SUNFISH LAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETING – APRIL 2, 2019

7:00 P.M. - ST. ANNE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Attendants:

Mayor: Dan O’Leary

Councilmembers: Mike Hovey, JoAnne Wahlstrom, Steven Bulach and Shari Hansen

City Attorney: Tim Kuntz

City Planner: Ryan Grittman

City Engineer: Brandon Movall

City Treasurer: Ann Lanoue

Building Inspector: Mike Andrejka
City Forester: Jim Nayes
Police Chief: Manila Shaver

City Clerk: Cathy Iago

and Members of the General Public.

1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor O’Leary opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.

2. APPROVE AGENDA: Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any additions or corrections to the agenda. He requested an item be added Under N/Other Business as 8.h. City of Inver Grove Heights Bond Request to Minnesota State Legislature for $6 million dollars for the realignment of Argenta Trail with Amana Trail and the future alignment of 65^th Street in anticipation of an interchange at Argenta Trail and I-494 and the expansion from two-lanes to 4-lanes of Hwy 26, known as 70^th Street, from the border of Eagan.

Mayor O’ Leary moved to add item 8.h. as presented, seconded by Councilmember Wahlstrom and carried. (5-0)

The Mayor asked if there were any further additions and there was no response.

Councilmember Hovey moved to adopt the agenda as amended, seconded by Councilmember Bulach and carried. (5-0)

3. CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any questions or comments relating to any items on the Consent Agenda. He asked Chief Shaver to explain the incident listed as “Damage to Property” in his report.

Chief Shaver explained that a mailbox was damaged by the snowplow contractor.

Mayor O’Leary referred to the check received from the Northern Dakota County Cable Commission in the amount of $1,683.17 for franchise fees. He asked the City Treasurer what the City does with these fees.

Treasurer Lanoue explained that the fees are placed in the City’s General Fund and that there is no specific designated use. She commented that the funds could be used to update the City website.

Mayor O’Leary noted that in 1994 the Cable Commission encouraged cities to earmark the funds for cable purposes.

Treasurer Lanoue pointed out that since the City does not broadcast the Council meetings on cable TV, the funds could be used to provide information that relates to Council actions to residents on the website.

The Mayor agreed and commented that in future years the funds could also be used for ongoing maintenance of the website.

The Mayor asked if there were any other questions from Council or staff.

Forester Nayes explained that he brought three photos of trees that are infected with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) near Delaware Avenue and Highway 62. He noted there are also infestations in other areas of the City that he had shown on a City map. He stated that it would be a few years until all infected trees would be identified. He advised that if an Ash tree is on residential property and holds some significance to the property owner, it would be wise to attempt to treat the tree at this time. He stated that if the treatments are not started soon, it would not be possible to save the tree.

Councilmember Bulach stated it was his understanding that the hard freeze and cold weather had killed the EAB.

Forester Nayes explained that it was not cold enough for long enough to kill the infestation.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any further comments.

Treasurer Lanoue distributed the City’s Annual Financial Report and advised that she had submitted the report to the State Auditor’s office prior to April 1st as required by law. She noted that she also published the 2019 Budget Summary report and the 2019 Financial Summary in the SouthWest Review as required.

Mayor O’Leary asked if the City financial reports are listed on the City website.

Councilmember Hovey explained that the reports are listed on the City website monthly as part of the Council agenda.

The Mayor asked if there were any further comments and there was no response.

Councilmember Wahlstrom moved approval of the Consent Agenda as presented, seconded by Councilmember Hovey and carried. (5-0)

a. Regular Council Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2019

b. List of Bills

c. Monthly Financials

d. Receive Building Inspector Report

e. Receive Forester Report

f. Receive Public Safety Report.

4. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: The Mayor asked if there were any comments from the public.

Shannon Werb, 2165 Charlton Road, explained that he viewed abandoned vehicles on the south side of Delaware Avenue and he asked what could be done to remove them. He advised that the vehicles are located on the property of the first home on the south side of Delaware Avenue.

