The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at the Hampton City Hall for a public hearing and the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor Knetter; Council Members Victor Anderson, David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Kati Evertz-Garcia. Also present was 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 6:30 p.m. The purpose for the Public Hearing was to discuss the opportunity of being a conduit issuer for Augustana Regent.
Kathy Youngquist, CFO of Augustana Regent confirmed that the City would not be liable for the loan obtained by Augustana for refinancing purposes. Youngquist explained that they are requesting the help from cities that are not using their yearly designation of tax-exempt funds as they can assign them to someone else in order to obtain a lower rate.
There were no other public comments.
Adjournment - Motion by Verch seconded by Evertz-Garcia to adjourn the Public Hearing. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. The meeting adjourned at 6:32 p.m.
Regular Meeting Called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular Scheduled Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Knetter; Council Members Victor Anderson, David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Kati Evertz- Garcia.
Disclosure of Interest – None.
Approval of September 8, 2020 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes – Motion by Evertz-Garcia seconded by Verch to approve the September 8, 2020 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to approve the October disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Public Comment – None.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications – Knetter provided an update on the CARES Funds expenditures and stated that sanitizing supplies and other PPE are being distributed to local businesses and also plans have been put into motion to purchase a back up generator for the lift station which may require the use of additional sewer funds. Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to add the item to the agenda. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to add a discussion on restricting parking on certain residential streets to the agenda. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
The second appeal update was in regards to the Warweg settlement that had been previously approved. Fisher mentioned that one terms was the rezoning of the middle parcel of Warweg Hampton Addition from Rural Residential to Single Family Residential and that the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the item August 27 and did recommend approval. Motion by Verch seconded by Luhring to approve the WLT settlement agreement and to approve both Ordinance 1129 and 1130 amending zoning items to complete the 2019 Project appeal process. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Brad Fisher commented that plans and specs were in order to receive quotes for the generator that was planned for the lift station and confirmed that Marlin Reinardy had worked through the electrical component. Knetter suggested going with propane for the type of fuel used. Motion by Verch seconded by Anderson to allow the City Engineer, along with input from Reinardy and Knetter, to move forward with securing quotes and the purchase of a generator with the CARES Act funding and any additional needed to come out of the sewer fund. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Water / Sewer Report - Marlin Reinardy, Water and Sewer Superintendent said that they were about 75% through with the discharge and tests had been coming back good. Reinardy also mentioned that the pumps had been calibrated and a new calanoid had been ordered for the well house and will also be checking on the backflow preventer valves.
Park Report – Evertz-Garcia confirmed with Reinardy that the contractor repairing the ice rink was working with Ryan Otto on some grading to address the drainage issue that was causing a problem with the footings. Evertz-Garcia suggested putting an ad in the newspaper to hire someone to be responsible for flooding and cleaning off the rink. Knetter said that he would check with the individual that previously maintained it.
Street Report – Luhring commented that the fall street sweeping was scheduled for the beginning of November.
Unfinished Business – None.
Black Stallion / Building Use – Viviane Vaaj addressed the Council and said that she had hoped to purchase the old Black Stallion building and convert it into a funeral home and wanted to make sure that all city codes were followed. Knetter mentioned that Vaaj had attended a Planning Commission meeting to inquire on additional parking options and confirmed that the City did not have an extra space available so he was concerned what impact overflow parking could have on residents in the area as well as park events. Knetter commented on potential hazards of blood borne pathogens and Luhring shared his concerns on the subject as well as water treatments involved. Vaaj said that she was looking for parking lots in the area and thought about utilizing shuttle service when needed.
Knetter questioned what shuttle routes and times would look like. Vaaj explained that services typically start on a Friday and run through the weekend until Sunday and the number of attendees generally is dependent on how important the individual was. Knetter commented that summer was known for park events that created a lot of parking on the streets and as he valued the City’s green space, didn’t want to cause any problems with the parking on those streets. The Mayor mentioned that the Council may consider restricted parking at some point. Vaaj introduced the funeral director, Wally Gelecinskyj who said that he had handled numerous deceased bodies and embalming rooms were used following Minnesota Statutes and that there were minimum plumbing requirements in place to safely discharge into municipal systems where sanitary sewers would take care of waste. Gelecinskyj also mentioned that potential infectious waste was handled per code and packaged in containers which are picked up by companies and taken away. Luhring confirmed that licensing was in place, such as the Minnesota Department of Health requirements. Marlin Reinardy was concerned on the dilution factor of blood and putting Residents at risk. Gelecinskyj described the embalming process and assured the Council that he used excessive amounts of water as well as other fluids during the procedure.
Evertz-Garcia left the meeting at 7:55 p.m.
Knetter commented that the Building Inspector does follow the official occupancy code of the building and that it may not allow the number of people that could be attending some services or set limitations. Verch said that as Hampton has a unique wastewater system, would like to see some tests or study to show the dilution rate. Knetter confirmed that the system is currently used for domestic sewage and is treated only naturally by oxidation. Council thanked Vaaj for considering Hampton for their business, but requested more information. Vaaj agreed to come to the November meeting with more details on how the building use may affect the City park area and how parking would be handled as well as how the wastewater treatment facility would manage the type of waste discussed.
Appoint Parking Enforcement Officer – Luhring suggested putting an ad in the Cannon Falls Beacon stating the winter parking restrictions and pointed out the process provided by the City Attorney in regards to towing. Council agreed to keep roads clear for the safety of Residents. Knetter felt that towing should be snowfall appropriate and requested that the Council bring additional thoughts and discussion to the November meeting. Motion by Knetter seconded by Luhring to table the item. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Restricted Parking Along Certain Residential Streets – Knetter felt that a Resolution may be needed to restrict parking to assure adequate access to park facility events and protect the City’s green space. Luhring felt that the Heights of Hampton park should also be considered. Council decided to look into other ideas and discuss at the November meeting. Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to table the item. Motion passed 4:0.
Adjournment - Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed 4:0. The meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Wendy Carpenter