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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCAgenda_04Oct26r ~ u CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Special Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA October 26, 2004 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 9:30 AM B. ROLL CALL: GEHRZ KUETTEL LAMB LINDSTROM TALBOT WORTHINGTON SHEA KODLUBOY ATTORNEY ENGINEER C. COMMUNITY FORUM: • D. PRESENTATIONS: None Scheduled E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: None F. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None Scheduled G. CONSENT AGENDA: None H. POLICY AGENDA ~" ~ 1. Falcon Heights Elementary School Site Planning and Joint-Use Agreement 9 2. 800 MHz Police Radio Plan 0 • ~~ 3. Local Government Structure S',,~'~ 4. Elections Overview I. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS: J. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA October 27, 2004 A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 PM B. ROLL CALL: GEHRZ KUETTEL LAMB LINDSTROM TALBOT WORTHINGTON SHEA KODLUBOY ATTORNEY ENGINEER C. COMMUNITY FORUM: D. PRESENTATIONS: None Scheduled • ~•-'~ E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 13, 2004 F. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None Scheduled TAB 1 G. CONSENT AGENDA: •~~ 1. General Disbursements through October 22, 2004: $ 123,386.83 Payroll (10/01/04-10/15/04 $ 11,257.85 TAB 2 2. Partial Pay Estimate to O'Malley Construction for 2004 Sidewalk and Curb ~~ V and Gutter Improvements TAB 3 H. POLICY AGENDA ~~.. G f 1. Report from Neighborhood Commission, Jenna Washnieski TAB 4 / ~ ~1r, ` 2. 2004 Forestry Program, Year-end Report TAB 5 V~'~ H. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS: I. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: i• /~ CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS MINUTES October 13, 2004 Mayor Gehrz called the regular Council meeting to order. PRESENT: Mayor Sue Gehrz, Council members Laura Kuettel, Robert Lamb, Peter Lindstrom and Richard Talbot Also present: City Administrator Heather Worthington and Deputy Clerk Mary Shea Kodluboy COMMUNITY FORUM: Mr. Brian Olson, 1592 Roselawn Avenue, asked questions about the upcoming Council meeting with students from the Falcon Heights Elementary School. Mayor Gehrz explained that a special Council meeting with the students will be held at City Hall on Tuesday morning, October 26, 9:30 AM and will be televised. The purpose of the special Council meeting is to expose students to local government. It will not be replacing a regularly scheduled Council meeting. • PRESENTATIONS: None Scheduled APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The Council minutes dated September 22, 2004 were unanimously approved as presented. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None Scheduled CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Gehrz said the general disbursements figure indicated under Item G1 should be changed to $63,176.04 because one payable was entered twice. Mayor Gehrz asked Deputy Clerk Mary Shea Kodluboy to describe the purpose of the Absentee Ballot Board. Deputy Clerk Kodluboy said that record numbers of voters are using absentee ballots this year, and to save time and aid the election judges on Election Day staff is recommending the creation of an Absentee Ballot Board for the upcoming election. Absentee Ballot Boards are permitted by State statute and consist of election judges from different political parties comparing absentee ballot voter application information with voter information provided on the absentee ballot return envelopes. If everything matches the judges determine the ballots to be accepted. However, the absentee ballot envelopes themselves are not opened until they are given to the respective precinct judges on Election Day, November 2, 2004. The Absentee Ballot Board, consisting of four election judges from Falcon Heights, will meet at City Hall on Saturday, October 30, 2004, 8:30 AM. • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES _2_ October 13, 2004 CONSENT AGENDA (continued) Kuettel moved that the Consent Agenda be approved, as amended and outlined below. The motion was unanimously approved. 1. General Disbursements through October 8, 2004: $ 63,176.04 (amended) Payroll (09/15/04-09/30/04): $ 13,207.81 2. Approval of Resolution 2004-21 appointing an Absentee Ballot Board for the general election on November 2, 2004 3. Approval of final payout to Astech Corp. in the amount of $16,612.40 for the 2004 Crack Seal Improvements 4. Approval of expenditure to Muska Lighting for lighting at Curtiss Field, for an amount not to exceed $11,298.00 5. Approval of partial pay estimate #5 to Jay Bros., Inc., in the amount of $75,738.74 for Curtiss Field improvements POLICY AGENDA: Petition for a permit parking zone on Lindi Street Administrator Worthington said that in spring, 2004, Lindig Street residents approached City staff with concerns about the volume of parking on their street and asked about the possibility of instituting permit parking on Lindig. Permit parking must be initiated by resident petition, as residents were informed in a June 8 letter from her. A petition was received from 20 of 26 residential properties that abut Lindig, plus nine of the apartments at 1707 Lindig. The City's Parking Policy requires signatures from 75% of the owners (rounded up), or 20 signatures. Therefore, the petition was deemed valid. City staff had the police department run the license plates for vehicles parking on Lindig during the work week and found that a majority of the vehicle owners did not live there. The Planning Commission, at their regular meeting on September 28, 2004, voted unanimously to recommend Council approval of the resolution designating both sides of Lindig Avenue north of Larpenteur Avenue as a residential permit parking area. If approved by the Council, parking will be restricted to two hours for non-permit holders between 8 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday. All Lindig residents will be eligible to apply for parking permits, according to the terms of the City's Parking Policy. Permit parking limits parking to two hours, but if a resident has a parking permit, they can park all the time. There are two areas in the City that have had permit parking for a number of years: The University/Grove area and Tatum Street. She gave a brief, oral review of the revised resolution . being proposed. a • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES _3_ October 13, 2004 Petition for a permit parking zone on Lindi Street (continued) Mayor Gehrz explained that the intent of permit parking is not to prohibit parking on the streets. Residents living near or adjacent to the University find it difficult to park in front of their homes or have work done on their homes because University faculty, students and staff utilize those spaces as permanent, full-time parking spots. The yearly parking fee is $10/vehicle for up to two vehicles; $20/vehicle for each additional vehicle. Visitor parking permits are also available. Council member Lindstrom, Council liaison to the Planning Commission, said that about 15-20 residents from Lindig were at the Planning Commission meeting and all were in support of permit parking, except for 2-3 residents. One senior citizen, who has health concerns and has to contact family on short notice, expressed reservations and was assured that the City would make accommodations for her. Council member Talbot asked about temporary parking permits. Administrator Worthington said that temporary parking permits are available for $1.00 and are good for up to three weeks. The City also issues them for dumpsters. RESOLUTION 2004-22 Lindstrom moved adoption of Resolution 2004-22 authorizing the designation of both sides of Lindig Avenue north of Larpenteur as a residential permit parking area with parking in this designated area limited to two hour parking between 8 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday; or to residents abutting the street who have obtained a permit from the City; and to vehicles for which a temporary parking permit has been issued by the City in accordance with the rules set forth in the City's Administrative Manual. The motion was unanimously approved. Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection Mayor Gehrz thanked the audience for coming, particularly with a very important presidential debate on television this evening. She said that approximately six months ago, the City Council authorized the Solid Waste Commission to study the advantages and disadvantages of organized garbage collection. Many residents and licensed haulers contributed information, opinions and suggestions during that study and their help is greatly appreciated. The Solid Waste Commission has completed their research of the issue and is presenting their report, proposed plan and the proposal from the haulers to the City Council tonight. Their report will be presented by Deborah Jones, the City's Planning and Zoning Coordinator, who, along with her many other duties, provides staff support to the Solid Waste Commission. • 3 • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES _4_ October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Mayor Gehrz said that after the presentation, the City Council will discuss and vote on whether to open a 90-day discussion period on this report, as authorized by Minnesota statutes. The Council will not be voting on whether to implement organized collection tonight. If a majority of the Council votes in favor of opening the discussion period, the earliest the Council will vote on whether to implement organized collection is January 26, 2005. It is very important to allow plenty of time for the residents to review the Solid Waste Commission and haulers' recommendations, and provide their input to assist the Council in deciding whether to adopt organized collection in Falcon Heights. If the Council decides to open the 90-day discussion period, it is being recommended that the Council adopt the following process for obtaining and analyzing that input: 1. Within the next two weeks, a summary of the Solid Waste Commission be mailed to single family homes in Falcon Heights. This proposal does not affect multi-family • buildings or businesses so it is only being sent to homes. The entire report, including appendices, will be available at City Hall and on the web site. 2. Public comment will be taken from October 13-December 17, 2004. 3. Between December 17, 2004-January 17, 2005, public comment will be analyzed and included in the public record. 4. On January 26, 2005, the City will vote on whether to implement organized collection. If a majority of the Council votes to do so, the next step is to authorize the Solid Waste Commission and staff to develop a Request for Proposal specifying service requirements for organized collection. As a result of the letter that the trash haulers sent to their customers shortly after the City began studying this issue, the City has already received input from some of the residents. That has all been included in the public record and heard by the City Council. However, those opinions were provided before people had the opportunity to consider the research results from the Solid Waste Commission's study. If the Council votes to continue working on this issue, the Council asks that people review the study and then give the City their comments, questions and opinions. It is hoped that many of the residents will do so and, since staff is limited and we want to make sure that complete comments are included in the written record, we ask that people submit their comments by mail, fax or e-mail. Mayor Gehrz said that after the report presentation this evening there will be an opportunity for members of the audience to comment. She asked that individual commentary be limited to three minutes so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate. • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES _5_ October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Ms. Jones thanked the Solid Waste Commission for their many months of very hard work and long and patient deliberation. They have done a very thorough job. She utilized the LCD projector to do presentation of the Solid Waste Commission's report and it is outlined below: Background: The Solid Waste Commission (SWC) began looking at these issues in 2003, long before coming to the City Council in January, 2004. They had the benefit of the study done by Ramsey and Washington counties in 2002 and studies done by a number of cities. On January 28, 2004, the SWC came to the City Council with a list of goals outlining the kind of system they were recommending and requested the City Council to consider going forward with the process outlined in Minnesota Statute 115A.94, which is the State mandated statutory process that a City or County must use in order to implement organized collection. There are very specific steps that are to be followed: • 1. Hold a public hearing 2. City Council passage of a resolution of intent to organize collection 3. 90 day planning period 4. 90 day discussion period 5. At the end of the discussion period, if certain additional conditions are met, the City may organize collection The public hearing was held on March 24, 2004. At that time the City Council made it very clear that a final decision was not being made with the resolution of intent, but that it was to let the process go forward, and they authorized the SWC to do an in-depth study of the issue so the City Council and residents would have more information in order to make that decision. The study took longer than the SWC expected. Ordinarily, the 90 day period would have ended in June, but the SWC requested more time and the City Council granted their request. During that time, the haulers met with the SWC twice. The State statute requires that they be included in the planning process. There was one public information meeting on May 20. The Commissioners visited the Resource Recovery Facility in Newport and some of the Commissioners visited the Elk River landfill. Everyone did a lot of reading and had contact with people from other cities. There was a lot of study. The SWC was aware, when they made the list of sixteen goals that was approved by the City Council in January, 2004, that most of those goals related to service standards and they were included because they wanted to assure the residents that this plan fully intended to maintain the high standards of service that they are used to, if not improve them. But there were, imbedded in • that, several big questions. S • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) -6- The big questions: • Do Falcon Heights residents pay more than residents in cities with organized collection? • Would it make a real difference to have fewer garbage trucks on our streets? • What is the best way to dispose of our trash? Should that decision be made in the community or at corporate headquarters? Falcon Heights Residents DO Pay More: Refuse Container Sizes 30 gallon 60 gallon 90 gallon Average in Falcon Heights $13.59 $15.56 $17.17 Average of 5 organized cities 8.13 10.07 12.19 The 5 cities are: Little Canada, White Bear Lake, North St. Paul, Shakopee, Stillwater The rates outlined above do not include taxes, County Environmental Charge, extra services Getting More For Less: Efficiency DOES Matter • Picking up more waste with fewer trucks and fewer people in less time can produce big savings in operating costs • The big question for consumers is whether those savings are passed on to them through lower prices or pocketed by the hauler Extra garbage trucks DO have an impact on our streets: One Garbage Truck = • 1500 cars (Used by MnDoT) • 1000 cars (Used by Roseville) • 1125 cars (Used by Chanhassen) • 857 cars (Used by Falcon Heights; figures provided by our city engineers, H. R. Green) • 5 trucks = 4,287 cars in one week = 222,924 cars in a year Garbage Truck Share of the Load -Impact from starting and stopping • The higher the speed, the more impact from stopping and starting The number of stops on the street is the same, no matter how many trucks • More trucks ~ average speed of each truck is faster because stops are farther apart • More trucks =more damage from stopping and starting "Garbage trucks are among the oldest, least fuel-efficient and most polluting fleet vehicles in the United States." Greening Garbage Trucks: New Technologies for Cleaner Air, INFORM, Inc., 2003 FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -7- • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Local Communities Can: • Provide economic incentives that reward investment in clean-fueled garbage trucks • Encourage or require the use of clean fuel trucks in franchise contract negotiations or rewards Where Does Our Trash Go? • Companies that contract to take all trash to the Newport RRF: Horrigan Gene's Waste Management • Companies