Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCAgen_06Jun28CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA June 28, 2006 A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 PM B. ROLL CALL: GEHRZ ____ KUETTEL ____ HARRIS ____ LINDSTROM ____ TALBOT _____ MILLER_____ KREUSER_____ C. PRESENTATION: 1. Cor Wilson, CTV/Cable Commission TAB 1 D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: June 14, 2006 TAB 2 E. PUBLIC HEARING: None F. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. General Disbursements through 6/21/06: $109,017.40 Payroll through 6/15/06: $14,304.90 TAB 3 2. Appointment of Gretel Keene to Environment Commission TAB 4 3. Step increase for Dave Tretsven, Public Works Lead Worker TAB 5 4. Appointment of new volunteer firefighters TAB 6 5. Approval of license T A B 7 G. POLICY AGENDA 1. Approve the sale of 1978 American La France Fire Truck TAB 8 2. Resolution adopting a Cooperative Construction Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights and Capital Region Watershed District TAB 9 3. Resolution adopting Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights, City of Saint Paul, and State of Minnesota TAB 10 4. Adoption of City Goals for 2007 TAB 11 5. Discussion of Public Participation Plan for the 2008 Comprehensive P l a n TAB 12 H. COMMUNITY FORUM: I. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENTS: J. ADJOURN: Regular City Council Meeting June 14, 2006 Members present: Mayor Gehrz, Council members Lindstrom, Harris and Talbot, Interim City Administrator Hoag, Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk Kreuser, Incoming City Administrator Miller, and City Engineer Bloom. Members absent: Council member Kuettel. Mayor Gehrz called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The minutes of the May 17 and May 24 city council meetings were approved as submitted. CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Gehrz asked the council to add consent agenda item F6, designated signors for orders drawn on City funds. The council approved addendum item F6. 1. General Disbursements through 6/8/06: $43,619.80 Payroll through 5/31/06: $19,280.46 2. Approval of licenses 3. Designate additional funds in the Infrastructure Fund for the debt service payments of the 1999 G.O. NE Quadrant Improvement Bonds (317) 4. Transfer of funds from Capital Fund 412 (TIF #1-2 Capital) and Capital Fund 413 (TIF #201 Capital) to Debt Service Fund 316 (TIF Larpenteur Bond Fund) 5. Request to amend the General Fund Budget to approve additional funds for the Accounting Intern position due to the new computer financial package conversion. 6. Designated Signors for Orders Drawn on City Funds Council member Harris asked what fund the intern position wages would come from. After researching the matter, staff found the $8,000 would be taken from the general fund. Council member Talbot moved to approve the consent agenda. The motion was unanimously approved. POLICY AGENDA: Mayor Gehrz suggested a change in the order of the policy agenda items. Resolution 06-15 approving fence height variance for 1729 Snelling Ave became policy item G1, change in the scope of work with the City of St. Paul for the Hamline-Hoyt Street reconstruction project became G2, and Resolution 06-14 adopting use of AutoMARK ballot marking machines in elections became G3. There were no objections to this change. 1. Resolution 06-15 approving fence height variance for 1729 Snelling Ave Homeowners Tim and Geri Thomas, 1729 Snelling were present. Mayor Gehrz gave an overview of the situation, stating the fence would be placed adjacent to Warner’s Stellian. Council member Talbot asked about the removal of the cyclone fence. Geri Thomas replied the cyclone fence would remain, and the weeds would be controlled. Council member Harris asked why the homeowners need the extra two feet of height. Geri Thomas replied the height is to keep the fences uniform. Currently there is another 8-foot fence abutting the Warner’s Stellian property, and the new fence would match for aesthetic purposes. In addition, she mentioned it was for privacy, since cars face directly into their yard. Council member Talbot moved to approve resolution 06-15 approving fence height variance for 1729 Snelling Ave. Council member Lindstrom stated in his research, during the 80’s-90’s decade, all variances were approved. More recently, he pointed out, a more balanced approach has been used to grant variances. Tim Thomas addressed the council by stating in a residential-to-residential situation, a six-foot fence would be okay, however when dealing with residential-to-commercial there are privacy and littering issues. He stated their request was legit. The council unanimously approved the motion made by Council member Talbot. 2. Change in the scope of work with the City of St. Paul for the Hamline-Hoyt Street reconstruction project Mayor Gehrz began by stating that usually during road construction, the construction occurs within Falcon Heights' borders, and this summer it is all different. With these reconstructions, there are certain portions of roads not in Falcon Heights, and Falcon Heights is not in control, as the City has contracted with St. Paul and Roseville for the Hamline/Hoyt and Roselawn reconstructions. She stated the reasoning for this was to secure better prices for the work, and in turn, the City has lost some control over timing and some of the complexity with these projects is a direct result of those partnerships. Engineer Bloom began by stating the agreement signed April 26, 2006 with St. Paul for Hamline/Hoyt was for roughly $459,000. What Falcon Heights did not know, was that the figure did not include engineering. She added that the construction on Hamline has been completed, and they have moved on to Hoyt, which was originally supposed to be reconstructed after the Fair. She stated the change, instead of mill and overlay in this area, to a full reconstruction, was necessary simply because there would not be enough pavement left in the area to mill. She added reconstructing a portion while doing mill and overlay on the other portions would compromise the integrity of the road. Bloom said a sidewalk reconstruction has been recommended as well with about 1250 feet of sidewalk proposed reconstructed. She said for Falcon Heights’ trouble, and all the communication issues, St. Paul has agreed to reduce their typical 19% engineering fees to 10%. The cost for the change in scope of work are: utility costs add roughly $25,000, sidewalk $26,000, engineering is $51,000. The total increase is $102,240. Bloom said that a 5% contingency of $28,069.51 is recommended, bringing the grand total of the adjustment to $130,313.17. She stated the sanitary sewer fund would handle a portion of the added costs, $70,243.66 worth, and seeing as how a portion of the work deals directly with sanitary sewer, the cost can legitimately be paid by this fund. Secondly, the $32,000 of road and sidewalk reconstruction could be paid out of the capital infrastructure fund. Finally, the 5% contingency of $28,069.51 would likely be due to utility changes, and would also be taken from the sanitary sewer enterprise fund. Bloom ended by stating the total not-to-exceed cost for the whole project is $589,459.61. She added there would be an item in two weeks regarding some Como-Sub 7 watershed costs on how to improve storm water drainage in parts of Falcon Heights. Interim City Administrator Hoag added the watershed has been planning this, and Falcon Heights has budgeted for it. Council member Harris asked staff to explain what the two funds where the money is coming from, and what percentage of money would be used out of the funds. Interim City Administrator Hoag explained the funds had ample money to cover the added costs, but stated he did not know how much was in each of the funds. Mayor Gehrz added there is roughly $1.7 million in the sanitary sewer fund, and thought about $500,000 was in the capital fund. Bloom added monies from the State would be available, and up to $70,000 could be granted to Falcon Heights next year for the capital fund. Each year $70,000 can be applied for, and that cap has been applied to Roselawn for this year. She stated Finance Director Olson was confident both funds could handle the added