03-12-13 CM Minutes Council/Manager Meeting Minutes
March 12, 2013
Present: Mayor Harris and Council Members, Clausen, Pentel, Scanlon and Schmidgall,
City Manager Tom Burt, Finance Director Sue Virnig, City Engineer Jeff Oliver, Public
Works Specialist Eric Eckman, Graduate Engineer Eric Seaburg, Bassett Creek
Watershed Management Commission Plan Steering Committee Chair Linda Loomis,
Environmental Commission Chair Rich Baker and Administrative Assistant Lisa Wittman.
The meeting began at 6:3Q pm in the Council Conference Room.
Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission Third Generation Planning
Process
Linda Loomis was in attendance to facilitate a discussion with the Council regarding their
thoughts and ideas relating to water resource management issues. Some of the
discussion topics included how people use lakes, streams, ponds and wetlands in their
community, what are qualities or indicators of good water bodies, what contributes to
water quality, what currently stands in the way of improving water quality and what can the
Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission do to address the barriers. Loomis
invited the Council to participate in their on-line survey and to attend a summit on June 13
at Plymouth City Hall,at 7 pm. After discussion the Council directed staff to promote the
on-line survey and the planning process on the City's website.
Environmental Commission Presentation — Proposed Ordinance Amendment—
Section 10.32: Animals and Fowl Keeping, Transporting, Treatment, and Housing
Rich Baker was in attendance to present the Environmental Commission's final report and
recommendations regarding revisions to the City Code related to keeping chickens. Baker
explained that after hearing several points of view the Commission voted to recommend
that the City Council amend the City Code to allow people to keep chickens. He referred
to the Commission's report and discussed some of the items in the report including the
pros and cons for and against changing the ordinance to allow the keeping of chickens,
the proposed permitting process, and setback analysis examples on several different
types of lot configurations.
The Council discussed the proposed setback requirements and if they should be different
than setbacks for other types of accessory structures. They expressed concern that
prohibiting chickens within 500 feet of an impaired water body is too restrictive and seems
arbitrary. The Council also discussed enforcement issues, property rights and allowing
residents to keep other types of animals.
After discussion, the consensus of the Council was that a 50-foot setback from a
resident's own house seems to be too restrictive, however a 50-foot setback from a
neighboring house seems fine. Tom Burt said he would bring the proposed ordinance
back to a future Council/Manager meeting along with new maps showing how many
additional properties would be allowed to keep chickens if the distance from an impaired
water body is less than 500 feet.
Council member Scanlon left themeeting.
Council/Manager Meeting Minutes
March 12, 2013 - Page 2
Urban Agriculture — Definition of Animal
Tom Burt stated that the City has received a request from a resident asking the City to
consider amending the City Code to allow for beekeeping. As a result he would like the
Council to review the definition of animal as it is defined in the City Code and to have a
broader discussion addressing urban agriculture. The Council discussed having the City
Code better reflect the market place, allowing animals that could be purchased at a pet
store such as dogs, cats, fish, reptiles and rabbits. They discussed allowing beekeeping
and the consensus was that they would tike more information on how other cities handle
beekeeping. They suggested having language in City Code refer to which animals are
prohibited rather than which animals are allowed. Tom Burt said that staff would rewrite
the ordinance and bring it back to a future Council/Manager meeting for review.
Outdoor Boilers/Recreational Fires
Tom Burt noted that the Council Members have been contacted by a resident expressing
concern about recreational fires and using wood as a heat source. He added that the City
Code currently prohibits outdoor boilers. The Council discussed the current recreational
fire ordinance, how it is enforced and whether more restrictions should be placed on
recreational fires such as requiring them to end at a certain time, requiring setbacks from
property lines and windows or furnace intakes of neighboring homes and not allowing
recreational fires on air quality alert days. After discussion the Council consensus was that
they would like to see a model ordinance and they would like to have the City Attorney's
opinion before reviewing it at a future Council/Manager meeting.
July 4 Naturalization Ceremony
This item was removed fram the agenda.
December 2012 General Fund Report and Fund Balance
Sue Virnig handed out the General Fund, Fund Balance Analysis sheet and stated that
staff is recommending a total of$1,200,000 be transferred out of the general fund as
follows: $600,000 for settlement of claim, $30,000 for a citywide survey and
communication, $250,000 for the employee retainage fund, $40,000 for a City Hall reader
board, $30,000 for PERA increase, $150,000 to the building fund and $100,000 to the
equipment replacement fund. The Council agreed with the proposed transfers. Virnig
indicated that the resolution would be placed on the agenda of the next regular Council
meeting for formal consideration by the Council.
The meeting adjourned at 10 pm.
Lisa Wittman
Administrative Assistant