Planner Grittman explained that vehicles that are unlicensed cannot be kept on residential property.

Chief Shaver stated he could have a police officer stop by the home and talk to the residents. He asked Mr. Werb to call him with the information.

Planner Grittman stated he could also send a letter to the property owner to advise them that the City Code does not allow parking of unlicensed or inoperable vehicles on residential property.

Council concurred to direct the Police Chief to review the vehicles on the property and to contact the Planner with the information, and further directed the Planner to draft a letter to the property owner advising them that the vehicles must be removed if they are unlicensed or inoperable.

Mr. Werb thanked Council for their consideration of his request.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any further comments from the public.

Ibby Hammett, 2196 Charlton Road, asked if the current outlet on Sunfish Lake has a control valve that regulates the water flow and, if not, would the new outlet have a control valve installed.

Brandon Movall explained that the current outlet has no control value, however the new outlet would have a control valve with the capacity to regulate the water flow.

Ms. Hammet explained that the water is currently coming out from the outlet at full blast and if the outlet was currently open halfway she had concerns as to what would happen if the outlet is totally opened. She advised that she had spent a lot of time trying to curb the flow away from her property. She asked if Dakota County would clean up the right-of-way between her property and the Braun’s property adjacent to her parcel.

Engineer Movall advised that Ms. Hammett should contact Engineer Sandberg by email to advise him of the property condition and ask if he would contact Dakota County to determine if they would be cleaning the right-of-way adjacent to those parcels.

Ms. Hammett stated she would contact Engineer Sandberg.

The Mayor asked if there were any further comments from the public and there was no response.

5. PUBLIC HEARING/PRESENTATIONS: a. Public Hearing to Review the City’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program Plan (SWPPP) & National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): Mayor O’Leary opened the meeting for the purpose of conducting the City’s annual Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program Plan (SWPPP) and the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) hearing and asked the City Engineer to present the information.

Environmental Specialist Meghan Litsey from WSB distributed information and explained that as part of the MS4 permitting process the City must conduct a meeting annually to educate residents on water quality issues, to review the City’s SWPPP Best Management Practices (BMPs), and to receive comments from the public on the City’s MS4 program. She stated that National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) monitors the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and the program includes municipal operations, construction sites and industrial activities. She stated that stormwater runoff is the leading source of water pollution due to the fact that it flows across surfaces and picks up trash, debris and pollutants. She advised that the focus is to ensure that storm water runoff is clean and that streets and ditches remain free of debris, litter, pesticides, and grass clippings. She explained the annual meeting is to educate residents and receive their comments prior to submitting the annual report to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

Ms. Litsey stated that the MS4 Program consists of 6 minimum control measure as listed on page 2 of the informational report she distributed and the City’s achievements include an annual meeting, the Arbor Day Green Fair, Newsletter and website articles and collaboration with Dakota SWCD (Blue Thumb Workshops). She noted that no illicit discharges were discovered in 2018 and there were no new projects in the City greater than one acre. She advised that the current MS4 permit expired in July, 2018and the City had submitted Part 1 of a two-part application in January 2018. She explained that the 2018-2019 objectivess include maintaining the existing program, MS4 inspections, monitoring for illicit discharges and monitoring construction projects. She noted that additional information on the program may be found on the MPCA MS4 website and the Dakota County SWCD website and that both were included in her informational materials.

Ms. Litsey advised that the current permit had expired and the Engineering staff was waiting to hear from the State of Minnesota regarding if anything must be done to reinstate the MS4 Permit.

Mayor O’Leary asked how the City proceeds with the State on the permit process.

Ms. Litsey explained that the City must wait for notification from the MPCA on the next steps to move forward with the permit.

Mayor O’Leary commented that most of the City properties are on well and septic systems, therefore, the City does not have a traditional storm water collection system.