costs. Mayor Gehrz stated the sanitary sewer charges of $35/quarter per household, and the recycling charges of $4 per household are charged and added into the sanitary sewer fund. She added the funds accumulate until they are needed for reconstructions or maintenance projects, and due to this building up of the sanitary sewer fund releases Falcon Heights from having to borrow or bond for projects. Council member Lindstrom stated one of the reasons of doing the complete reconstruction rather than a mill and overlay is due to an unknown location of a pipe. He asked how the City could not know where the location of the pipe under the road is. Interim City Administrator Hoag stated at the start of the process, that the complete reconstruction was based on where the water main was, and whom it affected. At Pascal, the main shifts from the St. Paul side to Falcon Heights’ side, and since the new pipe going in is larger, it caused the placement of the main to fall further towards the center of the road to keep room for the gas lines, sewer lines, etc. that are already buried along the side of the street. Council member Lindstrom asked why engineering was not included in the total. Bloom replied it is typical to have those charges included at the forefront, and she did not know why St. Paul left it out, but that was the reason why St. Paul lessened their charges to 10% of the total engineering costs. Bloom added Roseville charges 16% and consultants 20-25% for engineering, so 10% is significantly cheaper than other options. Council member Lindstrom stated there have been lessons learned not to make assumptions, especially when dealing with St. Paul. Bloom stated on Hamline, St. Paul has “eaten” costs for tree removals and sanitary sewer work in the amount of $5-10,000 due to their errors, and the project was done quickly, and done right, which is most important. Council member Talbot stated the council takes fiduciary responsibility very seriously, and when it comes to money, surprises are not amusing. Council member Harris stated she agreed with Lindstrom in that how could the City have missed the omission of engineering costs in the contract. Mayor Gehrz answered the contract was not specific; it gave no breakdown and was very general. She believed it to be a lump sum figure. Mayor Gehrz thanked Hoag for his hard work in taking on the additional duties of City Administrator and doing a good job with his own department at the same time. Council member Harris moved to approve the change in the scope of work with the City of St. Paul for the Hamline-Hoyt street reconstruction project. The motion passed unanimously. 3. Resolution 06-14 adopting use of AutoMARK ballot marking machines in elections Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk Kreuser gave an overview of the item by stating the usage of the new machines is due to the Help America Vote Act. The machines give disabled voters independence and privacy in the voting process. Kreuser explained the machines take in a blank ballot, and through a touch-screen or buttons on a keypad, the voter selects their choice, and the machine marks the ballot. Then the marked ballot is taken to the Accuvote for tabulation. There will be two machines for Falcon Heights, and one will be set-up at City Hall for absentee voting. Election judges will be trained, and public testing will occur later this summer. Kreuser stated there are monies leftover from the State allocation that will be used to the pay for the machines over the next 4-5 years. Council member Talbot asked about the maintenance on the machines after the five years. Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk Kreuser stated she was unsure; however, the costs are covered for the next four elections. In addition, Ramsey County will keep us apprised us any maintenance issues. Kreuser reminded Talbot that the people who will be using the AutoMARK are those who are disabled, and it is up to the individual’s discretion on whether they are used. Council member Harris stated she was glad to see this machine put to use, and it echoes the spirit of the American’s with Disabilities Act. Council member Lindstrom asked how a blind person would be able to use the machine. Kreuser replied there is Braille on the keypad. Mayor Gehrz asked how people would be informed of the availability of the machine. Kreuser replied the Secretary of State will be getting information to the public, it will be set-up at the State Fair and during absentee voting, and information will be posted on the website later this summer. Council member Lindstrom moved to approve resolution 06-14, adopting use of AutoMARK ballot marking machines in elections. The motion passed unanimously. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENTS: Council member Harris stated she attended the community garden presentation at the Parks/Rec Commission meeting on June 12. Council member Lindstrom added he attended as well, and the commission is looking at potential locations for a garden. A feasibility report to the council will be presented. Council member Talbot announced the Ice Cream Social is July 27, and asked drivers to please slow down on neighborhood roads. Mayor Gehrz announced the Block Party Blast-Off for June 26 from 7-8 at City Hall; everyone is welcome. The council workshop for June 19 is the goal-setting agenda for 2007 at 7:00 p.m. She advised residents to check out the newsletter article on speeding in the newsletter. Lastly, she gave an overview on the June 7 walkability workshop given by the Humphrey Institute students. The presentation included input from several commissioners, council, and staff, and she thanked everyone for their ideas. Interim City Administrator Hoag stated there may in intermittent closures around the Hamline/Hoyt area as the sanitary sewer work is being completed. He added they are working hard on getting Hamline open north-south. Mayor Gehrz adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Stacey Kreuser Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk NSCC/NSAC Primer The North Suburban Cable Commission (NSCC) was established by the 10 member cities, with Roseville Mayor Tom Curley in the lead, in 1981 in order to have more bargaining power with the cable companies that had descended upon the Twin Cities suburban reas. The Commission’s responsibility was to develop a request for proposals for cable service, evaluate the proposals and recommend a provider to the member cities. A 15-year franchise, i.e., permission for a cable company to use the public rights-of-way to string coaxial cable for cable television services, was awarded in 1982 to Group W Cable. At that point, the Commission’s task became to oversee the cable agreement and to make sure the company fulfilled its responsibilities. In return for using the public rights-of-way, the cable company agreed to pay a 5% fee to the member cities. Part of this fee funds the Commission. The remainder, according to the member cities’ Joint Powers Agreement which created the Commission, is to be used by the cities for cable related activities, primarily programming their government access channels. For the franchise (which, by the way, is non-exclusive), the cable company also agreed to set aside a number of community access channels on the system and to provide facilities and equipment to produce television programs and training on how to use the facilities and equipment. The Commission became increasingly frustrated, however, with the company’s efforts on behalf of community television, and Gus Hauser, who bought the company from Group W, wasn’t interested in managing public access any longer. So, the two sides agreed to change the franchise agreement and negotiate a transfer of public access management to the Commission. In anticipation of that transfer, which actually took place in April 1991, the Commission established the North Surburban Access Corporation. NSAC is a non-profit corporation charged with managing the community access channels, equipment and facilities and with training people in the community in how to produce programs for the channels. NSAC is funded by an annual grant from the cable company. The grant represents the negotiated value of the company’s original public access commitments in the cable