02-12-01 Worksession
CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Richfield, Minnesota
Special Study Session
February 12, 2001
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kirsch at 5:33 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Members Present:Martin Kirsch, Mayor; Susan Rosenberg; Gertrude Ulrich; John
Enger; and Sue Sandahl.
Staff Present:Samantha Orduno, City Manager; Jim Topitzhofer, Recreation
Services Director; Dan Scott, Public Safety Director; Betsy
Christensen, Health Administrator; Cheryl Krumholz, Recording
Secretary; and Corrine Thomson, City Attorney.
Item # IDISCUSSION OF LIQUOR SALE POLICIES
x
REVIEW OF RESOLUTION 8808 SPECIFYING CERTAIN CONDUCT OF
ON-SALE INTOXICATING LIQUOR, WINE AND 3.2 MALT LIQUOR
LICENSEES AND STATING RECOMMENDED DISCIPLINE
x
REVIEW OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE ALLOWING SALE OF
INTOXICATING LIQUOR AT RICHFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER (STAFF
REQUESTS THIS ITEM BE DEFERRED TO MARCH 12, 2001 STUDY
SESSION)
City Manager Orduno stated that staff requests the review of a proposed ordinance
allowing sale of intoxicating liquor at the Richfield Community Center be deferred to the
March 12, 2001 Study Session. The City Council agreed.
Health Administrator Christensen reviewed Resolution No. 8808 outlining for
establishments that sell alcohol the progressive discipline for violating any of the
subcategories within the Resolution. She reviewed the discipline imposed by other cities.
Special Study Session Minutes-2-February 12, 2001
Council Member Enger suggested raising the fine amount and reducing the time
between license suspension periods. He said establishments need to be made aware of
the penalties; making first through third offenses more severe may make establishments
work harder on compliance. He suggested increasing the fine to the State Statute limit of
$2,000 for the third offense.
Council Member Rosenberg asked if the current ordinance was working.
Public Safety Director Scott answered yes, but there were still establishments not in
compliance. Mr. Scott suggested that he meet with establishments to get their input on
the process and the City’s policy on being compliant.
The City Council agreed that the Public Safety Director should meet with the liquor
establishments and consider shortening the risk period between offenses including
strengthening the penalties.
Council Member Enger suggested contacting other cities with the same
establishments Richfield does to check on their compliance record.
This issue will be brought back to the Council for discussion at the March 12, 2001
Study Session.
Item # IIDISCUSSION OF ENFORCEMENT OR ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS
City Manager Orduno reported that at the January 8, 2001 City Council meeting, a
resident voiced concerns regarding four issues lacking code enforcement:
1.Parking and vehicles (in front yards, entire front yards blacktopped, more than
10 cars on property, Community Center parking by church group).
2.Signs on utility posts, poles – ground signs advertising golf sales, townhomes
for sale, etc.
3.Boom box noise from cars.
4.Abandoned shopping carts.
Health Administrator Christensen reviewed the current ordinances related to the
issues and explained the City’s administrative process to have offenders come into
compliance. Ms. Christensen also said there is currently no ordinance that addresses
abandoned shopping carts in Richfield. Neighboring cities do not have ordinances on this
issue either.
City Manager Orduno said the current staffing level dealing with these types of
ordinance violations includes three part-time Community Service Officers in the Public
Safety Department. Their time during the workday is typically divided into 1/3
administrative duties, 1/3 animal control, and 1/3 code compliance. However, emergency
situations take precedence.
Special Study Session Minutes-3-February 12, 2001
City Manager Orduno said there are options on how to handle these issues: hiring
a full-time Code Compliance Officer to concentrate on code issues as part of a Pilot
Program for two years; or conduct in-house administrative hearings to stay out of the court
system and speed up the enforcement process.
Fred Wrogge, 124 East 70th Street, the resident who voiced concerns at the
January 8, 2001 Council Meeting, said that he doesn’t think staff is dealing with the issues.
The City Council asked staff to bring the administrative process for handling code
violations and proposed stricter ordinance enforcement efforts on these issues back for
discussion at the March or April Study Session.
Council Member Ulrich asked to discuss sanitation problems at Champps. There
were several people in the audience who were concerned about these issues.
Lance Gray, 6500 Woodlake Drive, Woodlake Pointe Property Manager, reported
on the following issues:
x
Uncleanliness and sanitation problems
x
Rodent problem
x
Excessive sound from loading area
x
Grease from kitchen exhaust system
Mr. Gray said this should be an ongoing cleanup effort.
The City Council asked staff to monitor this situation and report back at a future
Study Session.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 6:36 p.m.
Date Approved:
Martin J. Kirsch
Mayor
Cheryl KrumholzSamantha Orduno
Recording SecretaryCity Manager