that contract to take some trash to the Newport RRF: BFI Superior/Onyx Walters • • Contracts expire July 13, 2007 Where Should Our Trash Go? The Minnesota Waste Management Act gives the following order of preference: • Waste reduction and reuse =best • Recycling • Composting of yard waste and food waste • Resource recovery through composting or incineration • Land filling that captures methane gas for energy production • Land filling that does not capture methane gas for energy production =worst Where Should Our Trash Go? • There are potential hazards associated with ALL means of municipal solid waste disposal, including recycling and composting • Today's landfills must meet stringent federal safety guidelines • Land for landfills is expensive and getting hard to find Where Should Our Trash Go? • Refuse derived fuel provides much more energy than landfill gas • 280 tons to power one home for 20 years vs. 750 tons in a landfill • Landfills are owned by large hauling companies: internal cost advantage • • Resource recovery plants charge same tipping fee to all companies, large or small FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -8- October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Who should decide where our trash goes? • Open system: The industry decides • Organized system: We decide Industry Consolidation • Open collection has not stopped small local companies from going out of business or being bought out by large companies; in fact consolidation has accelerated since 1994 • Continued consolidation of the industry in the future could leave residents with few choices, little power in the market place and no voice in environmental choices about municipal solid waste Organized Collection Can Give Residents and Local Communities Leverage to Keep Local Haulers in Business • Hauler Proposal -Most of the original goals are met under the existing system • To mitigate impact from trucks, haulers would bring trucks into the City empty • Use left turns into and out of alleys to avoid damaging curbs and boulevards • • Not drive on streets or alleys where they have no customers • Haulers would work with the City to provide public education materials in billings. • Haulers would continue to operate under their current contracts with Ramsey County regarding the Newport RRF and will continue to use Sub-title D landfills • Haulers would, if asked, provide tonnage estimates • This would be formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding between haulers and the City Commission Findings: • Cities with organized collection do get lower prices for their residents • Reducing the number of trucks in our city can have a positive impact on our quality of life and on our infrastructure • With a contract we can make sure important decisions are made here in the community, not in a corporate office Commission Recommendation: • It is in the interests of the residents of Falcon Heights to implement organized collection Whatever the Council decides, the Solid Waste Commission hopes residents will become more aware of ways they can reduce waste through wise consumer choice, re-use, recycling and composting. • S FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES i October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) What happens next? • October 14: 90 day discussion period begins • Residents will be able to read the report • Oct. 18 -Dec. 17: Public comment accepted • January 26: Discussion period ends; Council will consider recommendations -9- How to give input on this issue: • Written only -mail, fax or email • Mail to City of Falcon Heights, 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55113 • Email to mail(a~ci.falcon-heights.mn.us • Fax to 651-644-8675 • No phone calls to City Hall, due to limited staff resources. • Comments must include name and address • Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m., Friday, December 17, 2004 Mayor Gehrz said the entire report is very long and contains a lot of documentation. • She thanked the members of the Solid Waste Commission: Jeff Alexander, Barbara Leary, Frank Meah, Susan Harding, Jim Kielsmeier, Michael Barany and Lois Millett, and said they are all volunteers who have put in a ton of time. She thanked Council member Lamb, Council Liaison to the Solid Waste Commission, and Deborah Jones, Planning and Zoning Coordinator and staff liaison to the Solid Waste Commission. She said she wanted to express extreme gratitude to Deb because she took all of the information and put it in report form. Deb worked evenings and weekends to complete the report. Mayor Gehrz opened the meeting to commentary from the City Council. Council member Kuettel thanked all of the Commissioners for working so hard on this and said she appreciated the extra time and diligence they devoted to this. She thanked all of the residents who had commented on this subject at previous meetings. Council member Lindstrom thanked everyone and said it is the most thorough report that he has seen. He asked about the comment period and Ms. Jones explained it is governed by State statute. Mayor Gehrz said she thinks people will have plenty of time to review a summary and respond. Otherwise, holiday time comes into play. This is a very important piece in the decision making process. • Council member Talbot said that democracy is an ongoing process. Residents have been very vocal when contacting him in person, via email or regular mail. This is an ongoing process. q FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -10- October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Council member Talbot recommended that residents contact everyone. Let yourselves be heard. He thanked the Solid Waste Commission for everything they have done. They missed time with their families and ate a lot of leftovers. Mayor Gehrz opened the meeting to commentary from the audience. Solid Waste Commission Chairperson Jeff Alexander said that Deb Jones is now Dr. Deb Jones! Mr. Thomas Lageson, 1740 Pascal, said this is an interesting study and he has a few questions. State statute states very specifically the City is to develop a plan and a proposal. What is a plan? Isn't it something stating how you're going to do it? There is no plan. We don't know what you are proposing yet. All you are really saying is that you want organized collection. We don't know much more than what was given to us on March 24. We need to see more specifics because the next 90 days is supposed to be discussion with haulers about how to make this work. At the very least he expected to see something a little more concrete about what you're proposing. If you look at the report it is all over the board. You're talking about natural gas • trucks. You're talking about multiple haulers. You're talking about multiple zones. He doesn't think the report meets the standard set forth in the statute for what constitutes a plan. All of the study that has been done during the last 90 days could have been done before the resolution of intent, and should have been done before then. You talk about price. Price isn't everything. You talk about saving us $60/year. How much of that will be eaten up by the City for additional administrative cost? That is one of the things we don't know from this study. What is going to be our point of contact? If there is a problem do we call the City? Do we call the hauler? Do we talk to a neighbor and complain to them? What will be our point of contact if there is a conflict that needs to be resolved? How many economists are on the Solid Waste Commission? You talk about the consolidation of the waste industry. That is a good sign of competition. What other industries have consolidation? There are a lot of industries where constant growth is going on. That is the standard part of business. Going to organized collection will inhibit competition and the waste haulers will be hurt. Council member Lamb said the process followed the State statute precisely. The City Attorney has been contacted on a regular basis about this to make sure the Solid Waste Commission is following State statute. The statute called for at least a 90 day study period. That study period has now ended and the Solid Waste Commission has put forth its recommendation. That recommendation says that we now should have a discussion period. As he remembers the statute, the City isn't required to include the haulers in the discussion period, just to be technically correct, but we are going to. But, what we really want to do is discuss this with the residents. During the Council discussion the Council will need to decide what a summary means. ~a FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -11- • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Council member Lamb said that Falcon Heights is the second most educated community in the State of Minnesota. He recommended that the 70 page report go out to all of the single family home residents. He doesn't doubt that the City followed the right process and, more importantly, the City Attorney doesn't doubt that the City followed the right process. Ms. Jones said that she wanted to respond to Mr. Lageson's statement that there are no plans in the SWC report. She said they are on pages 33-34, and she reviewed them for the benefit of the attending and viewing audience. Mr. Douglas Carnival, attorney for the National Solid Waste Management Association, thanked everyone for their participation in the process. He said the haulers disagree with the recommendation and prefer that the open hauling, competitive system that exists right now continue. At the request of the SWC and Ms. Deb Jones, the haulers put together a set of ideas that were developed as they had discussions with the SWC, and he thinks they do what the City Council wants in trying to achieve the goals the City Council set forth in a way that permits open and free competition to exist as an alternate to proceeding forward with the organized collection system. Although he has not seen the report, he trusts tonight is its unveiling. He is a little • concerned that it does not talk about some of the things that are not so advantageous about organized collection. Perhaps it does and he is looking forward to reading it. The haulers have emphasized that choice is something their customers speak of. The three most important things in this industry are: Choice, choice, and choice. When they alerted their customers early on that this process was being undertaken, they got over 200 responses from their customers indicating that they were concerned about proceeding forward with organized collection and those responses will be shared with the city at the appropriate time. All but a handful though that choice and not having the government involved with waste collection were very important. The report, he trusts, talks about choice and how important it is to the residents. He said he didn't know if the report deals with the issue of the potential displacement of waste haulers, large and small, and what impact that might have on the local businesses. There is concern among the haulers as to what this might do and, frankly, there is concern among the citizens of the City that this impact will be dramatic and is going to upend longstanding relations that people have had with their haulers. That choice will be lost to them, with detrimental impact to the people they do business with. With respect to decision making, the haulers look at it from the perspective of citizens and customers making their own choices as to whom they want to do business with and how they want that service to be performed, rather than ceding that decision making authority to the City. As good intentioned as it might be, those decisions are better made for the benefit of everyone at the individual level, based upon individual household preferences and situations. He encouraged the Council to work with the haulers and implement a voluntary system and not proceed with organized collection. If the City Council decides to proceed forward, the haulers will provide the City with the comments they have received from their customers. r~ U • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -12- October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Mayor Gehrz said there is a section in the report that discusses disadvantages. Council member Lamb said the report contains the haulers' recommendation. Ms. Susan Harding, 2189 Folwell Avenue, said there is organized collection in the University Grove, her neighborhood, and she is very happy with it. There have not been any problems. Mr. Gene Wegleitner, Gene's Disposal, said he has not seen the report yet. Nothing has been mentioned about extra charges. A lot of cities are organized and it might be cheaper, but you're not being shown the administrative costs for the City. The haulers took a survey and there aren't five trucks going down every road. If this goes to bid, he knows he can't do it. Ms. LaDonna Schugel, 1896 Holton Street, said the City already has a good thing going. There are neighborhoods that want to be organized and they have gotten themselves organized. What's the use? She doesn't think you can improve on that. For some neighborhoods it makes very • good sense. The residents have done it right so far. Continue with the way things are. Mr. Brian Olson, 1592 Roselawn Avenue, said he agrees with the last lady and the gentleman before. If the neighborhoods want to privately organize, well and good. If they don't, well and good. With regard to the public comments, how will the comments be kept? Will there be some kind of uniformity? Can any member of the public come in and ask to see the 3-ring binder? If members of the media are going to be looking at these comments, ask them to print them verbatim. Make sure there is no misconstruing of meaning. Administrator Worthington said that commentary received via e-mail, fax, mail or phone is public information and will be kept in perpetuity. Any comments without names and addresses will not be used. The willingness to use a-mail will save a lot of time. Mayor Gehrz said she would be disappointed if the City didn't get a lot of comments. The purpose is to give residents an opportunity to review the information and then comment. Mr. Michael Barany, 1813 Prior Avenue North, said he wanted to thank the people who came this evening and provided comments about what can seem like a very one sided process. He wanted to make sure that everyone knows that the members of the Solid Waste Commission (SWC), at every meeting and whenever they receive public input, do take a lot of time to thoroughly discuss all of the issues that are raised. Just know that your voices are not ignored. He said he wanted to answer some of the issues that have come out of the comments here tonight and in so doing, hopefully, provide a little bit of his own personal rationale for supporting the • recommendation for organized collection. /~ • FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -13- October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Mr. Barany said that a lot of these issues have come more from misunderstandings or misrepresentations for which we cannot place blame, but for which we should try to clarify and resolve. He said he wanted to begin with Mr. Lageson's comments. Mr. Lageson first expressed concern about what is the plan and City Council member Lamb provided an excellent answer that provides half of the story. The other half that was also discussed by the SWC pointed to the fact that through the bid process, which is a competitive bid process, we need to keep the option open for creative proposals from the haulers. We do not want to lock ourselves into an option where we might not be able to receive a bid that could potentially provide useful services and options for the City. Mr. Lageson expressed concerns about prices and the point of contact. The report addressed this specifically about where concerns are directed. Cities with organized collection have all developed systems for dealing with customer concerns that have been streamlined, based upon the specific city's needs and the flexibilities of the haulers. Mr. Lageson wondered whether there were any economists on the SWC and while he, Michael, is not one personally, he does take many classes with economics graduate students, so he can speak a little bit to some of the issues that Mr. Lageson raised, and many of them are very • important. Mr. Lageson talked specifically about entry barriers, and Gene's comments notwithstanding, long term contracts have proven successful for small haulers to provide competitive services and to bid for contracts on the scale that the City is offering. One also must consider that entry barriers exist regardless of whether you are in an organized system or an open system, and those entry barriers continue to mean that competition is not a guarantee, which brings him to Mr. Carnival's remarks. Mr. Barany said that Mr. Carnival used what he considers to be a misnomer talking about open competitive systems. As Mr. Lageson pointed out very succinctly, open is not to be taken as synonymous with competitive. Staff member Jones pointed out in her presentation that the open system that we have now is certainly not competitive and that has been seen through the gradual consolidation of the industry into a few large haulers. This is something that the City Council needs to consider, not only what will happen in an organized system, but what we have going now and what will happen in the future now. There are issues of choice but we must remember that choice cannot be considered in a vacuum. He said he can assure everyone in the audience and at home that choice was considered and weighed, and so far the SWC does not see a compelling reason to weigh choice over the many benefits they see from organized collection. He said the issues about peripheral charges that were raised by Gene will be addressed in the Request for Proposal (RFP) and all such charges will be made forthright and clear to all before any recommendations are made about an RFP. The public commentary portion of the meeting was closed. • 3 FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -14- • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Mayor Gehrz said the Council needs to decide whether to proceed with a 90 day discussion period and, if so, what kind of distribution of information and public input process the Council wants to have. There are two-three choices: Proceed with the 90 day discussion period, beginning tonight. This means the residents would get the benefit of the information of the study. 