franchise. The members of the Commission are appointed by the member cities. Each city has one delegate to the Commission. Some of the cities appoint city council members to serve, while others have chosen interested citizens. The commissioners also serve as the Board of Directors for the Access Corporation. Despite the fact that the governing bodies of both organizatons are composed of the same individuals, the Commission and the Access Corporation are operated as separate organizations, with separate meetings, budgets and financial records. In recent years, the duties of the Commission have included many transfers of ownership and the renewal of the original franchise, as well as customer service problems associated with the cable system upgrade in 1999. The Commission is currently reviewing applications for franchises from two companies who want to compete with the incumbent cable operator. The Commission also manages the Institutional Network which serves the cities and schools and other public organizations in the 10 cities. Although the mission of the Access Corporation has not changed, the tools used in the production of video programming have increasingly become digital. In the 10 years that the Corporation has been operating public access, community television has become a fixture in our cities. Both the Commission and the Corporation’s Board of Directors meet on the first Thursday of the month, usually at the Roseville studio at 950 Woodhill Drive. The Commission meeting begins at 7:00 p.m., and the Corporation Board meeting follows. Members of the community are welcome to attend the meetings. In addition, they are cablecast live the night of the meeting and re-cast every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Institutional Network Begins to Fulfill Promise Long before MediaOne conceived of “broadband,” the ability of coaxial cable to transmit a wide variety of communication types was well known to local franchising authorities. As early as the franchises of the 1970’s, cable companies were offering the construction of two-way cable networks, separate from the subscriber network, to serve the public institutions in their communities. These Institutional Networks, or I- Nets, were key components of the package of community benefits that cable companies offered to cities in return for using their public rights-of-way to sell cable television. Among the services touted by cable companies eager to be the winning bidder for the franchise was security services, meter reading, and data communications. The original cable company’s proposal for the 10 cities of the North Suburban Communications Commission (NSCC) devotes nine pages to a description of what could/would be done over the Institutional Network. Until the mid-1990’s, however, most I-Nets were used primarily to facilitate the cable- casting of live programming, such as parades, concerts in the park, and high school sports, from a remote site. There were two reasons for this underuse of a very valuable resource. The first was the slow development of the necessary electronic equipment for data transmission. Although the coaxial cable was ideally suited for transmitting all kinds of signals, there were few options for modems, translators and routers because there was very little demand for them. And, there was very little demand because cable companies, by and large, saw their business as cable television and entertainment, not communications. So, while I-Nets were one of the hooks used to get a cable franchise, the companies had little interest in developing their communications capabilities beyond video, especially when the service was being provided for free. Developing the connection That began to change as the larger cable companies realized that they would have to sell more than television in order to compete in the telecommunications marketplace. In addition, more instutions, especially schools, finally had enough computers deployed throughout the organization that networking those computers became important. That was why in 1994 staff from the Roseville Area Schools approached the North Suburban Communications Commission about using the I-Net as the backbone of a wide area network (WAN) connecting all of their facilities. NSCC is a consortium of 10 cities in northern Ramsey County established through a joint powers agreement. The I-Net connects every city building, fire station, library, and school (both public and private, primary, secondary and post-secondary) in the ten cities, for a total of almost 100 drops. The 400 Megahertz (MHz) system has 38 channels down-stream and 16 channels upstream. The original network was primarily coaxial cable with some fiber optics; the current network is primarily fiber, with some coaxial connections. To establish the data connections, the Roseville Schools and NSCC (with its non-profit community programming affiliate, CTV15) installed 4 Megabits per second (Mbps) Zenith cable modems and Cisco routers at each of their locations. The school district also purchased a translator that is located in the cable company’s head end. The modems take the data off the network, while the router sends it to each institution’s internal network. The translator routes the incoming and outgoing signals to the appropriate frequencies on the I- Net. In addition, the Cable Company installed filters throughout the network to keep signals from the various frequencies from interfering with one another. The Roseville school district uses the WAN to transmit data and internal e-mail between its facilities. The district distributes the Internet to its facilities over the I-Net, as well. Testing the technology The first year was a tough one. Data is less forgiving of infrastructure performance deficiencies than video signals are, and the initial year with most of the Roseville public schools connected was the winter of 1995/96, when temperatures dropped 40 degrees below zero on several occasions. The extreme cold resulted in “suck outs,” where the coaxial cable shrinks and literally pulls out of its fittings. By the second year of the project, the company’s enhanced maintenance of the I-Net began to pay off with significantly improved performance, and there were no significant outages during winter of 1996/97. With the technology now proven and interest in Internet access heating up among the NSCC member cities, in 1997 the commission staff established a second pair of 6 MHz frequencies to distribute the Internet to the city halls. The commission also purchased the 4Mbps Zenith modems and Cisco routers for each city so that none of its members would be left out of the project because of cost. At the beginning of 1998, about six months ahead of schedule, a third pair of frequencies was dedicated to the transmission of GIS (geographic information systems) data between the members of the Ramsey County GIS Users Group. The GIS network uses Lancity 10 Mbps modems to allow a faster throughput of data because the GIS files are so large. Refining the performance Two final points need to be made. First is that the success of this project is due to the partnership of the School District, the cable commission and the cable company. Staff from all three worked integrally together to evaluate equipment and solve problems. Second, the use of the I-Net continues to evolve. The Roseville School District is now considering a switch to the Lancity modems, while the Mounds View School District is planning to begin the using the I-Net for Internet access, also using the Lancity equipment. And, the commission staff and the cable company are experimenting with extending the GIS service to cities in other cable commission’s I-Net Users Group is exploring other uses for this infrastructure. A new cable franchise for the NSCC cities will also enhance the performance of the Institutional Network. The Cable Company has agreed to very strong performance standards, including both technical performance as well as their response to problems and outages. To meet those standards, the company will upgrade the I-Net to a hybrid fiber coax design and replace much of the older electronics. In addition, the company will dedicate six fibers along the subscriber network for institutional use. ST. PAUL, NSCC AND COMCAST: CONNECTING