Nowthen’s fees with surrounding communities, including whether services are provided by staff or contractors and which fees are mandated by other agencies such as the state. The planner noted she had previously created a surrounding-community cost table, and staff also noted the fee schedule included a $100 illegal dumping/littering fine that had already been adopted in a prior month’s ordinance.
Agenda: C. Speakers: Council Member Rainville, Maynard Stockman, Council Member Bryant.
Gibbs interim use permit (2013) complaints and code-enforcement tracking
Staff provided a code-enforcement update and discussed two complaints tied to the Gibbs’ special permit/interim use permit, including allegations about employee vehicles being parked outside the fenced area and concerns about brush piles and graveling for drainage. The planner reported she did not witness employee vehicles parked outside the fence on her visit and had not heard of drainage problems since the engineer’s earlier review; a council member stated it did not appear there was any violation of the IEP granted in 2013, and the council indicated it would take no action at that time while reminding the permit holder to stick to IEP conditions.
Agenda: D. Speakers: Kathy Gibbs, Planner Stockman, Ms. Marengo.
Hobrick request for reduced fire call fee and broader fee policy discussion
Todd and Mary Hobrick appeared with a request to reduce a fire call fee following a total-loss house fire. The mayor clarified the city’s fire call charge is $2,000 (not $2,500 as referenced in the letter) and that the insurance company would pay up to $500; council members referenced prior discussions about whether the fee should be changed or removed and whether it is already built into the fire department budget. The council agreed to place the matter on hold and not pursue collection while the city readdresses the overall policy and considers how any change would apply more broadly.
Agenda: E. Speakers: Council Member Angle, Council Member Bettinger.
Skating rink portable toilet (vendor choice, term, and budget source)
Council revisited adding a portable toilet at the skating rink and reviewed an apples-to-apples cost comparison, noting $140/month from one vendor versus $103 from “Jimmy Johnny’s,” which already provides the unit for the recycling center (stated as $83 there). Council asked staff to check whether the same rate could apply, whether rentals can be weekly or monthly and prorated, where the unit would be placed for servicing access, and who would order and cancel service; a Park & Recreation member recommended setting March 1 as an end date, and staff stated the cost would come out of the Park & Rec operating budget.
Agenda: F. Speakers: Chris Bassett, Council Member Bryant, Council Member Ryan.
Tanker truck use to flood skating rink ice (authorization/liability)
Council discussed the possibility of allowing others to use the tanker truck to help flood the skating rink ice so staff time is not the only resource used. The mayor stated that based on information from insurance and Attorney Ruby it should not be an issue, described the matter as mainly for future safety and future seasons, and indicated no immediate action was needed unless circumstances arise later in the season.
Agenda: G. Speakers: Attorney Ruby.
Consent agenda items: minutes typo and audited bills (claims renumbering)
Council began discussing consent agenda items including council meeting minutes, a financial report, and audited bills. Members noted a possible typo in the minutes where a final motion vote should read “3 in favor, 1 opposed,” and the clerk explained that after launching a new program and consulting state auditors, claims were restarted at claim number 1; discussion began on a specific audited-bills line item described as an old claim number 10543 for $300 cleanup, but the transcript excerpt ends mid-question.
Agenda: H. Speakers: Council Member Rangel, Council Member Ryan.