CITY OF HUDSON COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Meeting
called to order by Mayor Dean Knudson in the Council Chambers of City Hall at
7:03 p.m. Mayor Knudson led those
present in the Pledge of Allegiance. Present: Mayor Knudson and Alderpersons Randy Morrissette,
Pam Brokaw, Lori Bernard, and Scot O’Malley. Absent: Alderpersons Lee
Wyland, Alan
Burchill. OTHERS PRESENT: Catherine Munkittrick, Denny Darnold, Tom
Zeuli, Marty Jensen, Mike Kruger, Randy Hanson, Mary Yacoub, Dick Greckoff,
Dick and Jan Stout, Joe Matchey, Jay Andrews, Jr., Mike Miller, Stephen
Pederson, and others. Comments and suggestions from citizens present: Mayor
Knudson called for comments and suggestions from citizens present, none were
given. Consent agenda: MOTION by Morrissette, second by O’Malley to
approve the following Consent Agenda items:
minutes:
Approve the Regular Meeting minutes of January 18, 2010. REPORTS
OF CITY OFFICIALS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS: Place on file
the quarterly reports of the City Clerk and Library Director, the St. Croix
E.M.S. Commission meeting minutes of 1/19/10 and the Community Access Board
minutes of 1/26/10. Consider Petition for Annexation of
approximately 6.84 acres in the Town of Hudson filed by blue Jay Properties,
LLC (RIchard Stout) – OrDINANCE NO. 1-10:
Denny Darnold stated all the necessary corrections had been made to the
petition for annexation. He reported
that the terms are agreeable to the petitioner, and noted the need for required
payments. MOTION by Morrissette, second
by Bernard to suspend the rules toward adoption of Ordinance 1-10. Roll call vote taken, all ayes (4) MOTION
CARRIED. MOTION by Morrissette, second
by O’Malley to adopt the following: Ordinance no. 1-10 annexation of approximately 6.84 acres
in the town of hudson filed by blue jay properties, llc (richard
stout) (Copy on file in the Clerk’s office) All ayes (4) MOTION
CARRIED. Application for a Conditional Use
Permit for a temporary batch concrete plant for 8 to 12 days at the Mimbach
Quarry 2700 Hanley Road – Trierweiler Construction & Supply Company: Denny Darnold stated the Plan Commission
recommended approval of the request for a temporary batch concrete plant for 8
to 12 days at the Mimbach Quarry. They
recommended the hours of operation be from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and an
erosion control deposit was required. Information
and discussion was held regarding signage, current road conditions, video
taping of the roadway, the responsibility of Trierweiler Construction to make
repairs if needed, and that the Wisconsin DOT would be handling that aspect of
the project. Additional discussion was
held concerning City staff being present at the video taping of the roadway. Joe Matchey, Trierweiler Construction,
requested that the need for extra charges to be kept to a minimum. MOTION
by O’Malley, second by Brokaw to approve the Conditional Use Permit to
Trierweiler Construction and Supply Company to have a temporary batch concrete plant
at the Mimbach Quarry, 2700 Hanley Road for an 8 to 12 day period through July
20, 2010, with the hours of operation of
the plant be limited from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and that Trierweiler Construction and Supply
Company will reimburse the City for any staff time necessary spent on site, or
in any way. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Final development plans for Tire Proz,
6,000 sq. ft. auto service center at 1800 Crest View Drive – Derrick Commercial
Contracting. Denny Darnold stated the Plan Commission
recommended approval of the final development plans; he noted that the
landscaping plan was two trees short; otherwise the plans were fine for the
site. MOTION by O’Malley, second by
Brokaw to approve the final development plans for the 6,000 sq. ft. Tire Proz
auto service center facility at 1800 Crest View Drive as proposed by Derrick
Commercial Contracting. Discussion
was held regarding traffic congestion. Mr. Darnold explained he did a traffic watch on
three different occasions, and reported traffic is not stacked at the
location. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Claims: Mayor Knudson requested that Alderpersons
Bernard and O’Malley review the claims report with him, and place their
signatures on it, if approved. MOTION by
O’Malley, second by Bernard to approve claims for payment in the amount of
$430,975.06. Roll call voted taken, all
ayes (4), MOTION CARRIED. Applications for Operator’s Licenses: Mayor Knudson
announced the applicants for Operator’s Licenses. Discussion was held concerning having a
quorum if Alderperson Morrissette recused himself. He stated one of the applicants was an
employee of his. MOTION by O’Malley,
second by Brokaw to approve the issuance of Regular Operator’s Licenses for the
period 2/5/10 – 6/30/11 to Robin L. Haubrich, Nicole L. Klingelhut, Charles W.