RAMSEY COUNTY By Mike Reardon, City of St. Paul, and Coralie Wilson, Executive Director, North Suburban Communications Commission On May 10, 2005, Ramsey County lit up its long-awaited fiber connection between its offices in downtown St. Paul and its new Public Works maintenance facility in Arden Hills. That wasn’t unusual. What makes this connection special is that it involves the City of St. Paul and North Suburban Communications Commission institutional networks that run over fiber provided by Comcast as a franchise requirement, as well as a short (1,500 feet) amount of fiber running from the Arden Hills City Hall to the adjacent maintenance facility. County staff first began talking with NSCC staff about the possibility of using the NSCC I-Net in late summer/early fall 2003. More formal correspondence and discussions began in May 2004 as the County progressed on its plans to build a new Public Works maintenance facility north of Highway 96 next to the Arden Hills City Hall. (The new building replaces the Public Works building in Shoreview.) One of the reasons that a fiber connection was so important was that the staff assigned to the new building would need to access and transfer GIS files, or maps converted to data files. These files are extremely large, and they need both capacity and speed to ensure that they download in seconds rather than in hours. Since neither the City of St. Paul nor NSCC had an abundance of fiber available, the County planned to use a technology called “coarse wave division multiplexing.” For those without a technical background, this means that, instead of using the full light spectrum to transmit data, the laser breaks the spectrum into its component colors, each of which can be used as a data stream. The result is the ability to send more data in the same amount of fiber. This was critical to the project because, on part of the St. Paul link, the city and the State of Minnesota were already sharing two strands of fiber. Although NSCC had two strands of fiber available, the commission was reluctant to give up all of that capacity to one user. Multiplexing is a cost-effect method of getting more capacity out of the same amount of fiber. The path for the connection travels on county fiber from the Ramsey County Government Center West building on Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul to the St. Paul City Hall, where it is patched onto the city’s I-Net. From there it goes to the state’s Centennial Office Building and then on to the Comcast Sims location before connecting to the Comcast headend on Fairview Avenue in Roseville, where it is patched over to the NSCC I- Net. Then it travels to the Comcast hub in Shoreview and on to the Arden Hills City Hall. At that point it hops onto fiber owned by the City of Arden Hills for the balance of the trip to the Public Works building. In all, the fiber path is over 38 miles long. The project required Ramsey County officials to enter into agreements with the Cities of St. Paul and Arden Hills, as well as with NSCC. To make the process easier for all involved, St. Paul’s Office of Cable and NSCC staff decided to work together on a contract document that was nearly identical for both. The collaboration expedited the contracting process and will make contract administration easier for Ramsey County. The County’s connection has been up and running now for nearly two months, and, so far, no one has encountered any problems with the fiber, and the Public Works employees using the connection are thrilled with the increased data capacity and speed. NSCC 2006 Budget 2004 2005 2005 2005 2006 ACTUAL Budget Jan-Sept Estimated BUDGET Y-T-D Total REVENUES City Contributions 230,522 253,574 253,574 253,574 278,931 Interest Income 94 15,000 4,888 10,000 10,000 Scholarship Grant 62,403 65,500 67,464 67,464 71,000 Reimbursements 11,803 9,000 7,232 8,430 11,400 Misc. Income 0 0 245 245 0 Transfer from NSCC Reserves 32,135 73,094 0 0 44,569 Total Revenues 336,957 416,168 333,403 339,713 415,900 EXPENSE SUMMARY Personal Services 117,158 130,870 60,900 78,596 110,699 Operating Expenses 216,847 258,808 130,211 201,197 278,524 Contingency 0 11,690 0 0 11,677 Capital Expenses 2,952 14,800 3,045 5,000 15,000 Total Expenses 336,957 416,168 194,156 284,793 415,900 NET REVENUE (LESS EXPENSES) 0 0 139,247 54,920 0 NSAC 2006 BUDGET 2004 2005 2005 2005 2006 Actual Budget Jan-Sept. Estimated Budget YTD Total Revenues Cable Company Grants 935,057 951,629 951,629 951,629 999,210 Interest Income 18,581 36,000 9,600 22,000 22,100 Tuition/Training/Misc. 9,208 7,000 4,161 5,548 6,000 Reimbursements 12,113 15,700 13,069 7,850 15,700 Rental Income 5,075 5,000 5,583 6,000 6,000 Gain on Sale of Equipment 5,069 0 0 0 0 Transfer from Reserves 665,094 188,805 0 136,086 185,322 Total Revenues 1,650,197 1,204,134 984,042 1,129,113 1,234,332 Expenses Personal Services 643,930 671,670 523,854 666,483 709,499 Operating Expenses 249,393 345,450 254,748 345,130 355,600 Capital Expenses 662,398 156,500 64,765 117,500 136,500 Contingency 0 30,514 0 0 32,733 Total Expenses 1,555,721 1,204,134 843,367 1,129,113 1,234,332 Net Revenue (less Expenses) 94,476 0 140,675 0 0 CONSENT F1 6/28/06 ITEM: Disbursements and Payroll SUBMITTED BY: Roland O. Olson, Finance Director REVIEWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator EXPLANATION: Summary: 1. General Disbursements through 6/21/06: $109,017.40 2. Payroll through 6/15/06: $14,304.90 ACTION REQUESTED: • Approval CONSENT F2 6/28/06 ITEM: Appointment of Gretel Keene to Environment Commission SUBMITTED BY: Sue Gehrz, Mayor EXPLANATION: I am recommending the following resident of Falcon Heights for appointment to the Environment Commission: • Gretel Keene, 1438 Iowa Ave West This will bring the Environment Commission to six commissioners. ATTACHMENT: • Application ACTION REQUESTED: • Appointment of Gretel Keene to the Environment Commission CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS COMMISSION APPLICATION DATE:.June..l j Zodo NAME:<D ~+e\\:(ee.h e... ADDRESS:/43 ~I O{Jjo..~ve"LJ.)FcJcon tk:15hts J M tv ~{tZ,,2(2.cJ PHONE:(H)~'Z --3cg=t-d \(~(W)_ HOW LONG AT ABOVE ADDRESS?~'1eo.:rs. IN WHAT CAPACITY DO YOU WISH TO SERVE?--------- E h V j ro Y\N\en4-cJ Co I'Y\IY\ioS '5 'I ()I) REASON YOU WISH TO SERVE ON ABOVE:+0 YV\o.\Y'\l~i V\0..\1"\0\ ~rr-cve +he.5t::1...k+~CAwV\d k?ea-~-+~.--_~_poJeo V"\H-e.\CO h+s ., PRIOR PUBLIC (OR RELATED)SERVICE:(IJ \\D(~askv-General 'i~tt( IN 'I~FE'(V1A-)(2.)Co fht'Y\U-V\\~~r Me.~Ke.spot'1se.-r~ (CE?f2.i)lnst"'lI\d-or (3)\JQD...pons o~fJ\OS$Des~nACih~Y"t (w fv'\D'] I ns,+vCAGfor---t=eMA-c.eV-.:!.·\~iec\.. OTHER RELEVANT BACKGROUND (OR COMMENTS){I)l r.(A.V~l.Oor-k:"€d w'r-\--h home ~bu.c;'(V1e.SS d~\-Y-l-lG-\-',M'"\IY\~\o..bo..~0Jl\C\ Lo uJ ~'\a..Vl~)(1)h0...v'~rY\On \4-0 (".eD\&\0 r Is.r e.V'Y\.tJ If~,Y'\ At e>-..bCA.VV\O.~0)3..¥\c1 h.o....\;~-+CU.A.q h+De\:)1''''\&Q.e.mo vo....\\l \\l V\...•6 u..\S:.IlA.1-'\~~ CONSENT F3 6 / 2 8 / 0 6 ITEM: Step increase for Dave Tretsven, Public Works Lead Worker SUBMITTED BY: Greg Hoag, Parks and Public Works Director REVIEWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator EXPLANATION: Dave Tretsven has completed ten years of employment with the City. Dave has had excellent performance during this period. Dave has assumed the duties of the Lead Maintenance Worker and is responsible for coordinating the daily tasks of the maintenance staff. His knowledge of the city and its facilities has been invaluable to the city’s residents, employees, and business owners. Dave has shown excellent judgment, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to take on new duties and responsibilities as needed. At this time, I am recommending a 3% step increase for Dave, which is in accordance with the City’s compensation policy of an increase after ten years of full-time employment. ACTION REQUESTED: • Approval of step increase for Dave Tretsven retroactive to June 26, 2006. CONSENT F4 6/28/06 ITEM: Appointment of new volunteer firefighters SUBMITTED BY: Clem Kurhajetz, Fire Chief EXPLANATION: The Fire Department wishes to appoint the following firefighters: • Josh Fridgen • Adam Goplin ACTION REQUESTED: • Appointment of the above firefighters to the Falcon Heights Fire Department. CONSENT F5 6/28/06 ITEM: Approval of license