CITY OF HUDSON COMMON COUNCIL MEETING

MINUTES OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2004 – 7:00 P.M.

 

Meeting called to order by Mayor Jack Breault in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 7:00 p.m. 

 

PRESENT:  Mayor Breault, Alderpersons Mike Laatsch, Dennis O’Connell, Paul Radermacher, Roger Riedel, Scot O’Malley, and Carah Koch.

 

     ABSENT:  Alderperson Dennis O’Connell.     

 

OTHERS PRESENT: Catherine Munkittrick, Devin Willi, Dennis Darnold, Jim Eulberg, Dick Trende, Dennis Postler, Randy Hanson, Dave Krupich, Jerry Gilbert, Dan Roeglin, Tom Peterson, Bill Wanner, Lyle Mickschl, Tom Peterson, and others.

 

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM CITIZENS PRESENT:  None.  

 

CONSENT AGENDA:  MOTION by Radermacher, second by O’Malley, to approve the following Consent Agenda items:

 

MINUTES: Approve the Regular Meeting minutes of 9/7/04.

       

Certified Survey Map, 6.06 and 8.43 acre lots east of Willis Miller Drive – St. Croix Business Park:  Approve the two-lot Certified Survey Map as proposed by St. Croix Business Park Corporation, with the condition that if Lot 6 is resubdivided, the 50-foot wide area north of Lot 5 shall be dedicated as public street right-of-way and provision shall be made for a cul-de-sac street.

 

Claims:   Approve the following claims for payment:

 

Fund

Description

PAYABLES

PAYROLL

Totals

100

General

$38,151.99

$113,805.21

$151,957.20

230

Wisc DVL/RVL

0.83

0.00

0.83

410

Tax Increment Financing

1,382.95

0.00

1,382.95

450

Capital Projects

5,384.63

0.00

5,384.63

610

Sewer

4,687.59

8,521.69

13,209.28

620

Parking Utility

1,352.12

776.94

2,129.06

630

Ambulance

5,298.24

1,849.84

7,148.08

870

SCBP

0.08

0.00

0.08

 

    TOTALS

$56,258.43

$124,953.68

$181,212.11

 

Appointment of additional Election Inspectors:  Approve the appointment of the following citizens as City of Hudson Election Inspectors through December of 2004: Gregg A. Rocheford, 2207 White Pine Road, Donald I. Gilbertson, 1402 Third Street, and Beverly Radermacher    ,1702 Hunter Hill Road.

 

Determine dates for Fall Leaf Collection Program:  Approve the Fall Leaf Collection Program, with advertisement in the Hudson Star Observer and notification cards mailed out to the City residents, for the following dates:

 

     Saturdays       Oct. 23, 30 &  Nov. 6      8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

     Tuesdays        Oct. 26 & Nov. 2                Noon to 7:00 p.m.

     Wednesdays      Oct. 27 & Nov. 3           Noon to 7:00 p.m.

     Thursdays       Oct. 28 & Nov. 4           Noon to 7:00 p.m.

       

REPORTS OF CITY OFFICIALS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS:  To place on file the

quarterly reports of the Wastewater Superintendent and St. Croix E.M.S. Chief, and the Public Utility Commission minutes of 9/14/04, and Hudson Area Advisory Joint Fire Board minutes of 9/8/04

 

Roll call vote, all ayes (6) – MOTION CARRIED.

 

Conditional Use Permit for freestanding signage by EPH Co./SSG Corp at the Prairie View Center, 800 Carmichael Road, northeast quadrant of Carmichael Road and Vine Street/CTH UU:  Dennis Darnold explained that a condition for annexation of the parcel on the northeast quadrant of Carmichael Road and Vine Street/CTH UU was that the property owners must get a Conditional Use Permit to erect freestanding signage.  He stated that the purpose of that condition was to allow the City to review the proposed signage, due to the close proximity of residential properties to the south of Vine Street/CTH UU.  He reported that the proposed sign area is 10 feet by 16 feet, 7 inches, however the Plan Commission recommended restricting the signage to 135 square feet, and EFH Co./SSG has agreed to that limitation and to not exceed the height as proposed in the application. 