2. Not proceed. If the Council chooses to not proceed, the Council would say thank you very much to the Solid Waste Commission and to the staff for the hard work. The Council would try to proceed with some kind of Memorandum of Understanding, voluntary, on the part of the haulers. We would shelve the report and ask the Solid Waste Commission to focus on recycling and the residents of the community would not see the result of the study. 3. The third option would be something else that is neither of those two. Council member Lamb said he would like to make a proposal and see if the discussion can be • narrowed down to three questions: 1. Whether to call the study period to an end and open the discussion period. 2. Discuss what summary means. A lot of people have done a lot of work. The haulers have put a lot of work into their proposal. The Solid Waste Commission has put a lot of work into their proposal. There are about 70 pages in this document. He can see places where some of it can be cut down, but if summary means ten pages, he would be against that. The executive summary is two pages, the full report is 70 pages, and there is a stack of material about two feet tall. He would offer the haulers the opportunity to rewrite their section, if they want to. We want to represent the arguments as fairly and succinctly as possible. 3. Proposed feedback mechanism. Essentially, he agrees with the feedback mechanism being proposed, but the City needs to make sure that people who don't have electronic access, or don't choose to use electronic access, still have an opportunity to get this material and respond with their comments, questions and concerns in a relatively easy manner. Mayor Gehrz explained, for the benefit of the attending and viewing audience, that before the Council votes on a motion, there is generally discussion. When it seems the Council has a sense of the issues, a Council member then puts forth a motion. Council member Kuettel said that she would like to give residents the opportunity to read the report. Then get back their responses in a format that best suits the City staff. CJ 14 FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -15- • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Council member Lindstrom said the City has gone halfway down this road. This merits further discussion. A ton of work has been put into this. Keep moving. Council member Talbot said that at the March 24 meeting, City Hall was packed. People are now being asked to contact us with their opinions. There can be more discussion about the feedback mechanism. Council member Lamb moved that the Council call a formal end to the study period, as required by State statute, and initiate the discussion period, which will begin October 14, 2004 and end January 26, 2004. The motion was unanimously approved. Mayor Gehrz said that during the discussion period, what will be sent out? Council member Lamb said there are three choices. We are talking about 70 pages that include the full hauler proposal and this is not all of the documentation by any means. Use this document because it is a very good summary document and represents the work that has been done to date. Send out this report, plus or minus. • Mr. Thomas Lageson read a portion of the State statute aloud and said the City is to provide mailed copies if any residents request to get any or all of this stuff. Council member Lamb said the Council knows that all of the material is public record. The question is, how are we going to come to some balance with usefulness without sending so little it doesn't mean anything. We need to provide some of the flavor that is not in the first five to ten pages. Mr. Gene Wegleitner, Gene's Disposal, asked if haulers will have an opportunity to see the report before it goes out. They don't know what's in the 70 pages. If the report goes out with prices being that different, he thinks it's one sided. It is a big decision for a lot of people. Mayor Gehrz said the City will provide copies to the haulers who are licensed in the City. Council member Lamb said that Roseville, North St. Paul, etc., did their best to gather up basic data. The purpose of sending this out is to educate people as to what was found and what haulers recommend, so people can see what has been going on. This will help them come to an informed decision. There will be charges and countercharges. There is a need to get this discussion going. He thinks the residents will be impressed with how well the report has been prepared. Council member Talbot said the City is into the discussion period. He knows there are lots of • other factors. Get a copy and comment. 1~ FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -16- • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) There was a brief discussion about report format, size, printing and mailing costs. Administrator Worthington projected the cost to send the complete 70 page report to every resident would be about $9,200 (printing-$5,000 and mailing-$4,200). The cost to take the Executive Summary, the hauler's report and essential graphs, and condense them to 8 pages, two sided, 11" x 17", folded, with a staple in the middle, would be about $2,000 to print and mail to all single family residents. Solid Waste Commission Chairperson Kielsmeier said he thinks everyone should have an opportunity to read the report. He suggested that a good summary be sent out with a response form. If a resident wants the full piece, they will get one. They should not be denied the opportunity. Not everyone is going to find it easy to pull a copy off the internet. Council member Lamb said he is perfectly willing to support that suggestion. Administrator Worthington said the entire report, including the appendices, will be available on the City's web site. Copies will be made available at the library and at City Hall. • Mayor Gehrz recommended that the report be edited, but include as much information as feasible. Pay attention to readability and have a good summary. Condense it, but give people the opportunity to ask for the whole thing. Lindstrom and Lamb moved that staff condense the report to what, in their judgment, represents the best mixture. Upon request, anyone will be able to get the fu1170 pages, which will also be accessible via the internet. Anyone can come in and look at all of the material. There will be a copy at the library and at City Hall. Have ahalf--page rip-off that residents can complete and return if they want the full 70 pages. The motion was unanimously approved. Mayor Gehrz reminded the attending and viewing audience they can call the City Council. If there will be some mailing delays, the Council can extend the comment period. Council member Lamb said that if there is a snag, the Council has the power to extend this period if needed. We want to know what the households think. Council member Talbot asked if something could be included in the public notices. Administrator Worthington said the City could, but she isn't sure how this would be stated in the legal notices because it isn't statutorily required to be. Letters to the editor could be written. Council member Lamb said the Council can remind people about this at every City Council • meeting. Remind the media to keep this on the front burner. rc FALCON HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES _l~_ • October 13, 2004 Solid Waste Commission Report on Organized Collection (continued) Kuettel moved that public comment be accepted via email, letter, and fax. Sender's names and addresses will be required. Input will be accepted from now unti14:30 PM, December 17, 2004. The motion was unanimously approved. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mayor Gehrz said that on Saturday, October 2, the City participated in a major drill in the City that permitted the CERT graduates to work together with police, fire, the Ramsey County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Department, and "victim volunteers" from area training programs for paramedics, fire and law enforcement. Approximately 80 people participated and everyone learned a lot. The City will be doing future exercises. The senior building at the SE Corner development is now open. There will be an open house on Tuesday, October 26, from 4-6 PM. Drop by and take a look at the building. On Sunday, October 17, the University will be holding an annual tour of the St. Paul campus from 10:30 AM to 5 PM. People will have an opportunity to learn about food, weather, biotech, etc. Brunch will be offered for fifty cents. It's a fantastic event and she encouraged everyone to attend. Administrator Worthington said that in 2005, the Metropolitan Council will be increasing its Service Availability Charge (SAC) to $1,450. Saint Paul Regional Water Services has informed the City they will be proposing approval of the following water rate adjustments for Falcon Heights, St. Paul, Maplewood and West Paul for 2005: Winter rate per 100 cubic feet $1.56 Summer rate per 100 cubic feet 1.66 All year per 100 cubic feet 1.46 The regular City Council meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM. Respectfully submitted, Mary Shea Kodluboy Deputy Clerk • 17 c: • • • ITEM: Disbursements and Payroll SUBMITTED BY: Roland O.Olson, Finance Director REVIEWED BY: Heather Worthington, City Administrator EXPLANATION: Summary 1. General Disbursements through October 22, 2004: 2. Payroll (10/01/04-10/15/04 ATTACHMENTS: • General Disburseme is on pages ~ 1" • Payroll on page ~~ ACTION REQUESTED: • Approval CONSENT Gl 9/8/04 $ 123,386.83 $ 11,257.85 18 DATE 10/22/04 TIME 11:17 CITY OF FALCON HEIGH COUNCIL REPORT PAGE 1 APPROVAL OF BILLS PERIOD ENDING: 10-22-04 ~CK# VENDOR NAME DESCRIPTION DEPT. AMOUNT 60053 MARK HANSMEIER REPLACE CK 33939 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 00 60056 PETER LINDSTOM REPLACE CK 33947 GEHRZ, SUE LMC CONF DULUTH 98 LAURA KUETTEL REPLACE CK 33946 LAURA KUETTEL REIMB: LMC HOTEL COSTS ROBERT LAMB LMC CONF DULUTH *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 11 -------- 214.39 NOTE: THE REPLACMENT CHECKS 214.39 ARE CHECKS TO REPLACE THE CHECKS THAT WERE STILL OUTSTANDING WHEN LEGISLAT z77.os THE ACCOUNT WAS CLOSED. LEGISLAT 291.79 LEGISLAT 277.05 LEGISLAT 89.27 LEGISLAT 241.07 1,176.23 AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS COMPUTER DISKS ADMINIST 21.26 AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS CLIPS/KEYBOARD/INDEX CDS ADMINIST 211.57 HAMLZNE UNIVERSITY MCMA EXECUTIVE TNG SEMR ADMINIST 1,150.00 METROPOLITAN AREA MANAGE- MAMA LUNCHEON MEETNG AUG ADMINIST 18.00 MINNEAPOLIS PAPER COMPANY LASER/COPY PAPER ADMINIST 190.74 60064 PERA PERA OCT 1-15TH ADMINIST 1,499.85 PIONEER PRESS 13 WEEK SUBSCRIPTION ADMINIST 26.78 ROSEVILLE ROTARY CLUB FALL QTR DUES/ MEALS ADMINIST 227.00 WORTHINGTON,HEATHER LMC CONF DULUTH ADMINIST 112.50 WORTHINGTON, HEATHER ICMA CONF-SAN DIEGO ADMINIST 250.00 COORDINATED HUS. SYSTEMS, COPIER MAINT 4TH QTR ADMINIST 837.52 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 12 4,545.22 DOCUMENT RESOURCES NEW PAYABLE CHECKS • *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 13 CAMPBELL KNUTSON SEPT 04 LEGAL *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 14 AMERICAN OFFICE PRODUCTS PENS/MOISTENERS/TAPE 60068 ANNE M. BURT REPLACE CK 33985 60060 SHARON CASTLE REPLACE CK 33982 60066 JANE ADAMS DEHLIN REPLACE CK 33966 60062 MARY HAVERKOST REPLACE CK 33987 60067 ANDREA K. HOWELL REPLACE CK 33983 60063 STEVEN GRAHAM REPLACE CK 33974 60063 STEVEN GRAHAM RETURN CK S VC FEE BANK 60061 LILY J. ZAHARIADES REPLACE CK 33989 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 15 FINANCE 1,457.33 1,457.33 LEGAL 674.40 674.40 ELECTION 40.62 ELECTION 58.50 ELECTION 117.00 ELECTION 65.00 ELECTION 108.48 ELECTION 65.00 ELECTION 117.00 ELECTION 8.00 ELECTION 65.00 644.60 NORTH SUBURBAN ACCESS CO. REIMB:MAUREEN CABLE WORK COMMUNIC 123.42 QWEST PHONE COMMUNIC 587.84 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 16 711. 26 60070 GIS EXPO REGISTRATION GIS CONFERENCE -DULUTH PLANNING 50.00 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 17 50. 00 HEARCOM RADIOS FOR EMERG DRILL EMERGENC 68.48 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 21 68. 48 60057 ALLEN, MARK REPLACE CK 33953 FIRE FIG 138.52 AMERIPRIDE LINEN&APPAREL LINEN CLEANING FIRE FIG 55.59 KEEPRS,INC./CY'S UNIFORMS FIRE UNIFORMS FIRE FIG 444.70 iq DATE 10/22/04 TIME 11:17 CITY OF FALCON NEIGH COUNCIL REPORT PAGE 2 APPROVAL OF BILLS PERIOD ENDING: 10-22-04 ~CK# VENDOR NAME DESCRIPTION DEPT. AMOUNT -------- ------------------------- ------------------------ -------- ----------- KEEPRS,INC./CY'S UNIFORMS HAT BADGES FIRE FIG 765 .70 KEEPRS,INC./CY'S UNIFORMS SHIRT FOR FIREFIGHTER FIRE FIG 52 .64 60059 JASON DOWIER REPLACE CK 33783 FIRE FIG 14 .78 FIRE EQUIPMENT SPECIALTIE EYE SHIELD KITS FIRE FIG 244 .53 FIRE INSTRUCTORS ASSN. MN REPLACE CK 43853/TNGBOOK FIRE FIG 31 .95 60045 HINRICHS,RICH REPLACE CK 33955 FIRE FIG 38 .64 OXYGEN SERVICE COMPANY AIR AND OXYGEN FIRE FIG 50 .00 QWEST PHONE FIRE FIG 57 .35 60058 MARCO VALDEZ REPLACE CK 33928 FIRE FIG 58 .18 FIREHOUSE MAGAZINE 2YR SUBSCRIPTION FIRE FIG 52 .00 ANOKA-HENNEPIN TECH COLLE TERRORISM AWARENESS FIRE FIG 270 .00 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 24 2,274.58 BOARD OF WATER COMMISSNRS H2O CITY HAL 926 .13 BOARD OF WATER COMMISSNRS S,S, CITY HAL 23 .38 CINTAS CORPORATION #470 RUG SVC CITY HALL CITY HAL 53 .55 TERMINEX PEST CONTROL CITY HAL 47 .93 TERMINEX SPRAYING FOR ANTS/CENTIP CITY HAL 95 .86 DONALD SALVERDA & ASSOC. REPLACE CK43877 MGMT CRS CITY HAL 822 .43 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 31 1,969.28 ONE CALL CONCEPTS, INC SEPT/04 LOCATES STREETS 78 .20 CINDERS GARDEN CENTER SOD STREETS 11 .94 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 32 90.14 • HOWARD GREEN COMPANY GENERAL SVGS ENGINEER 3, 640 .50 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 33 3,640.50 NRG PROCESSING SOLUTONS BRUSH DISPOSAL TREE PRO 42. 75 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 34 42.75 BOARD OF WATER COMMISSNRS H2O PARK & R 55. 67 BOARD OF WATER CONIMISSNRS S.S. PARK & R 46. 76 GARCEAU HDWR & PWR EQUIP 3 OIL FILTERS JD PARK & R 19. 17 GRAINGER, W. W., INC. BULBS/PAPERTOWELS/T BAGS PARK & R 369. 27 CINDERS GARDEN CENTER SOD PARK & R 23. 88 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 41 514.75 BLOMQUIST,ERIC REPLACE CK 43800/RECPROG PARK PRO 79. 12 60069 NANCY H TAFF REPLACE CK 33730 PARK PRO 178. 