June 17, 2019 Work Session minutes
CITY OF SPRING PARK
WORK SESSION MINUTES
JUNE 17, 2019 – 6:00 PM
SPRING PARK CITY HALL
CALL TO ORDER - The work session was called to order by Mayor Rockvam at 6:00 p.m.
Council Members Present: Jerome P. Rockvam, Mayor; Pamela Horton; Gary Hughes; Catherine Kane Palen; and Megan Pavot
Staff Present: Dan Tolsma, City Administrator; Mary Tietjen, City Attorney; and Theresa Schyma, City Clerk
1. DRAFT TOBACCO ORDINANCE
City Administrator Tolsma presented a history and summary of the draft tobacco ordinance. He stated there is a larger discussion happening in the State about the harmful effects of tobacco products and the longer you can delay someone from starting to smoke the better chance that fewer young people ever become smokers. He further stated that Hennepin County is also considering a countywide approach so that there is consistency amongst cities.
Mayor Rockvam asked if Mound or Orono have changed their ordinances to raise the purchasing age of tobacco products to 21 years old. He stated that since the City contracts with Orono for police services it would make sense to be consistent with enforcement policies.
City Attorney Tietjen stated there are other proposed changes to the ordinance besides raising the age limit. She detailed the changes including cleaning up language to bring the ordinance into compliance with State law and to address e-cigarettes and hookah lounges. She stated that raising the age limit is a City Council policy decision.
Council Member Pavot stated that another reason to consider the age increase is that 18 year olds are still in high school so changing the age to 21 would basically remove tobacco from high schools.
The City Council discussed waiting for feedback from Orono Police, potentially waiting for a county-wide change before amending the ordinance, and getting feedback from youth.
City Administrator Tolsma responded that he will discuss the draft ordinance at the next Police Commission Meeting to get the input of Police Chief Farniok.
2. CITY BEAUTIFICATION PROPOSAL
City Administrator Tolsma presented a summary of a new City beautification proposal from Norling’s Lake Minnetonka Landscapes. He stated that the City has had essentially the same program in place for several years but with the recent cleanup attempts after the passage of the outdoor storage ordinance there has been some interest in enhancing the City’s beautification efforts. The primary idea is to still be fiscally responsible while improving the look mainly around the main corridor and boulevard area in the City. He further discussed proposed changes at City Hall.
The City Council discussed:
• City’s annual $35,000 budget to maintain the current beautification program;
• Timeline for implementing changes to the beautification plan;
• Upkeep and maintenance of wrought iron fencing especially during the winter months;
• Adding the City’s parks to the beautification plan including flowers and fencing;
• Adding more planters throughout the City;
• The main corridor along Shoreline Drive is mainly private property so the City would have to approach owners;
• Relocating the sign at City Hall to a more prominent location; and
• Changes to City Hall separate from the beautification proposal including concrete work to the front steps and replacing/upgrading lighting fixtures on the exterior of the building;
The City Council consensus was to repair the lights along the front steps at City Hall that were vandalized over the winter months and not to change the style of those particular fixtures.
City Administrator Tolsma stated that any changes to the City’s beautification plan would not be implemented until 2020 so the City Council can continue this discussion to a future work session and George Norling can be present for any questions.
3. MISCELLANEOUS – None.
4. ADJOURN – The work session was adjourned by unanimous consent at 6:59 p.m.
Date Approved: July 1, 2019
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Dan Tolsma, City Administrator
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Theresa Schyma, City Clerk