HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-02-2020_minutesMedina City Council Meeting Minutes 1
June 2, 2020
MEDINA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JUNE 2, 2020
The City Council of Medina, Minnesota met in regular session on June 2, 2020 at 7:00
p.m. virtually. Mayor Martin presided.
Mayor Martin issued a statement that all meetings of the City Council and other Boards
and Commissions continue to occur in a virtual format because of the COVID-19
pandemic and related local and State declarations of emergency. She provided
information on how members of the public can participate in the meeting.
I. ROLL CALL
Members present: Albers, Anderson, DesLauriers, Martin, and Pederson.
Members absent: None.
Also present: City Administrator Scott Johnson, Assistant City Administrator Jodi
Gallup, City Attorney Dave Anderson, Finance Director Erin Barnhart, City Engineer Jim
Stremel, City Planning Director Dusty Finke, Public Works Director Steve Scherer, and
Chief of Police Jason Nelson.
Martin commented that this has been a challenging year with COVID-19 and now the
horrific death of a Twin Cities resident at the hands of the Minneapolis police. She
stated that Medina has been extremely blessed by a competent and compassionate
Police Department. She commented that Ed Belland recently retired and new Police
Chief Jason Nelson has stepped into the role during a very difficult time and commended
Nelson and his staff for the extraordinary effort they have put forth. She stated that
Nelson wrote a very endearing thoughts and reflections memorandum to his department
on his first few months as Chief and read aloud an excerpt from the memo.
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (7:13 p.m.)
III. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA (7:14 p.m.)
The agenda was approved as presented.
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (7:14 p.m.)
A. Approval of the May 19, 2020 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes
Martin noted that comments provided by herself and Anderson were distributed for
incorporation into the minutes prior to the meeting.
Moved by Martin, seconded by Anderson, to approve the May 19, 2020 regular City
Council meeting minutes as amended. Motion passed unanimously.
V.CONSENT AGENDA (7:15 p.m.)
A.Approve 2020-2021 Liquor License Renewals
Moved by Pederson, seconded by Martin, to approve the consent agenda. Motion
passed unanimously.
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VI. COMMENTS (7:17 p.m.)
A. Comments from Citizens on Items not on the Agenda
There were none.
B. Park Commission
Park Commissioner Sharp reported that the Park Commission met recently and
reviewed the Roehl subdivision request, recommending cash in lieu of land. He stated
that the Commission is also working to provide an updated parks inventory. He reported
that the Hamel Athletic Club will begin its season tonight, in a modified manor to meet
the requirements of the Governor’s Order.
C. Planning Commission
Finke reported that the Commission will meet the following week to hold a public hearing
to consider an ordinance amendment related to building materials within commercial
districts, which would add engineered wood as an allowed material when rehabilitating
buildings.
Martin asked the process that will be used to fill the position left vacant by Amic.
Finke stated that applications are being accepted through June 18th and the
subcommittee will make a recommendation to the Council in early July.
Anderson asked the remaining length of the vacant term.
Finke stated that he was unsure but believed that the term ran through the remainder of
the year.
Gallup stated that the advertisement states that the position runs through the end of the
year and that the Commissioner could request reappointment for an additional three-
year term.
Resident Stacy Ladwig stated that she noticed on the application that there is a
requirement for residents to live in Medina for a minimum of two years. She asked if
there are any circumstances in which that requirement is waived, noting that she has
lived in Medina for 18 months.
Martin stated that the Council recently relaxed the requirement from three years to two
years, in an attempt to open the position to more people. She encouraged the resident
to apply for interested positions once the two-year requirement is met.
Albers stated that perhaps it would make sense to review applicants that may not meet
the two-year requirement because this is more of an interim appointment for the
remainder of this term and noted that this resident would appear to be eligible at the end
of the year.
Martin commented that this appointment would occur immediately because of the vacant
position. Martin encouraged the resident to apply, stating that the resident could include
the date she moved into Medina in the application.
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Finke stated that the two-year requirement is written into the ordinance and therefore if
the Council wants to discuss that option, an ordinance amendment would need to occur
prior to the appointment.
Pederson commented that the Council recently denied an applicant because they did not
meet the residency requirement and therefore did not see it fair to change it at this point.
DesLauriers agreed that the requirement was relaxed from three years to two years and
did not think it would be fair to consider an applicant that did not meet the requirement
when others have been denied.