Minke, Radmila Rasmussen, and Michael R. Rasmussen, and to postpone action on
the application of Bridget J. Kelly until the next Council meeting. Discussion included information that
postponing Ms. Kelly’s license approval would not affect her employment
status. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Approve appointment of agent for liquor license of Badger
Hospitality, Inc. d/b/a Green Mill: MOTION by O’Malley, second by Bernard to
approve the appointment of agent request from Badger Hospitality, Inc. DBA Green
Mill-Hudson to appoint Leah Anne Fideldy as agent. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Approve updated job description and posting/advertising for the
Receptionist/Clerk-Typist position: Denny Darnold requested approval to initiate
the process of filling the recently vacated Clerk-typist position on the third
floor of City Hall with a revised position description. He stated the workload demand, the desire for
prompt customer service, and back-up for other department clerical staff
justified the need for the position. He
noted there was money in the budget to cover the fulltime position, and he
strongly recommended the position be filled. Mayor Knudson explained
his desire to carefully consider the need to fill vacancies, and the
possibility of combining job duties with a Municipal Court staff position, if
that office relocates to the third floor.
It was noted the City Administrator also recommended approval of the
fulltime position. MOTION by
Morrissette, second by Brokaw to approve the revised Receptionist/Clerk-typist
job description, at grade level 11, and to initiate the process of posting/advertising
for the position. All ayes (4) MOTION
CARRIED. Review
engineering schedule and cost estimates for Second and Vine Street Intersection
Improvements Project:
Mayor Knudson stated staff and the Public Works Committee recommended
authorizing Bonestroo to prepare the plans and specifications for repairs to
the Second and Vine Street intersection, at an estimated cost of $14,000 to be
paid for from the 2010 bond proceeds.
Parks and Public Works Director Tom Zeuli confirmed that the
recommendation from Bonestroo was to rebuild the intersection; he also asked
for any other options that could be considered.
Engineer Chuck Schwartz will present any options at the next Public
Works Committee meeting. MOTION
by O’Malley, second by Morrissette to authorize Bonestroo to prepare the plans
and specifications for the Second Street and Vine Street intersection, at an
estimated cost of $14,000, to be funded from 2010 bond proceeds. Discussion was held regarding funding; Mayor
Knudson stated the Public Works Committee should review funding options. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Application
for detention basin:
Mayor Knudson stated the staff recommendation was to authorize staff and
Bonestroo to begin discussions with the landowner for acquiring the land or
obtaining an easement to create a storm water pond. Direction from the City Attorney was
requested; Catherine Munkittrick stated she did not have enough background on
the topic, she noted eminent domain type procedures, and suggested
representatives offer the property owner a brochure and get feedback about
their position. Information
was shared regarding design, proper protocol, the possibly of getting an
appraisal of the property, fair market value, parcel information, and grant
application. MOTION by O’Malley, second
by Bernard to authorize staff to meet with the homeowner to secure the land for
future pond improvements, and to apply for the DNR Management Grant to meet the
April 15, 2010 deadline. All ayes (4)
MOTION CARRIED. Downtown Flood Improvements Study: Mayor Knudson stated the Pubic Works
Committee recommendation. He noted the
downtown flood improvement proposal should be funded out of the current storm
water budget, and if there was not enough money for all tasks, that the balance
should be postponed. Tom Zeuli stated DNR storm water
regulations need to be met shortly.
Mayor Knudson also noted new Federal mandates regarding storm water will
be in place soon. The possibility of
instituting a Storm Water Utility fund was presented, and Mayor Knudson
recommended including it as a future agenda item. The need for cutting unnecessary expenses was
also noted. Discussion
was held on funding for the project, and possible options on how to
proceed. Parks and Public Works Director
Tom Zeuli offered his recommendation.
MOTION by O’Malley, second by Bernard to proceed with tasks three and
four (in the Downtown Flood Improvements proposal) using funds from the Storm
Water Contractual Operating Budget, and to delete task number five. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Consider 2010 Service Charge rates: MOTION
by O’Malley, second by Brokaw to approve the Public Works recommendation for a
5% increase in the 2010 service charge rates, (as submitted). Discussion was held regarding when the
charges are billed out. All ayes (4)
MOTION CARRIED. Disallowance of Claim of Tami
Audeh, Resolution No. 4-10: MOTION by O’Malley, second by Bernard to
suspend the rules toward adoption of Resolution 4-10. Roll call vote taken, all ayes (4), MOTION
CARRIED. MOTION
by O’Malley, second by Brokaw to adopt the following: RESOLUTION NO. 4-10 DISALLOWANCE OF CLAIM OF TAMI AUDEH (Copy on file in Clerk’s office) It was reported that the claim has been accepted by
the insurance company for Apostle Septic Service, General Casualty. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Review and take action on Information Technology Ad
Hoc: Committee findings and Review and
consider quotes for telephone system installation (700 First Street) and
upgrades (505 Third Street): Mayor Knudson stated the IT Network Ad Hoc
Committee met and considered at least five different options for the computer
server, telephone installation, and upgrades.
