City Council Meeting - 2021-02-15

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — February 15, 2021 ATTENDEES: Matt Bugera, Al Naja, John Leo, Nancy Rondell, and John Cox. • Council approved the February 1 meeting minutes, with a correction to replace a signature for someone who had not attended that meeting. Council also approved the bills after the Bill Committee review. • Council approved Little Bay Live, a proposed free outdoor concert series at Marina Park. The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra plans eight Sunday performances during the summer, from 4 to 6 p.m. Organizers expect roughly 20 to 30 attendees per event, are not requesting city services, and must follow any COVID-19 gathering and distancing rules in effect. The exact park setup and possible electrical needs are still to be worked out. • Council approved creation of a Marina Park Committee focused on the green space around the harbormaster area. Members discussed stronger representation by city electors/year-round residents and replacing a proposed Tree Board seat with Planning Commission representation. Staff will advertise for public members through the city website and newspaper and expects to return March 1 with appointments. Meetings will be open to the public. • Staff presented preliminary sled-hill use observations from Kiwanis Park. The data covered selected periods in January and did not capture all park users or the period after heavier snowfall. Council asked for more monitoring through February, especially on weekends. Staff also discussed seeking youth input on recreation and park planning. • Council reviewed the dog leash and control ordinance but did not change it. Police reported increasing running-at-large complaints from 2017 through 2020, while reporting two dog-bite complaints per year in each year reviewed before 2021. Police said enforcement is complaint-driven, with warnings and citations for repeated noncompliance. • For a city logo redesign, council narrowed six design options to options 5 and 2 for refinement. Staff plans to bring revised designs back for a final choice. The manager also reported progress on solar-project permitting, City Hall door-access controls, online tax payments, and staff vaccinations. Worth watching: • Whether the Marina Park Committee’s membership and work schedule lead to a funded plan for the green space. • Whether February sled-hill monitoring produces stronger usage data for Kiwanis Park planning. • Whether utility-payment software compatibility is resolved so online utility payments can begin. Upcoming: Marina Park Committee appointments and a possible logo decision are expected at the March 1 council meeting; the closed-session lawsuit update was moved to March 15. Why it matters: Council advanced planning for two public spaces while keeping current dog-control rules and moving several city operations projects forward.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.