SUBMITTED BY: Stacey Kreuser, Assistant City Administrator/Deputy Clerk Explanation: The following company has submitted application for a mechanical contractor’s license. All necessary documents have been received by City staff. • Allan Mechanical POLICY G1 6/28/06 ITEM: Approve the sale of 1978 American La France Fire Truck SUBMITTED BY: Clem Kurhajetz, Fire Chief REVIEWED BY: Greg Hoag, Parks and Public Works Director Roger Knutson, City Attorney EXPLANATION: With the purchase of the new fire truck in 2005, the truck which it replaced is no longer needed by the Fire Department. This truck was advertised for sale in the fall of 2005 and the Fire Department received no offers to purchase it. The City Council then authorized staff to explore the option of donating the truck to a Fire Department in New Orleans as part of the hurricane relief donations. No department was found to be in need. In May of 2006 the City was contacted by a local collector who had seen the original advertisement. This individual has made an offer to purchase the truck. ATTACHMENTS: • Letter of offer from Nick Modders ACTION REQUESTED: • Approve the sale of the 1978 American La France Fire Truck in as-is condition to Nick Modders for a sale price of $4,000. Nick Modders Robert W.Boe Firetruck Partners 3598 Willow Beach Street Prior Lake,MN 55372-2355 Phone and Fax:952 447 1181 e-mail:nickmodders@integra.net June 15,2006 Mr.Greg Hoag Interim Ci~y Administrator 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue Falcon Heights,MN 55113 Dear Mr.Hoag: We have been in contact with the Falcon Heights Fire Department about purchasing your 1978 American La France Century Series pumper VIN:CE 17 5994,also known as Falcon Heights Engine 753. We would offer four thousand dollars ($4000.00)to purchase the above mentioned fire truck.Our check,number 3045,for $4.000.00 is enclosed for full paYment. We understand that this offer must be approved by the city council.Please advise us when the council has decided on this offer. Sincerely, 0l~IJrtcddeuJ Nick Modders POLICY G2 6/28/06 ITEM: Resolution adopting a Cooperative Construction Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights and Capital Region Watershed District SUBMITTED BY: Greg Hoag, Director of Parks & Public Works REVIEWED BY: Roger Knutson, City Attorney Deb Bloom, City Engineer Justin Miller, City Administrator EXPLANATION: In late 2001, staff began discussions with Ramsey County, Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD), and the cities of Saint Paul and Roseville about the Como Lake Sub-watershed 7 drainage areas, and related issues to flooding downstream from our storm sewer in Falcon Heights. These problems were addressed because of early conversations about potential storm water runoff from the SE Corner Redevelopment Site. The parties agreed, preliminarily, to work together on a hydrological investigation of the Sub- watershed 7 area, the purposes of which would be: 1. Evaluation of water conveyance capacity limitations in the sub-watershed and identification of potential solutions and costs; 2. Evaluation of related water quality impacts and identification of specific Best Management Practices and associated costs for the purpose of meeting the implementation objectives of the CRWD’s Como Lake Strategic Plan; 3. Identification of a fair cost distribution among partners for future implementation projects addressing the water conveyance capacity issue and water quality impacts in Como Lake Sub-watershed 7; 4. Preparation of a project implementation timetable. Three projects to be implemented in two phases were identified to improve storm water quality in this area. These projects are: Phase I; Arlington & Nebraska infiltration trenches, seven rain gardens, and a pond near Hamline and Midway Parkway. Phase II; Expansion of a pond on Como golf course and an underground storage facility near Arlington and Hamline. Phase I is currently being constructed as part of the Arlington / Pascal RSVP project and is being funded 100% by CRWD. Phase II is proposed to be constructed in the fall of 2006. A construction agreement is necessary to detail the terms and responsibilities of this cooperative project. This agreement will split the costs for the project between the all parties according to the report which was based on contributing flow to the individual projects. See attached proposed agreement. FUNDING: Total estimated project costs $967,960 Less funding from the state $75,000 Total $892,960 Cost allocation: CRWD (50%) $446,480 St. Paul (37.35%) $333,520 Falcon Heights (11.15%) $99,565 Roseville (1.45%) $12,947 Ramsey County (.05%) $448 CRWD will pay for 50% of this project and the cities of Falcon Heights, Roseville, and St. Paul along with Ramsey County will pay for the remaining 50% based the percentage of the flows they contribute to the area. Falcon Heights will pay 11.15% plus 10% for construction observation and engineering for a total not to exceed $109,521.50. Should bids for this project come in higher than the engineer’s estimates, CRWD reserves the right to award the bid with no guarantee of additional funding from Falcon Heights. This project is budgeted in the Storm Sewer Enterprise fund for 2006. ATTACHMENTS: • Cooperative Construction agreement with Exhibits A, B1, and B2 ACTION REQUESTED: • Adoption of Resolution 2006-16 CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS RESOLUTION 2006-16 Resolution adopting a Cooperative Construction Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights and Capital Region Watershed District WHEREAS, in late 2001, staff began discussions with Ramsey County, Capitol Region Watershed District, and the cities of Saint Paul and Roseville about the Como Lake Sub- watershed 7 drainage areas; WHEREAS the parties agreed, preliminarily, to work together on a hydrological investigation of the Sub-watershed 7 area; WHEREAS Phase I was determined as Arlington & Nebraska infiltration trenches, seven rain gardens, and a pond near Hamline and Midway Parkway, and Phase II as expansion of a pond on Como golf course and an underground storage facility near Arlington and Hamline; WHEREAS a construction agreement has been written to detail the terms and responsibilities of this cooperative project; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Capital Region Watershed District will pay for 50% of this project and the City of Falcon Heights will pay 11.15% plus 10% for construction observation and engineering for a total not to exceed $109,521.50. Moved by: ______________ Approved by: _______________________ Susan L. Gehrz, Mayor June 28, 2006 GEHRZ KUETTEL _____ In Favor HARRIS LINDSTROM _____ Against _______________________ TALBOT Attested by: Justin Miller C i t y A d m i n i s t r a t o r June 28, 2006 POLICY G3 6/28/06 ITEM: Resolution adopting Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement between the City of Falcon Heights, City of Saint Paul, and State of Minnesota SUBMITTED BY: Greg Hoag, Director of Parks & Public Works REVIEWED BY: Roger Knutson, City Attorney Deb Bloom, City Engineer EXPLANATION: Summary: In 2004 the city received Hoyt Avenue as a turn back street from Ramsey County. Hoyt is a border street that is shared with the city of Saint Paul. As a result of this turn back, Ramsey County is no longer responsible for the maintenance and up-keep of the traffic signal at Snelling and Hoyt. With three different government agencies now in control of the intersection, a traffic control signal agreement has been drafted for approval by all three governing bodies. The following is a breakdown of responsibility by jurisdiction: Falcon Heights: Monthly electrical expenses necessary to operate the traffic control signal. Saint Paul: Re-lamping, cleaning and painting of traffic control signal, streetlights and control cabinets. State of Minnesota (MNDOT): Maintain signage, signal timing and all other signal and streetlight maintenance. The State will be responsible for Emergency Vehicle Pre-Emption equipment (Opticom) should it be installed at a later date. The state will be responsible for all costs related to these items. This agreement is similar to the agreement for Roselawn at Snelling, except that Saint Paul is only responsible for costs related to ¼ of the intersection. Thus