19 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 50 257.31 HOWARD GREEN COMPANY FOLWELL AVE WATER REPLCM WATER FU 415.56 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 53 415.56 CITY OF ROSEVILLE IP TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT GENERAL 291.55 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 63 291.55 60054 DAMA-MP INC 2 LOCKBOXES FOR KEYS FIRE & R 288.03 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 64 288.03 D-ROCK CENTER LANDSCAPE DIRT FOR SIDEWALK RESTOR INFRASTR 19.70 • HOWARD GREEN COMPANY CONCRETE CURB/SIDEWALK INFRASTR 357.85 ~o DATE 10/22/04 TIME 11:17 CITY OF FALCON NEIGH COUNCIL REPORT PAGE 3 APPROVAL OF BILLS PERIOD ENDING: _10-22-04 ~CK# VENDOR NAME DESCRIPTION DEPT. AMOUNT *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 71 377.55 METROPOLITAN COUNCIL NOV/04 S.S. SANITARY 23,530.40 NRG PROCESSING SOLUTONS CATCH BASIN DEBRIS DISPO SANITARY 7.00 QWEST PHONE SANITARY 162.75 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 75 23,700.15 60065 NORTHERN ESCROW INC 5TH PARTIAL PAY ESTIMATE STORM DR 75,738.74 Approved prior council meeting VACKER INC CURTIS FIELD SIGNS/POSTS STORM DR 4,244.03 *** TOTAL FOR DEPT 76 79,982.77 *** TOTAL FOR BANK O1 123,386.83 *** GRAND TOTAL *** 123,386.83 • • ~i PERIOD END DATE 10/15/04 **FILE NOT UPDATED** PAGE 1 SYSTEM DATE 1 0/15 /04 C H E C K R E G I S T E R CHECK CHE CK EMPLOYE E NAME CHECK CHECK . TYPE DAT E NUMBER NUMBER AMOUNT COM 10 15 04 34 CLEMENT KURHAJETZ 50003 75.96 COM 10 15 04 40 KEVIN ANDERSON 50004 74.15 COM 10 15 04 42 MICHAEL D CLARKIN 50005 123.99 COM 10 15 04 66 ALFRED HERNANDEZ 50006 67.65 COM 10 15 04 74 MARK J ALLEN 50007 9.01 COM 10 15 04 85 DANIEL S JOHNSON-POWERS 50008 85.90 COM 10 15 04 87 MICHAEL A MCKAY 50009 47.56 COM 10 15 04 90 ANDREW P SCHIPPEL 50010 45.02 COM 10 15 04 91 RICHARD H HINRICHS 50011 257.42 COM 10 15 04 95 MICHAEL J POESCHL 50012 76.65 COM 10 15 04 97 PATRICK GAFFNEY 50013 184.93 COM 10 15 04 98 BRADLEY J. REZNY 50014 164.71 COM 10 15 04 101 DALE E HUFF 50015 49.18 COM 10 15 04 102 TIMOTHY B SYLVESTER 50016 54.95 COM 10 15 04 103 LEE C GRIFFITH 50017 59.80 COM 10 15 04 104 VINCENT A VANN 50018 56.56 COM 10 15 04 105 ANTON M. FEHRENBACH 50019 98.08 COM 10 15 04 106 SCOTT A. TESCH 50020 49.64 COM 10 15 04 107 MICHAEL KNOX 50021 31.17 COM 10 15 04 108 JONATHANA D. STUART 50022 31.17 COM 10 15 04 109 JASON D. DOUVIER 50023 67.19 COM 10 15 04 110 MARCO O. VALDEZ 50024 54.95 COM 10 15 04 1003 HEATHER WORTHINGTON 50027 1501.84 COM 10 15 04 1007 PATRICIA PHILLIPS 50028 242.41 COM 10 15 04 1015 GREGORY R. HOAG 50029 1408.13 . COM 10 15 04 1030 MARY A. KODLUBOY 50030 1404.59 COM 10 15 04 1033 DAVE TRETSVEN 50031 1050.35 COM 10 15 04 1036 DEBORAH K JONES 50032 1504.26 COM 10 15 04 1136 ROLAND 0 OLSON 50033 1301.61 COM 10 15 04 1137 MARK C. HANSMEIER 50034 108.05 COM 10 15 04 1138 ANN E. DAVY 50035 468.86 COM 10 15 04 1143 COLIN B CALLAHAN 50036 502.11 COMPUTER CHECKS 11257.85 MANUAL CHECKS .00 NOTICES OF DEPOSIT .00 ****TOTALS**** 11257.85 as • r~ U • CONSENT G2 10/27/04 ITEM: Approval of final pay estimate to O'Malley Construction, Inc., in the amount of $20,551.78 for the 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements, and acceptance of Certificate of Substantial Completion SUBMITTED BY: Heather Worthington, City Administrator REVIEWED BY: Greg Robinson, H.R. Green Company EXPLANATION: Summary: O'Malley Construction, Inc. has completed the 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements throughout the city. There was one change order in this project, which amounted to $2,385.46 in additional costs for the reconstruction of additional pedestrian ramps. Meets Goa12: 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. Strate~y 3: Maintain the city's infrastructure. ATTACHMENTS: • Change order in the amount of $2,385.46 on page ~_ • Final partial pay estimate in the amount of $20,5 1 8 n ages ~~~ • Certificate of Substantial Completion on pages •~~ ACTION REQUESTED: • Approval of final pay estimate to O'Malley Construction, Inc., in the amount of $20,551.78 for the 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements, and acceptance of Certificate of Substantial Completion L~ ~3 • • Howard R. Green Company Project No. 823830) 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements Falcon Heights, Minnesota SECTION 00671 CHANGE ORDER Instruction on reverse side No. 1 PROJECT: 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter DATE OF ISSUANCE: October 5 2004 Improvements , OWNER: City of Falcon Heights OWNER's Project No.: 823830) 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue Falcon Heights MN 55113-5594 ENGINEER: Howard R. Green Company , 2550 University Avenue W CONTRACTOR: O'Malley Construction, Inc. Suite 400N St. Paul, MN 55114 35799 - 241st Avenue LeCenter, MN 56057 ENGINEER's Project No.: 823830) CONTRACT FOR: 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Im rovements You are directed to make the following changes in the Contract Documents Description: Change contract quantity in line 6 to . 1,343 SF. Add Schedule 3.0 Additional Pedestrian Ramps. Purpose of Change Order: To change pay estimate quantities to reflect quantities used on project. Attachments (List documents supporting change): CHANGE IN CONTRACT PRICE: CHANGE IN CONTRACT TIME: Original Contract Price Original Contract Time $18,166.32 Substantial Completion: October 1, 2004 Previous Change Orders No. - to No. _ Final Completion: October 1, 2004 Net change from previous Change Orders $ Contract Price prior to this Change Order Days Contract Time prior to this Change Order $18 166 32 Substantial Completion: , . Net Increase (Decrease) of this Change Order Final Completion: Net Increase (Decrease) of this Change Order $ 2 385.46 days for Substantial Completion , Contract Price with all approved Change Orders days for Final Completion Contract Time with all approved Change Orders $20 551.78 Substantial Completion: , Final Completion: RECOMMEN DED: APPRO ED: APPROVED: ~~ By -/ Q ,/ r .~ I~ Howard R. Green Company City of Falcon Heights O'Malley Construc ' ,Inc. EJCDC No. 1910-8-B 1996 Edition CHANGE ORDER 00671 - 1 ~y i• PARTIAL PAYMENT ESTIMATE NO. 1 (FINAL) FROM: July 31, 2004 TO: October 4, 2004 CONTRACTOR: O'Malley Construction, Inc. ADDRESS: 35799 241st Avenue, Le Center, MN 56057 OWNER: City of Falcon Heights PROJECT: 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Cutter Improvements COMPLETION DATE ORIGINAL: October 1, 2004 REVISED: AMOUNT OF CONTRACT ORIGINAL: $18,166.32 REVISED: $20,551.78 - .;.:.7.;.:. C T1 ~~':: pN. 7 RAE 5 FJdI . ~~~`~ _ U~IC3 5P 4. . fi~Ji+l: ::::~:~:~:~:::~::?::::::::::~::::::::~::::::::::~:::~:~:::~ :::::::::::::~::::::::::: :::::::~::::~::~:~:::::::: ::::::::~:~:~:~:~::: ...415SCRIP N ...•.~ ................ ]Ctb . ..._.UN::~ ::.:. fT . :.: ...:::.:.:.:.:.:.:.: . 011'Y: • ..:.:.:.:.:.:.:. . : UNCi: ~:: ~ :: ..... t~7Y.:.:...... ........... ... 1 ~: SCHEDULE 1.0 MISCELLANEOUS CURB REPAIR REMOVE AND REPLACE CONCRETE CURB 1 AND GUTTER DESIGN 86.18 LF 257 23 00 REMOVE AND REPLACE CONCRETE CURB . 257.00 5,911.00 257.00 5,911.00 AND GUTTER 86-18 DROP BACK (FOR 2 OUTWALKS) LF 52 23.00 52.00 1,196.00 52.00 1,196.00 SAWCUT BITUMINOUS PAVEMENT (FULL 3 DEPTH) LF 200 3.50 200.00 700.00 200.00 700.00 REMOVE 81TUMINOUS PAVEMENT (FULL 4 DEPTH) SY 20 22.00 20.00 440.00 20.00 440.00 PATCH BITUMINOUS PAVEMENT (FULL 5 DEPTH) SY 20 36.00 20.00 720.00 20.00 720.00 T SCHEDULE 1.0 MISCELLANEOUS CURB REPAIR-TOTAL 8967 00 8,967.00 SCHEDULE 2.0 MISCELLANEOUS SIDEWALK REPAIR REMOVE AND REPLACE 4' CONCRETE 6 SIDEWALK SF 1,240 4.68 1,343.00 6,285.24 1 343 00 6 285 24 REMOVE AND REPLACE 6' CONCRETE , . , . 7 SIDEWALK SF 120 6.40 120.00 768.00 120.00 768 00 REMOVE ANO REPLACE CONCRETE . 8 PEDESTRIAN RAMP FA 3 876.04 3.00 2,628.12 3.00 2,628.12 T SCHEDULE 2.0 MISCELLANEOUS SIDEWALK REPAIR -TOTAL 9,681.36 9,681.36 SCHEDULE 3.0 ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN RAMPS 1 4 ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN RAMPS LS 1 1 903 42 , . 1.00 1,903.42 1.00 1,903.42 T SCHEDULE 3.0 ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN RAMPS -TOTAL 1,903.42 1,903.42 TOTAL THIS PERIOD TOTAL TO DATE PAY ESTIMATE SUMMARY SCHEDULE 1.0 MISCELLANEOUS CURB REPAIR -TOTAL 8 967 00 8 967 00 SCHEDULE 2.0 MISCELLANEOUS SIDEWALK REPAIR -TOTAL . . 9.681.36 9 681 36 SCHEDULE 3.0 ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN RAMPS -TOTAL , . 1,903.42 1,903.42 0:1 proj\ Payest-700604-#1(flnal).xls PAGE 1 ~ s i• 20,551.78 ror :: :~: :.:::::: ::. ::::::: AL I Th(SP ~f1OO.......... :: tXt :: ':: '';'' :::::::::::::: At a t>v . ~ ~~ AMOUNT EARNED ................ .............................~'~~~ ~ ..................... $20,551.78 $20,551.78 AMOUNT RETAINED ~ ~ ~ ~ " " " " " " " " MATERIAL ON SITE .... ...... ... ... ................. ........ ...... ... .... .. .. ................. . .. ................... .. $0.00 $0.00 MATERIAL DEDUCT ................ ....................................... ................. $0.00 $0.00 PREVIOUS PAYMENTS ............. ........................,....,..»».,................. ..................... . $0.00 ~AMOUNTDUE .................. ...............................~:~:~:::~:.::: ...................... $20,551.78 $20,551.78 • • o:lproj~Payest-1006pd-gl(final).xls PAGE 2 I hereby certify that all items and amounts shown by this pay estimate are correct for the work completed to date. • CONTRACTOR: O'MALLEY CONSTRUCTION BY. TITLE: DATE: 1 D - ~~~Y J(~ Based on the ENGINEER'S on-site inspections as an experienced and qualified design professional and on review of application for payment and the accompanying data and schedules, the ENGINEER has determined, to the best of his/her knowledge and belief, that the quantities shown by this estimate are correct and that, based on such inspection: and review, that the work has progressed to the point indicated (subject to an evaluation of such work as a functioning Project upon Substantial Completion, to the results of any subsequent tests required by the Contract Documents, and to any qualifications stated in his/her recommendation), and that payment of the amount recommended is due Contrc but by recommending any payment, the ENGINEER will not thereby be deemed to have reviewed the means, methods, sequences, techniques, or proceedures of construction or safety precautions or programs incident thereto or that the ENGINEER has made any examination to ascertain how or for what purpose any Contractor has used the monies paid on account of the Contract Price, or that title to any of the work, materials, or equipr has passed to the Owner free and clear of any lein, claims, security interests or encumbrai or that the Contractor(s) have completed their work exactly in accordance with the Coni Documents. ENGINEER: HOWARD R. GREEN COMPANY -, BY; , -~ TITLE; ~2 DATE: G ~- ~-~ o Approved by Owner/Commission CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS ~~~~ .~. 3 / TITLE ~ ° ~'~`L% , • ~ DATE: _/0~~~~~~ END.xIs ~~ Howard R. Green Company 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements Project No. 823830) Falcon Heights, Minnesota SECTION 00673 CERTIFICATE OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION DATE OF ISSUANCE October 6, 2004 OWNER City of Falcon Heights CONTRACTOR O'Mallev Construction, Inc. Contract: 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements OWNER's Contract No. 823830) ENGINEER's Project No. 823830) This Certificate of Substantial Completion applies to all Work under the Contract Documents or to the following specified parts thereof: • To the City of Falcon Heights (OWNER) And To O'Malley Construction, Inc. (CONTRACTOR) The Work to which this Certificate applies has been inspected by authorized representatives of OWNER, CONTRACTOR and ENGINEER, and that Work is hereby declared to be substantially complete in accordance with the Contract Documents on October 1.2004 DATE OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION LJ A tentative list of items to be completed or corrected is attached hereto. This list may not be all-inclusive, and the failure to include an item in it does not alter the responsibility of CONTRACTOR to complete all the Work in accordance with the Contract Documents. The items in the tentative list shall be completed or corrected by CONTRACTOR no later than N/A. EJCDC No. 1910-8-D (1996 Edition) Prepared by the Engineers' Joint Contract Documents Committee and endorsed by The Associated General Contractors of America and the Construction Specifications Institute. CONTRACTOR'S AFFIDAVIT 00673 - 1 ~~ • Howard R. Green Company Project No. 823830) 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements Falcon Heights, Minnesota The responsibilities between OWNER and CONTRACTOR for security, operation, safety, maintenance, heat, utilities, insurance and warranties and guarantees shall be as follows: OWNER The Owner assumes responsibility of operation and maintenance of the improvements CONTRACTOR The Contractor shall be responsible for anv damage or failure for the above facilities other than which may be attributed to normal wear and tear. The following documents are attached to and made a part of this Certificate: This certificate does not constitute an acceptance of Work not in accordance with the Contract Documents nor is it a release of CONTRACTOR's obligation to complete the Work in accordance with the Contract Documents. Executed by ENGINEER on October 6 , 2004 • Date Howard R. Green Company ENGINEER By: `~~-- (A ized Signature) CONTRACTOR accepts this Certificate of Substantial Completion on ~~`~ ~- , 2004 Date O'Malley Construction, Inc. CONTRACTOR ~ ~; By: ~~ (Authorized i rt~ature) OWNER accepts this Certificate of Substantial Completion on `~ "e~- Date City of Falcon Heights OWNER ~. / f 1 - - Authorized signature) ~ • END OF SECTION CONTRACTOR'S AFFIDAVIT 2004 00673 - 2 a9 Howard R. Green Company Project No. 823830) State of Minnesota The County of L~ Sl,~~.1,~1' The City of _ 1 ~ (',~ n•~.~.r Date:~~ '~ _~.,.(~*~~~ l~~ ~n,~i1~~i , `-?~~. ~"~, ~'~p;~} (name, title) of O'Malley Construction, Inc., has furnished all lab r and material entering into the 2004 Sidewalk and Gurb and Gutter Improvements project for the City of Falcon Heights (Owner). ~` ~~~ ~a ~~'`~~'~~ .~~t`~~~~(.k''t~~- (name, title) of O'Malley Construction, Inc., states further that Contractor has full knowledge of all obligations for such labor and materials which have entered into and become part of that certain project known and designated above, and Contractor further disposes and says that all debts and other obligations for such labor and materials have been fully and completely paid for in good and lawful money of the United States of American and that there are no suits for damages against them proceeding, prospective or otherwise, in consequence of their operations on the above said project. The said,=f~~, will hold the Owners, the City of Falcon Heights, blameless of any and all Mechanic's Liens~ay be hereafter entered or filed for record, so as to constitute charge ainst said • premises for work or labor done or materials fumished by them. ~ IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Contractor has heretofore put their hand an seal. SEAL Co ractor's Authoriz en - l~ '' ~ ~ '~ ,Notary Public in and for the above named County and State do hereby certify that - ~ ; personally known to me to be the affiant in the foregoing affidavit, personally appeared fore me this day, and, having been duty swum, deposes and say that the facts set forth in the above affidavit are true and correct. WITNESS my hand and seal this ~~ da of ~-~f"~~ Y ~ , 2004. my commission expires ~~r~1 r~~ (~ STEPHJiNIE JOIENE ANDERLEY • NOTARY PUBLIC-N9NNfSQr1- My Comm. Expires Jan. 31, 2007 ^ ~ CONTRACTOR'S AFFIDAVIT 2004 Sidewalk and Curb and Gutter Improvements Falcon Heights, Minnesota SECTION 00674 CONTRACTOR'S AFFIDAVIT END OF SECTION 00674 - 1 30 • POLICY Hl 10/27/04 ITEM: Report from Neighborhood Commission, Jenna Washnieski SUBMITTED BY: Jenna Washnieski REVIEWED BY: Mayor Sue Gehrz Heather Worthington, City Administrator ATTACHMENT: • Report by Jenna Washnieski on pages ~~~~ Evaluating Knowledge Of Community Resources and Participation In Emergency Preparedness Programs: Needs Assessment for Falcon Heights, MN. • Jenna Washnieski M.P.H. Candidate University of Minnesota School of Public Health August 24, 2004 Acknowledgements This project was commissioned by the City of Falcon Heights, MN to assess the community's knowledge of current emergency preparedness strategies and resources. Thank you to Mayor Sue Gehrz, Kris Grangaard, and the residents of Falcon Heights for your support and cooperation. The opportunity to study a community as dedicated to civic participation and social well being as Falcon Heights has been the perfect supplement to my studies in Community Health Education. Thank you to the J.B. Hawley Reseazch Awazd Committee for providing me with the funding to carry out this project. I would like to thank Dr. Phyllis Pirie for her instrumental support during this process. Without her guidance and unfailing optimism, my Teaming experience would have not been as rewazding and worthwhile as it has been. I would also like to thank my committee • members, Dr. John Finnegan, Jr. and Gary Schwitzer for their wisdom and supervision throughout my graduate cazeer. Thank you to the amazing team at DCSS who assisted me with the logistics of my project every step of the way. Finally, thank you to my family and friends for always making me laugh when there seemed to be no end in sight. 