Albers stated that guidance should be provided by the number of applications received
and the appointment date. He stated that it would be nice to have flexibility, depending
upon the situation.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Roehl Estate – Preliminary Plat – 1735 Medina Road (7:31 p.m.)
Finke presented a request for a subdivision of the property at 1735 Medina Road, noting
that the preliminary plat would divide the lot into two lots which both exceed the
minimum lot standards. He stated that staff would not recommend construction traffic for
the northern lot use Morgan Road, noting that access would need to be provided by
Medina Road. He stated that there would be no proposed wetland impacts. He stated
that staff recommends that the implementation of the wetland boundaries on the
northern lot hold off until construction would be completed. He stated that the Park
Commission recommends cash in lieu for park dedication.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to direct staff to prepare resolution to
approve the preliminary plat for the Roehl subdivision with the conditions outlined in the
staff report.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
B. Ordinance Amending Regulations Pertaining to Accessory Structures;
Amending Chapter 8 of the City Code (7:36 p.m.)
Finke stated that the proposed amendment would increase the allowed size of sheds
that are allowed as exemptions to the full structure setback. He stated that currently the
size is 120 square feet in Medina and the amendment would increase that size to 200
square feet. He stated that the Planning Commission discussed adding a height
limitation for the structures allowed exempt from the full setback and recommended a
height limitation. He referenced the current requirement that requires a rural residential
property to request a CUP for accessory structures over 5,000 square feet. He noted
that process adds cost and length to the project, and typically little or no feedback is
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provided during the process. He noted that the Planning Commission recommended
leaving that requirement in place. He stated that the Planning Commission unanimously
recommended approval of the ordinance amendment as proposed.
Pederson asked if the façade is required to match the home.
Finke replied that the ordinance includes general language about complimenting the
principle structure on the property for any accessory structure, noting that is fairly
subjective language. He stated that structures over 5,000 square feet have more explicit
architectural details. He stated that the ordinance amendment as proposed would not
change the requirements in terms of architecture for any sheds or outbuildings.
DesLauriers stated that he supports the four measures as identified by staff including the
height limitation.
Albers confirmed his consensus of the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
Martin stated that she is a little concerned with the size of the sheds, noting that on
some of the smaller lots it could be obtrusive to have a structure of that size in that
proximity to the property line. She stated that she also recognizes that many of the
neighborhoods have HOA’s which have their own covenants that would protect against
those measures. She stated that her concern would be that the City is permitting these
types of structures close to neighboring property lines. She recognized that there were
no public comments at the public hearing held by the Planning Commission. She noted
that she would be willing to support the recommendation of the Commission if the other
Council members support the action as well.
Albers stated that Martin makes a persuasive argument to not approving the
amendment. He asked if the language related to the structure being compatible to the
principle structure should be strengthened.
Martin provided some grammatical suggestions that could be added to strengthen the
language but noted that those elements could make it cost prohibitive to have these
structures. She stated that she is in the rural area of Medina and would still not want to
see a prefabricated shed on her neighbor’s property.
DesLauriers stated that he would rather have the items stored in a shed rather than
outdoors. He noted that some garage sizes are smaller, and residents need additional
storage space.
Martin stated that a shed of this size could store a snowmobile or boat and believes that
residents should pay for offsite storage of those items if needed. She read aloud
language from the staff report related to small residential lots and asked if she
interpreted the language correct to allow an outbuilding of up to 1,000 square feet in
addition to the small shed being discussed tonight.
Finke confirmed that language to be true but noted that it would be unlikely that the
smallest lots in Medina could accommodate an accessory structure of any size because
of the required setbacks, which was the reason the exempt allowance came about. He
explained that the exemption allows the smaller lots to have a small shed. He stated
that the Council could still make the change from 120 square feet to 200 square feet for
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exempt sheds, without changing the size of the shed allowed as additional to the
accessory structure language.
Martin stated that she would support this item going back to the Planning Commission
for additional discussion.
Pederson stated that the points brought forward by Martin are valid, noting that he would
not want to see the sheds destroying the views of others.
Albers and DesLauriers agreed that this should go back to the Planning Commission.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by Martin, to direct the Planning Commission to again
review the proposed ordinance amending regulations pertaining to accessory structures
as discussed by the Council.