IT Coordinator, Mike Kruger, provided a detailed explanation about the
current computer systems, future systems, network infrastructure, telephone
systems, Windows 7 conversion, and the transition to Google Apps for the City’s
email system. Mr. Kruger provided additional information about the
technology needs at 700 First Street, 505 Third Street, and at other City
facilities. Cost estimates for the
recommendations, quotes for the phone system upgrades, system configuration
options, and timelines were provided. O’Malley asked
about the part-time IT position; Mr. Kruger stated it was approved with the
2010 budgeting process and partially funded by the savings from changing the
City’s email system. Mr. Kruger stated
he recommended approving the quote from Baldwin Telecom for the telephone
system at the 700 First Street building, upgrading the current City Hall
building system, and removing the current Library phone system and re-installing
it at 700 First Street at a cost of $675.00.
He noted the greatly reduced cost of the phone system changes since
beginning the process. Additional
discussion was held regarding bandwidth, Comcast speed, and budgeting of items. MOTION by O’Malley, second by Bernard to
approve the Committee findings; including
approval of computer hardware costs for 700 First Street for $11,790, software
and labor costs for $17,900, (for a total of $29,690) and approve moving to
Windows 7 software, at a cost of $25,500. (Funding for all items to come from the IT
Capital Outlay budget.) Discussion was held
regarding the current server location and site conditions, possibly using
Windows XP instead of Windows 7 on new computers, and licensing
requirements. All ayes (4) MOTION
CARRIED. MOTION
by O’Malley, second by Morrissette to approve the three quotes from Baldwin
Telecom for a total of $17,217.50 ($9,830.00
for the Police Department system at 700 First Street, $6,712.50 for upgrading
the existing City Hall system, and $675.00 to move the Library’s phone system
to the First Street building with funding to come from the IT Capital Outlay
budget and contributions from budgets of benefitting City Departments). All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED. Review
preliminary design from Frisbie Architects for Police Dept. area at 700 First
Street: Frisbie Architect Stephen Pederson presented
preliminary design plans for changes to the 700 First Street Building for the
Police Department. He explained the
lower level plans, including areas for parking, mechanical, evidence
processing, and storage. He noted the
need to modify a few doors, but not much else was needed for that space. Mr. Pederson spoke about the
Library tenant area and Police Department area on the main level of the
building. He noted that a vestibule with
an entry into the Police Department would be created. He also pointed out the desire to use the
existing layout as much as possible.
Discussion was held regarding the janitorial storage area, and that processing
of detainees would be done at the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department. MOTION by O’Malley, second by Brokaw to
approve the preliminary plans (for the Police Department sections at 700 First
Street). Additional information was shared
regarding the layout of office space, the understanding that the Library Board
would be in agreement with the vestibule design, the timeframe of ordering and
installing the Library elevator, and that a special meeting might be needed in
order to keep the project moving in a timely manner. Council Members were invited to attend the
Library Board meeting, as well. All ayes
(4) MOTION CARRIED. COMMUNICATIONS
AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS: O’Malley thanked part-time
Access Television Producer Paul Winkels for his year and a half of service with
Channel 15, and wished him well at his new position in Hastings. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION
by Morrissette, second by O’Malley to adjourn the meeting. All ayes (4) MOTION CARRIED at 8:47 p.m. Nancy J. Korson, City Clerk I hereby certify that the City
Clerk has submitted the foregoing
minutes to me, and I hereby by my signature approve said minutes and all acts
of the Common Council as set forth therein. Dean Knudson, Mayor Consider
amending Municipal Code Ch. 145-20 (C) re: liquor license quota – Ordinance No.
2-10: Mayor Knudson shared information
about considering an increase in the number of liquor licenses that could be
issued, due to recent interest. He noted the City is more restrictive than the
State requirements. The quota system was
reviewed. MOTION by O’Malley, second by
Brokaw to conduct a first reading of Ordinance 2-10. Morrissette stated his desire to take action
immediately. Discussion was held
regarding having entire Council consideration.
Ayes: (3) Noes: (1) – Morrissette, MOTION CARRIED.
COMMUNICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MAYOR: Mayor Knudson encouraged everyone to take
part in the Hot Air Affair activities February 5th to 7th.