The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at the Hampton City Hall for a public hearing and the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor Knetter; Council Members Victor Anderson, David Luhring, Kati Evertz-Garcia, and Jerry Huddleston. Also present were Chris Meyer, City Treasurer; Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent; and Brad Fisher with Bolton and Menk.
Public Hearing Called to Order - Mayor Knetter opened the Public Hearing at 6:31 p.m. The first item up for discussion was the Budget and Levy Certification. Huddleston confirmed that there had been no changes since the approval at the preliminary hearing. Knetter thanked the City Treasurer for his detailed report and agreed with his statement that the City’s goal was to provide the highest level of service without impairing the financial condition.
There was no public comment.
The second item scheduled for the public hearing was the approval of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan subject to the Met Council review. Knetter thanked the Planning Commission and City Staff for their work and compiling all the necessary data. Wendy Carpenter, City Clerk confirmed that all comments had been collected from adjacent communities and organizations as required.
There was no public comment.
Adjournment - Motion by Huddleston seconded by Luhring to close the Public Hearing. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. The Public Hearing closed at 6:35 p.m.
Regular Meeting Called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Knetter; Council Members Victor Anderson, Jerry Huddleston, Kati Evertz-Garcia, and David Luhring.
Disclosure of Interest – None.
Approval of November 13, 2018 Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Minutes - Motion by Luhring seconded by Anderson to approve the November 13, 2018 Public Hearing and Regular Meeting Minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Motion by Huddleston seconded by Evertz-Garcia to approve the December disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
The Deputy Sheriff suggested residents plan ahead when expecting packages and keep an eye on their deliveries.
Public Comment – Mike Slavik, Dakota County Commissioner provided the Council with an update explaining that the County would be approving their levy the following week which would keep them the lowest taxed County. Slavik also commented on the residential valuations going up and discussed upcoming road and park improvements in the Lake Byllesby area.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications - Council agreed to meet at 6:30 p.m. on January 8, 2019 for a special meeting to discuss Resolution 2019-01 Setting Salaries and Fees.
Ordinances and Resolutions -
Resolution 2018-15 – Motion by Luhring seconded by Evertz-Garcia to approve Resolution 2018-15 Adopting the Final 2018 Tax Levy set at $252,508.00. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Resolution 2018-16 – Motion by Huddleston seconded by Evertz-Garcia to approve Resolution 2018-16 Approval of 2040 Comprehensive Plan Subject to the Met Council Review. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees -
Engineers Report - Brad Fisher with Bolton and Menk stated that the Belmont Sanitary Sewer Project was complete as well as the repair of the parking lot by the hockey rink. Fisher provided the Council an update on the 2019 Street Improvement Project and confirmed that the surveyors were almost done with their data collection and then the design portion of the project would begin. Brad explained that the outstanding items in conjunction with the Highway 50 Project were being addressed and tree trimming would be taking place in the area of 47 and 50 after receiving approval from the affected property owners. Fisher said that they had been working to replace the street sign needed and were verifying if a separate post was required verses using the top of a stop sign. Brad mentioned that Cory Bienfang had been in contact with Valley Paving and working to find the cause of a hydrant failure along Highway 50. Luhring stressed the importance of the hydrant repair. Knetter commented on photos he had showing that the damage to the hydrant had to have happened during construction and not after the restoration.
Water / Sewer – Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent confirmed that the calibrating of both the lift station and well pumps had been completed and that X-Cel would be planning to restore service to the street light by the pump house when the work on Belmont began during the upcoming 2019 Street Improvement Project. Reinardy thanked Huddleston for his service and support of his community.
Park Report - Evertz-Garcia said that the ice rink should be flooded soon dependent on the weather.
Street Report – Luhring mentioned that the street sweeping went well other than some leaves were frozen down and thanked Knetter for his help posting the winter parking rules.
Unfinished Business - None.
New Business
Planning Commission Appointments – Laura Johnson introduced herself and provided a brief background. Motion by Luhring seconded by Evertz-Garcia to accept Steve Hamilton’s resignation and appoint Laura Johnson and Nick Russell to the Planning Commission. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Approve Final 2018 Budget - Motion by Huddleston seconded by Anderson to approve the 2019 budget. All voted n favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
CD Purchase – Chris Meyer, City Treasurer provided his analyses of investments and explained that he was always looking for avenues to increase funds and as interest in the savings account through ISC was higher than some CD rates at this time, he recommended keeping the current status of CD’s and watching rates closely.
Debt Service Transfers - The City Treasurer explained that funds from General, Water, and Sewer Funds would need to be transferred to debt service in order to make the required bond payments. Motion by Luhring seconded by Huddleston to approve necessary transfers to make the bond payments. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
City Hall Holiday Schedule – Motion by Knetter seconded by Luhring to close Hampton City Hall on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. Jerry Huddleston thanked the Council and City Staff for doing such a fine job and said it had been an honor to serve his community.
Adjournment - Motion by Luhring seconded by Huddleston to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. The meeting adjourned at 7:34 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Wendy Carpenter