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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMin_05Jun22 CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS MINUTES June 22, 2005 Mayor Gehrz convened the regular City Council meeting at 7:00 PM. PRESENT: Mayor Sue Gehrz, Council members Laura Kuettel, Robert Lamb, Peter Lindstrom and Richard Talbot Also present: City Administrator Heather Worthington and Mary Shea Kodluboy, Deputy Clerk COMMUNITY FORUM: There was no commentary from the audience. PRESENTATIONS: None Scheduled APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Gehrz moved that a correction be made on page 8, second paragraph, third line--change the word big to block, and that the minutes be approved as corrected. The motion was unanimously approved. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None Scheduled CONSENT AGENDA: Kuettel moved approval of the Consent Agenda, as outlined below. The motion was unanimously approved. General Disbursements through June 16, 2005: $ 102,827.24 Payroll (6/01/05 – 6/15/05) $ 14,966.49 POLICY AGENDA: Consideration of contract with E-Z Recycling Administrator Worthington said the city has had a year-to-year contract with E-Z Recycling for the past five years. In April, 2005, the Environment Commission recommended that the city try to negotiate a multi-year contract with E-Z commencing in January, 2006. E-Z has had the city’s recycling contract since the city began recycling in the late 1980’s. Staff receives less than one complaint per month regarding E-Z. They have been responsive to customer concerns, follow up with customers to answer questions, pick up missed collections, and improve their service on a consistent basis. In discussions with E-Z it was determined that weekly pickups would cost $2.10 per unit/per month, versus $1.55 per unit/per month for bi-weekly pickups, so E-Z and the City agreed to a five-year contract, with pickups to be increased to bi-weekly or 26 times a year starting January 1, 2006. FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -2- June 22, 2005 Consideration of contract with E-Z Recycling (continued) Administrator Worthington described the provisions of the contract that were changed or updated and they are outlined below: 1. Price: The City will pay $1.55 per unit/per month for single family recycling. This is 8 cents higher than the city’s current rate of $1.47, and will remain in place over the five-year period of the contract. The City will pay $596.40 for multi-family buildings with 18 or more units. The multi-family rate represents the current rate paid by the city. 2. Items to be collected: Residents will be able to recycle all of the items they are currently recycling, including motor oil, batteries, glass, plastic, cans, paper and paperboard/cardboard. They will also collect clothing. 3. Dual-stream collection: This contract updates language in the previous contract to be consistent with current dual-stream collection practices. It retains the right of the city to have oversight in any collection changes in the future. 4. Transfer of Interest: This clause protects the city’s contractual interests in the event of a transfer of ownership at E-Z, and requires the contractor to notify the city if a transfer of ownership occurs. It also requires that the city grant approval for any subcontracting prior to E-Z hiring subcontractors to provide recycling services. 5. Liquidated damages: The contract requires E-Z to pay the following liquidated damages for service or contract violations: 1. Failure to respond to legitimate service complaints within 24 hours in a reasonable and professional manner: $50 per incident. 2. Failure to collect properly notified missed collections: $250 per incident. 3. Failure to receive City written approval of changes to the “Two-Sort” collection/processing system prior to implementing any such change: $1,000 The Environment Commission reviewed the contract and recommended the City Council approve it. E-Z’s president, Chris Reinhardt, also reviewed the contract and is prepared to sign it. The City or E-Z can cancel this contract, with cause, by giving 60 days notice. A brief discussion followed. Lamb moved approval of the Agreement for Recycling Collection with E-Z Recycling, and that the mayor and city administrator be authorized to sign the five year contract on behalf of the City of Falcon Heights. The motion was unanimously approved. FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -3- June 22, 2005 Consideration of construction contract with the City of Roseville Administrator Worthington said that in 2004, Ramsey County turned back Roselawn Avenue to the cities of Falcon Heights and Roseville. The section of Roselawn Avenue between Hamline Avenue and Snelling Avenue is in need of reconstruction. Staff from both cities met to discuss the need to have this section of Roselawn reconstructed. The driving surface is badly deteriorating, and the storm water drainage is inadequate, causing flooding in side yards along the street. The proposed scope of this project may include: Reconstruction to meet municipal state-aid street standards, construction of curbs and gutters, construction of storm sewers as necessary, repair and/or replacement of other utilities as needed (water main, sanitary sewer), and construction of a 6 foot wide sidewalk. The City of Roseville has indicated that the engineering and contract administration services for this project can be handled by their staff working with our staff as needed. Falcon Height’s staff believes that this arrangement is the most cost effective and human resource efficient arrangement to handle this project. The first informational meeting with the public regarding this project was held on Tuesday, June 21, 2005. A second informational meeting is being planned for September 2005, as well as a neighborhood walk-thru meeting to be scheduled for October, 2005. Staff from both cities worked on the draft agreement, it was reviewed by the respective legal counsels, and is being recommended for approval. The Roseville City Council approved the agreement on Monday evening with a vote of 5-0 in favor. A brief discussion followed. Talbot moved that the Roselawn Avenue Street Reconstruction Agreement with the City of Roseville be approved, with the grammatical changes recommended by Mayor Gehrz, and that the mayor and city administrator be authorized to sign it on behalf of the City of Falcon Heights. The motion was unanimously approved. Consideration of mid-year salary adjustment for the position of City Administrator Mayor Gehrz said that in 2003, the city conducted a review of how the salaries and responsibilities of all city staff positions compared with other metropolitan cities of similar sizes. That review revealed that the City of Falcon Heights was paying salaries that were far below comparable cities for two positions--the City Administrator and the Finance Director. Mayor Gehrz said that as a result, the city council approved a goal and a plan to bring the salaries for these two positions to 90% of the average of comparable cities by January 1, 2006. That goal assumes that the employees in those positions have performed satisfactorily for five years. This plan enabled the City to spread the needed increases across three years instead of making the adjustment in only one budget year. FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -4- June 22, 2005 Consideration of mid-year salary adjustment for the position