Ms. Litsey explained that although the City does not have the usual storm water collection system, there are some properties within the City that have the traditional storm water system hookups and the City needs to manage those properties. She also noted that those storm sewer pipes along with culverts and ditches are included as part of the system.

Mayor O’Leary asked if the City should be checking the ditches and culverts as mentioned earlier by Ibby Hammett.

Ms. Litsey explained that the City staff annually conducts inspections of culverts and ditches to insure they are working properly.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any further comments from the public and, hearing none, closed the public hearing.

Council thanked Ms. Litsey for her presentation.

6. PLANNING COMMISSION/PLANNER’S REPORT: a. Consider Major Site and Building Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit, 357 Salem Church Road, Ozzie & Shannon Nelson: Planner Grittman explained that the applicants are proposing to construct a home addition greater than 1, 000 sq. ft. and a swimming pool on the property located at 357 Salem Church Road. He noted that a Conditional Use Permit is required in order to construct a third accessory structure on the property, which would be the swimming pool.

The Planner advised that a public hearing was held at the Planning Commission meeting in March, and the Commission recommended approval of the Major Site and Building Plans and the Conditional Use Permit, subject to the conditions as listed in the proposed resolution. He noted that the Planning Commission recommended two (2) additional conditions be included as follows: 1) The septic area shall enclosed and separated from the rest of the job site with silt fencing and/or erosion wattles; and, 2) The stock pile area in the septic area be enclosed with a separate silt fence.

Planner Grittman explained that the applicants had updated the plans on March 13, 2019 just prior to the Planning meeting, and the proposed resolution distributed this evening includes all the conditions that were recommended by the Planning Commission as well as the recommended approval of the metal roof material. He further noted that there were no negative comments from the public or the Commissioners relating to the proposed plan.

Councilmember Bulach asked the Planner to identify the other accessory structures on the property.

Planner Grittman advised that the property contains a tennis court and a detached garage. He noted the home was built in the 1920’s, therefore, he was unsure if those two structures required Conditional Use Permits.

Councilmember Hovey asked if there was an alternative septic system on site and, if so, where it was located.

Planner Grittman advised the alternate septic system site was located just past the tennis courts on the property.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any further questions or comments and there was no response.

Councilmember Bulach moved to adopt Resolution No. 19-10 titled, RESOLUTION APPROVING A MAJOR SITE AND BUILDING PLAN AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 357 SALEM CHURCH ROAD, SUNFISH LAKE, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA, subject to conditions as listed, seconded by Councilmember Hansen and carried (5-0)

b. Planner’s Report: Planner Grittman reviewed the following information listed in his report dated March 27, 2019 and stated that an application was received for the property at 2150 Charlton Road for a Major Site and Building Plan Review and that the applicant proposes a tear down and rebuild of the home on the site. He noted that the applicant may have changes to the plan and therefore, review of the application by the Planning Commission may be delayed until May.

The Planner advised that staff also anticipates an application for a Major Site and Building Plan Review for property located at 1 Sunfish Lane which would include a demolition of the existing home and construction of a new home on the property. He stated this application would also most likely be heard by the Commission in May, and presented for Council action at their regular meeting in June.

Council thanked the Planner for his report.

7. CITY ENGINEER REPORT: 1. Engineering Activities Undertaken in March: A. Discussion with Fire Chief Regarding Bumps Outs and “No Parking” on Charlton Road and Consider Resolution Designating Charlton Road as a “Fire Lane” and Prohibiting Parking Along the Entire Road: Engineer Brandon Movall introduced himself and explained that Engineer Sandberg was on vacation and he would review the Engineer’s report dated April 2, 2019. He explained that this item was tabled from the March Council meeting in order for Fire Chief Dreeland to attend the meeting and provide his input relating to the proposed parking regulations for Charlton Road. He referred to the staff report from Engineer Sandberg dated February 27, 2019 that outlined previous discussion of this matter.