Further discussion: Martin suggested that the City Attorney provide a memorandum to
the Planning Commission related to the expiration of HOA covenants after 30 years.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
C. Police Officer Recruitment Discussion (8:00 p.m.)
Nelson stated that in 2019 Belland did some forward thinking related to hiring in advance
of his retirement to prevent a shortage of personnel. He stated that an additional officer
was also requested and was approved through the budget process. He stated that the
application process took place for the backfilling that was necessary and the necessary
background checks in February 2020. He stated that one officer was hired as a result of
the process. He stated that staff discussed looking at an internal candidate for the
additional position, looking at the CSO positions. He stated that the internal application
process began, and he is asking the Council for authorization to complete the
background check process for the two internal applicants. He stated that currently there
are officers that have been unable to use vacation time because of the small size of the
department and related challenges with COVID-19. He stated that he has worked with
administration and finance staff and a decision was made to allow 200 vacation hours to
carry over from 2020 to 2021, because all vacations have been denied in the past three
months.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to authorize staff to continue the internal
recruitment to fill Police Officer position.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
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DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
D. Administrative Assistant to Planning and Public Works Recruitment
Discussion (8:07 p.m.)
1. Resolution No. 2020-31 Accepting Resignation of
Administrative Assistant Katrina Jones
Moved by Martin, seconded by Anderson, to adopt Resolution No. 2020-31 Accepting
the Resignation of Administrative Assistant Katrina Jones. Motion passed
unanimously.
Johnson noted that Katrina Jones received a higher-level position with the City of Crystal
and wishes her the best in her change of employment.
Gallup stated that her memorandum identified the primary job duties and other key roles
for the position. She stated that minor changes were made to the description to clarify
the other roles of the position, which were identified in the redline version.
Martin stated that she has found that in her personal situation with her private office
staff, there have been less administrative needs during this process and efficiencies
have been identified. She stated that she has been challenged to keep her private staff
busy and asked if there has been a similar feel at City Hall.
Johnson replied that he spoke with Finke and Scherer and noted that the permit
requests continue at a high level and there have been more calls and activity for public
works.
Scherer stated that the position also assists with DNR reporting for water and sewer,
coding of the bills, and answers phones. He noted that Katrina had been on maternity
leave since February and it has been a struggle to continue to ask other departments for
assistance with these duties. He stated that if the process for recruitment began today,
it would still be some time before someone came on board. He noted that he has a new
foreman in public works, and he is currently down two people. He stated that public
works continues to receive inbound calls constantly during this time. He stated that he
backed off on filling a public works position last fall and is currently running two people
under budget. He stated that he feels strongly that this position needs to be filled.
Finke echoed the comments of staff that planning traffic has been just as high. He noted
that this position handles the over the counter permits that are issued which allows the
other staff to focus on their duties. He encouraged the Council to authorize the
recruitment as it will still take time to bring that person on board.
Albers stated that it is an interesting time to recruit for candidates, noting that the pool
has been increased by those unemployed. He believed that it would be a good time to
move forward on recruitment for this position. He recognized while it may be challenging
to keep administrative assistant staff busy during this time in the private sector, it
appears that there is a demand at City Hall.
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Martin agreed that is seems beneficial to move forward and proceed with the actions
proposed.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to approve Administrative Assistant Job
Description. Motion passed unanimously.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to authorize staff to begin recruitment to
fill the vacant Administrative Assistant position.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
E. Regulatory Flexibility Discussion for Businesses (8:20 p.m.)
Martin provided background information on the previous suggestion that staff look into
what the City could do to provide flexibility to businesses allowed to open under the new
restrictions.
Johnson provided additional information on recent orders from the Governor related to
the partial reopening of certain businesses (restaurants, bars, salons). He noted that
communication was sent to those businesses advising of the flexibility available. He
stated that Batty drafted a memorandum and recommendation for the Council to
consider that would allow staff to continue to apply that flexibility.
Albers applauded the staff and thanked them for the work they have done. He
commented that hopefully the restaurants and bars were able to see that the City is
willing to work with them to help them reopen and serve the public. He stated that
hopefully people can begin to return to normal life and support these businesses.