3~ i• • Table of Contents: Acknowledgments Background Methods Sample Survey Procedure Measures Analyses Results Sample Characteristics Social Connectivity and Knowledge of Resources Perception of Threat Utilization of Information Sources Participation in Emergency Preparedness Programs Discussion Conclusion Recommendations References Appendix i. IRB Approval ii. Survey Cover Letter iii. Needs Assessment Survey 2 4 7 7 8 8 10 11 11 11 14 15 16 18 22 23 25 3~ • Background With increased focus on building a strong emergency response force in our society, it is important that we utilize the strength of our existing infrastructure. Strengthening community emergency response capacity is growing increasingly important as the potential for threat increases and existing emergency response resources become stretched. The CDC reports that emergency response capacity varies from community to community depending on the community's investment to public health infrastructure. (CDC, 2003) Mobilizing our communities and building emergency response capacity through education programs is one method of advancing the investment in emergency preparedness. The city of Falcon Heights, Minnesota (pop. 5672) is a community with a history of investment to improving the public health infrastructure. In the early 1990's, Falcon Heights became the first city in • Minnesota to have a Neighborhood Watch volunteer on every city block. This commitment to ensuring safe and connected neighborhoods continued through the 1990's with intergenerational dialogues about methods to foster neighborhood connectivity and enhance quality of life for residents. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the city council initiated an intergenerational dialogue on homeland security and through this, the Neighborhood Security Task Force was developed. The task force created emergency preparedness materials for block leaders and eventually gave rise to the Neighborhood Commission. The community manual they created on an "intergenerational organizing model" has been shared with over 70 Minnesota cities and counties, as well as with Florida, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C. (Powell, 2003) The Neighborhood Commission's primary responsibilities are to serve as the neighborhoods' representative to the city, to make recommendations to the City Council concerning emergency preparedness, and to recruit Neighborhood Liaisons. Neighborhood Liaisons are representatives for each neighborhood and can take on a number of roles, such as Social Organizer, Information, Communications, Crime Prevention, Buddy Check, or First Aid/Medical Liaison. These roles often over-lap and can be sub-divided to include • residents of all ages. This kind of intergenerational participation in the community is a concept Falcon Heights 3J aims to promote. Youth who engage in civic relationships with their parents and neighbors are exposed to • elements central to "sense of community," (MacMillan and Chavis, 1986). Sense o f community is a psychological variable used to define the beliefs and attitudes one holds about neighbors and neighborhoods (McMillan and Chavis, 1986). Elements such as membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection are all elements that contribute to sense of community. In relation to the Neighborhood Liaison program, these elements appear to b e inherent as Liaisons aim to foster increased contribution, civic involvement, and social engagement. In fact, neighborhoods and the act of neighboring significantly contribute to developing and maintaining sense of community (Glynn, 1986). Additionally, greater sense of community is associated with more participation in block associations, increased neighborhood satisfaction, and more positive social relations with neighbors (Chavis and Wandersman, 1990). Sense of community and participation are most closely linked on blocks with more children, more educated residents, and more long-term residents (Perkins and Long, 2002). When citizens of a community utilize their social connectivity to mobilize around particular issues • such as emergency preparedness, social capital is built. While researchers have debated about the elements necessary for social capital, the concept can most simply be described as a resource that arises from the structure of social relationships in a c ommunity (Coleman, 1990). This structure facilitates more efficient organization around issues pertinent to the community. Perkins and Long (2002) identified that this kind of social organization can be either formal or informal, but the relationships must involve trust. The authors drew upon the literature to devise a definition that included both the behavioral and cognitive aspects of social capital and defined social capital in terms of four components: 1) trust in neighbors (sense of community), 2) trust in the efficacy of organized collective action, 3) informal neighboring behavior, and 4) formal participation in community organizations. Perkins and Long (2002) have investigated the strength of each of these elements in promoting community participation and found "sense of community" to be consistently predictive of the other three dimensions of social capital. Since s ense o f c ommunity can p otentially c ontribute t o g reater c ommunity p articipation,trust, and satisfaction, the role of Neighborhood Liaison becomes a key factor in fostering neighborhood cohesion • through their organization of block parties, facilitation of contact with neighbors, and mobilization around 34 issues pertinent to their immediate community. Encouragement of such cohesion may result in participation in • emergency preparedness activities planned by the Neighborhood Commission. Citizen-level emergency preparedness strategies not only enhance residents' self-efficacy for responding to emergency, but they increase the community's perception of security (Lichterman, 2000). The public often serves as "first responders", especially in multi-site disasters where traditional emergency response professionals arrive late because of communication, traffic, or other problems (Glass, 2000). Glass explains that in these types of events, those who die often do so very quickly whereas those who survive sustain minor injuries and are often rescued by bystanders. Training citizens to mitigate the effects of a disaster contributes to speed of recovery of individuals and can result in greater community self-sufficiency (Rosse, 1993). While Falcon Heights is not a large community, two major institutions, the University of Minnesota- St. Paul Campus and the State Fairgrounds, both fall within the city limits and are considered to be at risk of terrorist activity. For residents to perceive themselves or their community to be at risk of a disaster, Slovic • (1990) suggests that three factors must be assessed--dread, familiarity, and exposure. Greater perceptions of threat will arise when an individual perceives that the risk cannot be easily reduced, it is uncontrollable, has the potential for large numbers of people to be exposed to or killed by the risk, when risks are new or unknown to science, and when effects are unknown and delayed. Currently, the nation is faced with the potential for encountering new risks such as biological, nuclear, and chemical attacks. The unfamiliarity with the consequences of such attacks may increase the perception of threat in some Falcon Heights residents. On the other hand, more familiar risks, like natural disasters, may still result in increased perception of threat because of the uncontrollable nature of the disaster and the potential for widespread harm to property, health, and safety. Social support has been evidenced as a contributing factor in perceiving risk and taking action in a disaster situation. Perry, Lindell, and Greene (1981) suggest that people look to others during the process of evaluating a potential threat. The greater one's contacts and ties to the community, the more information they will receive regarding how to respond to a threat. When researching the factors that lead to evacuating during a • hurricane, Raid, Norris, and Ruback (1999) discovered that residents with stronger perceived social support 3S were more likely to evacuate during a hurricane than those with weaker perceptions of social support. • However, the size of one's social network did not predict whether or not the resident evacuated. This needs assessment will investigate the factors that lead to participation in emergency preparedness programs and the factors that influence perception of social connectivity. This study will examine whether knowledge of the Neighborhood Liaison is related to higher perception of social connectivity. This study will also aim to discern whether high levels of social connectivity result in hearing about and participating in programs. Additionally, this study will investigate whether social connectivity is mediated by sociodemographic variables. Finally, this assessment will identify the utilization of information sources, as well as potency of associations between social connectivity, knowledge of community resources, perception of threat and demographic variables. Methods Sample Subjects were selected using a Fortran program to choose from Minnesota driver's license files with Falcon Heights zip codes, 55108 and 55113. The program then matched cases to a list of street names and house numbers that lie within the parameters of the city provided by Falcon Heights City Hall. After the files were matched to zip code and street name, the total selected sample was 10,048. Next, the program sorted and eliminated cases based on house numbers within the ranges of Falcon Heights. These cases were sorted by odd or even numbers as appropriate, and the program eliminated University of Minnesota student housing (1458 Cleveland Av), which reduced the total to 3184. Cases were then selected by age range. Dates of birth from 09/01/1927 through 08/31/1985 made the total 2780. To ensure a recent sample, the program retained only those who had applied for their driver's license in 2000 or later, which made the total 2278. Finally, from these 2278, 500 subjects were selected using a randomizing computer program. • Survey Procedure • Five hundred named residents of Falcon Heights, Minnesota were invited to complete a mailed survey regarding neighborhood cohesion, participation in emergency preparedness programming, and perception of threat in Falcon Heights. The initial mailing contained aone-dollar incentive and apostage-paid return envelope. Ten days following the initial mailing, a postcard was sent reminding the residents to complete the survey and thanking those who already returned the survey. Two weeks following the postcard, a second mailing containing the survey and postage-paid return envelope was initiated to reach the subjects who had not yet responded. Completed surveys were sent to Data Collection and Support Services (DCSS) in the Division of Epidemiology. Of the 500 residents who were invited to participate, 118 were deemed ineligible. Subjects were categorized as ineligible if they no longer lived in Falcon Heights, were deceased, were unable to complete their survey due to health conditions, or unable to complete their survey due to being out of the state or country. The number of completed surveys totaled 270, which translates into a response rate of 70%. Measures: The survey consisted of 19 questions to assess knowledge of community resources, social connectivity, utilization of various information sources, participation in emergency preparedness programs, perception of threat, and demographic characteristics. Sociodemographic Variables Sociodemographic variables collected included, gender, age, education, type of housing, and if children under age eighteen lived in their home. • 3'1 • Social Connectivity and Knowledge of Community Resources The respondent's perception of social connectivity was assessed by asking whether he/she agreed to knowing many people in his/her neighborhood and whether his/her neighborhood has a social gathering at least once a year. Both questions were assessed on a Likert-scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 6 (strongly disagree). Knowledge of community resources was assessed by asking whether the respondent knows and has contact information for his/her Neighborhood Liaison, knows who in the neighborhood has a first aid kit, and who has been trained in CPR and First Aid. The respondents were also asked whether they are trained in CPR and First Aid. Each of these questions had "yes/no" response categories. Utilization of Information Sources A list of eleven information sources was provided to assess how residents receive information about Falcon Heights. The list included media and interpersonal communication. Respondents were instructed to select all sources that applied. ~1 ~J Participation in Emergency Preparedness Programs Five emergency preparedness programs offered to Falcon Heights residents were listed to assess whether respondents heard about or attended these training opportunities. Each of the five questions had four response categories, "1=Did not hear about it," " 2=Heard about it by was not interested," " 3=Heard about it but it was not convenient for me," and "4=Attended this program." Perception of Threat The respondent's perception of threat was measured by asking three questions about the likelihood of emergency. These included whether he/she believed there was likelihood that Falcon Heights could experience a massive power outage, a tornado, or could be the focus of terrorist activity in the next 12 months. ~8 The likelihood of these events was measured on a Likert-scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 6 (strongly • disagree). Analyses Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive tests generated using SAS software. Frequency distributions for each variable were calculated and then selected variables were collapsed into new variables. Age, education, and housing variables were collapsed and analyzed as new variables. Age was collapsed into athree-category variable (18-34, 35-54, and SS+years). Education yielded four new categories, High School or less, Some post-high school education, Four-year degree, Some/Completed post-graduate education. Housing responses were split into either "renter" or "owner." In regression analysis, the age and education variables were collapsed into dichotomous variables. Age was split into young (18-34) and older (35+), and education was split into college degree (Bachelor+) and less education. • The two social connectivity variables that ranged from "1=Strongly Agree" to "6=Strongly Disagree" were grouped to create new dichotomous agree/disagree variables. Responses ranging from "1=Strongly Agree" to " 3=Somewhat Agree" were labeled as "agree", while responses ranging from "4=Somewhat Disagree" to "6=Strongly Disagree" were labeled as "disagree." The new variables were used in Chi-Square analysis to determine significant associations and in logistic regression analysis to identify variables that predict connectivity in the community. Additionally, the threat variables were collapsed into new variables. The threat variables that ranged from "1=Strongly Agree" to "6=Strongly Disagree" were grouped to create three new variables. Responses of "1= Strongly Agree" and " 2=Agree" were regarded as "high threat." Responses of " 3=Somewhat Agree" and "4=Somewhat Disagree" were labeled "some threat." Finally, responses of "S=Disagree" and "6=Strongly Disagree" were labeled "low threat." The new variables were used in Chi-Square analyses to determine any significant associations. volatility • 39 • Results Sample Characteristics • • Table 1 represents the sociodemographic characteristics of the survey respondents. Females represented the majority of respondents. Once collapsed, the middle (35-54) and oldest (55+) age categories had nearly equal proportions (38%, 39%) while the youngest (18-34) had 22%. Approximately 71% of the sample population has attained a Bachelor's degree or higher, which is consistent with Falcon Heights's 2000 Census data that reports 70% of the city's population has acquired this level of education (League of Minnesota Cities, 2004). Over three-fourths of respondents own a home or condominium as opposed to renting a home or apartment. __ Tablc L• IZcspond~rn Lhwacteristi~s (n-27{)) Female 61 Age 18-24 9% 25-34 13% 35-44 19% 45-54 19% 55-64 21% 65+ 18% Educational Attainment H.S. Graduate or less 10% Some Post-H.S. 18% Four-year degree 27% Some Post-Graduate 13% Completed Post-Graduate 31 Type of Housing Own home/duplex 77% Own condo/townhouse 3% Rent home/duplex 2% Rent apartment 10% Other 6% Children under age 18 living in home Yes 35% their liaison (39%, 50%). Social Connectivity and Knowledge of Community Resources Knowledge of Neighborhood Liaisons Twenty-seven percent of the residents reported knowing their Neighborhood Liaison. Of these, 96% know how to contact their liaison. Residents who own a home or condominium were significantly more likely (p<,O1) to know their neighborhood liaison than residents who live in rental housing, with 36 percent ofhome-owners and 6 percent of renters reporting they know their liaison. Age also plays a significant role in knowledge of liaisons. The youngest cohort (age 18- 34) was the least likely to know their liaison (11%), while the middle (35-54) and oldest (55-74) were more likely to know 40 Neighdorhood Liaison and Social Connectivity Knowledge of the Neighborhood Liaison was significantly associated with greater social connectivity in the community. Of residents who reported knowing their liaison, 96% (p<.O1) agreed that they know many people in their immediate neighborhood. Similarly, 96% (p<.O1) of residents who know their liaison reported that their neighborhood has a block party or other social gathering at least once each year. For residents who do not know their liaison, 75% agreed that they know many people in their neighborhood and 72% agreed their neighborhood has a block party or social gathering at least once each year. When entered into logistic regression analyses, both social connectivity variables ("I know many people in my neighborhood," and "My neighborhood has a block party at least once each year") significantly predicted lrnowledge of Neighborhood Liaisons. Compared to residents who disagreed that their neighborhood has a social gathering at least once each year, residents who agreed to having yearly social functions were 6.5 times more likely to lrnow their Neighborhood Liaison (CI 1.943, 22.972; p =.002). Similarly, residents who agreed that they know many people in their neighborhood were 5 times more likely to know their Liaison those who did not report that they know many people (CI 1.447, 16.945; p=.01). • Characteristics of Social Connective Sociodemographic variables such as age, having a child <18 years, and home ownership were significantly associated with perception of social connectivity in bivariate analyses. Analyses indicated that the middle (35-54) and oldest (55+) age categories were significantly more likely (p=.006) to agree that they know many people in their neighborhood (both 85%) than the youngest group (67%). Similarly the middle (80%) and oldest (84%) cohorts were significantly more likely (p=.003) to agree than the youngest group (62%), that their neighborhood has a social gathering once a year. All of the residents in the youngest age cohort who reported knowing their Liaison also agreed to both social connectivity variables (n=7). Respondents with children under age 18 living in their home were significantly more likely (p=.03) to report . knowing many people in their neighborhood (88%) than those who did not have a child in their home (77%). 