 

Bill Wanner, representing EFH Co./SSG Corporation, reported that the sign design was chosen so that floodlights would not cascade light over the general area.  He noted that the sign height would be lowered and that vacant areas in the signage would be masked with color or blocked out.  Mr. Wanner anticipated that a timer would be placed on the lighting, and the sign would be facing south and north with landscape plants surrounding.  MOTION by Radermacher, second by O’Connell, to approve a Conditional Use Permit for Prairie View Center at 800 Carmichael Road for a freestanding sign not to exceed 135 square feet in total size, and not to exceed 16 feet, 7 inches in height.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED. 

 

Final development plans  for 21,670 square foot addition for warehousing     and truck storage at 3011 Enloe Street – Valley Cartage & Warehousing:   Dennis Darnold reviewed in detail various aspects of the additions proposed for the Valley Cartage warehouse facility.  He reported that all concerns were fully addressed with the exception of revisions to the landscaping.  Mr. Darnold noted that the Plan Commission recommended approval.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Radermacher, to approve the Final Development Plans for the 21,670 square foot addition to Valley Cartage and Warehousing at 3011 Enloe Street, with the condition that the landscape plans are revised to provide for six additional overstory trees.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Final development plans for 5,776 square foot auto detail shop at 1400       Gateway Circle, Alex Cavalier/Five Star Auto Detail:  dennis Darnold reported that the facility plans have been modified to include only the detail shop.  He noted that the base bid alternative included a 3,516 square foot building plus parking, and Phase II included an attached building of 2,260 square feet plus parking.  Mr. Darnold stated that the developer was seeking approval for the base bid and Phase II of the development.  He noted that the Phase II building might be converted to a car wash in the future, and the plans would need to be reviewed at that time.  Mr. Darnold also noted that the shop would be located west of Menard’s and the engineering plans would need to be revised and resubmitted.  He suggested two contingencies needed to be added to any motion to approve: 1) the Building Permit would not be issued until the City has reviewed the engineer’s revised plans, and 2) to enter into an Agreement to replace a driveway over a water utility line that has not yet been addressed.

 

 MOTION by Radermacher, second by O’Malley, to approve the Final Development Plans for Five Star Auto Detail at 1400 Gateway Circle, with plan amendments per the City Engineer and Fire Inspector recommendations, and with the requirement that the Building Permit not be issued until the City has reviewed the revised plans, and until an Easement Agreement for replacement of the driveway over the water main has been signed and recorded.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED.

 

Sidewalk Replacement Program Special Assessments – Final Resolution No. 11-04:  Lyle H. Mickschl, 1531 Frear Street, reported that he did not believe it was necessary to replace the entire 40 feet of curb along his property.  In addition, he stated he was on a fixed income and would find it very difficult to pay this cost.  Public Works Superintendent Jim Eulberg reported that mill and overlay will take place on Frear Street in the future, and it is important for the City to bring the curb and gutters up to the proper levels.  He suggested that the area could be reviewed and perhaps part of the cost could be borne by the City.

 

Tom Peterson, 626 Vine Street, questioned why he was being assessed, as there were no other houses on Vine Street in the Replacement Program at this time.  He also questioned why all the homes on Sixth Street were not included in the list. 

 

MOTION by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to suspend the rules toward adoption of Final Resolution No. 11-04.  MOTION CARRIED.  Discussion was held regarding giving the Public Works Superintendent/Engineer discretion to add or remove parcels that need to be corrected on the Assessment Roll. Discussion was also held concerning the Vine Street properties that appeared to have been omitted in the Preliminary Resolution, however, all parcels affected were included in the Assessment Roll.  MOTION AMENDED by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to also approve amending Preliminary Resolution 9-04 to include the omitted portions of Vine Street between Sixth and Eighth Streets.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Riedel, to adopt the following:

 

RESOLUTION NO. 11-04

FINAL RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING 2004 SIDEWALK,

CURB AND GUTTER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

(Copy on file in Clerk’s office)

 

MOTION CARRIED.

