11-27 Regular
CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Richfield, Minnesota
Regular Meeting
November 27, 2018
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Elliott at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
Council Members Pat Elliott, Mayor; Maria Regan Gonzalez; Edwina Garcia; Michael Howard;
Present: and Simon Trautmann.
Staff Present: Steven L. Devich, City Manager; Mary Tietjen, City Attorney; Pam Dmytrenko,
Administrative Services Director/Assistant City Manager; Wayne Kewitsch, Fire
Chief; Melissa Poehlman, Assistant Community Development Director; and
Jared Voto, Executive Aide/Analyst.
OPEN FORUM
Larry Johnson, Minneapolis, spoke regarding an incident with a Richfield Police Officer.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Elliott led the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
M/Garcia, S/Elliott to approve the minutes of the: (1) Special concurrent City Council, Housing
and Redevelopment Authority, and Planning Commission work session of November 13, 2018; (2)
Regular City Council meeting of November 13, 2018; (3) Special City Council work session of
November 16, 2018; and (4) Special City Council meeting of November 17, 2018.
Motion carried 5-0.
Item #1 PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING CITY MANAGER STEVEN L. DEVICH
Mayor Elliott read the proclamation to City Manager Devich, congratulated and thanked him for
his 38 years of service to the City of Richfield.
Council Members discussed City Manager Devich’s service to the City and thanked him for all
that he has done.
Council Meeting Minutes -2- November 27, 2018
City Manager Devich spoke regarding his work in Richfield and thanked the City Council and
staff for their support.
Item #2 GORDON VIZECKY, PRESIDENT OF RICHFIELD TOURISM PROMOTION
BOARD, INC.
Gordon Vizecky, President of the Richfield Tourism Promotion Board (RTPB), provided an
update on the work of the RTPB and asked the City Council’s support in making updates to the
relationship between the RTPB and the City.
Item #3 ANNUAL MEETING WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Mary Stratton, Vice Chair of the Civil Service Commission, provided an update of the work
completed by the Civil Service Commission in 2018.
Mayor Elliott stated that Steven Hurvitz, Chair of the Civil Service Commission, was unable to
attend tonight and asked the Mayor to make a statement on his behalf regarding the Civil Service
Commission and the Public Safety/Police Department.
Item #4 COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Hats Off to Hometown Hits
Council Member Garcia spoke regarding the beautiful decorations throughout the City and
hoped the STEM school choir could attend a City Council in the near future.
Council Member Trautmann thanked City Manager Devich and staff for all their work.
Council Member Howard invited residents to get their Christmas tree at Veterans Park.
Council Member Regan Gonzalez spoke regarding a holiday open house at Village Shores on
December 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; a Red Cross blood drive event for Justice for Jonathan
O’Shaughnessy at 6730 Nicollet on December 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and City Commission
recruitment process begins on December 1 through December 31 and invited residents to apply for a
commission.
Mayor Elliott thanked City Manager Devich for his service and discussed placing a statue of
him next to Mayor Kirsch on the bench on Lyndale.
Item #5 APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
M/Trautmann, S/ Howard to approve the agenda.
Motion carried 5-0.
Council Meeting Minutes -3- November 27, 2018
Item #6 CONSENT CALENDAR
City Manager Devich presented the consent calendar.
A. Consideration of the approval of the first reading of an ordinance amendment to the Richfield
City Code Appendix D (Fee Schedule) related to planning and zoning fees and schedule a
public hearing and second reading for December 11, 2018. (S.R. No. 210)
M/Elliott, S/Garcia to approve the consent calendar.
Motion carried 5-0.
Item #7 CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS, IF ANY, REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT
CALENDAR
None.
Item #8 CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE FIRST READING OF AN
ORDINANCE REZONING PROPERTIES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 66TH
STREET AT QUEEN AVENUE AS PLANNED MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
(PMR) AND CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE FIRST READING
OF A TRANSITORY ORDINANCE VACATING QUEEN AVENUE AND A
PORTION OF RUSSELL AVENUE BETWEEN 65TH ½ STREET AND 66TH
STREET AND SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING FOR
DECEMBER 11, 2018. (S.R. NO. 211)
Council Member Trautmann presented Staff Report No. 211. He discussed the comments
received from residents near the area and concerns about the project. He also discussed the zoning
of the area and that it has been guided for multi-family development.
Mayor Elliott discussed attending the Planning Commission meeting on November 26, the
comments he heard at the public hearing, and how they were similar to comments he’s heard from
other neighborhoods about their pride in Richfield and their neighborhood.
Council Member Howard asked staff for a review of the action taken by the Planning
Commission.
Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman responded that concerns were
generally about traffic, height of the building on the north side, and shadow cast by the building. The
Planning Commission proposed an amendment to the plans and asked for a reduction in the height
on the north side to three stories and increasing the south to five stories. The developer deliberated
the change and responded at the meeting that this amendment would be feasible and the Planning
Commission approved the amendment.
Todd Olin, Bogart-Pederson & Associates, spoke for the developer and discussed the
proposed development.
Council Meeting Minutes -4- November 27, 2018
M/Trautmann, S/Elliott to approve a first reading of an ordinance that amends Richfield Zoning
Code Appendix I to change the zoning designation of Blocks 2 and 3, Harry Tickner's Subdivision of
Lot 15, Richfield Gardens from High-Density Residential (MR-3) and Single Family Residential (R) to
Planned Multi-Family Residential (PMR).
Motion carried 5-0.
M/Trautmann, S/Howard to approve a first reading of a transitory ordinance vacating Queen
Avenue and a portion of Russell Avenue between 65th ½ Street and 66th Street, and schedule a
public hearing and second reading for December 11, 2018
Motion carried 5-0.
Item #9 CONSIDERATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
DIRECTOR/ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER PAM DMYTRENKO AS INTERIM CITY
MANAGER. (S.R. NO. 212)
Mayor Elliott presented Staff Report No. 212.
M/Elliott, S/Garcia to appoint Administrative Services Director/Assistant City Manager Pam
Dmytrenko as Interim City Manager.
Motion carried 5-0.
Item #10 CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Devich thanked the City Council, residents, and staff for their support of him
over the years while serving Richfield.
Item #11 CLAIMS AND PAYROLLS
M/Garcia, S/Regan Gonzalez that the following claims and payrolls be approved:
U.S. Bank 11/27/18
A/P Checks: 272894 - 273244 $ 1,239,482.78
Payroll: 140963 - 141297 ; 42874 664,535.29
TOTAL $ 1,904,018.07
Motion carried 5-0.
OPEN FORUM
None.
Council Meeting Minutes -5- November 27,2018
Item #12 ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:18 p.m.
Date Approved: December 11, 2018
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