4~ Although non-significant, there was a trend that participants with a child living in the home were more likely to agree their neighborhood has a social gathering (84%) than those without a child in the home (76%). Owning a home was significantly associated with knowing many people and agreeing to having social gatherings. Homeowners (87%) agreed they knew many people more frequently than renters (31 %). Also, homeowners agreed they had social gatherings (87%) more than renters (28%). Similarly, residents in the youngest age category who own a home are significantly more likely (p<.0001) to agree to both social connectivity variables than young people who rent. There was no reported difference in social connectivity between genders or for levels of educational attainment. Both social connectivity variables ("I know many people in my neighborhood," and "My neighborhood has a block party at least once each year") were collapsed into one variable denoting high or low social connectivity. If the respondent agreed to both social connectivity variables then connectivity was high. Likewise, if the • respondent disagreed to both variables, connectivity was low. When the variables for age (split into "young • 18-34," and "older 35+"), housing status, and whether children <181ived in the home were entered into a logistic regression to predict high social connectivity, home ownership was the only predictor that remained significant. Homeowners were 83 times more likely to agree that they know many people in their neighborhood and that their neighborhood has a social gathering at least once a year than respondents who reside in rental units (p<.0001). Table 2 represents the odds ratios and confidence intervals for these predictors. Table 2: Predictors of Fligh Social Conncctivit~~ Predictor Odds Ratio 95% Confidence Limits Greater age 0.772 0.141 4.230 Homeowner 83.387* 15.774 440.810 Having child <18 in home 1.255 0.329 4.786 * p<.0001 4~ First Aid and CPR Trainin in Nei hborhood 8' g Being trained, or knowing people in the neighborhood who are trained, in First Aid or CPR is common among this sample. Half of respondents (50%) reported knowing someone in the neighborhood who is trained in First Aid, and 45% of respondents know who in their neighborhood has a First Aid kit. Similarly, 55% know who is trained in CPR in their neighborhood. Residents with high levels of social connectivity are significantly more likely to know who in their neighborhood has a First Aid kit (p=.04) and who in their neighborhood has been trained in CPR (p=.03). Forty-three percent of the residents reported they have First Aid training while 53% are trained in CPR. Of the residents who are trained in First Aid, 58% are women and 42% are men. Fifty percent of residents trained in First Aid are between the ages of 35-54, while the youngest and oldest cohorts (18-34, 55-74) are equally trained with 25% each. Of the residents trained in CPR, 60% are women and 40% are men. Forty-three percent of residents trained are between the ages of 35-54, while the youngest and oldest cohorts are again • equally split at 28% each. Perception of Threat • The majority of respondents did not perceive their community would likely encounter a natural or technological disaster in the next 12 months. Table 3 illustrates the percentages of residents who perceived the likelihood of a threatening event taking place in Falcon Heights. A small number of residents noted that their perception of the likelihood of a terrorist attack increased during the weeks of the State Fair. There was no significant association between high perception of threat and perception of connectivity or personal characteristics such as age, gender, education, or child under age 181iving in the home. Similarly, perception of threat was not related to whether or not residents heard about or participated in emergency preparedness programs. T~able3: Percehtio[lof`hhreat in Falcon liei~hts in Likely Somewhat Not ?~e.~t l2 ~7onths Likei~~ Likcl~~ Massive Power Outage (>24hrs) 25% 51% 21% Tornado 27% 53% 20% Focus of Terrorist Attack 3% 30% 67% 43 Utilization of Information Sources Residents receive information about Falcon Heights mostly from reading the quarterly city newsletter (81%), reading local papers such as the Roseville Review, Focus or Park Bugle (80%), and/or reading the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press (67%). The two most frequently cited sources of information following the top three were personal sources such as, "Hear things from neighbors" (61%) and "Flyers or calls from my Neighborhood Liaison" (20%). Table 4 provides a detailed description of which sources residents use for information about Falcon Heights. The table also lists the proportion of residents from the three age categories who reported their use of the information sources. i• • Media Usage in the Least Socially Connected Population Among residents of the youngest age category who live in rental units (n=21), local newspapers were the most frequently cited source of information about Falcon Heights (n=13), followed by the quarterly city newsletter (n=10), metro newspapers (n=7), hearing things from neighbors (n=6), and cable channel 16 and neighborhood liaison (n=3). Table 4: wietttcxls of Receiving Infimnation ahout Faison 1lcights* and Propo rtion of ke;ponse b} k~ach ;~gc Category I Source _ % n 18-3~t 35-54 ~>+ Quarterly City Newsletter 81 220 15% 44% 41% Local Papers (Roseville Review, Focus, Park Bugle) 80 216 18% 42% 40% Metro Papers (Star Tribune, Pioneer Press) 67 183 15% 41% 43% Hear things from neighbors 61 166 16% 42% 43% Flyers or calls from my Neighborhood Liaison 20 55 13% 47% 40% Falcon Heights Website 19 52 17% 58% 35% Cable Channel 16 14 39 18% 47% 34% Other meetings at City Hall g 23 - 32% 68% Other 4 11 10% 40% 50% Attend City Council Meetings 3 9 - 44% 56% City Flyer delivered to home * Sources do not equal 100% because respondent could choose more than one option 4y Participation in Emergency Preparedness Programs i • • A majority of respondents (54%-78%) had not heard about the emergency preparedness programs offered in Falcon Heights. The highest number of residents heard about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program (46%), while the fewest residents heard about Winter Safety and Power Outage (20%). On average, approximately one-third of respondents reported that they heard about the programs but were uninterested or the program was inconvenient. Only a small percentage of the respondents (<2%) reported that they attended any of the programs. Of the eighty respondents who reported that one or more of the programs was inconvenient, 50% were age 55-74. Similarly, of the 96 respondents who said they were not interested in the program, 46% were age 35-54 and 40% were age 55-74. See Table 5 for complete frequency distributions for each program. 5: Frcquenc}~ l~istrihutioi~s for F,n~icrg~ncy~Preleare~nessProgr~m Participation _. -- _ _ . Did Not Hear Heard But Not Heard But Attended This About Program Interested Inconvenient Program Emergency Traffic Management 67% 21 % 11 % <1 Personal Safety Training 65% 19% 13% 1.5% CERT Training 54% 26% 17% 1.8% Winter Safety and Power Outage 79% 13% 8% Adult and Child CPR _ 67% 17% 13% 1.5% wno nears Aaout rrograms Med is Usa ge for Res pon dent S Respondents who heard about the training opportunities but were not interested or found them inconvenient, reported that they receive information about Falcon Heights from their Neighborhood Liaison (74%), from their neighbors (62%), or from the F.H. website (61%). Additionally, of people who heard about the programs, 60% report getting information from the quarterly city newsletter, local paper, and/or cable channel 16. 4S Factors that Predict Hearing About and Attending Emergency Preparedness Programs • Bivariate analyses of predictors of hearing about programs signified that knowing the Neighborhood Liaison, agreeing to social connectivity variables, age, and homeownership were significantly associated with hearing about programs. These factors were investigated using logistic regression analyses. Table 6 represents the logistic regression analyses of predictors. Values are odds ratios of the outcome given the predictor. In this analysis, only knowing Neighborhood Liaison (OR=5.761, p=.004) and homeownership (OR=4.266, p<.0001) were significant for predicting hearing about the programs. Analyzing predictors for attending programs was questionable because the sample of respondents who reported attending programs was small (n=9). Although age, education, housing type, and social connectivity were all non-significant predictors of attending programs, this small sample had strong characteristic similarities. All attendees were of the middle or older age categories, homeowners, and agreed to having a social event yearly. Also, 88% of program attendees had a Bachelor's degree or higher, reported that they lrnow many people in their neighborhood, and lmow their Neighborhood Liaison. Table 6: Predictors of Hearing ~6aufEmergency Preparedness Program Predictor Odds Ratio 95% Confidence Limits Knowing Liaison 4.266* 2.084 8.732 Social at Least Once/year 1.486 0.665 3.320 Knowing Many People in Neighborhood 0.586 0.248 1.362 Greater Age 1.689 0.734 3.888 Homeowner 5.761 * 1.708 19.426 *p<.005 Discussion Falcon Heights is a fairly homogeneous community in terms of education and race/ethnicity. Communities that are homogeneous in these characteristics have higher levels of neighboring behavior (offering personaUinstrumentaUinformational support) than heterogeneous communities (Unger & • Wandersman, 1982). Farrell et al (2004) suggest this occurrence happens because residents in socially similar 4L communities have a greater likelihood of sharing values and interests and therefore, greater social interaction • between neighbors is made possible. Overall, Falcon Heights is extraordinarily socially connected with a vast majority of the sample agreeing that they know many people in their neighborhood and agreeing that their neighborhood has a social function at least once each year. Knowing the Neighborhood Liaison is significantly associated with a number of outcomes and proves to be a powerful predictor of social connectivity. However, only a small portion of the sample knows their Neighborhood Liaison and there are significant disparities among the residents who know their Liaison. For instance, homeowners were significantly more likely than renters to know their Liaison. Also, residents in the 35-54 and 55+ categories reported knowing their liaison significantly more than residents age 18-34. Not knowing the Liaison positions these groups for being less socially connected. Consistent with Robinson and Wilkinson's (1995) research, this study identified homeowners as having greater perception of social connectivity than renters. Because the University of Minnesota- St. Paul campus falls within the boundaries of Falcon Heights, the city likely encounters a population of transient • student renters. Living in apartment complexes often fosters greater privacy, anonymity, and fewer social interactions with neighbors than living in asingle-family home (Weening, et atl 1990). Furthermore, the transience of this population may deter these temporary residents from investing resources into the neighborhood and prohibit them from forming cohesive relationships in their community. Age was also significantly associated with social connectivity. The two greater age categories reported much higher perceptions of social connectivity than the youngest cohort. Although the greater age categories were more likely to report social connectivity, the level of connectivity reported by the youngest group is impressive. There was anon-significant trend in this age cohort for knowing the Neighborhood Liaison and also agreeing to social connectivity variables. This suggests that the least socially engaged cohorts have the potential to be more socially engaged simply by knowing the Liaison. Like previous studies, this study found number of neighbors one can identify and home ownership to be positively related to greater sense of community (Glynn, 1981; Robinson and Wilkinson, 1995). Glynn also found n umber o f years o f t ived i n a c ommunity t o b e positively related t o i ncreased s ense o f c ommunity. • Although number of years lived in Falcon Heights was not measured in this survey, it could be hypothesized 4'1 that residents in the greater age categories may have lived in the community for more years than residents in • the younger categories and hence, feel more socially connected on account of stability in their neighborhood. Communities with more educated residents have also been positively linked to greater sense of community and community participation (Perkins and Long, 2002). While this sample had high levels of educational attainment, the study did not identify any significant association between connectivity variables and education. The current study identified that being socially connected was associated with hearing about and participating in community events. This finding is similar to that of Perkins et al (1996) who identified that informal neighboring behavior was one of the strongest predictors of community participation. It is no surprise that the Neighborhood Liaison plays a particularly important role in promoting events like emergency preparedness training programs. Residents who reported knowing their Liaison were more likely to hear about emergency preparedness program opportunities than residents who did not know their Liaison. Likewise, almost all residents who participated in the programs reported knowing their Liaison. Of the residents who heard about the emergency preparedness opportunities in their community, a majority reported "hearing things • from neighbors" and "hearing things from Liaisons" as sources of information about Falcon Heights. Since this personal or "word-of-mouth" method of information sharing results in hearing about and participating in emergency preparedness programs, establishing stronger social connections with neighbors and Liaisons may influence the number of residents who hear about and participate in citywide emergency preparedness efforts. Interestingly, although Neighborhood Liaisons play a significant role in community engagement and social connectivity, only a modest segment of the sample reported the Liaison as a source of information about Falcon Heights. It