a cost share formula has been developed to pay for repairs and maintenance as needed. For the electrical Falcon Heights will invoice St. Paul for ¼ the costs each month. For re-lamping, cleaning and painting St. Paul will invoice Falcon Heights for ¾ of the actual costs. ATTACHMENTS: • Traffic Control Signal Agreement No. 88641M ACTION REQUESTED: • Adoption of Resolution No. 2006-17 MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL AGREEMENT NO.88641M BETWEEN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS AND THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL FOR Maintenance and Operation of the existing Traffic Control Signal with Street Lights, Interconnect and Signing on Trunk Highway 51 (Snelling Avenue) at Hoyt Avenue, in Falcon Heights and St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. C.S. 6215 Prepared by Metropolitan District Traffic Engineering ESTIMATED AMOUNT RECEIVABLE AMOUNT ENCUMBERED None None Otherwise Covered PARTIES THIS AGREEMENT is entered into by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, (State), the City of Falcon Heights, (Falcon Heights), and The City of Saint Paul (St. Paul). RECITALS Minnesota Statutes Section 161.20 authorizes the Commissioner of Transportation to enter into agreements with any governmental authority for the purposes of constructing, maintaining and improving the Trunk Highway system. The Ramsey County Public Works Department has turned back the road formerly known as County State Aid Highway No. 56 (Hoyt Avenue) to Falcon Heights and St. Paul. This road is currently known as Hoyt Avenue. The parties desire to provide the maintenance and operation for the existing traffic control signal, including street lights, interconnect and signing (Traffic Control Signal), on Trunk Highway 51 (Snelling Avenue) at Hoyt Avenue. Due to Ramsey County no longer having jurisdiction over any legs of this intersection, Ramsey County will no longer perform the minor maintenance or pay for the monthly electrical power for the existing Traffic Control Signal, at the location provided for above. Falcon Heights, St. Paul and the State will participate in the maintenance and operation of the existing Traffic Control Signal and related street lights. CONTRACT 1. The responsibility for the existing Traffic Control Signal is as follows: a) St. Paul will, at its cost and expense: (1) relamp the existing traffic control signal; (2) clean and paint the existing traffic control signal, cabinet and luminaire mast arm extensions; (3) maintain the luminaires and all their components, including replacement of the luminaire if necessary; and (4) relamp the street lights; and b) The State will, at its cost and expense, maintain the signing and interconnect and perform all other existing traffic control signal and street light maintenance; and c) Falcon Heights will, at its cost and expense, pay all monthly electrical service expenses necessary to operate the existing Traffic Control Signal. 2. The cost share formula for the items listed in section 1 are as follows: a) St. Paul will invoice Falcon Heights for 75% of said work with copies of invoices attached. St. Paul will be responsible for 25% of said costs. B) Costs for this said work will be the sole responsibility of the State. C) Falcon Heights will, at its cost and expense, pay all monthly electrical service expenses necessary to operate the existing Traffic Control Signal. Falcon Heights will invoice St. Paul for 25% of these costs with copies of the electric utilities invoices attached. Falcon Heights will be responsible for the remaining 75% of these said costs. 3. Each party will be solely responsible for its own acts and omissions, and the results thereof, to the extent authorized by law. The State's liability is governed by the Minnesota Tort Claims Act, Minnesota Statutes Section 3.736. Falcon Heights’ and St. Paul’s liability is governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 466 and other applicable law. Each party will be solely responsible for its own employees for any Workers Compensation Claims. 4. All timing of the existing Traffic Control Signal will be determined by the State, and no changes may be made except with the approval of the State. 5. Upon execution and approval by Falcon Heights, St. Paul and the State, this agreement will supersede and terminate maintenance and operation terms in Agreement No. 63819, Dated March 16, 1987 regarding the intersection of Trunk Highway No. 51 (Snelling Avenue) at County State Aid Highway No. 56 (Hoyt Avenue) between Ramsey County, the City of Roseville, Falcon Heights, and the State. 6. Any amendment to this Agreement must be in writing and will not be effective until it has been executed and approved by the same parties who executed and approved the original Agreement, or their successors in office. 7. If any party fails to enforce any provisions of this Agreement, that failure does not waive the provision or its right to enforce it. 8. This Agreement contains all negotiations and agreements between the parties. No other understanding regarding this Agreement, whether written or oral, may be used to bind any of the parties. 9. Minnesota law governs this contract. Venue for all legal proceedings arising out of this Agreement, or its breach, must be in the appropriate state or federal court with competent jurisdiction in Ramsey County, Minnesota. 10. This Agreement is effective on the date the State obtains all required signatures under Minnesota Statutes 16C.05, Subdivision 2, and will remain in effect until terminated by written agreement of the parties. CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS CITY OF ST. PAUL By:_______________________ By:___________________________ Susan Gehrz, Mayor Mayor Date:_____________________ Date:_________________________ By:_______________________ By:___________________________ Justin Miller, City Administrator Director of Public Works Date:_____________________ Date:_________________________ By:___________________________ City Attorney By:___________________________ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL: ____________________________ By:_________________________ Metropolitan District State Design Engineer Engineer Date:_______________________ COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION As to form and execution: As delegated to Materials Management Division By:_________________________ Contract Management By:___________________________ Date:_______________________ CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS RESOLUTION 2006-17 JUNE 28, 2006 BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Falcon Heights enter into an agreement with the State of Minnesota, Department of Transportation for the following purposes, to wit: For maintenance and operation of the existing traffic control signal with street lights, interconnect and signing on Trunk Highway 51 (Snelling Avenue) at Hoyt Avenue in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth and contained in Agreement No. 88641M, a copy of which was before the Council. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proper City officers be and hereby are authorized to execute such agreement and any amendments, and thereby assume for and on behalf of the City all of the contractual obligations contained therein. Moved by: _______________ Approved: ________________________ Susan L. Gehrz, Mayor June 28, 2006 GEHRZ ____ In Favor Attested: _________________________ KUETTEL Justin Miller, City Administrator LINDSTROM June 28, 2006 T A L B O T HARRIS ____ Against CERTIFICATION State of Minnesota City of Falcon Heights I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution is a true and correct copy of a resolution presented to and adopted by the Council of the City of Falcon Heights at a duly authorized meeting thereof held on the day of _______, 2006, as shown by the minutes of said meeting in my possession. (Seal) By:_____________________________ Title:__________________________ POLICY G4 6/28/06 ITEM: Adoption of City goals for 2007 SUBMITTED BY: Mayor Gehrz REVEIWED BY: City Council EXPLANATION: At the June 19 City Council goal setting workshop, the council discussed and developed the City goals, strategies and action plan for 2007. ATTACHMENTS: • 2007 City Goals ACTION REQUESTED: • Adopt City goals for 2007 City of Falcon Heights 2007 Goals Purpose: To sustain this community as a good place to live, work and visit. Goal 1: To protect the public health and safety. Strategy 1: Provide public safety services to citizens. Action Items: ƒ Provide a responsive, visible, police service utilizing community oriented policing model ƒ Provide a responsive, well-trained fire service ƒ Practice the emergency management plan ƒ Participate in Metro-wide emergency management planning, activities and exercises ƒ Continue to offer training to prepare volunteers to assist with disaster response ƒ Maintain Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) throughout the city ƒ Work with other cities, agencies and institutions in Ramsey County to develop a county-wide emergency management inventory and plan ƒ Continue to use St. Paul for ambulance service ƒ Participate in the North Suburban Haz Mat Team ƒ Complete migration to the 800 MHz public safety communication system for police, fire, and public works personnel ƒ Explore options for a bicycle safety program and bicycle patrols ƒ Promote 55 Alive programs Strategy 2: Participate in initiatives designed to prevent crime and the need for emergency responses. Action Items: ƒ Promptly remove graffiti from public buildings and provide removal materials for city businesses ƒ Expand opportunities for using technology to improve crime watch notification ƒ Communicate regularly with residents about Homeland Security and the emergency management plan ƒ Support the work of the Neighborhood Commission and Neighborhood Liaisons ƒ Review liquor & tobacco license penalties ƒ Use traffic-calming tools including the speed monitoring trailer and warning signs ƒ Take steps to prevent hate crimes through the activities of the human rights commission Strategy 3: Participate in early intervention programs with juveniles. Action Items: ƒ Support Northwest Youth and Family Services (NYFS) ƒ Continue referrals to NYFS through facilitating connections between NYFS and SAPD Strategy 4: Protect the public health. Action Item: ƒ Participate in Ramsey County public health emergency exercises ƒ Publicize mosquito control measures, including free tire pick-up by Metropolitan Mosquito Patrol, utilizing city council meetings, newsletters and flyers ƒ Continue education about preparing for pandemic flu in this community ƒ Explore opportunities to distribute free gun locks Goal 2: To sustain and promote the assets of the city’s unique neighborhoods and tax base including commercial, residential and open space uses for present and future generations. Strategy 1: Maintain and enhance the neighborhood and community parks with updated facilities, recreation and community services. Action Items: ƒ Maintain community landscaping ƒ Maintain a sound maintenance program for public facilities ƒ Focus on the quality, appearance, and longevity of public improvements ƒ Review rental policies and usages ƒ Research opportunities for enhancing recreational resources at Falcon Heights Elementary School ƒ Organize an Adopt-A-Park program ƒ Complete the update and begin implementation of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan ƒ Negotiate with the University of Minnesota for the extension of the leases of Community Park and Grove Park ƒ Continue research of a community garden Strategy 2: Work with businesses and homeowners to maintain a functional and desirable business and residential environment. Action Items: ƒ Continue to review and communicate city code requirements to business and commercial property owners ƒ Maintain the desirability of neighborhoods through education and code enforcement ƒ Communicate community standards through photos and code information on the website ƒ Publicize Falcon Heights businesses including the Farmer’s Market Strategy 3: Maintain the City’s infrastructure. Action Items: ƒ Maintain the pathways ƒ Complete development of a system for rating pathways throughout the City ƒ Maintain the sanitary sewers and storm sewers ƒ Continue with a boulevard tree program for replacement, maintenance and expansion ƒ Publicize the resources available through the Housing Resource Center ƒ Maintain streets and alleys in accordance with the Pavement Management Plan ƒ Rewrite the City Assessment Manual Strategy 4: Protect and enhance the physical land use characteristics of the community. Action Items: ƒ Regularly review and update zoning code as necessary ƒ Participate in planning discussions, and get the required planning expertise if needed to assure that University of Minnesota and State Fair land uses and future inter-government decisions do not negatively impact the City’s neighborhoods ƒ Expand the use of the GIS system for land use planning and maintaining information on the city’s land use and facilities ƒ Support environmental education programs and activities ƒ Complete and submit plan for 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update Strategy 5: Pursue community and economic development opportunities and business retention activities. Action Items: ƒ Be well informed with the necessary planning, engineering, financial and legal expertise when making land use decisions ƒ Offer local businesses opportunities to be included in new resident welcome packets and community activities Strategy 6: Expand pedestrian and bicycle opportunities. Action Items: ƒ Be an active partner in the Active Living Ramsey County! (ALRC) initiative ƒ Work with ALRC to conduct a GIS inventory of pathways and bicycle lanes Strategy 7: Promote the unique assets of Falcon Heights. Action Items: • Publicize the new Bell Museum of Natural History. • Publicize the opening of the Gibbs Museum Bed and Breakfast. • Publicize the opening of the Equine Center. • Distribute the “Fun Facts About Falcon Heights Flyer.” • Support and publicize the “Second Annual Treasures of Falcon Heights Tour.” Goal 3: To expand opportunities for the interaction and involvement of citizens of all ages in their neighborhoods and community. Strategy 1: Promote and participate in youth development. Action Items: ƒ Continue the Junior Leaders program ƒ Include youth as commission members ƒ Include youth in city meetings, trainings and courses ƒ Informally interact with youth when the opportunity arises ƒ Speak about local government at schools or youth related functions ƒ Recognize youth achievement at City Council meetings, in the newsletter, and through the Neil Kwong Youth Citizenship Awards, and the North Suburban Gavel Association ƒ Promote awareness of the Cable Commission scholarships and internships ƒ Encourage student participation in City Council Meetings ƒ Participate in the Kids Voting Program through the Roseville Rotary Club Strategy 2: Host community/neighborhood events and activities. Action Items: ƒ Sponsor Annual Ice Cream Social ƒ Sponsor winter event ƒ Encourage neighborhood gatherings ƒ Support the Neighborhood Block Parties and National Night Out activities ƒ Support the Fire Department/Public Safety Open House ƒ Encourage volunteers to be involved in community planning activities ƒ Hold an annual food drive in conjunction with Falcon Heights Elementary School and other community partners ƒ Review and explore existing and additional city sponsored events Strategy 3: Explore, create and provide an array of recreation programming. Action Item: ƒ Evaluate the needs for recreation programming for all age groups ƒ Provide referrals for alternate programming ƒ Manage recreation programming on a seasonal basis ƒ Provide space for and promote the Falconeers Senior program ƒ Include recreation programming in the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Strategy 4: Encourage citizens to participate in city government. Action Items: ƒ Promote resident participation ƒ Web-stream televised council and planning commission meetings ƒ Promote, recruit, and publicize citizen participation in city commissions and task forces ƒ Investigate alternative domain name Strategy 5: Build stronger community and neighborhood connections. Action Items: ƒ Distribute the “Welcome to Falcon Heights” booklet ƒ Support and promote the Neighborhood Liaison Program ƒ Use conflict resolution resources for neighbors to use in resolving neighborhood conflicts ƒ Send out three newsletters per year ƒ Distribute monthly Falcon Flyer ƒ Support and expand the city’s website ƒ Promote and support the AARP Tax Assistance Program ƒ Research “Aging-In-Place” in the City Strategy 6: Maintain and promote our commitment to human rights and diversity. Action Items: ƒ Promote diversity on our commissions ƒ Support the work of the Falcon Heights Human Rights Commission Goal 4: To provide a responsive and effective city government. Strategy 1: Communicate promptly and clearly with citizens, business owners and institutional representatives by anticipating information needs and quickly responding to questions. Action Items: ƒ Provide a photo of new staff members and a description of jobs in the newsletter ƒ Publish a summary of the goals in the City’s newsletter and on the website ƒ Educate residents about the property tax ƒ Hold a Truth in Taxation Hearing annually Strategy 2: Maintain collaborative relationships with other entities. Action Items: ƒ Participate in the U of M Campus/Community Advisory Committee and on the Stadium Area Advisory Group ƒ Maintain regular communication with the University of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Council, Ramsey County, the Minnesota State Fair, the Capital Region Watershed District, the cities surrounding Falcon Heights, and the State of Minnesota ƒ Convey city goals to the City’s representatives at the legislature, the Metropolitan Council and the County, as well as to neighboring communities ƒ Participate in Northwest Youth and Family Service, North Suburban Communications Commission and CTV15, and the Ramsey County League of Local Governments ƒ Encourage Councilmembers and Staff to participate in service and professional organizations Strategy 3: Effectively manage the City’s consulting and personnel resources. Action Items: ƒ Review and clarify staffing assignments and responsibilities ƒ Evaluate the performance and work assignments of City employees through annual performance reviews ƒ Provide employees with affordable resources they require to efficiently and effectively do their jobs, including a training plan and technology resources ƒ Provide adequate funds for personnel, equipment and contractors to maintain the City’s infrastructure, facilities, public spaces and public improvements ƒ Evaluate and review consultants’ performances and fees ƒ Retain highly skilled and high-functioning employees ƒ Provide salaries and benefits that are competitive with cities of a similar size, scale, and scope Strategy 4: Effectively manage the city’s financial resources. Action Items: ƒ Update and provide a well-researched five year capital improvement program ƒ Review and adjust fees and policies as part of the annual budgeting process ƒ Research and pursue new revenue sources, including grants ƒ Pursue conduit bonding opportunities ƒ Review and evaluate the City’s long term financial needs and the City’s current and future financial resources to meet these needs ƒ Continue to research and pursue new opportunities for reducing expenses by using more contracts and joint powers agreements to share equipment, personnel, and technology with other levels of government ƒ Maintain a contingency fund to be prepared for unexpected, but necessary, expenditures ƒ Retain highly skilled and high functioning employees ƒ Continue to meet the standards for the GFOA Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting Strategy 5: Develop an e-mail capability to communicate with residents Action Items: ƒ Solicit e-mail addresses through the Falcon Flyer and newsletter, at the front desk, on the City website, and at community events ƒ Solicit new resident e-mail addresses ƒ Create a resident listserv that is sectional and private Strategy 6: Develop the capability to conduct any city-to- resident transaction online Action Items: ƒ Utilize an exception list for those things that we cannot or choose not to do online ƒ Prioritize privacy policies to address implementation of this goal POLICY G5 6/28/06 ITEM: Discussion of Public Participation Plan for the 2008 Comprehensive Plan SUBMITTED BY: Mayor Gehrz REVEIWED BY: Justin Miller, City Administrator Explanation: As part of the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update, extensive involvement from our residents, business community, and commissions will be needed. Attached is a draft “Public Participation Plan” for gathering the necessary public input. A more detailed presentation will be made during this meeting regarding the draft plan. ACTION REQUESTED: • Approval of plan DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Public Participation Plan for Comprehensive Plan Revisions Prepared by Mayor Sue Gehrz Planning Assumptions 1. The Comprehensive Planning Process is a valuable opportunity to engage many of our residents and business owners in developing a long-range vision for the future of Falcon Heights. 2. Everyone who rents or owns property in Falcon Heights should have the opportunity to participate in the planning process. 3. There should be opportunities for public participation with both plan development and plan review. 4. The City Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, Environment Commission, Neighborhood Commission, and Human Right Commission should all be asked to assist with development and review of appropriate portions of the Comp Plan. 5. All four quadrants of the city should be represented in the planning process. 6. Falcon Heights business owners should be invited to participate in the planning process. 7. Our planning efforts should be coordinated with the University of Minnesota Master Plan for the St. Paul campus. 8. Our planning efforts should be coordinated with the long-range plans for the State Fairgrounds. 9. In keeping with our goal of being an “intentionally intergenerational” city, members of all age groups should be invited to participate in the planning process. 10. Residents who have professional expertise in planning, architecture, real estate, art, landscaping, etc. should be invited to participate in this process. 11. The city will contract for professional services for the scope of work outside of staff and council resources. Proposed Public Participation Plan Step One - Organize a Steering Committee to assist with the public participation process. Their role and responsibilities would be: • Review suggestions from the Walkability Workshops and the Humphrey Institute Student Intern Team and determine which should be considered for inclusion in the revised Comp Plan. • Serve as facilitators and/or note takers for small group discussions to gather the suggestions and opinions of residents about comprehensive planning issues. • Promote participation in the planning process to their neighbors. Steering Committee Membership • Maximum of 14 members plus the mayor and City Administrator. • One or two commissioners from each of the five city commissions (5 to 10 people) • Volunteers appointed by the city council (4 to 9 people). Openings would be publicized on the city website, monthly flyer, and in the Roseville Review and Sun Focus. Interested residents would complete an application form and be interviewed by the mayor who will serve as Steering Committee Chair. Step Two – Develop questions and a participant recruitment plan for Small Group Discussions with: • Businesses, i.e. breakfast meeting, interviews • Residents in each of the following neighborhoods: ◦ Northome ◦ Northeast Quadrant ◦ St. Mary’s/Fry/Garden ◦ Hollywood Court ◦ Falcon Woods ◦ University Grove & 1666 Coffman ◦ Tatum/Fry/Lindig area Questions should address both long-range vision development and reaction to specific possibilities. Step Three – Develop Survey Instrument & Plan • Park and open space utilization and unmet need questions • Community garden questions • Other topics Step Four – Write preliminary 2008 Comprehensive Plan • Contract with a planning consultant where needed. • Use staff, council, and volunteer resources to write sections of the plan. Step Five – Schedule and publicize a minimum of two public forums • Present the proposed land use changes in the preliminary plan. • Request feedback on the preliminary plan. Step Six – Revise the preliminary plan. Step Seven – Submit the 2008 Comp Plan to the Metropolitan Council