 

Purchase of two additional room-darkening shades for Council Chambers:  MOTION by O’Malley, second by O’Connell, to recommend that the Hudson/North Hudson Community Access Board purchase two additional room darkening shades for the Council Chambers in City Hall.  Mayor Breault stated that he believed this was strictly a cable TV related expense that benefited only the cable television viewers and did not benefit the City as a whole.  Koch stated that she has attended a number of meetings at City Hall in which it was difficult to view the presentations due to the light filtering in through the south-facing windows.  She disagreed with Mayor Breault’s comments, noting that she believed they would benefit people who use the Council Chambers in addition to the viewers of cable television Channel 15.  Koch suggested a compromise that the City would pay for one shade to be placed on the eastern-most window on the south side in the Council Chambers.  MOTION AMENDED by O’Malley and second by O’Connell, to approve the City’s purchase of one additional room-darkening shade for the eastern-most window on the south side of the Council Chambers, at a cost of $269, plus $10 for installation, from Ellner’s Closet and Window Treatments.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Holiday Dinner for City Employees:  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to approve the Holiday Dinner for City employees and spouses, and Council members and spouses, to be held Friday, December 3rd at the Hudson Golf Club, in the approximate amount of $2,500, and provide $200 for door prizes and $20 gift certificates for Police Officers on duty during the dinner.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED.

 

Review bids received for Proehl’s Trail Improvements Project:  motion by O’Malley, second by Radermacher, to reject all bids received for the Proehl’s Trail Improvements Project.  Mayor Breault stated he and Jim Eulberg would review the project to seek alternative solutions for improving the street.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

     FUEL BIDS FOR THE PERIOD 9/21/04 TO 8/31/05:FUEL BIDS FOR THE PERIOD 9/21/04 TO 8/31/05:  MOTION by Radermacher, second by O’Connell, to reject the bid from Consolidated Energy Coop and direct that the Clerk advertise again and mail out information for new fuel bids.  Discussion revealed that since only one bid was received, the City would like to secure at least two bids before making a final decision.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Bids for Refuse Contract for the period 1/1/05 to 12/31/09:  O’Malley thanked Debbie Andrews for her excellent work with the Refuse Contract Request for Proposals and the vendor contacts.  He reported that in working with the Village of North Hudson and Town of Hudson, it became apparent that it was difficult for any of the refuse companies to provide any savings through a joint contract, due to the differences in the needs of each municipality.  He stated that the City was able to negotiate lower costs for City residents. 

 

O’Malley reported that solid waste bag stickers would be lowered from $1.50 to $1.00 each, and container costs per month would be $8.35 for the 35-gallon size, $9.59 for the 65-gallon size, and $11.11 for the 96-gallon size.  He pointed out that the price was reduced for all three sizes of containers, and noted that the billings would continue to be sent on a quarterly basis.  O’Malley also explained that customers could change to a different size of container at the end of the calendar year;  if they change mid-contract, there would be a small fee. 

 

MOTION by O’Malley, second by Radermacher, to approve the Refuse/Recycling Contract with Onyx Waste Service for the period 1/1/05 through 12/31/09, with monthly rates at $8.35 for the 35-gallon size, $9.59 for the 65-gallon size, and $11.11 for the 96-gallon size, and solid waste bag stickers at $1.00 each and yard waste bag stickers at $2.50 each.  A question was raised regarding leaf pickup.  It was reported that the Leaf Collection Program is through a separate contract and was not part of the refuse contract.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED.

 

Replacement of City Hall doors:  o’malley noted that while the current City Hall entrance doors are very attractive, they are showing signs of age and are in need of replacement.  The proposal is to replace the doors with anodized aluminum doors in a complementary color.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to approve the bid of $11,435.00 from Classic Glass & Mirror, Inc., River Falls, WI for entrance doors for City Hall at 505 Third Street and 221 Walnut Street, to be charged to the Capital Improvement Fund.  In discussion it was noted that the door on the north side of the building was a separate issue and would be replaced in the future.  All ayes, MOTION CARRIED.