Fire Chief Dreelan explained that he had provided his concerns on the parking situation as they relate to the narrow width of Charlton Road and how parking would impede fire trucks being able to set up equipment to fight a fire if parking were allowed. He stated that he was present this evening to respond to questions from Council or residents.

Mayor O’Leary explained that he originally had asked staff to consider allowing “permit” parking along the road for special events. However, the City Engineer pointed out that the City was unable to obtain easements to widen the road to accommodate such parking and that the narrow width was due to the fact the City was forced to keep the road improvements within the prescriptive easement areas. He further explained that the Fire Chief advised that the State Fire Code requires the road width be no less than 20 ft. for emergency situations and that would not be attainable if parking were allowed on the road. He pointed out that the City cannot violate the State Fire Code regulations and asked the Fire Chief to designate the entire road as a “No Parking – Fire Lane” so that no parking is allowed along the length of the road. He referred to a diagram that the Fire Chief had submitted which showed how the Fire Department brings in a container of water that is placed on the road in order to fight fires, since the City does not have fire hydrants, hence the need to maintain the 20 ft. roadway at all times.

The Mayor explained that residents will need to tell lawn maintenance providers that they are not able to park on the street. He further noted that if residents are having an event at their home, they may be able to contact either St. Anne’s Church or Bethel Church and ask if they may be able to use their parking lots for special events if a donation is made to the church. He thanked staff for their input and encouraged residents to use creativity to find solutions to the parking issues for events and for lawn maintenance at their homes.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any comments from Council or the audience and there was no response. He thanked Fire Chief Dreelan for his attendance.

Councilmember Wahlstrom moved to adopt Resolution No. 19-11 titled RESOLUTION PROHIBITING THE PARKING OF VEHICLES ON CHARLTON ROAD IN THE CITY OF SUNFISH LAKE, seconded by Councilmember Hovey and carried. (5-0)

B. Consider Authorizing City’s Participation in the 2019 CAMP Program: Engineer Movall explained that staff is requesting approval to continue participation in the Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP) for the three lakes within the City. He noted that the cost is $380 per lake and that the three (3) volunteers had agreed to continue monitoring the lakes this year.

The Mayor asked if there were any questions or comments and there was no response.

Councilmember Hovey moved to authorize the City’s participation in the 2019 CAMP Program at a cost of $380 per lake for Sunfish Lake, Hornbeam Lake and Horseshoe Lake, seconded by Councilmember Hansen and carried. (5-0)

C. SWPPP Public Hearing: The annual SWPPP public hearing was conducted earlier in the meeting.

2. Building and Site review in the Month of March: A. 357 Salem Church Road: Staff recommended approval of the 357 Salem Church Road work for the March 20 Planning Commission meeting.

B. 2150 Charlton Road and 1 Sunfish Lane: Staff received a formal proposal for the work at 2150 Charlton Road and is working on a response for the April Planning meeting. Staff anticipates a formal proposal for the property at 1 Sunfish Lane in the future for review.

3. Public Works Activities Undertaken in the Month of March: A. Spring Load Limits: Engineer Movall stated that the Spring Load Limit signs were set in place by Forester Nayes along the applicable roads in the City. He explained that anyone requesting to exceed the posted load limits must obtain an application for a permit to do so from the City Engineer.

Councilmember Hovey asked if a copy of the application could be sent to him for posting on the City website and Engineer Movall agreed to do so.

B. Charlton Road Washout and Sunfish Lake Outlet Closed: Engineer Movall explained that staff received an email and a phone call from two (2) residents regarding water running over Charlton Road that resulted in a washout of the roadway. He stated that the West St Paul Police also contacted staff to discuss their concerns relating to the washout and that Forester Nayes placed sandbags in front of the Sunfish Lake outlet which should effectively block the flow until the downstream culverts thaw out. He further advised that the City’s Snow Plowing contractor brought a couple loads of Class 5 road base and leveled out the areas that had washed away. He thanked Forester Nayes for his assistance.

