The Hampton City Council met on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the Hampton City Hall for the regular scheduled meeting. Present were Mayor John Knetter; Council Members Cindy Flodeen, David Luhring, Anthony Verch, and Nick Russell. Also present was Chris Meyer, City Treasurer and Emma Otto of Ottomatic Lawn Care.
Regular Meeting called to Order - Mayor Knetter called the Regular Scheduled Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Disclosure of Interest – None
Approval of the February 14, 2023 Regular Scheduled Meeting Minutes – Motion by Verch seconded by Luhring to approve the February 14, 2023 regular scheduled meeting minutes. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Approval of Disbursements – Motion by Russell seconded by Luhring to approve the March disbursements. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Public Comment – Mayor Knetter asked Emma Otto if she’d like to make any comments. She said she had none. Knetter thanked her for Ottomatic’s donation for the purchase of flags for the city, and also thanked her for the great job that Ottomatic did on the snowplowing this season.
Petitions, Requests, and Communications:
2022 City of Hampton Financial Statements – Chris Meyer - Meyer stated that the 2022 City of Hampton Financial Statements must be prepared within 45 days after the close of the fiscal year. They also must be available for public review and provided to Council members within the 45 days, per State Auditor requirements. He mentioned that the Office of the State Auditor requires that financial statements be filed with them within 90 days of the close of the calendar year. 2022 financial highlights include:
• A year-end cash balance of $1,140,103. The large cash balance is mainly due to:
o January bond payments
o Tax payments from Dakota County and local government aid from the State of Minnesota received in December.
o No CD investments because the City receives better interest rates on ICS accounts.
• Water Fund had an operating loss of $52,654, mainly due to:
o Large amount of depreciation on fixed assets
o Water main break on Northfield Blvd ($39,971) and leaking water main valve on Aspen St. ($5,239)
• Sewer Fund had operating income of $21,213, mainly due to bulk sewage dumping revenue.
• Total outstanding debt for 3 bond series is $3,075,000:
o Series 2012A (Main-Lincoln) = $245,000; matures 02/01/2028
o Series 2015A (City Hall-238th) = $1,085,000; matures 02/01/2038
o Series 2019A (Belmont-Park-Main) = $1,745.000; matures 02/01/2040
Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees:
Engineer’s Report – Neither Brad Fisher or Cory Bienfang, of Bolton & Menk were able to attend the meeting, so Mayor Knetter reviewed the updates listed in the Engineer’s Staff Report provided by Fisher. Knetter mentioned that there were no updates regarding the Frontage Road Turnback Agreement, but that there would be a resolution for this on the April meeting agenda.
Knetter stated that Fisher’s Staff Report indicated that Bolton & Menk is requesting that Council make four motions regarding the Water Tower Replacement Project. The first motion is in regard to the Tower Siting Study Report, which Fisher included in his Staff Report. Council discussed the five different locations that were included in the report. All agreed that site #1 is not ideal because of its location in the downtown business district. Sites #2 and #4 are located in two of the City’s recreational areas, and Councilors were not in favor of using those areas for placement of the tower. Site #3 is the location of the existing water tower. Councilors were not in favor of this location because of the reason’s indicated in Fisher’s report. Councilor Luhring asked for clarification in regard to the difference in elevation for each site as it relates to the net gain in water pressure, to which Knetter provided an explanation. After further discussion, Councilors agreed that site number five would be the preferred site, even though the City does not currently own the property. There was also brief discussion in regard to the types of water tower storage that were included in the report. Motion by Verch seconded by Flodeen to approve site #5 as the preferred site for the new water tower. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Because Council approved site #5 as their preferred site for placement of the new water tower, a second motion was needed to allow designated city staff to discuss property acquisition for the new water tower. Motion by Luhring seconded by Flodeen to approve having Mayor Knetter proceed with discussions regarding the property acquisition for placement of the new tower. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
The third request for motion was to authorize the City Clerk to submit an IUP (Intended Use Plan) request letter to PFA (Public Facilities Authority) for fiscal year 2024. In Fisher’s report, he explains that an application to place the Water Tower Replacement Project on the PFA Drinking Water Revolving Fund’s Priority List was submitted in 2021, and was approved for funding. In order to maintain that status, the City needs to proceed on the current project schedule, to bid the project and begin tower orders/site work in the spring of 2024. And, in order to stay on the current schedule, an IUP request letter needs to be prepared and submitted by May 5, 2023. Motion by Luhring seconded by Verch to authorize the City Clerk to submit an IUP request letter to PFA for FY 2024. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Mayor Knetter mentioned Fisher’s narrative in his report regarding consulting with Shannon Sweeney, the City’s financial advisor, on the current differences in interest rates between PFA financing and bonding. He asked Chris Meyer, City Treasurer, his opinion on the matter. Meyer responded that he agrees with Sweeney’s analysis and recommendation. Knetter stated that Sweeney has done a good job for the City over the years. As is indicated in Fisher’s report, PFA funding requires additional work to be done that is beyond Bolton & Menk’s original proposal for the Water Tower Replacement Project. For the additional work, an amendment needs to be made to the original proposal for the work to be done, which is estimated to cost an additional $40,000. Knetter referred to Fisher’s report, which contains a summary of the costs for the Hampton Phase II Evaluations. Knetter asked for a motion to approve the Phase II amendment. Motion by Russell seconded by Luhring to approve the Phase II amendment to maintain PFA financing eligibility. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Water / Sewer Report – Mayor Knetter informed Council that, in water issues, he discovered that there was a problem with a fluoride pump, so he ordered a new one.
Park Report – Councilor Russell stated that there is nothing to report.
Street Report – Councilor Luhring stated that there is nothing to report. He will check street conditions after the snow melts to identify locations needing patching.
Ordinances and Resolutions:
Resolution 2023-04 Adopting Dakota County All Hazard Mitigation Plan – Mayor Knetter explained that the purpose of this resolution is to formally adopt the Dakota County All Hazard Mitigation Plan so that, in the event of a disaster, the City can apply for FEMA funding. Motion by Verch seconded by Luhring to approve Resolution 2023-04 adopting the Dakota County All Hazard Mitigation Plan. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0.
Unfinished Business - None
New Business - None
Adjournment – Motion by Verch seconded by Flodeen to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor. None opposed. Motion passed 5:0. The meeting adjourned at 7:27 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy O’Brien
