The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at the Hampton City Hall for the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor John Knetter; Council Members David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Nick Russell. Also present was Brad Fisher with Bolton & Menk; Marlin Reinardy, Adam Siebenaler, and Luke Nicolai.
Regular Meeting called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular Scheduled Meeting to order at 6:59 p.m.
Disclosure of Interest – None
Approval of June 11, 2024 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes – Motion by Verch seconded by Luhring to approve the June 11, 2024 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Motion by Verch seconded by Russell to approve the July disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Public Comments – Adam Siebenaler, 5402 Park St., was in attendance to talk about the need for traffic control signs. He stated that numerous residents are driving too fast, and specifically mentioned that it is a problem on Belmont Street. Mayor Knetter mentioned that this is something that has been discussed by Council in the past and that suggested changes include speed bumps and/or a stop sign.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications:
Schedule August meeting time to review budget – Mayor Knetter asked Council Members for their preference of time needed for the budget discussion. Consensus was that 30 minutes would be sufficient, so the August 20th Special Meeting to discuss the budget will begin at 6:30 pm, and the Regular Scheduled meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.
CDC Water Fluoridation Quality Award for 2022 – Mayor Knetter referred to copies of the award that were included in Council meeting packets. The award was presented to the city for maintaining the optimal level of fluoride in the city’s drinking water for 12 consecutive months in the 2022 calendar year.
Dakota County July-September 2024 City Update – Dakota County Physical Development Division (Informational – no action required) – Mayor Knetter summarized topics that were covered in the memo included in Council meeting packets.
City Clerk retirement memo – Mayor Knetter mentioned that the memo, included in Council meeting packets, indicated that the City Clerk will retire on September 5th. He thanked her for all of the hard work that she has done for the city.
City development opportunities – Mayor Knetter stated that he has been in discussions with Bolton & Menk staff regarding a potential housing development by an individual who owns property along Main St. What is proposed is that the city will partner with the landowner on the development project by having Bolton & Menk staff take charge of the project. Bolton & Menk would be working for the city, but would also be working with the developer to facilitate the coordination of the project. This will streamline the process, help to reduce costs, and allow the city to share control of the project with the landowner. The plan is for it to be a development on a smaller scale than other potential developments that have been discussed with the city by other developers.
Mayor Knetter recognized a Dakota County Deputy in attendance and asked if he had anything to report. The Deputy mentioned that, as far as law enforcement issues, July 4th was rather uneventful. The main issue faced by law enforcement lately is people driving too fast. It was mentioned by a member of the audience that speeding vehicles have been a problem in the city on Belmont, Park and Lincoln streets. The Deputy mentioned that they could do additional patrols in those areas, as well as setting up speed trailers.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
Resolution 2024-10 – Resolution Accepting Work by Killmer Electric – Water St. Lift Station Backup Generator. Brad Fisher, of Bolton & Menk, stated that the project is complete, that a payment to Killmer Electric is included in the disbursements for July, and is asking for Council approval to accept the work done by Killmer Electric. Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to approve. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees:
Engineer’s Report – Brad Fisher, of Bolton & Menk, provided an update on the Water Tower Improvement Project. Final plans and specifications are complete. The project requires a CUP before it can be approved. There will be a public hearing prior to the July 25th Planning Commission meeting to discuss the CUP application, and a recommendation will be made to Council in regard to the CUP for the August 20th City Council meeting. Also, at the August Council meeting, Fisher will be asking Council to consider approving final plans and specifications to authorize bidding. If approved, the advertisement for bids will be submitted the day after the Council meeting, with a proposed bid opening on September 18th. Bid information will then be presented at the October 8th City Council meeting.
The next item on Fisher’s report was the Lead Service Line Inventory. The Environmental Protection Agency Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require lead service line inventories to be completed for all public water systems. Inventories must be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) by July 15, 2024. Fisher mentioned that Marlin Reinardy has already done many physical inspections of residents’ water pipes, but there are still several properties requiring inspection. For those properties, letters were mailed in the middle of June to the homeowners, asking them to self-report their service line material information. A reminder mailing went out at the end of June. Also, at the end of June, Bolton & Menk staff began going door to door, asking residents if they could inspect the water line, or they would leave door hangers when residents were not home. The inventory will be submitted to the MDH by the July 15th deadline.
The final item on Fisher’s report was the 2024 Pavement Maintenance Project. Minnesota Paving & Materials submitted an invoice for the work completed to date, less a 5% retainage. That invoice was included in the disbursements for July. The next step is to work on the project closeout documents and, when complete, a final pay application will be submitted for the retainage amount and Council will be asked to accept the project work.
Water / Sewer Report – Mayor Knetter reported that the sonar testing of the sewer ponds was complete. Marlin Reinardy reported that he met with the Account Manager with the company that the city purchases the chemicals from that are used to treat the sewer ponds. He had been concerned about the cost and researched other similar chemicals to see if the city could save some money. Although he did find a company with lower prices for chemicals, he is unsure about the quality of the products. Because the chemicals that the city is purchasing from State Industrial are known to produce the desired results of sludge reduction in the ponds, Reinardy decided to continue purchasing the chemicals from State Industrial, but will decrease the usage of the most expensive chemical (Aqua Jolt) by 25%. Reinardy also mentioned that the price charged by State Industrial for their products includes application of the products in the ponds. Mayor Knetter agreed that the city should continue purchasing the chemicals from State Industrial, as switching at this point, when the city is seeing the desired results from chemical application, would not be in the city’s best interest. However, he believes they may want to revisit this matter when the Phosphorus Management Plan is in place.
Park Report – Councilor Russell reported that a couch was dumped in a ditch near the park. One of the new trees has died and needs to be replaced. Discussion about many ash trees around the city being stressed and dying. Mayor Knetter reminded everyone that, if a resident wants to have a tree on the boulevard adjacent to their property removed, the city pays for half of the cost and the resident pays for half of the cost, per ordinance.
Street Report – Councilor Luhring reported that, on Main St., the area around a manhole cover needs repair. He intends to pick up some cold mix to repair that before winter. Luhring also mentioned that the sidewalk along Northfield Blvd., between Grant St. and Main St., has a big lift that needs repair.
Unfinished Business - None
New Business:
Gambling/Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for St. Mathias Fun Fest - Motion by Verch seconded by Russell to approve the Gambling/Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for St. Mathias Fun Fest. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0.
Part-time summer intern compliance officer – Mayor Knetter stated that he has spoken with a resident’s daughter, who is a college student, about the position of summer intern compliance officer. His intention is for the position to be paid at the minimum wage rate. Work will consist of traveling around the city, identifying ordinance violations, and communicating with residents who violate city ordinances. Knetter stated that this will help the city to educate residents regarding city ordinances, and it will benefit the compliance officer intern by allowing her to get involved with local government.
Adjournment - Motion by Verch seconded by Russell to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 4:0. The meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy O’Brien