C. Snow Plowing/Roadway Maintenance: The Engineer explained that the snow plowing invoices were received for February and March and that the City remains within the current budget for this purpose. He stated that staff will continue to work with the contractor to evaluate roadways for condition and need of salting and sanding throughout the month and that any roadway concerns should be reported to the snowplowing email on the website.

4. Anticipated Engineering and Public Works Activities for April: A. 2020-2024 CIP Update: Engineer Movall stated that staff would be preparing the draft of the 2020-2024 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Council review at their May meeting. He noted that the goal is to approve the CIP update at the August Council meeting to help establish infrastructure priorities and assist with budgeting of City resources for the upcoming year.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any questions.

Councilmember Bulach explained that Mr. Werb had indicated that he may wish to make changes to his driveway when the Charlton Road improvement project is undertaken and he asked what would happen to the driveway aprons that do not match with the proposed improvements.

Engineer Movall explained that the contractor for the project would bring the road to the existing grade during the project. However, if a resident wishes to make changes, it would be appropriate to talk to the contractor before the project begins to discuss the matter. He noted that the contractor may charge the homeowner an additional fee for such changes.

Mr. Werb stated he planned to make adjustments to his driveway and that he would be willing to work with the contractor if it is feasible.

Engineer Movall suggested that Mr. Werb contact Engineer Sandberg as soon as possible so that he can provide the information necessary to begin conversation with the contractor for the project.

Councilmember Bulach asked if there is a contact person that property owners could call at this time to discuss such changes in advance and if there is a start date for the project.

Engineer Movall explained that there would be a pre-construction meeting where such items could be discussed with the contractor and that he is unsure if an official start date had been determined at this time. He noted that Engineer Sandberg should have the information and that residents should email him as soon as possible.

Councilmember Bulach pointed out that some driveway openings are “pretty tight” and asked if the City had a maximum width for the driveway apron.

Planner Grittman stated he was unsure about the driveway width regulations and offered to review the City Code and report to the City Engineer.

The Mayor asked if there were any further questions and there was no response.

Council thanked the Engineer for his report.

8. NEW/OTHER BUSINESS: a. Consider Approval of Sale of $995,000 General Obligation Improvement Bonds, Series 2019A Relating to City Project No. 2018-01 (Charlton Road Improvements) and City Project No. 2018-02 (Sunfish Lake Outlet Improvements): Financial Advisor Steve Apfelbacher was present and distributed the Sale Day Report for the $995,000 General Obligation Improvement Bonds, Series 2019A sale dated April 2, 2019. He referred to page 2 of the report and explained that the projected True Interest Cost (TIC) was 3.1%, however, the negotiated bid for the TIC would be 2.72%, which would result in a cost savings of over $21,000 in less interest and a tax levy savings of $1,500 less per year. He further noted that the City would be able to pre-pay the bonds in five (5) years.

Mr. Apfelbacher recommended that Council adopt the proposed resolution providing for the issuance and sale of $995,000 General Obligation Improvement Bonds, Series 2019A to Banker’s Bank as outlined in the resolution.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any questions and there was no response.

Councilmember Bulach moved to adopt Resolution No. 19-12 titled RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF $995,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION IMPROVEMENT BONDS, SERIES 2019A to Banker’s Bank as outlined in the resolution, seconded by Councilmember Hovey and carried. (5-0)

b. Consider Approval of Agreement with Ehlers Investment Partners for Investment of Bond Proceeds: Treasurer Lanoue explained that the proposed agreement with Ehlers Investment Partners would authorize an additional depository which would be used for investment of bond proceeds. The agreement would allow the City to wire funds to the Wells Fargo checking account for payment of project construction costs. The agreement would designate the City Clerk and City Treasurer as signees with the authority to move money or sign checks on behalf of the City.

Mayor O’Leary questioned the anticipated interest rates.