must be noted that since such a small percentage of the sample get information from their Liaison, those who heard about and participated in the programs as a result of their Liaison's influence represent an already highly connected sub-group of the population. This sub-group does not necessarily reflect the c haracteristics o f the g eneral p opulation.Nonetheless, t he p otency o f a ssociation b etween k nowing t he Neighborhood Liaison and hearing about and participating in emergency preparedness programs indicates that this is a worthwhile method of disseminating information and promoting emergency preparedness efforts in the city. • 48 Perception of threat was not related to hearing about or participating in emergency preparedness • programs, demographic characteristics, or social connectivity. While there was some indication of increased threat of terrorist activity during the weeks of the State Fair, in general, residents reported that the threat of terrorist attack in Falcon Heights was highly unlikely. Of the three threat scenarios, the greatest proportion of residents agreed that a tornado was most the likely event in Falcon Heights. People who live in areas that are frequently threatened by natural disasters may be more likely to acknowledge that a threat exists and take necessary protective measures (Lindell & Perry, 1992). Since tornados are not rare occurrences in the region, residents may acknowledge that the threat is real and understand the likelihood of such a disaster taking place in their community. Most respondents receive much of their information about Falcon Heights from the quarterly city newsletter and local papers. Promoting programs and events through these media will give the city the most "bang for their buck" when reaching their residents. Since many residents get information about Falcon Heights from the quarterly city newsletter, it may be beneficial to distribute it more frequently than four times • a year. Surprisingly, no respondents reported getting information from the city flyer delivered monthly to their homes. This may mean that they truly do not get information from this source, that the flyer does not get delivered to their home, or it may suggest that there is confusion between the city flyer and the city newsletter. Young residents who rent homes or apartments are the least socially connected in the city and hence, the most difficult to reach. Local newspapers and the quarterly city newsletter should be used as media for reaching this population since many report using these for information about Falcon Heights. Not surprisingly, personal sources of information such as neighbors or the Neighborhood Liaison were cited the least in this population as methods of receiving information about Falcon Heights. Since "word-of-mouth" sources of information are among the most frequently cited sources for residents who heard about emergency preparedness trainings, focused effort should be made to socially engage young residents who reside in rental units. Also, increased promotion of the Neighborhood Liaison in neighborhoods with young renters should be a priority. This is especially important since all young residents who know their Liaison agreed to both social connectivity variables. ~9 There are some limitations in the current study that could constrain external and internal validity. i Falcon Heights is a predominantly white, highly educated city. The homogeneity of Falcon Heights puts the population in a unique position for perceiving of social connectivity and participating in their community and hence, limits the generalizability of the results to other communities. Another limitation is that the respondents who returned the surveys may be characteristically different than those who did not return the survey. If so, selection bias may be a threat to the internal validity of the study. Additionally, due to the small sample of residents in select analyses (i.e. those who attended emergency preparedness programs), the strength of statistical associations with respect to these groups is questionable and conclusions cannot confidently be inferred. Finally, although the survey was created in accordance with survey design theory, the questions were not validated to ensure that they accurately measured the concept of "sense of community." While the social connectivity variables reflected elements of these concepts, they may not be sufficient for measuring these concepts. • Conclusion Emergency preparedness efforts in Falcon Heights appear to take two forms: organized trainings and informal neighboring behaviors. Both build social capital, encourage sense of community, and serve to protect residents from negative consequences of disasters. The most important step Falcon Heights can take to involve more residents in emergency preparedness is to increase their promotion of the Neighborhood Liaison program. Neighborhood Liaisons have proven to be vital for enhancing perception of social connectivity, engaging the least socially connected groups of the population, and publicizing community events. By simply expanding the social network in the city's neighborhoods, more residents will be exposed to neighborhood resources, including emotional, informational, and instrumental resources. Other communities can learn valuable strategies for community organizing by looking at the model Falcon Heights currently has in action. Through the development of the Neighborhood Commission, the various neighborhoods in the city have been provided with greater opportunities to share their ideas and voice their concerns, which ultimately contributes to the city's social capital. The strong sense of community and wealth of social capital in Falcon Heights puts the city in a position to effectively mobilize around issues such as emergency preparedness. Providing residents with opportunities to play an integral role in community decision-making and devoting special attention to strengthening neighborhood social networks are two key strategies other communities should use for enhancing their emergency preparedness infrastructure. • So • Recommendations Based on the responses from Falcon Heights residents in this needs assessment, the following recommendations will be made to the Neighborhood Commission. 1. Increase presence and awareness of Neighborhood Liaisons. • Only slightly over one-quarter of respondents reported that they know their Neighborhood Liaison. This beneficial program is not being recognized and has the potential to influence social connectivity and program participation, especially in the least socially connected sub-groups of the population. Liaisons should attempt to increase awareness of their presence in their neighborhoods and facilitate more opportunities for neighbors to interact. 2. Increase Promotion of Emergency Preparedness Training Opportunities • Of people who heard about the programs, 74% report getting information from their Neighborhood Liaison and 62% report hearing things from their neighbors. These high proportions suggest that personal or "word-of-mouth" sources of information are influential for • the promotion of citywide activities. • Similarly, 61% or residents who heard about programs receive information about Falcon Heights from the city website. More information about training opportunities should also be included on the website. • For residents who are not socially connected, media such as the quarterly newsletter and local papers maybe effective in disseminating the information. 3. Low First Aid and CPR Attendance Maybe Due to Residents Already Trained in This Area • Over half of respondents report being trained or knowing someone in their neighborhood who is trained in CPR. Future plans for training opportunities should acknowledge that many residents currently possess this skill. 4. More information should be included in Quarterly City Newsletters • Since 80% of the sample reported that they get information about Falcon Heights from the quarterly city newsletter, this medium should maximize the amount of news it contains. • Additionally, since many residents get information about Falcon Heights from this source, it may be beneficial to distribute it more frequently than four times a year. S~ . 5. Reassess the need for the City Flyer • None of the respondents reported that they receive information from the "City Flyer delivered to my home every month." This may mean that they truly do not get information from this source, that the flyer does not get delivered to their home, or it may suggest that there is confusion between the city flyer and the city newsletter. Since the flyer is not reported as being a useful source of information for residents, the cost of producing and distributing this medium should be assessed to determine whether the City Flyer is acost-effective method of disseminating information to residents. c: References Centers for Disease Control. (2001). Emergency Preparedness and Response: Other FAQs. Retrieved on December 10, 2003, from http;// www.bt.cdc.~ov/documentsapp/fagother.asp Chavis, D.M., & Wandersman, A. (1990). Sense of community in the urban environment: A catalyst for participation and community development. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 55-81. Farrell, S.J. et al (2004). Neighborhoods and neighbors: Do they contribute to personal well- being?. Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 1 9-25. Glass, T.A. (2001). Understanding public response to disasters. Public Health Reports, 116, Suppl. 2, 69-73. Glynn, T.J. (198). Neighborhood and sense of community. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 341-352. League of Minnesota Cities. (2004). Falcon Heights Census Profile: Education Data. Retrieved on July 19, 2004 from http://www.lmnc.org/census/censusreturn.cfm. Lichterman, J.D.(2000). A "community as resource" strategy for disaster response. Public Health Reports, 115: 262-265, Mar/Apr. Lindell, M.K., & Perry, R.W. (1992). Behavioral Foundations of Community Emergency • Planning. Washington, D.C.: Hemisphere. S~ McMillan, D.W., & Chavis, D.M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 6-23. Perkins, D.D., Brown, B.B., & Taylor, R.B. (1996). The ecology of empowerment: Predicting participation in community organizations. Journal of Social Issues, 52, 85-110. Perkins, D.D & Long, D.A. (2002). Neighborhood sense of community and social capital: A multi-level analysis. [Chapter] Fisher, Adrian T. (Ed); Sonn, Christopher C. (Ed); et al. Psychological sense of community: Research, applications, and implications. The Plenum series in sociaUclinical psychology. (pp. 291-318). New York, NY, US: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. Perry, R.W., Lindell, M.K, and Greene, M.R. (1981). Evacuation planning in emergency management. Lexington, MA: DC. Health. Powell, Joy. "Falcon Heights security efforts are becoming a national model; Ata symposium in St. Paul, the nation's head of Homeland Security cited neighborhood important line of defense against terrorism." Star Tribune 20, June 2003, News Sec. 19A. Raid, J.K., Norris, F.N., Ruback, R.B. (1999). Predicting evacuation in two major disasters: Risk perception, social influence, and access to resources. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 29, 5,918- 934. Robinson, D., & Wilkinson, D. (1995). Sense of community in a remote mining town: Validating a neighborhood cohesion scale. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 137-148. Rosse, W.L. (1993). Volunteers and post-disaster recovery: A call for community self-sufficiency. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 8(5): 261-266. Unger, D.G., & Wandersman, A. (1982). Neighboring in an urban environment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 10, 493-509. Weenig, M.W.H., Schmidt, T., & Midden, C.J.H. (1990). Social dimensions of neighborhoods and the effectiveness of information programs. Environment and Behavior, 22, 27-54. • S3 • • • Evacuating Knowiedge of Community Resources and Participation in Emergency Preparedness Programs: Needs Assessment for Falcon Heights, MN Jenna Washnieski, M.P.H. wash0089~umn.edu a Iona a ror esearcn • Sister 9f41, Falcon Heights has-mobilized residents around emergency preparedness • Neighborhood Commission • Neighborhood Liaisons • Emergency Preparedness Training Programs • Are residents aware of resources? • What can be done to engage residents? Whatgaps;,urrentiyexfstinpsotnotingti~ese programs? esearc ues Ions • Does knowing the Neighborhood Liaison result in greater perception of local connectivity? • Does high social connectivity result in hearing about and participating in emergency preparedness programming? • Who in the community is most/teast sociaifiy connected? • Which is the most effective method for reaching residents >.vi~; new informa+aon at:o+~rt tits city? ec ices • Provide background and rationale for research • Discuss sampling and survey methods • Examine survey results • Identify important findings and recommendations far Faleafr f+eights ac grouno • Nigh-sense of eornmunit~ is significxrrtty associated vrith increased community partiapation, greater neighborhood satisfaction, and positive relations with neighbors 1r~m•.1eea; Cn•vie 8 WwMe•mn, 1870) • Utilizing social conneciivity in mobilize around issues builds social capital • Resource that arises from the strudure of social relationships in community (ca.m.•. 1877) • CitizeMevel emergency preparedness strategies incxease community's.peroaption of t>ecurity and can contribute to community self-sufficiency tuaaim.n,mo7: ate., ,773) • 500 randomly selected residents accessed through MN Drivers License list • Survey, cover letter, return envelope, and $1 incentive sent to 500 residents • 270 (70%) of 500 surveys used in analysis ~~ • • • easures • Sociodemographic variables • Social Connectivity • Knowledge of Community Resources • Information Sources • Program Participation • Perception of Threat • 27% of sampie knows Neighborhood Liaison 36°~ of Homeowners ^ 6% of Renters Characteristics of Social Connectivfty.Age too sw eo ;o c ~r ~ ~ ~ 018-04 .. ~ t388fif zo ~ ~ oas. ° ~ __ i = MnnY LLe.ry PMNa' BeCtal +K~ {p~AM~ lsun•11Txao1 /^bb) Apreeing to Socld Conneo°W°y Varla6la am a arac errs fcs • Female 61% • Age (years) ,a3a zz•, 3ssa ~% • Bachelor's Degree or higher 71% • Homeowners 80% • Renters 12% • Children under age 18 in home 35°k • 96% of respondenrts wtro know liaison atso agreed to knowing many people and to having a social gathering at least once each year (p<.01) • 75% of respondents who do not know their Liaison agreed to knowing many. people and 72% agreed to having a social gathering at least once each year Characteristics of Social Connectlvlty: liousing Status too !lo ~ WmMc ao xo 0 .M~wr.wmyPUple' . • 1~t~sW.6Ybm.C'tttIM1# IvADOt)p~A2) I~fl A W feeW Cennec11W1y VxgW~s ~'S • • Characteristics of Social Connectivity: Kids in Home roe eo eo ~ •t ~ ~ 20 0 No Klds <18 o - .. .. • ~ - w Hn«i .«. .ry •oaltl ~•I rlnO Wml ~~~m, nsn.insro s•dtl caxroawlyv.imn • 53% are trained in CPR • 43% in 35-54 age group • 26% in both youngest and oldest cohorts • 6f?%.wnmen • Residents get most information ftom • Reading the quarterly city newsletter (81 %) • Reading JaraJ.papRrs.(J3A°.~) • Reading Star Tribune or Pioneer Press (67%) • Hearing things from neighbors (60%) • Receiving. flyers or cells from my N.L. (20"k) • No residents report getting information from City Flyer irs i an ramina • Being trained and/or knowing someone who is trained in First Aid and CPR is common • 50% know someone in their neighborhood who is trained in First Aid . 45% ltnow who -has a First Aid lCfl • 55% know who is trained in CPR • High social connectivity is significantly related to knowing who has a First Aid Idt (p=.04} and who is trained in CPR (p=.03) erce ion o rea T•~roNStActl ~j-j~,,xsic a~r~~~ `m / ~ \ ~^ `?;fix ~_>;~ s71c NLlksly oSotrwvvFrat Likely c Net Liksl • 21 %-46% heard about training opportunities • CommunrtyEmergencyResponseTeam (CE}~ heard about and attended by greatest number of residents ~G • • ro rarn . a c~ a on Frequency Dlstrlbutions for Program Partidpatlon mf.f.ae5.ey~ goo ~° i7 'S OIfIMYf1r • 60 •x.r4w w..m 4D f]Nes41f1c•f1wN5r5 T7 5 k 14 ~.. 