The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the Hampton City Hall for the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor Knetter; Council Members David Luhring, Jerry Huddleston, and Victor Anderson. Council Member Kati Evertz-Garcia was absent. Also present was Chris Meyer, City Treasurer; Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent; Cory Bienfang and Brad Fisher with Bolton and Menk.
Regular Meeting Called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular Scheduled Meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
Disclosure of Interest – None.
Approval of September 11, 2018 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes – Motion by Luhring seconded by Anderson to approve the September 11, 2018 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Knetter explained that included in the disbursements were costs incurred during the power outage to bring in vac trucks to assist the lift station. Luhring confirmed that the hockey rink had been completed satisfactory with final staining and blacktop repair scheduled for spring. Motion by Luhring seconded by Huddleston to approve the October disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Public Comment – None.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications - Knetter requested Wendy Carpenter work with the Deputy Clerk as she wanted some winter time off and mentioned any needed Planning Commission meetings be addressed.
Ordinances and Resolutions - Huddleston confirmed that the City’s code regarding sewage systems would now be updated with the MPCA’s and Dakota County’s as needed with the adoption of theirs by reference. Motion by Huddleston seconded by Anderson to adopt Ordinance 1123 Amending Chapter 52 Individual Sewage Treatment Systems. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees
Engineer Report – Cory Bienfang, City Engineer explained the 2018 Belmont Sanitary Extension Project was complete other than final paving which was planned to be done along with the restoration of the area of the catch basins that had been worked on. Cory said that the new pavement of the alley behind Meric’s looked great but may need to be revisited in the spring as some areas are a little high and additional work could be needed on the final slopes to avoid drainage issues. Bienfang said that he had applied for a Source Water Protection Grant to assist in costs to update the Wellhead Protection Plan.
Water / Sewer Report – Knetter thanked Marlin Reinardy along with Steve Hamilton and Luke Nicolai for all of their help with the lift station during the recent power outage. Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent stated that the pre-discharge tests had come back good and that maintenance on the diffusers would take place this week. Reinardy commented on a problem with the starter on the pump at the lift station which occurred after the power outage. John Knetter suggested considering a natural gas generator to better match up with the Main Street lift station. Marlin confirmed that the hydrants would be flushed the week of October 22.
Park Report – Knetter said that Marlin Reinardy had replaced four trees in the park. Reinardy mentioned that Otto’s had seeded the area by the new culvert. Huddelston commented on some plastic trim surrounding the Heights of Hampton Park that had been damaged and said he would speak to Evertz-Garcia on the issue.
Street Report - Luhring said that fall street sweeping had been scheduled.
Unfinished Business – Discussion of 2019 CIP
Cory Bienfang provided a final feasibility report addressing the 2019 project previously discussed which included sections of Belmont, Main, and Park. Bienfang said that he and the City Treasurer had met with Shannon Sweeny and were provided options that would make this four block improvement affordable. Sweeny had proposed that an estimated cost of 1.6 million could be feasible with contributions from the street, water, and sewer funds along with special assessments. Bienfang stated that the assessments were being determined per policy where adjacent property owners would be assessed but there have been other options to assess by reaching out to receive appraisals. Cory suggested having an open house before holding a public hearing to provide information to the public and address any concerns. Knetter confirmed reconstruction of the portion of Main was past due and should be done to address the clay pipes in the area. Luhring questioned the street contribution and how those funds would be affected. Chris Meyer, City Treasurer explained that the budget as it stands is fine for this year and has already been approved for the next, but would need to address any changes for 2020 to keep the street maintenance funds available. Huddleston confirmed that the November meeting will include more discussion as well as a public hearing for citizen’s input and that the Council could make a final decision on the project at that point. Motion by Knetter seconded by Huddleston to hold an open house October 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and approve Resolution 2018-11 Calling for a Public Hearing November 13 at 6:15 p.m. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
New Business –
Garage Permit Issues - Paul Simonsen provided the Council pictures of Dr. Burke’s garage and explained that a permit for the new building was pulled in 2014 and he was having problems coming to an agreement with the Building Inspector on the types of tie down brackets used. Simonsen said that the code requires the brackets withstand 4,200 pounds of uplift and that his brackets installed in concrete currently can stand over 10,000 pounds. Scott Qualle, City Building Inspector felt that the fastners used for the straps were not sufficient for the wind rating value and was concerned that the code was not being followed. Qualle said that there were a certain number of nails required to hold down two straps on each side of the garage door and at this time there was only one strap. Scott confirmed that these specifications were supplied to the contractor at the time the permit was pulled. Both parties agreed that at this point the manufacturer of the straps, Simpson, would not stand by the tie down as it was being fastened down and with only one being used. Knetter requested that both Qualle and Simonsen research other manufacturer’s products that could provide what the code requires.
Discussion of Fence Ordinance - Huddleston mentioned that the Council had previously discussed revisiting the City Code to possibly regulate materials used for fences to make sure they are approved by the MPCA. Council agreed to consider the new requirements and hold a public hearing on the item after the first of the year.
Adjournment – Motion by Luhring seconded by Huddleston to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Wendy Carpenter