Mr. Apfelbacher explained they would be 20 basis points ahead of regular banks.

Treasurer Lanoue explained that this service would be used for the proceeds from 2019A Improvement Bonds, which were approved this evening and that she would add Ehlers Investment Partners to the list of City Depositories if Council approves the request.

The Mayor asked if there were any further questions and there was no response.

Councilmember Wahlstrom moved to approve the agreement between the City of Sunfish Lake and Ehlers Investment Partners and direct the City Treasurer to add the company as a designated City Depository, seconded by Councilmember Hansen and carried. (5-0)

c. Consider Resolution Adopting Post-Issuance Debt Compliance Policy for Tax-Exempt and Tax-Advantaged Governmental Bonds: Mr. Apfelbacher explained that the Internal Revenue Service requires the City to adhere to arbitrage rules and to take certain actions after bond issuance to ensure that interest on those bonds remains in compliance with their regulations. He advised that the proposed resolution provides the procedures to move forward with the bond proceeds and insures they cannot be used for private purposes. He recommended Council adopt the resolution as presented.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any questions and there was no response.

Councilmember Hovey moved to adopt Resolution No. 19-13 titled RESOLUTION ADOPTING POST-ISSUANCE DEBT COMPLIANCE POLICY FOR TAX-EXEMPT AND TAX-ADVANTAGED GOVERNMENTAL BONDS, seconded by Councilmember Hansen and carried. (5-0)

d. Discussion of City Website: Mayor O’Leary explained that he and members of the Welcome Committee had met with Joanna Foote, the City of Eagan’s Communications Director, to discuss an update to the Sunfish Lake City website. He noted that Joanna explained that some cities, including small cities, were being sued for the lack of ADA compliance on their websites. He advised that the group discussed updates to the website that would allow residents to “opt in” by voluntarily providing their email address in order to receive important notices regarding road conditions, City events, etc.

The Mayor explained that the Welcome Committee plans to greet twenty (20) new residents who recently moved into the City and discussed the possibility of eventually visiting all residential properties to talk with residents about any concerns they may have and to encourage them to use the website to get information.

Mayor O’Leary advised that there are numerous website vendors available, however, Joanna recommended a website designer who charges $70 per hour. He stated that in his opinion that would be a reasonable charge to update the website. He explained that the Welcome Committee would discuss the matter and make a formal recommendation to Council in the future. He commented that the initial website update cost may be $3,000, however, given the size of Sunfish Lake, the annual updates may be approximately $1,600. He indicated that it may be possible to use the cable franchise fees for this purpose.

The Mayor explained that he contacted the City Attorney to discuss the hiring of a website designer and the Attorney advised that a Request for Proposal (RFP) or soliciting of bids would not be necessary since it is not a large expenditure. The Mayor also noted that he contacted the Treasurer and she advised that there were surplus funds from the 2019 Budget that could be used for this purpose.

Mayor O’Leary introduced Jeannine Nayes and Pamela Bennett, who were present this evening, and also thanked Gretchen Funk, all of whom serve on the Welcome Committee.

Jeannine Nayes reviewed the results of the Sunfish Lake Website Survey that was recently sent to all residents and explained that she received 48 responses. She distributed copies of the survey results to Council.

Attorney Kuntz asked for an explanation on “Opt In” information.

Mayor O’Leary explained that once the website update is completed, residents would have the option to register their email address and cell phone number if they wish to receive information from the City on road conditions, City events, or other items of interest. He stated that this would be optional for all residents and not mandated.

Mayor O’Leary thanked Jeannine for her presentation and stated that no formal action was necessary at this time.

e. Consider Ordinance Amendment for Re-Titling Section 1216.11 from “Refuse” to “Refuse/Trash Containers”: Mayor O’Leary explained that he received a complaint from a resident and then had difficulty finding the regulations for Trash Container storage while searching the City Ordinance book. He described how he eventually found the section of the City Code that regulates trash containers, but he preferred to make it easier to locate such information in the future. He pointed out that when the City Code of Ordinances is linked to the website it should be “word” sensitive and easier to search for the information. He stated that in an effort to make it easier to find regulations on trash containers, he recommended changing the title of the ordinance section that lists those regulations.