 

Heating maintenance proposal for Public Works garages – Honeywell:  jim Eulberg briefly reviewed the benefits of using a maintenance contract for the heating in the Public Works garages.  He noted that both facilities have older furnaces, and through the maintenance contract, priority service would be provided for emergencies that might occur.  The service would also keep the furnaces operating as efficiently as possible, given the age of the equipment.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Radermacher, to approve the Service Agreement with Honeywell Building Solutions, Edina, MN for Flex Coverage Maintenance for Public Works Buildings, at a cost of $2,376.00 from the 2005 budget.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Consider enforcement and/or amendments to Municipal Code, Chapter 176 - pertaining to obnoxious weeds and grasses:  Compliance Officer Dave Krupich reported that in previous years the City has cut the grass on parcels that contain obnoxious weeds when the owners have not complied with the City Code.  He explained that this is a burden for the Public Works staff, and also inquired whether the Code needed to be changed to provide more specific direction. 

 

Attorney Munkittrick reaffirmed that the notice is first issued by the Compliance Officer, followed with action by the City, if and when needed, and the billing sent to the homeowner if they have not complied with the notice.  She stated that she did not believe the Municipal Code needed to be amended, however a penalty procedure and billing procedures may need to be addressed.  O’Malley suggested that possibly summer help could be utilized, if available.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to direct that Chapter 176 of Municipal Code remain unchanged. 

 

Koch brought forth issues regarding land management plans and other wooded areas throughout the City.  She stated that she believed the code does not legally describe those areas adequately.  Compliance Officer Dave Krupich noted that most complaints involved drainage ponds and such matters.  Mayor Breault referenced the dog track and the many weeds that have sprouted up on the property.  Ayes (5); No – Koch.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

Comforts of Home/Park Dedication Fees – Rothstein:  Parks Superintendent Dan Roeglin reported that the assisted living units would be used for persons with Alzheimer’s disease.  He noted that the proposal was to charge half of the residential park user fees for the facility, and that if the facility was converted to another use in the future, the issue would be reviewed.  MOTION by Radermacher, second by O’Malley, to approve reducing the Park User Fees for the Comforts of Home facility to 50% of the residential rate, with the issue to be reviewed again if the facility is converted to another use in the future.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

UPDATE ON PROJECTS:  Mayor Breault inquired if Council members had any questions concerning Mr. Postler’s report.   None were asked.  Mayor Breault requested Council members to take the time to view the retaining wall that has been completed as part of Phase I of the First Street Parking Project.  He also suggested that the Parks Department might consider using this same type of block to raise the seawall along Lakefront Park to help retain the floodwaters in the future.

 

     Consider vacating the west 33 feet of Rock Street right-of-way between Harvey Street and Enloe Street in St. Croix Business Park – Resolution No. 7-04:  Dennis Darnold reported that he and Attorney Munkittrick had conferred on the vacating of a portion of the Rock Street right-of-way, and he requested a delay to allow time for additional issues to be resolved.  This matter will be placed on a future agenda. 

 

Appointment to Board of Zoning Appeals:  Mayor Breault announced his appointment of John Ponath to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  MOTION by O’Malley, second by Laatsch, to confirm the appointment of John Ponath, 1101 Grandview Drive, as second alternate to the Board of Zoning Appeals for the remainder of the three-year term through April of 2007.  MOTION CARRIED.

 

     COMMUNICATIONS:  Administrator Devin Willi provided a brief update on insurance coverage.  Clerk Dotseth noted that 821 voters participated in the September 14th primary election.  She also noted that the City and the Town of Hudson, as a joint project, would provide special days for voter registration on Wednesday, October 6th from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 21st from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, October 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  This early registration would help voters save time when voting at the November election.

 

MOTION by O’Malley, second by Radermacher, to adjourn the meeting.  Meeting adjourned at 8:03 p.m.  MOTION CARRIED. 

 

Patricia A. Dotseth, 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 sent forth therein.

 

Jack D. Breault, Mayor