Moved by Albers, seconded by DesLauriers, to authorize City staff to apply City rules
and regulations regarding restaurants and bars with flexibility to facilitate the partial
reopening of those businesses starting June 1, 2020, while maintaining public health and
safety and compliance with State laws and regulations.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
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VIII. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT
A. 2020 Election Update (8:25 p.m.)
Gallup provided an update on a new law signed by the Governor on May 12th to address
absentee polling and polling locations related to COVID-19 and reviewed the changes
that were made through the law. She stated that she has had communication with
previous Election Judges that are not interested this year because of COVID-19. She
stated that she has begun recruitment for those positions. She noted that polling
locations can be changed and asked for input on whether the City would like to allow in
person absentee voting at City Hall for the primary or allow the County to handle that
activity. She noted that in person absentee voting historically has a low turnout at City
Hall and would recommend allowing that to continue at City Hall.
Martin thanked Gallup for her continued excellent work. She stated that perhaps both
precincts are not needed to be open for the primary but noted that it would be nice to
have one location available in Medina.
Albers expressed appreciation for the process Gallup went through to outline the
options. He also commented that one location should be made available in Medina.
Anderson agreed that the more polling locations Medina can offer its residents, the
better the City would be.
Gallup stated that Medina can combine its polling places, if needed, due to COVID-19.
She stated that the problem would be that any combined location would need to be
within the precinct or within one mile of the precinct, therefore Medina does not have a
location that large to support the activity. She noted that one option would be to allow
polling at the Hamel Community Building and not at City Hall.
Anderson stated that he is strongly in favor of keeping both locations open.
Gallup agreed that it would be difficult to communicate to all the residents that the
location has changed.
DesLauriers agreed that it would be better to disburse residents between two locations.
Gallup stated that staff will push hard to recruit additional Election Judges to support two
locations. She noted that affidavits of candidates can now be done electronically and
provided details on how the City will allow that option. She noted that in person
candidate filing can still occur.
It was the consensus of the Council to continue with two polling locations within Medina.
B. Update from Police Chief (8:37 p.m.)
Johnson commented on the great job that Nelson and his team have done with COVID-
19 and the recent civil unrest.
Nelson thanked City staff and the Council for their support and for the support from the
community. He stated that these are trying times and it is nice to be a part of the
community with mutual love and respect. He stated that COVID-19 has been quiet in
recent time, but the department continues to monitor situations and exposures. He
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reported that the police department has been back to its regular schedule for one week.
He stated that planning and preparing continues related to COVID-19 as the department
continues to gather PPE supplies to meet its 30-day stock of supplies. He stated that it
is nice to see people resuming some normal activity with the partial reopening of some
businesses. He stated that the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police has
sparked outrage locally and globally. He stated that there have been both peaceful and
violent protests. He stated that these are unprecedented times with the civil unrest and
the local, state and National Guard resources being used. He stated that the Medina
police department added extra patrols and has worked with community leaders and
businesses during this time, along with the Lakes Area Management Group to provide a
coordinated plan. He stated that fortunately there have been very few issues compared
to the first ring suburbs. He noted that there have been protests scheduled for
neighboring communities. He stated that social media has been spreading fear and
misinformation and noted that the police department can attempt to vet any concerns.
Pederson thanked Nelson for his update and for the work his department is doing to
keep everyone in the community safe.
IX. MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL REPORTS (8:46 p.m.)
Albers thanked Nelson for the update and echoed the comments of Pederson with
thanks to Nelson and the whole force for the work they have done in recent months.
Martin stated that members of the Council and staff attended a meeting of the Hamel
Fire Department Advisory Board to review the preliminary budget numbers, expressing a
need to suppress increases to the budget to the degree necessary. She recognized that
there are some costs which are out of their control (insurance) and additional PPE are
needed during this time.
X. APPROVAL TO PAY THE BILLS (8:48 p.m.)
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to approve the bills, EFT 005528E-
005540E for $49,191.15, order check numbers 050251-050295 for $172,757.40, and
payroll EFT 0510259-0510286 for $51,885.70.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
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XI. ADJOURN
Martin commented that she misses seeing everyone and hopes everyone remains well.
Moved by Anderson, seconded by DesLauriers, to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 p.m.
A roll call vote was performed:
Pederson aye
Anderson aye
DesLauriers aye
Albers aye
Martin aye
Motion passed unanimously.
__________________________________
Kathleen Martin, Mayor
Attest:
____________________________________
Jodi M. Gallup, City Clerk