Planner Grittman explained that if a person hits “Ctrl F” they are able to search any document.

Councilmember Hovey agreed and noted that once the ordinances are linked on the website a search would be easier than looking through a book.

Mayor O’Leary asked the Planner to include an additional column in future Zoning Code updates that makes it easier to find the section numbers when searching for regulations.

Planner Grittman advised that he asked his office assistant to make the update as requested by the Mayor.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any questions regarding the proposed ordinance with the title change and there was no response.

Mayor O’Leary moved that as part of integrating ordinances into the City Code, the Council approves the decision of the City Administrator and City Attorney to change the title reference of Section 1216.11 of the City Zoning Code to read: SECTION 1216.11 REFUSE – TRASH CONTAINERS, seconded by Councilmember Hansen and carried (5-0)

Councilmember Bulach commented that in his opinion there is a lot of wasted paper distributed at the meetings and explained that at other board meetings he has attended the group uses an I-Pad to review the information. He stated that it saves time and reduces paper and mailing costs.

Councilmember Hovey noted that there was previous discussion on cost savings for mailing and printing items.

Chief Shaver explained that West St. Paul Council uses I-Pads and he offered to explore the costs if Council was interested.

Mayor O’Leary explained his concern relates to electronic filing of information and noted that it may save money, but it would take substantial time to do so.

Clerk Iago suggested that staff could email the reports to Council for their review and then bring copies to the meeting to reduce the mailing costs.

In discussion, Council concurred that this would be a first step to help reduce costs associated with distributing the agenda materials and that they would review the process in a few months to determine if it is working.

Council concurred to direct staff to email their reports to Council and staff prior to the Council meetings in order to save the mailing costs and to bring copies to the meeting for distribution.

f. Other: Discussion of Inver Grove Heights Bonding Request to State Legislature: Mayor O’Leary explained that he had attended the Dakota County Legislative Breakfast meeting and saw information relating to the City of Inver Grove Heights request for Bonds in the amount of $6 million dollars from the State Legislature for the realignment of Argenta Trail with Amana Trail and the future alignment of 65^th Street in anticipation of a an interchange at Argenta Trail and I-494 and the expansion from two-lanes to four-lanes of Hwy 26 known as 70^th Street from the border of Eagan to Inver Grove Heights. He asked resident Jim Sullivan if he had any issues with traffic because he lives close to that area.

Jim Sullivan explained that a traffic survey was completed last year for Salem Church Road, however he was not aware of the results. He indicated that he had not experienced a lot of increased traffic in the area.

The Mayor advised that he wished to be pro-active about traffic issues that may affect the City and that he would continue to track the proposed bill. He noted that the City of Eagan did not include the adjacent cities when they reviewed traffic impacts related to the new Viking facility. He asked staff to also be alert on this matter.

Pamela Bennett stated that in her opinion there was only a slight increase in traffic along Salem Church Road since the facility opened.

Clerk Iago pointed out that most of the traffic to the Viking facility would be coming from St. Paul and would use Highway 52 and 70^th Street through Inver Grove Heights or from Minneapolis using Highway 55 from Eagan.

The Mayor asked if there was any further business to discuss.

Councilmember Hansen reminded everyone to submit their donations to the Minnesota Food Share Drive or Neighbors, Inc., and to include Chief Shaver’s name so he did not get a pie in the face again this year. She noted donations would be accepted through Friday, April 5, 2019.

Mayor O’Leary asked if there was any further business and there was no response.

9. ADJOURN: Mayor O’Leary moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 p.m.

____________________________ ________________________________

Catherine Iago, City Clerk Dan O’Leary, Mayor