of City Administrator (continued) Mayor Gehrz said the 90% of the average compensation for comparable cities adjusts for geographic size, population, number of employees, and number of enterprise funds and utilities operated by the city of Falcon Heights. Every three years, the City Administrator is responsible for completing a scope and scale analysis for every full and part time position and making salary adjustment recommendations to the City Council in accordance with personnel compensation policies adopted by the City Council. The City Council is responsible for making compensation adjustments for the position of City Administrator. The analysis done in 2003 showed that the City was paying the City Administrator $14,312 less than the goal of 90% of the average salaries for the same position in comparable cities. Spreading that amount across three years resulted in a planned annual increase of $4,771 for 2004, 2005, and 2006. The City Council did not include any inflationary or cost-of-living increases that the City Administrators/Managers in other comparable cities received during those three years. This error, combined with the salary increases in other comparable cities, results in an inability to reach the 2006 goal. The Stanton Group Survey Data for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 for City Administrator/City Manager positions in comparable cities was used to determine the average salaries and the annual inflation rates for those salaries. The cities used as comparables were: Little Canada, Arden Hills, St. Anthony, Mahtomedi, Hugo, St. Paul Park, Wayzata, Bayport and Lauderdale. She reviewed four options, outlined below, and the pros and cons for each one. Eliminate the goal of bringing the salary for the position of City Administrator up to 90% of the average of comparable cities by 2006. Extend the time period for reaching that goal for an additional three years. Make an interim salary adjustment in 2005 equal to the average inflation rate for comparable cities for 2003 and 2004, and add the inflationary rate from the 2005 salary survey data to the 2006 salary adjustment. Add the entire salary gap in 2006. She said the City has traditionally been conservative in budgeting and has tried to avoid large increases in line items in the general operating budget. The preference has been to spread necessary increases more evenly across fiscal years to reduce financial impact on the taxpayers. This was the reason the Council adopted a three-year, rather than a one-year plan for salary adjustments back in 2003. She said her recommendation would be approval of Option 3 and implementation of the 2005 salary adjustments by adding prorated amounts to the remaining pay periods for 2005. FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -5- June 22, 2005 Consideration of mid-year salary adjustment for the position of City Administrator (continued) A brief discussion followed. Kuettel moved approval of a 2005 mid-year salary adjustment for the City Administrator in the amount of $4,547, with the prorated amounts added to the remaining pay periods for 2005. The motion was unanimously approved. Request for approval of revisions to the Employment Agreement for the City Administrator Mayor Gehrz said she conducts an annual performance review of the City Administrator and negotiates changes to the Employment Contract when necessary. Few changes have been made to the original Employment Contract entered into by Heather Worthington and the City Council in April, 2000. Following a very positive performance review, which included evaluations by all City Council members and interviews with the Finance Director, Deputy Clerk, Planning and Zoning Coordinator, and Director of Parks and Public Works, the Mayor is recommending that the changes outlined below be made to the original Employment Contract. These changes are agreeable to the City Administrator. Change the language and format to be more appropriate to a legal contract. Update the salary data in Section 4. Remove references to specific organizations in the Professional Development section in Section 11. Remove the specific mileage reimbursement rate from Section 13 and replace it with “shall be based upon federal mileage reimbursement rate” which usually changes annually. In Section 16, increase the severance pay from three months to four months, add a provision that the city provide and pay for four months of insurance benefits if the City Administrator is eligible for severance pay. 6. Remove the “just cause” referenced in Section 8 g in the original Employment Agreement as one of the circumstances under which the City will have no obligation to pay severance pay. 7. Remove the non-binding arbitration provision of Section 8 g in the original Employment Agreement pertaining to the “just cause” basis for termination. Nothing in this Agreement limits the City Council’s right to terminate the services of the City Administrator at any time, for any reason, subject only to the provisions of the Agreement and statutory requirements. Nothing in the Agreement prevents the City Administrator from resigning at any time. A brief discussion followed. FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -6- June 22, 2005 Request for approval of revisions to the Employment Agreement for the City Administrator (continued) Lindstrom moved approval of the revised Employment Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights and the City Administrator, with the changes recommended by Council member Kuettel. The motion was unanimously approved. Consideration of Guidelines for meetings of the City Council and Planning Commission Mayor Gehrz said this document represents guidelines that can be used by commission members, council members, and citizens during public meetings in the City. These guidelines are currently in use in several suburban cities, including Shoreview, Plymouth, and Hugo, and in other states. These guidelines should be included in the training manuals for commissioners, and council members, and included in the administrative manual. Kuettel moved approval of the public meeting guidelines, with the wording changes recommended by Council members Lamb and Lindstrom. The motion was unanimously approved. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS: None INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mayor Gehrz reminded the viewing audience there will not be a Council workshop on Wednesday, July 6, because of the July 4 holiday. Instead, a workshop will be held in conjunction with one of the regular City Council meetings in July. Last week she attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new suburban court building in Maplewood. Several years ago there was a strong move to eliminate the suburban court, which would have forced police officers and residents to go to courthouse in downtown St. Paul. Administrator Worthington and the City Council lobbied hard to retain the suburban court. The Neighborhood Commission sponsored a block party celebration and about 20 people attended. She thanked the Falcon Heights businesses for the wonderful door prizes they provided for that event. She reminded the viewing audience that on Saturday, July 2, there will be an article featuring Falcon Heights in the At Home section of the Pioneer Press. The Back to the 50’s event was very successful. The regular City Council meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM. Respectfully submitted, Mary Shea Kodluboy Deputy Clerk