Minutes - Council - 04/09/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Riley stated that the Council discussed this item at the worksession earlier tonight. He stated that this is City owned property and the City has a use for the property. He noted that staff has spoken with PACT Charter School to ensure that this will not cause a problem and therefore he believes this to be a good idea. Councilmember Heinrich stated that she feels that public works has been very creative in its use of space but that is not efficient or conducive for the workers and this added square footage will help the department. Mayor LeTourneau asked if this change would cause an undue hardship for PACT Charter School next school season. Public Works Superintendent Riemer replied that the buses are housed in Mounds View so there would be additional drive time for those drivers. He was unsure if the school would find another housing location in the community. Mayor LeTourneau stated that he is unsure that the public is aware of the hardships public works is facing right now and asked staff to provide an update. Public Works Superintendent Riemer provided an update on the public works space off Jasper and stated that the public works office has operated out of a doublewide trailer since 2003 and the department is severely lacking space. He noted that the department currently has about half the space that it needs. Mayor LeTourneau stated that the growth of the community has put pressure on this department, which is one of the core functions of the City. Motion by Councilmember Heinrich, seconded by Councilmember Riley, to accept the staff recommendation and terminate the lease with Pact Charter School at 6701 Highway 10 and use the space for additional equipment storage for the City of Ramsey Public Works Department. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor LeTourneau, Councilmembers Heinrich, Riley, Kuzma, Musgrove, and Shryock. Voting No: None. 7.02: Consider Purchase of Property Located at 8175 Riverdale Drive, Ramsey,MN Public Works Superintendent Riemer reviewed the staff report and recommendation to purchase the property located at 8175 Riverdale Drive, for housing the City of Ramsey Utilities Department, until the new public works facility is constructed. City Administrator Ulrich noted that the action tonight would simply provide direction to begin negotiations with Anoka County and a purchase would need to come back before the Council. Councilmember Riley stated that these are interim options for public works, as the department currently does not have enough space, which provides additional time to find financing for the new public works facility. City Council/April 9,2019 Page 4 of 7