11 ~ fi OA•51tltl 1 ;= 13 fA ~ B '~ t5 0 nrM54n+ ~ 1aff5W5tl ~~ ~•~sl S~.n e mans • Although lower than older age groups, young residents had impressive level of connectivity 67% know marry {~ople • 62% have social gatiiering • Non-significant trend in youngest category for knowing Liaison and high social connectivity • All young residents who know N.L. also reported high social connectivity • 74°~ get information from N.L. • 62°k hear things from neighbors • 61°k from Falcon Heights website • 6Q°~, from local paper, quarterly newsletter, and Cable 16 • Ifnowirtg~ Liaison is°strongtyt associated-with social connectivity and hearing about programs • Young residents and rer-ters least likely to'know Liaison, also more likely to have low perception of socal connectivity • Horne ownership and greater age assocated with high social connectivity i Izm n orma lon ources • Most respondents, including young renters, get information from quarterly newsletter and local papers • Residents who heard about or participated in programs most frequently get information from personal sources (N.L., other neighbors} • Word of mouth or personal sources important for promotion of programs ~'1 • • • • Neighborhood Liaisons should be more heavily promoted as they are key resources for engaging residents in emergency preparedness programs and increasing sense of community Emergency Preparedness trainings need to be promoted more • in the quarterly newsletter ancf local papers • To young residents and renters one uslon * The most important step Faic:otr Heights can take to engage more residents in emergency preparedness programs is to promote the Neighborhood .Liaisons • Other communities can mobilize residents around important commtxwiiity issues more effectively by fostering sense of community in residents and organizing a system similar to Neighborhood CommissitrNliaisnns ecommen a ons con • When planning future training opportunities, leaders should recognize that • Marry residents are iralned in F'vst Ald end CPR arul/or Imow someone in the neighborhood who is • Residents do not believe a terrorist threat is fkahr, bu[ believe tornados and maaswa ponreroutagasara stwneaetrat iiltaly • The monthly City Flyer should be reassessed for its cost- effectiveness and reach • The Falcon Heights website should contain current information about training programs and Neighborhood ~ti8180fl'prOgi'$t59. an ou. s$ Emergency Preparedness lm~°d9 in Falcon Heights Please answer the following questions about your neighborhood. In my neighborhood .. . 1. I know who the Neighborhood Liaison is ...................... i ^ Yes 2 ^ No 30 2. I know how to contact my Neighborhood Liaison ........ i ^ Yes 2 ^ No 31 3. I know people who have had First Aid training ............. ~ ^ Yes 2 ^ No 32 4. I know who has a First Aid kit ....................................... ~ ^ Yes 2 ^ No 33 5. I have had First Aid training .......................................... t ^ Yes z ^ No 34 6. I know eo le who have had CPR trauun i ^ Yes z ^ P P g ................... No 35 7. I have had CPR training ........... ........................ ........ ...... ~ ^ Yes 2 ^ No 36 8. I know many of the people in my immediate neighborhood. Strongly Agree Somewhat Somewhat Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree • 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 5 ^ 6 ^ 37 9. Our neighborhood has a bloc k party or som e other social gathering at least once a year. Strongly Agree Somewhat Somewhat Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree 1^ 2^ 3^ 4^ 5^ 6^ 3a 10. Falcon Heights provides information to residents in many ways. Which of these ways do you use to learn about what is going on in Falcon Heights? (CHECKALL THATAPPLY) a. i ^ Read the quarterly city newsletter 39 b. 2 ^ Visit Falcon Heights web site (www.ci.falcon-heights.mn.us) ao c. s ^ Read information in metro papers (Star Tribune or Pioneer Fress) ~+~ d. 4 ^ Read information in local papers (Roseville Review, Focus, or Park Bugle) ~'- e. s ^ Attend city council meetings a3 f. 6 ^ Attend other meetings at City Hall ~+ g. ~ ^ .Hear things from my neighbors ~S h. s ^ Flyers or calls from my Neighborhood Liaison ~6 i. 9 ^ City flyer delivered to my home every month a~ • j. io ^ Cable TV Channel 16 48 k. ~1 ^ Other: What is that? _ a9 EPUEPFH 001 (1-3) 2/04 Ver. 1 Page 1 11. Recently, Falcon Heights offered residents the opportunity to participate in a variety of training programs. For the following, please select one answer that best describes you. • a. Emergency Traffic Management i ^ Did not hear about it 2 ^ Heard about it but was not interested 3 ^ Heard about it but it was not convenient for me 4 ^ Attended this program so b. Personal Safety Training by St. Anthony Police Dept. ~ ^ Did not hear about it 3 ^ Heard about it but it was not convenient for me 2 ^ Heard about it but was not interested 4 ^ Attended this program 51 c. CERT Training (Community Emergency Response Team) i ^ Did not hear about it s ^ Heard about it but it was not convenient for me 2 ^ Heard about it but was not interested 4 ^ Attended this program 5~ d. Winter Safety and Power Outage Preparedness i ^ Did not hear about it 3 ^ Heard about it but it was not convenient for me 2 ^ Heard about it but was not interested 4 ^ Attended this program s3 e. Adult and Child CPR • i 0 Did not hear about it 3 ^ Heard about it but it was not convenient for me 2 ^ Heard about it but was not interested 4 ^ Attended this program ~ Please select the extent to which you agree with the following statements. 12. It is likely that Falcon Heights could experience a massive power outage (lasting over 24 hours) within the next 12 months. Strongly Agree Somewhat Somewhat Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree 1^ 2^ 3^ 4^ 5^ 6^ 13. It is likely that Falcon Heights could be affected by a tornado within the next 12 months. Strongly Agree Somewhat Somewhat Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree 1^ 2^ 3^ 4^ 5^ 6^ 55 56 14. It is likely that a location in Falcon Heights could be the focus of terrorist activity in the next 12 months. Strongly Agree Somewhat Somewhat Disagree Strongly • Agree Agree Disagree Disagree 1^ 2^ 3^ 4^ 5^ 6^ EPUEPFH 001 (2-3) r04 Uer. 1 ___pLEASE TURN PAGE---> 57 Page Finally, to help us understand the information from this survey, please answer just a few questions about yourself. 15. Are you? ~ ^ Male 2 ^ Female '16. Your age? i ^ 18-24 2 ^ 25-34 s ^ 35-44 4 ^ 45-54 s ^ 55-64 6.^ 65-74 ~ ^ over 74 years 17. How much education have you completed? i^ ~^ 3^ . 4^ s^ 6^ Have not finished high school High school graduate Some post high-school education Four-year college degree Some post-graduate education Completed post-graduate education 18. Which best describes your housing? i ^ Own asingle-family home or duplex 2 ^ Own a townhouse or condominium unit 3 ^ Rent asingle-family home or duplex 4 ^ Rent an apartment s ^ Other 19. Do you have achild/children under the age of 18 living in your home? i ^ Yes 2 ^ No • ?'hanl~ you for taking tie time to compCete this questionnaire. EPUEPFH 001 (3-3) ?J04 Uer. 1 ss s9 60 61 62 Page 3 ~ I • r~ ~J POLICY H2 10/27/04 ITEM: Year-end Forestry Report SUBMITTED BY: Anita Twaroski, City Forester REVIEWED BY: Heather Worthington, City Administrator EXPLANATION: Summary: Each year, the city forester submits ayear-end report on the activities, programs, and projects undertaken by the city in the area of boulevard trees and trees on private property. This year was a particularly difficult year with regard to Dutch Elm Disease (DED), and the city worked closely with residents to resolve issues related to trees stricken with DED. This report contains information regarding DED programs and other tree diseases, as well as recommendations regarding future programs and projects. ATTACHMENT: • • City Forester's year end report on pages ~~• ACTION REQUESTED: • Review report • Questions C7 `~ City of Falcon Heights 2004 Urban Forestry Program :7 G3 • 2004 Urban Forestry Program Year End Report Introduction The City of Falcon Heights has continued the long tradition of maintaining an urban forest on private and public lands within the city. A staff person who can address forestry issues as a City Forester is made available at no cost to city residents. In addition, the City of Falcon Heights is committed to replanting and maintaining trees on public property. This program is acost-effective public investment that adds value to the community. The main emphasis of the forestry program is Forestry Extension/Public Assistance and Tree Disease Management. The following report highlights the forestry program activities for the year 2004. This report also identifies recommendations to further enhance the program. Forestry Extension/Public Assistance The City Forester responded to over 235 (compared to130 in 2003) inquiries from Falcon Heights' residents requesting information and advice. The majority • of the calls were questions and concerns about Dutch Elm Disease (DED). DED rose to epidemic proportions in the entire Metro Area this year. DED has greatly impacted the budgets of many cities as well as private citizens. Tree Disease Management The emphasis of the tree disease management portion of the forestry program is to survey for diseased, dying or hazardous trees on public or private property, as required by MN Statute Chapter 18 and MN Rules Chapter 1505. As part of this program, trees may require removal or trimming. The City contracts with a private tree removal company to complete this work. This year the contract was awarded to S & S Tree and Horticultural Specialists, Inc. from South St. Paul, MN (S & S). S & S removed 24 trees, ranging from 53" diameter to 3" diameter on public property. Fifteen of the 24 trees removed were elms with DED. In addition, the City Forester identified 16 situations in which limbs and/or broken branches needed to be trimmed on public property. The budget for tree removal was $6000. It is anticipated that the forestry budget will have cost overruns due to the rising cost of removing trees and due to the increase in DED. L~ C4 Thirty-two letters were sent to private property owners requiring that the diseased • elm trees on their property be removed within 20 days as required by state law. This involved the removal of about 63 diseased elm trees. Ten property owners resolved the DED problem on their property with a phone call. This involved eight DED trees. Most of the property owners were cooperative and removed the trees in a timely manner, unless an extension was requested, typically because tree contractors were overburdened this year. Dutch Elm Disease There was a significant increase in the incidence of DED this year for the City of Falcon Heights, as well as in other communities in the Metro Area. This year 99 elm trees were identified with DED whereas last year 29 trees were identified as having DED. Public trees included: fifteen trees on city property, one on county property and 12 on University of Minnesota property. Sixty-three diseased trees were on private property. Table 1. Summa of DED for the Past Three Years 2004 2003 2002 Public Trees 28 8 22 Private Trees 71 21 8 Total 99 29 30 • With city staff approval and gratitude, a resident volunteered to protect the elm tree on the boulevard adjacent to his property by having the tree injected with a fungicide. This fungicide will provide the tree with some disease resistance. If the tree succumbs to DED the city will remove the tree at the city's expense. A business owner is also starting to treat two trees on their property in an effort to prevent DED. Forestry Initiatives Arona and Iowa Maples Approximately eight to ten years ago, maple trees were planted in the Northome and Northeast neighborhoods. In the past few years some of these same trees have started to decline. In fact, upon closer inspection, the trees appear to be rotting from the inside. It also appears that the trees were planted too deep. As a result, the roots may be girdling the stem, or trunk causing the tree to die slowly. Recommendation: Continue to monitor and remove as necessary. Oak Wllt Recommendation: Staff will continue to monitor Street Tree Master Plan A Street Tree Master Plan is an official city • approved plan that identifies the tree species that should be planted on each ~S street. This is done so as to ensure diversity of the tree species in order to • prevent epidemic losses. In addition, some uniformity of species per street keeps the maintenance costs down. Recommendation: The City Forester should continue to develop the street tree master plan. Tree Plant111q This year there was no planting projects. In light of the DED epidemic, planting has been delayed until Spring 2005. As in the past, the planting locations will be based on where a tree was lost during the past year and if a homeowner requested a tree. The tree planting budget was set at $4,000 for this year. Currently, there are 30 trees on the list for planting. Recommendation: The City may need to increase the tree planting budget to accommodate the increased loss of trees that were affected by DED, as well as others that will be removed next year. Tree Inventory During the spring of 2002, a group of volunteers began a tree inventory. They measured the size of the trees and identified their location. They did not identify the species of the tree, nor was this information entered into a computer program. • Recommendation: The City Forester needs to identify the tree species and enter the information into a specialized computer program for tree inventory, which also needs to be purchased. Trimming As the urban forest continues to mature, maintenance is extremely important. Part of a maintenance program includes trimming. The city has always scheduled the trimming of the public trees on a five-year cycle. As the trees continue to grow, maintenance costs will also grow. This year $11,000 was budgeted for trimming. The actual cost was $13,114. Two quotes were submitted: Rainbow for $17,000 and Precision for $12,500. The lower quote was accepted. In Winter of 2005, the Northome Neighborhood will be trimmed. Recommendation: Increase the budget for trimming in order to continue the cyclic trimming program. SuperAmerica As part of a conditional use permit, SuperAmerica is required to maintain a natural vegetation screen (row of spruce trees) between their station and the adjacent private property. A few trees are starting to decline. The city administrator has sent a letter to SA requesting that they resolve this • situation. 6G Action: SA planted two spruce trees. No further action is necessary at this time. Next Year Things to do next year include: • identify more planting sites to replace lost trees • continue working on the inventory program • follow-up with private DED tree removal Conclusions Trees are a sound public investment and add value to the city in a relatively inexpensive way. Continued maintenance protects this investment. • Appendix 2005 Boulevard Tree Planting List 2005 Watch List 2004 Tree Removal Work Annual Tree Trimming Cycle • G'] 2005 Boulevard Tree Planting List This list is a compilation of residents who have requested trees and those who have lost a tree in 2003 and 2004. Planting is scheduled for spring 2005. 1549 Hoyt :~ 2. 2141 Hoyt 3. 2279 Hoyt 4. 2217 Hoyt 5. 1535 Hoyt 6. 1810 Simpson 7. 1349 Idaho 8. 1396 Idaho 9. 1524 Iowa 10. 1349 Iowa 11. 1468 Iowa 12. 1488 Iowa 13. 1513 Iowa 14. 1402 California 15. 1395 California 16. 1464 California 17. 1413 California 18. Garden View Cafe 19. 1776 Pascal 20. 1840 Asbury 21. 1846 Asbury 22. 1821 Asbury 23. 1724 Arona 24. 1740 Arona 25. 1532 Crawford 26. 1453 Larpentuer 27. Grove Park 28. 1723 Albert 29. 1800 Albert Mr. Eckberg 612-598-8198 would like sugar maple if possible Richard Thieme 644-1086 wants an elm Joan Steiner 645-1625 overhead wires wants maple Crab would be OK Jim Lee Jennifer Monson 659-9085 John Luey 644-5614 remove for 2 trees on Albert? Steve Thompson 917-2357 plant on Albert, overhead wires John Landy 917-3752 Seedless maple Bill Duddleston Fallgold Ash replace tree on Pascal Trees to be planted Asbury ................plant ash Pascal ................. California ............ . lowa ...................ash Idaho .................. Maple Simpson ............ . Hoyt .................. Mix: honeylocust, linden, ash, maple 68 2005 Tree Watch List 1. All Elms 2. 1536 Idaho 3. 1816 Arona 4. 1877 Sheldon 5. 1422 Idaho 6. 157 Vincent 7. Autumn Street 8. 1840 Roselawn 9. TIES 10. 2105 Hoyt 11. 1687 Larpenteur 12. 1720 Tatum 13. 1513 Iowa • • G9 • • • 2004 Tree Removal List 1. SW corner of Hamline and Roselawn 35" elm 2. 2141 Hoyt 29" elm 3. Grove Park 10" maple 4. 1488 Iowa 14" ash 5. NE corner of Lindig and Larpenteur 11" birch 6. 1513 Iowa 20" elm 7. 1396 Idaho 27" elm 8. 1464 California 41" elm 9. 1395 California 26" elm 10. 1395 California 28" elm 11. 1724 Arona 53" elm 12. 1532 Crawford 23" elm 13. 1453 Larpenteur 34" elm 14. 1413 California 5" maple '7 b Annual Tree Trimming Cycle City of Falcon Heights Grove Neighborhood ...........................................................................Winter 2003 Northeast Neighborhood (West Half) ...................................................Fall 2002 Falcon Woods Neighborhood, City Hall and City Parks .......................Winter 2006 Northome Neighborhood ......................................................................Winter 2005 Northeast Neighborhood (East Half) ....................................................Winter 2004 **Tatum, Lindig, Fairview, Maple Knoll area and Hollywood Court are not included in trimming on a cylclic basis nor are these streets included in the boulevard planting plan. • ~1 annual Trimming Cycle